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Employee Benefits are an important part of life in any galaxy. In what has become a sort of Talking Benefits tradition, we're celebrating Star Wars Day with an imagining of the inner workings of benefits administration in a galaxy far, far away. As it turns out, it can be a bit tricky when your participants are separated by several light years or frozen in carbonite. This bonus episode is a reading of a Word on Benefits blog post. You can read it and many other great benefits blog posts here: https://blog.ifebp.org/

In this episode we're talking financial well-being with two staffers from the United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on how your employees' finances can impact your organization and how employers can help their employees become more financially secure. Check out the CFPB resources mentioned in this episode: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/educator-tools/financial-well-being-resources/ https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/financial-well-being/ https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/educator-tools/financial-well-being-resources/measure-and-score/

Could education benefits help your organization recruit and retain talent? In this episode we'll school you on the various options available to employers in this area. (see what we did there?) Check out the items mentioned in this episode: Student loan benefits pulse survey: https://ifebp.org/store/Pages/student-loan-survey.aspx 2022 Employee Benefits survey results: https://ifebp.org/store/employee-benefits-survey/Pages/default.aspx Other great research resources from the International Foundation: https://www.ifebp.org/Resources/Research/Pages/default.aspx Learn more about National Employee Benefits Day: https://www.ifebp.org/AboutUs/NEBD/Pages/default.aspx Best practices for student loan match benefit implementation: https://www.plansponsor.com/student-loan-match-can-start-one/

Host Anne shares a blog she wrote on the uptick of employers offering fertility and family forming benefits in order to attract and retain talent. Read this blog post in full here: https://blog.ifebp.org/fertility-benefits-rapidly-rising-as-employers-look-to-attract-and-support-talent/ Check out the results of the 2022 Employee Benefits Survey discussed in this episode here: https://ifebp.org/store/employee-benefits-survey/Pages/default.aspx Read all the other great Word on Benefits blog posts here: https://blog.ifebp.org/

We're diving into the Secure Act 2.0 and what it means for employer and plan sponsors. Read the blog post that inspired this episode here: https://blog.ifebp.org/what-plan-sponsors-need-to-know-after-the-passage-of-secure-2-0-act-of-2022/ Stay up-to-date with the International Foundation's Secure Act 2.0 webpage: https://www.ifebp.org/Resources/benefits-transition-tracker/Pages/secure-act.aspx Check out the Senate summary of the bill here: https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Secure%202.0_Section%20by%20Section%20Summary%2012-19-22%20FINAL.pdf

Another year is coming to an end and we reflect on all that has happened in the benefits industry in 2022 with a Charles Dickens twist. You'll hear the tale of Ebenefits Scrooge and the ghosts of Benefits Past, Present and Future! Check out links to the items we discussed in this episode: https://www.ifebp.org/Resources/Pages/dobbs-decision.aspx https://blog.ifebp.org/inflation-reduction-act-6-health-care-provisions-plan-sponsors-should-know-about/ https://blog.ifebp.org/five-critical-components-of-a-cybersecurity-compliance-review/

The workplace landscape is still evolving in the wake of the pandemic. In this episode we dive into how organizations are reacting to workplace changes and reflecting them in their annual salary increases and total rewards packages. Check out the survey featured in this episode here: https://www.ifebp.org/salaryTR Read the blog post we based this episode on here: https://blog.ifebp.org/68-of-employers-are-planning-salary-increases-for-2023/ And check out all of the International Foundation's great research here: https://www.ifebp.org/research

If your organization is thinking about switching from a traditional vacation plan to unlimited vacation there are a lot of things to consider. In this episode we chat with Kristine Karnath of Moog on how and why her company made the switch and potential pitfalls to avoid. For more information, watch to the International Foundation webcast Kristine was featured in here: https://www.ifebp.org/education/webcasts/Pages/webcast-ind.aspx?wcode=22T09&wname=unlimited-paid-time-off-will-it-work-for-your-organization International Foundation members can watch all of our webcasts for FREE! Get more information on International Foundation membership here: http://www.ifebp.org/membership

The recent ups and downs of the stock market and the economy can be dizzying. In this episode, we talk to an investments guru on what plan sponsors can do to ensure their pension plans are in a good funding position and how employers can communicate to their retirement plan participants during this tumultuous economic time.

Over one in four employers is exploring the expansion of covered abortion services, according to a new report from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. In this bonus epsiode we delve into the Post-Dobbs Employer Coverage: July 2022 Pulse Survey, which revealed current abortion coverage offerings and future considerations. For more info check out www.ifebp.org/dobbsimpact. Read this blog post and other great posts at blog.ifebp.org Join us at the International Foundation's Annual Employee Benefits Conference to hear the latest on how this Supreme Court decision is impacting benefit plans. Register today: www.ifeb.org/usannual

When we talk about the relationship between work and family, many think about the struggles of working mothers. But, fathers face many of the same issues when trying to strike a balance between family and career. In this episode we talk to Dr. Brad Harrington of the Boston College Center for Work and Family on his recent research in the area and how employers can help dads. As mentioned in this episode, you can learn more about Dr. Harrington's research at www.bc.edu/cwf

In this episode we chat with Alex Willis, CEO of LeadershipSurge about returning to the office and how remote and hybrid work arrangements will shape the future of our office teams and collaboration.

In a galaxy far, far away, heroes and villains still need their employee benefits, and benefits professionals still need to know how to handle coordination of benefits (and lots of tricky claims scenarios). In this bonus episode, we delve into how they handle those—between lightsaber battles. You can read this Word on Benefits blog post and many others at https://blog.ifebp.org/

Statistically women save less than men for retirement for a number of reasons. We discuss how employers can help narrow that gap in this episode. Read Cara's blog and other great Word on Benefits Blog posts here: https://blog.ifebp.org/ Find great retirement news and education resources here: https://www.ifebp.org/retirement-pensions/Pages/default.aspx And here: https://www.ifebp.org/microsite/Pages/default.aspx

Have you ever told a white lie? Would you cheat on your taxes? What if you knew you wouldn’t get caught? In this bonus episode we dive into why people commit benefits fraud. Read Alyssa's and many other great blog posts here: https://blog.ifebp.org

Apprenticeship programs have been around for a long time, but they're always evolving. In this episode we take a deeper dive into new trends in apprenticeship and what industries outside of the trades can learn from these programs. Be sure to check out the links mentioned in this episode: Top Trends in Apprenticeship 2022 Survey https://ifebp.org/store/Pages/apprenticeship-survey.aspx International Foundation's Apprenticeship Resources page: https://ifebp.org/apprenticeshipresources International Foundation Financial Tools for the Trades course: https://ifebp.org/toolsfortrades

Stop-loss insurance is a great way for self-funded health plans to avoid catastrophic costs. But, you need to know what's important for your organization in a policy. Rose Plewa discusses the top 5 considerations in purchasing a plan. You can read her original blog post here: https://blog.ifebp.org/index.php/five-considerations-when-purchasing-stop-loss-insurance Take a deeper dive into self-funded group health plans by completing the International Foundation's Certificate in Self-Funding Group Health Plans: https://www.ifebp.org/education/online-certificate-programs/Pages/certificate-in-self-funding-group-health-plans-overview.aspx Check out the 2020 Employee Benefits Survey that Rose mentioned in this episode: https://www.ifebp.org/store/employee-benefits-survey/Pages/default.aspx

It's our 50th episode! After a little celebration we take a look back at some of the biggest developments in the benefits industry from the past year. Plus we let you know what to keep on your radar for 2022. And don't forget to check out the items mentioned in this show. Blog posts on the ACA Supreme Court case, California versus Texas: https://blog.ifebp.org/index.php/supreme-court-affordable-care-act https://blog.ifebp.org/index.php/california-v-texas-explainer EBSA cyber security best practices: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ebsa/key-topics/retirement-benefits/cybersecurity/best-practices.pdf International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans COVID-19 One Year Update survey: https://www.ifebp.org/store/Pages/covid-19-one-year-update-survey.aspx

Those of us in the benefits world have been talking about mental health parity for over 20 years at this point, but it's not all old news. We chat with Stephanie Patrick on what's new and what's ahead for mental health parity and how it affects your plans.

Do you have the right level of protection against cyberattacks? Does your current insurance even cover them? What about cyberinsurance? International Foundation Director of Educational Outreach presents her blog post on why your organization may want to consider cyberinsurance. Read this and other great blog posts at blog.ifebp.org