"If not further delayed or voided, the Michigan Earned Sick Time Act will require all employers in Michigan to provide at least 72 hours of sick leave to every employee in Michigan (including exempt, non-exempt, full-time, part-time, occasional, temporary, etc.) For 'small employers' (with fewer than ten employees), at least 40 of those 72 hours must be paid, and 32 hours may be unpaid. All employers with ten or more employees, all 72 hours must be paid."  MORE >>

"Mercer projects the 2024 inflation-adjusted amounts for health savings accounts (HSAs), high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and excepted-benefit health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) will rise significantly from 2023 levels.... [A table] shows the projected HSA, HDHP and excepted-benefit HRA amounts for 2024, along with the 2023 and 2022 values for comparison."  MORE >>

"Commercial health plans offered by employers will have to do more to hold on to high-quality medical providers who are being attracted to high-paying Medicare Advantage plans ... Employer-sponsored commercial plans, which cover about 157 million people in the US, typically pay higher rates for health-care services than Medicare's fee-for-service system, which pays for each individual service. But Medicare Advantage, a private plan alternative to traditional Medicare, is rapidly gaining popularity, covering more than 28 million people in 2022."  MORE >>

"Issuers stated that the new regulation, while well-intentioned, has shortcomings that will result in negative downstream impacts to consumers ... [which] may include higher premiums, lower quality of care, and a less consumer-friendly experience.... [C]oncerns focused on ... [1] the negative effects of adding more providers to existing networks, [2] difficulties in negotiations with providers to meet the new requirements, and [3] the CMS oversight process."  MORE >>

"Employers taking a class-based health plan design approach should ensure the class distinctions are [1] clearly communicated to employees in any plan materials addressing eligibility, [2] approved by the insurance carriers and/or stop-loss providers, and [3] designed to comply with any applicable nondiscrimination rules."  MORE >>

"Unlike fully remote offerings, the hybrid model strikes what those in HR view as an ideal balance between flexibility and in-person office time. An overwhelming 97% of those surveyed believe there is a direct correlation between productivity, wellness and the number of days spent in a physical office, citing the need for a certain amount of face-to-face collaboration. The ideal number of days per week is three, according to feedback, regardless of company or amount of employees."  MORE >>