Paid Leaves: Key Points for National and Multi-state Employers

National and multistate employers have a lot to think about when it comes to administering paid leave in a compliant manner. In the ever-changing landscape of statutory leaves, employers are forced to monitor new laws and changes to existing laws and be ready to implement those changes around their existing benefits. I previously faced these challenges directly while working on the employer side for two large, national employers, and now focus on analyzing these regulations to help clients operationalize compliant leave and disability processes.

If you are an employer with a national footprint, or even one with employees in multiple states, it can be quite a challenge to keep up. Many mandating states make annual changes that impact employer and employee contribution rates, benefit amounts, notice requirements, and other statutory changes that impact eligibility and entitlements under each state’s program.

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What employers need to know about cancer and health equity

February is Cancer Prevention Awareness Month, and to many employers, that likely sounds like yet another opportunity to highlight standard prevention advice: quit smoking if you smoke, prioritize fresh foods and exercise, and make sure to follow cancer screening guidelines. But the truth is that there is much more to this issue than this one-size-fits-all advice. Increasingly, health experts and employers alike are discovering that no standardized message is enough to adequately solve this persistent problem.

FAST FACTS:
- A little over 2 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer each year, and more than 600,000 die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.[1]
- Research suggests that less than half of cancers can be prevented by a healthy diet and lifestyle alone.[2]
- Only 14% of diagnosed cancers in the U.S. are detected by a recommended screening, per research from the University of Chicago.[3],[4]


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Paid Family and Medical Leave Around New England

Paid Family and Medical Leave continues to evolve throughout New England and the country. While most of the activity has been at the state level, proposals have also been put forth federally. The programs passed by states vary in a number of ways, which leads to complexity for employers trying to navigate this landscape. Compliance concerns and complexities have also grown as the trend for remote work has continued, and employers that hire across the nation must comply with laws where employees work.

Massachusetts: Experience Over the Years
We have now completed our third year of the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical (PFML) program! In those three years, the program has seen changes in contributions, benefits, claims experience, as well as changes to how it operates and coordinates with other benefits.

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Health & Welfare Trends & Outlooks 2024

To kickoff 2024, we once again called on our annual corporate partners to share their outlooks and perspectives on industry trends for the NEEBC community to consider in the new year.  The current landscape and workforce have taught us that benefits are more important to employees than ever, and the fight for talent, exacerbated by the labor shortage, has never been more challenging. 

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Supporting Employees Considering Retirement

Retirement is a significant milestone in life, and for many people, it can be an overwhelming experience. After years of working full-time, people's identity becomes closely tied to their careers. They are often unsure of what to do next, which can cause them to put off retirement despite having the financial means to retire.

That's why companies are beginning to expand their talent strategies to include life planning support for employees who are approaching retirement.

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A Holistic Approach to Student Loan Repayment Assistance

Student loan payments are restarting in October 2023, and many borrowers haven’t made payments for over three years. Luckily, changes to income-driven repayment options and one-time account adjustments can have big benefits for borrowers. This article can help you understand how to (1) prepare your employees for student loan payments to restart under the latest rules; and (2) the various repayment assistance programs available to employees to ease the burden of repaying student loans.

I Steps for employees restarting student loan payments:

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Cyber Threats to Retirement Plans and What Plan Sponsors Can Do About It

Cybercrime continues to increase and pose a credible threat both to employers and their employees. According to the FBI’s 2022 Internet Crime Report, losses caused by internet crime rose 48% in the last year to over $10.2B. 
There are four types of threats retirement plan sponsors and their participants should be concerned about:

1. Unauthorized access and acquisition of their personal data.
Over the last year we have seen a number of large data breaches impacting leading social media, telecommunications, and credit reporting businesses resulting in the disclosure of over 800M customer records1.

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Getting Your Money’s Worth From an MSK Care Solution

Every business leader is reaching for the same brass ring: ROI. You need benefits solutions that will move the needle with buy-in-worthy metrics that back up claims of success. And you need them now.

Health benefit costs per employee are projected to jump 5.4% in 2023 and continue to increase in the years ahead, notes Mercer. This is in sharp contrast with the prior decade, during which costs went up only 2.1% to 3.9% every year except 2021.[1]

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Meeting the Moment in Mental Health: 3 Actions to Support the Workforce

In an era where the significance of mental health is finally being acknowledged, a 300-person audience gathered in Las Vegas for a groundbreaking conference titled "Meeting the Moment in Mental Health: Real Community Solutions to the Mental Health Crisis."  Conference host, CareSolace, a trailblazer in mental health care solutions, holistically approached this topic with speakers who were leaders spanning state and local communities, public and private education, corporate and not-for-profit sectors, and, of course, healthcare. I had the privilege of representing NEEBC as a speaker identifying trends in Employee Benefits that focus on mental health.  My remarks aimed to illuminate a crucial aspect of this crisis: how employers can proactively address mental health concerns within their workforce. My focus was on simplifying access, advocating for affordability, and ensuring cultural relevance.  Any trends observed in this space offer insights into how employers can lead the way in nurturing a mentally healthy workforce.

Simplifying Access: The Gateway to Employee Wellbeing
One of the most formidable barriers to mental health care is the complex and often bewildering process of finding the right support. This conference emphasized the pivotal role that employers can play in simplifying access. By partnering with mental health care providers and platforms, employers can create streamlined channels through which employees can seek assistance.

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Promoting Company Culture Through Internal Communications

Many companies have come to realize that creating an inclusive and inviting organizational culture isn’t just the responsible thing to do — it also has a direct impact on the business bottom line. 

That’s because diverse and inclusive workplaces can help companies recruit1 and retain high-quality talent in this ultra-competitive market, create happier and more productive employees, achieve higher revenues and increase innovation2

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Nondiscrimination testing: Simplifying the core concepts

Nondiscrimination testing is a crucial part of sponsoring employee benefits as required by the IRS. In a world of constantly changing rules and regulations, it is crucial that employers remain up to date on how these tests impact their benefits. Nondiscrimination tests work to satisfy the Golden Rule, which dictates that highly compensated employees cannot receive a higher benefit than other employees.

Basics of Nondiscrimination Testing
There are three major tests you should have an understanding of as a plan sponsor Cafeteria Plan testsDCAP FSA tests and Health FSA tests. All the three categories include eligibility tests, which is where we see the Golden Rule at play.

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Evaluating and Strengthening Your Employee Health Benefits Through a DE&I Lens

Employee health benefits are a key area where employers need to focus their DE&I efforts. With three-quarters of employers (76%) ranking health benefits as their top priority to support their workforce1, there will need to be an increased focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) to ensure benefits offerings meet all employees’ needs – especially the under-served.

Why DE&I matters in healthcare benefits

Employees from marginalized communities often face unique health challenges and barriers to healthcare access, which have high long-term costs for employers in terms of medical and disability claims and worker productivity. Deloitte estimated health inequities related to race, socioeconomic status, and sex/gender account for $320 billion annual health care costs2. By tailoring health benefits to under-served populations, companies can bridge the healthcare gap, promote equitable health outcomes for all and help reduce rising healthcare costs.

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Leading by Listening: How to Support the Mental Health Needs of Your LGBTQ+ Employees

The LGBTQ+ community has and continues to bring value and unique perspectives to the workforce. Knowing that their employers stand by them can help employees feel safe in their workplace, which is critical to ensuring that the workforce has the diverse thoughts, perspectives and people we need for today’s world.

Part of standing by your LGBTQ+ employees means helping support their mental health. LGBTQ+ individuals have unique mental health needs. These individuals may face threats, violence, rejection and lack of acceptance in the community, as well as issues with accessing affirming care. We know from our own families and friendships that having an accepting, supportive workspace with validating mental health benefits also helps the loved ones of those in the community who already worry about their safety every day. 

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Why dads don’t reach their caregiving goals

Through many years of research, my colleagues at the Boston College Center for Work & Family and I have developed a portrait of today’s white-collar working fathers – and those who make the choice to be at-home fathers, a choice still relatively rarely rare for American dads. We do this to support fathers who strive to have a balanced life, but also to support gender equality and women’s success in the workplace. In spite of many years of Affirmative Action and organizational efforts to promote women’s advancement, a gap continues to exist when it comes to women’s equality, especially in senior levels of leadership.

There’s an old saying that “charity begins at home” and maybe the same holds true for equality. While the government and employers can and should make efforts to level the playing field and advance women in the workplace, much of the reason for workplace disparities is a direct result of the home-based arrangements of working couples. The disparity in time that mothers spend caregiving has been very well documented over the years so this isn’t news. On average, American mothers spend nearly two-times as many hours providing care than working fathers. Yet, in much research, including our own, two-thirds of white-collar fathers say that their goal is to be an egalitarian caregiver. This is especially true for fathers who have a full-time working partner who contributes significantly to the household income. And wives’ financial contributions to family income has continued to increase over the years as the graph below from the Pew Research Center indicates:

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How a flexible workforce approach helps organizations grow and thrive

7 strategies for increasing your talent pool and employee retention rate

The future of work is – in a word  flexible. Companies are fiercely competing for talent. Job openings remain above pre-pandemic levels and are higher in Massachusetts than in the country. Broadening your hiring strategies and taking a flexible approach that creates a positive employee experience will give your organization the upper hand in attracting and retaining top-quality employees.

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Creating a Culture of Wellness: How to Foster Employee Wellbeing from the Top-Down

In today's fast-paced work environments, the need for a workplace culture of wellness has become increasingly essential. Employee wellbeing is no longer just a personal responsibility; it is now recognized as a key driver of productivity, engagement, and overall organizational success.  In the recent study published by HR.com, "The State of Employee Financial Wellness," we learn that 21% of employers are looking to expand their wellbeing benefits this year, with the goals of improving employee mental health, becoming an employer of choice, and improving employee retention. 

To establish and nurture a culture of wellness, it is crucial for HR and benefits professionals to collaborate with team leaders and gain their buy-in and active involvement.  This blog explores the significance of leadership in promoting employee wellbeing and providing actionable guidance on fostering a culture of wellness at all levels of the organization.

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A Library of Mental Health Resources

Each May, we recognize Mental Health Awareness, a complex and multi-faceted aspect of total well-being, often impacting and interconnected with other components of overall health. Mental Health is of paramount importance to NEEBC and our community and is a topic we will highlight and progress throughout the year.

With the spotlight on mental health awareness this month, we asked our partners to share their research, tools and solutions on mental health, and they delivered. This compendium of partner content (in alphabetical order by organization) covers a spectrum of mental health-related topics from access and care to the unique considerations for under-served communities, and it offers toolkits, strategies and a framework to help employers expand existing resources.

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How telehealth can address inequities — and change the future of health care delivery

The lack of access to health care is often the biggest challenge that patients encounter when they are sick or seeking preventive care. Patients can face weeks of waiting to see a provider and insufficient time with that provider once they are finally seen. For many, access remains out of reach, particularly for those living in rural areas or under-resourced communities.

With virtual and digital capabilities becoming more convenient and widely adopted, consumers today have more options in how they access their care. The past year has seen people become increasingly comfortable with virtual care and, according to our recent Health Care Insights Study, 59% of consumers feel it is important to their health that they have access to virtual and telehealth services. This greater acceptance of virtual care, combined with the proliferation of telehealth options in the past few years, offers a promising solution to closing gaps in health care inequities and helping shape a better care delivery model for all.

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Improving Access to Mental Health Care – The 4 Cs for Employers to Consider

As we head into May, National Mental Health Awareness Month, it is important to acknowledge the gains made to reduce mental health stigma in the workplace. When I started in the employee assistance field over 16 years ago, many organizations were reluctant to speak openly about mental health beyond the concepts of “stress” and “resilience.” Now, campaigns such as Just Five, StigmaFree and Mental Health First Aid are common in workplace settings (2,4). Organizational leaders, managers and employees are speaking openly about their own mental health challenges, reducing traditional taboos. These are important steps in the effort to place mental health awareness on the same level as other physical health needs.

Yet, stigma is not the only barrier to mental health.  Access to care is a hurdle many people struggle to overcome. Once an individual acknowledges the need to address their own mental health concerns, they face challenges of finding and connecting to appropriate care (6).

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Retirement Planning Tips for Women in 2023

Women often face special challenges when planning for retirement. For example, if they are the primary caregivers in their families, their careers may be interrupted to care for children or elderly parents, which means they may spend less time in the workforce and earn less money than men in the same age group. And even if they remain in the workforce, women still tend to earn less than men, on average. As a result, their retirement plan balances, Social Security benefits, and pension benefits are often lower.


High inflation rates have led many women to lose confidence in their retirement trajectory, with 62% of women planning to retire later than they had planned1. These added challenges are taking a toll on many women's financial confidence.

To help yourself or the women in your workforce manage these financial challenges, consider the following.

SECURE Act 2.0 has improved the retirement savings landscape for women

In December of 2022, the SECURE Act 2.0 was signed into law. The Act contains many provisions, some of which are especially important to women’s retirement savings.


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