Recent studies have highlighted an alarming trend in American health care: More and more people are struggling with medical bills and many are delaying care due to high costs. The most recent poll by Gallup found that 38% of those surveyed said they or a family member had delayed care in 2022 due to high…
While overall sexual harassment complaints have ebbed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and have fallen below their post-#MeToo movement highs, jury awards continue rising. Employers who receive a complaint about workplace sexual harassment need to take immediate steps to investigate the matter and take remedial action when warranted. But the best way to…
Besides health insurance and a 401(k) plan, other benefits that employees value highly are generous paid time off and flexible or remote work, according to a new survey. But for the first time, the annual study by employee benefits provider Unum found that the younger generations are not on the same page with their older…
There is a growing threat to companies that use online services to administer their employee benefits and payroll as cyber criminals increasingly exploit these cloud service platforms. The results of a hacker gaining access to the company’s payroll systems, sloshing with cash, as well as employees’ personally identifiable information can be devastating both to the…
Americans are eligible to sign up for Medicare when they turn 65, but more of us are staying in the workforce longer than ever before. In fact, the average retirement age has increased three years in the last three decades. There are a number of issues that Medicare-eligible workers face that your human resources staff…
The ongoing labor shortage affecting the construction industry is leading to increasing exposure for contractors due to a number of risks. Working short-staffed or with employees new to construction can lead to increased workplace injuries, which in turn can result in higher workers’ compensation premiums. It can also result in shoddy work that needs to…
Despite group health insurance costs expected to rise 5.4% this year, the tight labor market is forcing employers to prioritize enhancing benefits over cost-cutting measures, according to a new report by Mercer. With Americans increasingly struggling to pay their health care bills, more employers are shying away from only offering their workers high-deductible health plans…
The year 2022 was one of the most tumultuous climate disaster years in history, a year when we saw the massively destructive Hurricane Ian, an unprecedent number of tornadoes, growing wildfires in the West and a “bomb cyclone” in late December. And the increasing number of natural disasters is not just a U.S. phenomenon. It’s…
A new study has found that one-third of companies that are hit with ransomware and pay the hackers to unlock their systems, are often likely to be targeted a second time. And after they pay, they are often faced with significant fallout, including system rebuilding costs, their data still being leaked and financial implications, according…
As more health services are being rendered through providers’ patient portals and telemedicine, some providers are starting to bill for some of those interactions. A number of health systems around the country have started billing for certain types of messages, largely ones that are involved in clinical assessments or medical history reviews that take more…