Health care premium spikes set to squeeze small businesses
Premiums for Affordable Care Act plans, which are used for thousands of small businesses, are expected to jump 114% on average in the new year, when COVID-era tax credits expire.
Employee Benefits
-
Pet perks: More employers offering pet insurance, letting pups come to the office
The rise of pet insurance and pet-friendly workplaces comes amid wider societal changes with health benefits experts citing people waiting longer to have children and increasingly treating pets as part of the family.
Read More -
Will Indiana join a wave of states offering new retirement savings option?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 30% of private-sector workers do not have access to a defined-contribution retirement plan through their employer.
Read More -
Workers, employees likely to see another stiff increase in health benefits
Nationally, the average cost of employer-sponsored health plans is expected to grow 9% next year if companies don’t find ways to cut costs, according to an Aug. 15 report by professional services firm Aon.
Read More -
Suit accuses Lilly of illegally deducting funds from paychecks for vehicle use, extra time off
The lawsuit was filed this month by a senior sales representative who worked for Eli Lilly for 11 years before resigning in June. The complaint seeks class-action status on behalf of thousand of employees and former employees of Lilly.
Read More
Articles
Doctors, advocates brace for potentially ‘tragic’ premium increases
Five Indiana marketplace insurers—Anthem, UnitedHealthcare, CareSource, Cigna and Coordinated Care Corp.—will hike premiums an average of 31.4% effective Jan. 1 under plans recently approved by the Indiana Department of Insurance.
Treasury releases new proposals for ‘no tax on tips’
The agency on Friday submitted possible guidance that includes greater detail on the occupations covered by the rule and who will qualify and what counts as a “qualified tip.”
‘Narrow’ health plans gain wider acceptance
Direct-to-employer health insurance plans, in which an employer contracts directly with a health care network for coverage, restrict provider choice but are generally less expensive for employers and employees.
Paid family leave credit would expand under Republican tax bill
Republicans want to make the credit permanent, as well as expand it to part-time workers. They also want to reduce the worker eligibility requirement from one year on the job to six months.
Advocates hope move by state to expand parental leave will inspire private sector
Under Gov. Mike Braun’s new policy, all women employed by the state, including both full- and part-time workers, are eligible for up to six weeks of paid childbirth recovery leave.
Number of Americans filing for jobless benefits falls as labor market remains sturdy
The unemployment rate ticked down to an even 4%, signaling a still very healthy labor market.
Gov. Mike Braun signs order extending maternal leave for state employees
The new leave also extends to mothers who experience stillbirth or fetal loss after 20 weeks of gestation.
Amazon boosts warehouse worker pay by at least $1.50 an hour
Employees will start receiving Prime, Amazon’s speedy shipping and video subscription service, as part of their compensation beginning early next year, the company said.
Tips for workers seeing a raise—and for managers considering the request
Information is the key to a confident and successful negotiation for both sides, experts say.
Summer hours are perk small businesses can offer workers to boost morale
Reduced hours in the summer months can also enable smaller businesses to stand out to prospective employees in a competitive talent marketplace.
Bernie Sanders introduces bill calling for U.S. to adopt 32-hour workweek
The 40-hour workweek has been standard in the U.S. for more than eight decades. Now some members of Congress want to give hourly workers an extra day off.
Workers are seeking pay bumps; employers try to respond
About 70% of employers responding to a Franklin Templeton survey said they had recently increased the number of or quality of their benefits, and 65% described their benefits as “quite competitive.”
Lilly employees have seen big wins as stock price surges 500% since 2019
In the past 52 weeks, shares have set new records almost every week, due to investor eagerness over the company’s new drugs for obesity and diabetes, two health conditions that plague America, along with other drugs in the pipeline.
Senate, House combine bipartisan efforts to advance paid leave
The development is substantive—it is designed to help lawmakers write legislation that can pass both chambers—but it is also symbolic, an effort to show public momentum on the issue.
Four-day weeks are good for employee health, study suggests
The abbreviated schedule boosted companies’ ability to hire and retain staff, with almost a third of employees who said they were seriously considering leaving now saying they’re less likely to do so.
‘Work from anywhere’ jobs draw record demand as summer travel heats up
More job seekers are searching for work that allows them to take long-awaited trips without spending all their paid time off.
Four-day workweek becoming common at small businesses
As larger companies continue to harden their return-to-office mandates, the flexibility uniquely offered by small businesses might become increasingly attractive to job seekers.
Workers’ well-being tops agenda at annual shareholder meetings
From Amazon.com to Walmart, investors have filed more than 140 shareholder resolutions this year, pressing companies to address employee-related issues ranging from paid leave and health and safety to abortion access, benefits and labor rights.
Illinois enacts mandatory paid leave ‘for any reason’
Proponents say paid leave is key to making sure vulnerable workers can take time off when needed without fear of reprisal. Critics say the law will overburden small businesses already struggling amid high inflation.