One in 4 working adults will become disabled before reaching retirement age, according to data from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Unfortunately, many workers are unprepared to lose their income or unable to afford unexpected medical expenses.

On March 29, 2023, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution that would end the COVID-19 national emergency declaration that has been in place since 2020. The U.S. House of Representatives voted in February to terminate the order, and President Joe Biden has indicated that he will sign the bill despite strongly opposing it.

During its 2022-2023 term, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear and decide several cases that could have a significant influence on the workplace. Even though labor and employment laws and regulations change every year, the current Supreme Court term will likely have a greater impact on employers than previous terms.

Health insurance provides coverage for the health care services you need, such as preventive care and annual checkups. Yet, your health insurance may have more to offer than you think. For example, many health insurance carriers provide benefits that incentivize healthy lifestyles.

A new report from The Workforce Institute at UKG revealed that managers impact employee mental health more than doctors and therapists. The study conducted for the report surveyed 3,400 people in 10 countries, including the United States, to explore mental health in and outside work.

A growing number of employers are currently experiencing a rise in catastrophic health claims, largely due to medical and pharmaceutical advances (e.g., specialty drugs and cell and gene therapies). In the past, employers have expanded cost-sharing methods to reign in rising health expenses, such as offering high deductible health plans, but today’s employers are hesitant to shift costs onto employees amid the tight labor market.

Employee handbooks are important tools for establishing employee expectations, addressing workplace issues and defending against potential lawsuits. Failing to update employee handbooks regularly can make employers vulnerable to legal risks and liabilities, resulting in costly fines, penalties and attorneys’ fees. Employment laws are often complicated, and employers need to be aware of any new regulatory developments that may impact their organizations and workforce.

Medicare is health care coverage for those age 65 and older. It’s important to understand Medicare enrollment and coverage options to avoid penalties down the road. Whether you’re reaching the age of 65 or you’re older and switching from your workplace insurance to Medicare, it’s important to know how to navigate enrollment.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently released its January Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary. This month’s report showed the number of job openings decreased from an upwardly revised 11.2 million in December to 10.8 million in January, representing a 410,000 decline from last month. The job openings rate also dropped from 6.7% in December to 6.5% in January.

An employee value proposition (EVP) is the unique set of benefits employees receive in return for the skills, capabilities and experiences they bring to an organization. While an EVP includes common factors such as compensation, benefits and career opportunities, it also expands to all the value an employee can receive in exchange for their work.

Many employees do not use their allotted paid time off (PTO) despite their employers’ vacation and other leave policies. As a result, some employers are implementing minimum PTO policies to address this challenge. This emerging trend takes standard PTO policies one step further by mandating that employees take off a minimum number of days each year.

Alongside compensation, health care coverage is often seen as one of the most important benefits a job can offer. And the larger the variety of options available to employees, the more likely they are to find an option that best suits their needs. This is good for employers because employees are more likely to stay at their organizations when they feel their needs are being met.

The latest Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) Health Tracking Poll revealed there is widespread public confusion about the legality of medication abortion drugs and emergency contraceptive pills. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade—eliminating the constitutional right to abortion— happened more than six months ago, but Americans are still confused about what is legal in their state and how emergency contraceptive pills work.

Nearly two decades ago, more employers started requiring college degrees for positions that previously did not require one, even though the duties and responsibilities for those jobs did not change. Advancements in technology changed the nature of many positions. While the competencies required to perform those jobs also changed, many job titles did not.

The COVID-19 pandemic worsened underlying mental health issues for many Americans. However, mental health care and treatment barriers have existed for some time. One of the most significant barriers is the lack of mental health professionals. Experts predict that within the next year, the United States will be short between 14,280 and 31,109 mental health professionals.

Employers of all sizes are currently searching for ways to reduce expenses and save money in response to the current economic downturn and ongoing labor challenges. Instead of cutting costs randomly or conducting unnecessary layoffs, successful organizations tend to optimize their resources.

The significance of AI technology for employers cannot be understated, as it could change almost every aspect of how organizations operate and conduct business. Many employers, especially larger ones, have been using this technology for years; however, ChatGPT is not only making this technology readily available to employers of all sizes but also more accepted than in the past.

Over the last few years, employers have been expanding their voluntary benefits offerings as a way to address their employees’ needs and improve overall attraction and retention efforts. While voluntary benefits have become increasingly important to employees as they deal with challenges and increased financial pressures due to record-high inflation and the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, knowing what benefits to offer can be difficult.

While most Americans have heard of Medicare as one of many health care coverage options, they may not know how it differs from other privately offered options, such as Medicare Advantage. This article explains the differences between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, including the various doctors one can seek care from, the differences in cost and the range of coverage between plans.

On Feb. 23, Humana announced its plan to exit the employer-based insurance business over the next 18 to 24 months. The company will instead focus on government-funded programs—such as Medicare, Medicaid and military—and specialty businesses.