Employee benefits can play a crucial role in attracting and retaining top talent. Beyond compensation and bonuses, offering a variety of perks can significantly enhance employee satisfaction and productivity. But what should you include in your employee benefits offerings?   What are employee benefits?   Employee benefits encompass compensation, bonuses and various perks outside an employee's wage. By offering flexible employee benefits, you can improve employee productivity and loyalty while attracting and retaining talented candidates.   Personalized benefits examples   The type of benefits offered can vary by industry. We've compiled some of the most popular options to help you explore possible employee benefits strategies .  1. Social opportunities   Employee perks don't always have to be tied to a benefits package. Sometimes, the best way to engage your employees can be through social opportunities. Group activities can help im...

Understanding leave management  Managing employee leave requests can be daunting for human resources (HR) professionals. From holidays to sick leave, emergencies to parental leave, organizing and handling these requests fairly and accurately is critical to ensuring that team members receive their benefits while keeping the business running smoothly. This process, known as leave management, is a fundamental aspect of HR management.  What is leave management?  Leave management, also referred to as time-off management, involves overseeing and regulating employees' time-off requests through a series of policies, guidelines and rules specific to your organization. Its primary goal is to balance employees' need for time off with the business's operational requirements.  Leave management is a critical aspect of HR management that ensures employees can take necessary time off while minimizing disruption to the business.   By implementing effective leave management pract...

Stay on track with our 2025 open enrollment timeline infographic!  Don’t let open enrollment sneak up on you! Our 2025 Open Enrollment Timeline Infographic is the perfect tool to help you stay organized and informed throughout the entire process. From key deadlines to important reminders, this visual guide breaks down each step, making it easy for both HR teams and employees to prepare.  With everything laid out in one clear, concise timeline, you'll have a hassle-free open enrollment experience. Download the infographic today and ensure you're ready for 2025!   Have questions? contact TruePlan  If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us . We’re more than happy to discuss ways you can stay on track this open enrollment season. We can also talk about how to optimize your current employee benefits solutions for retention and attraction.  Don’t miss our additional open enrollment resources  Our resource library contains helpful open enrollment i...

Maximize your benefits with our 2025 open enrollment guide  As open enrollment approaches, what are you doing as an employer to ensure your employees are prepared? If your organization is currently sponsoring a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) compatible with HSAs, it's the perfect time to explore ways to keep your employees up to date.  Our full guide, Open Enrollment 2025 - Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) , covers everything you need to know, including:  how to communicate HSA rules to employees;  updating HDHP design; and  helpful IRS links and resources.  Download it today to unlock your HSA's full potential for 2025!   Want open enrollment communication resources?  Once you understand the compliance aspects of HSAs and HDHPs, you can start to learn effective ways to communicate open enrollment. Check out our blog on how to get the most out of your open enrollment communications. Then, dive into eight tips for effective open enrollment commu...

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released a new model employer Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) notice with information that is current as of July 31 .   Under the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA), employers maintaining group health plans in states that provide premium assistance subsidies under a Medicaid plan or a CHIP plan must send employees an annual notice.   An employer can choose to provide the notice on their own or concurrent with the furnishing of:   materials notifying the employee of health plan eligibility;  open enrollment materials; and  the summary plan description.  An employer is subject to this annual notice requirement if their group health plan covers participants who reside in a state that provides a premium assistance subsidy, regardless of the employer’s location.   Employers may use the DOL’s model notice for this disclosure. DOL updates the model notice periodicall...

The September 2024 edition of our Newsletter, Live Well, Work Well , focuses on important employee health information. It contains quick resources on cholesterol, disaster preparedness and mental health — plus, there’s a rice bowl breakfast recipe.   Share our newsletter with your team today!  Encourage your team to thrive by sharing our Live Well, Work Well newsletter! Packed with valuable insights on health, wellness and work-life balance, this monthly publication is designed to help employees lead healthier, happier lives both inside and outside the workplace.   By sharing this resource, you can foster a positive work environment, promote well-being and demonstrate your commitment to employee wellness. Download the latest edition today and empower your team to live and work well every day!  Have questions? TruePlan can help  If you have any questions about this issue contact us . We focus on employee benefits and retirement solutions and pro...

Simplify your 2025 open enrollment with our planning infographic!  Open enrollment season can be overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be! Whether you're a human resources professional or an employee looking to make informed decisions, our 2025 Open Enrollment Planning Infographic is here to help.   This visual guide simplifies the process, highlighting how to tailor your benefits, determine key messaging and communicate about your benefits.  Why struggle through pages of information when you can have everything at a glance? Download the infographic today and make your 2025 open enrollment smoother, more efficient and stress-free!   Want more open enrollment resources?   TruePlan has got you covered. Our resource library contains helpful information on how to get the most out of your open enrollment communications , detailing the best ways to alert employees. You can take this a step further by reading our additional blog on eight tips for effective op...

All the comprehensive information you need in one place  Preparing for open enrollment can feel like a lot to manage, but our 2025 Open Enrollment Checklist makes it simple! This comprehensive guide outlines everything you need to review for the upcoming year, including plan design changes and open enrollment notices.  Whether you're an employee or part of the HR team, our checklist ensures that nothing important slips through the cracks. Don’t wait until the last minute — download the checklist today to stay organized and make confident benefit choices for 2025!   Need more assistance? Check out these resources  Equip yourself this open enrollment season with these key resources to choose from:  how to get the most out of your open enrollment communications;   eight tips for effective open enrollment communication;    2025 open enrollment planning infographic ; and  2025 open enrollment timeline infographic.   If you have any questions...

Open enrollment is a crucial period for both employers and employees. It’s when employees can make important decisions about their benefits and an opportunity for employers to engage with their workforce effectively. As organizations continue to adapt to evolving workforce needs, open enrollment communication becomes more critical than ever.   This article highlights why open enrollment communication to employees matters and provides tips on what to do before, during and after enrollment to maximize its effectiveness.   Why communication matters   Communication matters because it enables employees to understand the open enrollment process in a clear and accessible manner, which can boost active participation in benefits selection. Employees who feel valued and informed about their benefits are more likely to appreciate their employer’s efforts and stay engaged with their work.   Before open enrollment   Effective open enrollment com...

Now more than ever, employees are looking to their employers for guidance on navigating available benefits and how to stretch their dollars further. As such, effective communication for open enrollment 2025 is critical. According to a Willis Towers Watson report , 84% of employers plan to expand their tools in 2023 to help employees navigate their enrollment decisions, compared with 70% last year. Employees are likely paying more attention this year as they navigate record-high inflation and work to maximize every hard-earned dollar. Many of today’s workers want help understanding how much money to put aside for retirement, emergency savings and healthcare expenses. Employers have an opportunity to shine by effectively communicating and guiding employees throughout the enrollment process and the rest of the year. As the 2025 open enrollment season approaches, employers are poised to provide their employees with resources and digital tools. Here are eight tips you can use to effectively...

The retention and recruitment tool that’s gaining traction  Talent acquisition is more competitive than ever. HR professionals and recruiters are now looking beyond traditional methods to attract and retain top talent. One strategy that is gaining traction is offering a robust, comprehensive employee benefits plan .   By catering to different cohorts within your workforce, you can transform your benefits package into a powerful talent sourcing tool and help keep your top performers, something 81% of business executives are concerned about, according to Guild .   The importance of employee benefits in talent acquisition  Employee benefits can make or break your talent acquisition strategy. Offering a diverse range of benefits helps attract and retain top-tier talent. Consider enhancing your employee benefits package to:  1. Increase employee retention and reduce turnover costs  High turnover rates can be detrimental to any organization. Not only does t...

Investors flock to thematic investing to stay afloat  In the second quarter, investors saw unexpected volatility and high-performance dispersion across equity sectors and capitalization sizes, despite a strong Q1 for equities. Struggling to combat the back and forth, investors turned to thematic investing for stability amongst the hard-to-predict market — making the second half of 2024 anything but boring.   With the unexpected choppy waters for Q3, you’ll want to read the full Q2 2024 Retirement Market Recap for insights on:   Equity market performance: Narrow market leadership driven by a small number of outperformers and sector-specific trends like artificial intelligence and GLP-1 semaglutide drugs.  Federal Reserve and interest rates: Uncertainty regarding the Fed's future actions and a “higher for longer" narrative are creating uncertainty in bond markets.  Geopolitical tensions: Growing concerns over the NATO alliance and international stability. ...

Understanding risk management in retirement programs  Managing a retirement program is complex, with multiple layers of risk. For organizations and their leadership, understanding and mitigating these risks is crucial to ensuring the long-term success and reliability of these programs.   It often leaves human resource professionals, employers and program administrators questioning, "What is risk management, and how can we excel at it?"  This blog post explores the various aspects of risk management in retirement program administration and provides actionable insights to help organizations better manage these risks.  The importance of risk management  Retirement programs are designed to benefit participants and beneficiaries, but they come with their own set of risks. These risks can be broadly categorized into four main topics:  Fees  Administration  Investments  Cybersecurity  Each of these topics requires meticulous attention and ...