Benefit News' Daily Diversion - Seite 2 
News You Can Use: SCOTUS rules against crediting maternity leave in pension calculations
The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that women who took maternity leave before the enactment of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 don’t have a legal claim in requiring employers to apply that leave on pension accruals.In AT&T Corp. v. Hulteen, the Supreme Court had to decide whether the telecommunication giant was correct in refusing to calculate pregnancy leave incurred prior to 1979 in determining pension benefits.In 1968, Hulteen took pregnancy disability leave for eight months. However, when she retired in 1994, she realized her pension checks were reduced because the eight months were not calculated as service time toward her pension benefits.By a 7-2 vote, the Supreme Court overturned a lower-court decision stating that AT&T had violated the PDA by treating pregnancy-related disability leave differently from other disability leaves.Although PDA requires employers to accord women who take pregnancy leave the same benefit as employees who take other types of temporary disability leave, AT&T argued, in part, that the court could no longer rely on previous case laws on retroactive principles because of a recent Supreme Court decision that limits applying federal statutes retroactively.The majority of justices agreed. “Congress provided for the PDA to take effect on the date of enactment, except in its application to certain benefit programs, as to which effectiveness was held back 180 days,” Justice David Souter wrote.Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer dissented: “Congress did not provide a remedy for pregnancy-based discrimination already experienced before PDA became effective,” Ginsburg wrote. “I am persuaded by the Act’s text and legislative history, however, that Congress intended no continuing reduction of women’s compensation, pension benefits included, attributable to their placement on pregnancy leave.”Related EBN/BenefitNews.com coverage:AT&T ordered to credit pregnancy leave in calculating pensionsHR policy high on Washington agenda
In a report for BenefitNews.com, Associate Editor Lydell Bridgeford writes about a study from Rutgers University that finds 46% of highly educated and affluent workers report that their employer offers a wellness program, while only 25% of employees with a high school education or less say the same.In addition, 45% of salaried workers say they have access to some type of healthy lifestyle program through their employer, compared to 35% of hourly workers, and 45% of employees with incomes of $70,000 or more noted they have wellness benefits, compared to 21% of those making $35,000 or less.To be effective, wellness programs need to truly be for all. I'd encourage you to take another look at your wellness offering for hourly and lower-income employees to make sure the health-fair big top is big enough.
News You Can Use: Don't forget to submit your Benny noms!
Hey pros, there's only a couple weeks left to nominate yourself, a colleague or a client for the 2009 Benny Awards, presented by EBN and sponsor VSP. Click here for a full description of the award categories and information on the nomination process. Nominations close June 5.I know the last year has been a tough one, so the judges and I are very much looking forward to being inspired by your stories of taking financial lemons and making lemonade for employees and their families. Good luck!
Overheard @: EBN's Contributing Editors take on benefits' 'biggest challenge'
In a special extended episode of EBN's podcast series "Five Minutes With ...", our eight featured columnists draw on their unique expertise to answer, “What is the most important challenge currently facing benefits professionals and how can they best meet that challenge?”Click here to download the podcast, and click below to read more from and about EBN's columnists:* Karrie Andes* Nancy Bolton* Jill Hudgins* Jerry Kalish* Betty Long* Mark Nadler* Frank Palmieri* Michael Puck
Tip of the Day: Weighing the pros and cons of 401(k) loans, distributions
During the recession, more employees are taking tomorrow's savings to pay for today's needs -- taking 401(k) loans, hardship distributions or cashing out their plans altogether.EBN legal eagle Frank Palmieri writes this month that while some employers seek to protect employees and only allow loans for limited purposes and others employers even restrict hardship distributions, it's important to understand the basic rules in making business decisions to allow or not allow such distributions. Click here to read his column.
Wish You Were Here: Dave Thomas Foundation names this year's Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces
Particularly in these economic times, adoption benefits seem to be one offering that can help employers do well by doing good.At a time when financial uncertainty could discourage some people from adopting a child, many employers are staying committed to providing adoption benefits to their workers. Such offerings could enable a family to proceed with adoption plans, and allow employers to provide or maintain a valued but inexpensive benefit, despite the cost-cutting environment.“The economy has not affected the continued increase in the number of adoption benefit policies nationwide,” notes Rita Soronen, executive director of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. “It’s the one benefit employers can add without negatively impacting the bottom line. Even though [adoption benefits] are popular with employees, utilization rates are extremely low. Adoption benefits give companies an affordable opportunity to help their employees and impact the lives of children without families.”The foundation recently rolled out its annual list of the Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces. Click here to read EBN's report, written by Managing Editor -- and new adoptive mom! -- Leah Carlson Shepherd.Related EBN coverage:* Adoption benefits mature in the workplace* Employers honored for best adoption benefits* Helping fill out the family tree
Tip of the Day: 5-point plan to developing a total-comp plan
Employers today are facing some of their most difficult decisions when it comes to one of their most important asset: their employees, writes Elliot Dinkin in this month's EBN. Layoffs, salary and retirement plan freezes, pay cuts, health care benefit reductions - nothing is off the table in this recession as companies look to cut costs.Clearly one who feels your pain, Dinkin outlines a five-point plan to developing a long-term total comp strategy to help you take a fist to the recession. For more on rethinking total comp, read this month's EBN cover story, "No stone unturned."
News You Can Use: Life insurance coverage eroding
The recession has nearly all employees and their families recasting how they separate "wants" and "needs." Apparently, more are taking life insurance out of the "need" category, and it's showing in sales of life coverage.In a report in this month's EBN, Greystone Benefits’ Joe Vogt tells Senior Editor Robert Whiddon that workers aren’t reaching deeper into their pockets for voluntary life or other worksite offerings like they used to, even if they only cost a few dollars a month.According to Vogt, “Where they would say, ‘Well, you know, $7 a week that’s not bad. I can afford $350 a year’ — they’re not doing that anymore.”To read the full report, "Crumbling coverage," click here.
Tip of the Day: Take the long view; invest in vision benefits
According to a new study released yesterday from VSP, vision benefits help save employers -- ka-ching! -- nearly $3 billion in health care costs each year, associated with the treatment of chronic diseases detectable via an eye examination. Analyzing costs at five major corporations with a total 90,000 employees, VSP finds that early detection of diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol yielded such savings in the first year alone, directly related to health plan, disability and employee termination costs.Specifically, companies save nearly $2,900 annually on disease management costs for each employee with diabetes, when the disease is detected early.When the findings are applied to the past three years for each of the five VSP clients in the study, the results show that nearly 2,000 members received early treatment for diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension as a result of their annual eye exams. During that time, each of the five companies realized cost savings of at least $204,000 and as much as $968,000.When the findings are applied to VSP’s entire membership of 55 million over one year, the results show that:* Of the nearly 1.5 million people with diabetes, 20% received early treatment as a result of their eye exam.* Of the close to 2.2 million people with hypertension, 30% received early treatment as a result of their eye exam.
Overheard @: Readers sound off on HSA editorial
Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined the response to my March editorial, "I regret enrolling in an HSA." For all the mail I've received since it was published — which ranged from congratulatory to condescending to critical — I am heartened by the vigorous debate regarding the future of our nation's health care system and that, if this response is any indication, benefits stakeholders will continue to be a powerful voice in that ongoing dialogue.Thanks to all for writing. Click here to read a sampling of the mail I've received, edited for space and grammar.