"Beginning January 1, 2026, eligible Minnesotans will be able to take up to 20 weeks of paid leave -- up to 12 weeks for a serious health condition and up to 12 weeks for family and safe leave. Contributions to fund the program will also begin on January 1, 2026."  MORE >>

"On June 26, 2023, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed a law expanding the use of state-mandated paid sick leave for service workers. The law introduces two changes to the reasons for use under the existing Connecticut paid sick leave law. [1] It allows covered employees to use sick time for a 'mental health wellness day'; and [2] It allows parents or guardians to use sick time for a child who is a victim of family violence or sexual assault. The effective date for these changes is October 1, 2023."  MORE >>

"Rather than accepting an employer's conclusion, the Court must determine whether other types of leave are comparable. This involves three factors: [1] the duration of the leave, [2] the purpose of the leave, and [3] the ability of employees to choose when to take the leave." [Myrick v City of Hoover Alabama, No. 22-11621 (11th Cir. Jun. 8, 2023)]  MORE >>

"According to OCR, weak and non-existent authentication processes 'leave your digital door open,' and can lead to increased cyberattacks that use weak or stolen passwords. The newsletter explains the different methods of authentication, making the case that stronger multifactor authentication processes make it more difficult for attackers to gain unauthorized access to information systems.... According to OCR, a recent analysis of cyber breaches reported that 86% of attacks to access an organization's internet-facing systems used stolen or compromised credentials."  MORE >>

"Employers are faced with the tremendous challenge of understanding and complying with the many overlapping laws and continually changing rules that govern the various types of programs. Here is a high-level overview of some of the federal laws that employers with ERISA group health plans should consider before adding a wellness program."  MORE >>

"Inflation and other factors will increase negotiated provider payment rates and will increase premiums. Shifting payment responsibility for COVID-19 vaccines and tests from the federal government to carriers could increase premiums, potentially offset by reduced carrier coverage of at-home tests. A continued shift of small groups from fully insured plans to other funding arrangements such as self-funded or level-funded plans could put upward pressure on small group premiums. Premium changes will reflect local market dynamics and vary by carrier and by area."  MORE >>

"Finding a small business employee benefits broker can be a daunting task. [The authors] break the process down into five easy-to-follow steps: [1] defining your business's goals and needs, [2] making a list of potential candidates with small business experience, [3] running an RFP process, [4] getting recommendations from other small businesses, and [5] finding a broker who'll be committed year-round."  MORE >>

"As insurance carriers redesign contracts to meet the changing needs of a multi-generational workforce, enhanced ancillary benefits ... are becoming highly sought-after by employees in a post-COVID world. Employees highly value these benefits, and many employers are looking closely at these enhanced benefits to give them an edge in recruitment and retention. And yet, many employee benefits brokers do not spend enough time evaluating the details of ancillary benefits."  MORE >>