Perhaps the best analogy for a robo-advisor is the self-driving car: it’s cool and impressive — sometimes even useful — but in many situations the technology can be incompatible or downright dangerous. Robo-advisors can provide useful advice to the small-balance investor who wants to get pointed in the right direction, but if you are beyond this point, proceed with caution.
In our 2015 MarketPulse trend study, we introduce our first annual WellnessPulse benchmarking study, in which we survey our clients about their wellness programs and share key results. We also cover trends in executive compensation and benefits, health plan design, healthcare reform, social engineering and cyber risks, workers' compensation, and retirement benefits.
Download the PDF: MarketPulse 2015
Retirement planning is very different from planning for other benefits because the end goal is many years – even decades – away. It’s impossible to develop a foolproof plan that will guide a 25 year-old to her retirement 40 years later. But the practice of planning, the financial education obtained and the savings habits created along the journey can steer employees closer to reaching their retirement goals.
Each year the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) releases the Top 10 Most Cited Violations of safety and health standards, and in this article series we are discussing violations at the top of the list. This month’s article is about the fourth most frequently cited violation: respiratory protection.
“If we get sued, you get sued!” Sounds warm and comforting, right? I bet you cannot wait to partner or contract with a company that already has litigation on its mind. Nevertheless, these types of statements are common, and once formalized by lawyers, are called “indemnification clauses.” They are often necessary but can be very broad and potentially catastrophic to your business.
Enterprise risk management (ERM) is a holistic approach to understanding and managing risk throughout an organization.
To develop an effective ERM program, organizations must first identify their risks, assess their current situation and come up with solutions. Those solutions must then be integrated throughout the organization, because controlling risks in one department won't protect the business if another area is vulnerable.
Enterprise risk management (ERM) is a holistic approach to understanding and managing risk throughout an organization. Almost any business, but especially those that have the potential for large losses, can benefit from ERM.
The terminology — enterprise risk management — is designed to emphasize the need for a coordinated effort to address all types of risks. Essentially, all of a company’s risks fall into one or more categories:
Planning for a successful open enrollment starts early, and requires thoughtful decision making, including determining what notices should be given to employees and their dependents, and when each notice must be provided. It’s important to comply with notice requirements, not only to meet legal obligations, but also to provide your employees and participants the information they need as they make their benefit decisions.
During the White House’s Summit on Working Families on June 24, 2014, President Obama indicated he was signing a presidential memorandum requiring every federal agency to address flexible work schedules and give employees the right to request such schedules. Absent what could be a dramatic increase in workplace flexibility for federal employees, it is undeniable that the demand for flexibility and work-life balance is on the rise.
Public health insurance exchanges have a head start over private exchanges, but in the coming years, employer and employee awareness will increase, and soon the private options should receive the recognition and utilization they deserve.
By now, all employers know they should be doing something more to prevent workplace harassment. The problem is, many employers still don’t know what doing more really means. More frequent training? More effective training? More what exactly?
At Vail Place, a nonprofit agency providing mental health recovery services, the role of human resources was changing. Vail Place has two Minnesota locations, one in Hopkins and one in Minneapolis. “Over the past few years, our people have needed to learn new roles,” says Executive Director Vicky Couillard, “while our organization faced a lot of new responsibilities.
The expression “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is appropriate when it comes to workplace harassment.
Employers who take appropriate measures to prevent unlawful harassment:
In our previous article on business succession planning, we discussed four ways in which you can divest a business interest. In this article we will cover the advantages of combining these options, in addition to related topics.
In late June, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a ruling in the case Janus v. AFSCME that could impact the funding of many public sector unions. In Janus, the Supreme Court held that public employees who are not members of their union can no longer be forced to pay agency fees and must consent to paying union dues.
Like Wrightstown Community School District Superintendent Carla Buboltz, many civic leaders — as well as business owners and executives — are seeing their job descriptions evolve. Healthcare reform, along with escalating health insurance costs, are demanding more of their attention than ever before. A survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce says the effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are now the top concern for organizations, edging out general uncertainty about the U.S. economy.
If you could give human form to your safety culture, what would it look like?
Maybe it would be a thick-set, shirtless brute named Trog with a foul disposition beating out a drum cadence to keep your employees rowing in-sync.
Or would it be more like a fussy and constantly disapproving Dickensian paper-pusher named Fizzlewhite who has never met a rule or procedure he didn’t like, even though he hasn’t done most of the things he creates rules to address?
If you were to search the various “mommy blogs” and parenting advice websites out there, how many of them do you think would endorse the following practice?
A child’s safety should always be a top priority for any parent. When leaving children under the age of 10 alone in the house for lengthy periods of time, be sure to provide the kids with a loaded pistol with the safety off in case a stranger should happen by. In a pinch, recently sharpened knives can be substituted for the pistol.