Despite all the headlines about layoffs hitting Silicon Valley and Wall Street, most employers will be feeling the tailwind of the war for talent in the new year. The labor market has remained stubbornly robust in the face of recession forecasts and the Federal Reserve’s campaign to raise interest rates. Hiring is especially competitive for small businesses. More...
The employee benefits landscape has undergone rapid and dramatic changes in recent years. 2022 was marked by continued challenges, which influenced how businesses built their total rewards packages. Ways of working shifted, attrition climbed, employee expectations expanded, and rising health care costs drove medical plan rates higher. Heading into 2023, employers will have to adapt to...
There’s no denying that employees’ needs have changed over the past few years. As such, employers can offer benefits to meet evolving worker needs shaped by lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, a tight labor market and rising inflation. Many workers are paying more attention to their benefits and wondering how to stretch their dollars...
While there are varying measurements of what qualifies as a recession, the consensus is that rising interest rates and high inflation will continue to put the financial squeeze on Americans in the new year. In these economic conditions, it’s likely insurance companies will see an uptick in claims related to inflation and the heightened cost...
Insurers faced some tough challenges in 2022, including a few that threatened their very existence. Astronomical jury verdicts, AI deep fakes, seemingly unending numbers of claims seeking compensation for coronavirus business shutdowns — more than a few industry lawyers spent sleepless nights beating back litigation that targeted the very core of the industry’s stability. Here’s...
As the modern workforce continues to embrace flexible work arrangements, employees’ needs are varying at an accelerated rate. For instance, remote employees are likely to value different benefits than their in-office or hybrid colleagues, or at least value them to different degrees. According to the MetLife 2022 Open Enrollment survey, the top five benefits that...
Although more than three-quarters of hiring organizations said improving safety culture alignment among their contractors is the most effective approach for driving down serious injuries and fatalities in the workplace, but only around 20% of organizations believe they have achieved a sustained safety culture, according to a survey by ISN Software Corp. In order to move...
As open enrollment periods approach for 2023 benefits, there’s still time to address employees’ questions and inform them of their options in meaningful ways. Doing so will help them get the most from their benefits, which are especially valuable as employees navigate record-high inflation and work to maximize every hard-earned dollar. This article outlines a...
No matter the time of year, when business owners think about the common risks involved with owning a business, the safety of their employees should always be top of mind. However, the summertime can bring unique hazards, with its soaring temperatures, busy travel times and potential for strong storms. In the summer, it’s important that employers take...
It’s been quite a couple of years for the insurance industry, with the impacts of COVID-19, inflation, and fundamental changes to the labor market taking their toll. Despite all this, however, the workers’ compensation system is booming – it remains one of the most profitable segments of the US property and casualty insurance industry. According...