Current and Past Articles

In today’s fast-paced work environment, the core values of collaboration, psychological safety, and professional growth are more than buzzwords—they’re the bedrock of a company culture that drives employee retention, engagement, and satisfaction. When people feel valued, understood, and part of a team, they’re more likely to stay, thrive, and contribute to their fullest potential.  However, industry jargon is a subtle yet pervasive barrier that can undermine these values. At first glance, industry-specific terms and acronyms might seem like harmless shorthand, a way for professionals to communicate complex ideas quickly and efficiently. But look closer, and it becomes evident that jargon can be a gatekeeping mechanism, sidelining those who aren’t “in the know” and creating an unintended hierarchy of understanding. It affects everyone who might not be familiar with the latest lingo, whether they’re newcomers, transitioning from other fields, your prospects, or your clients.

We all know that keeping data secure is important. To be careless is to put all your sensitive company and personal information up for grabs, making your business vulnerable to data breaches and putting you and your employees at risk for identity theft. And yet, when it comes to data security, a relaxed approach to data security is all too common. How relaxed? Here’s a snapshot of notable data breaches in 2023: The social media site Reddit was the victim of an intricate phishing attack. The campaign targeted Reddit employees with emails pointing employees to a website that cloned their intranet gateway in attempts to steal credentials and two-factor authentication tokens. Potential American and Southwest Airlines candidates had their data stolen after a data breach at the airlines’ recruitment software company. Hackers gained the names, social security numbers, passport numbers, dates of birth, and driver’s license numbers of those who applied for airline jobs.

  An event occurred that many members of the compliance and benefits world have been waiting for: A major corporation, Johnson and Johnson (J&J), had a complaint filed against them. The fact that a complaint was filed against such a large organization is not unusual. What was startling was that the complaint was not filed against J&J in their role as a manufacturer; instead, it was filed against them as a purchaser of prescription drugs for their workforce. More startling (and a HUGE wake-up call to the benefits community), the complaint wasn’t just against J&J—it was filed against individual employees of J&J, including its Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, two Vice Presidents of Human Resources, and TWENTY individual members of the Pension and Benefits Committee, all of whom were fiduciaries to the health plan.

There’s a lot of insurance information out there, and sometimes it’s hard to separate fact from fiction. But as Jonathan Frakes, the host of the television show Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction? always said, you must have a discerning eye to separate what is true from what is false.

    Amid reports that many health insurance plans continue to impose barriers to contraceptive coverage, The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury (collectively, The Departments) have issued additional FAQ guidance addressing first-dollar coverage of contraceptives under the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) preventive health services rules.   Citing the Biden Administration’s clear desire to see that women have access to contraceptive care, these FAQs include a new therapeutic equivalence approach alternative for complying with the ACA’s contraceptive mandate.

As we step into 2024, it’s crucial to stay informed about the latest trends and strategies shaping our workplaces. We understand the delicate balance you maintain between nurturing your employees’ wellbeing and managing the practicalities of budgets and benefits. So, we’ve combed through the Health & Benefit Strategies for 2024…