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Resources

News and Trends on Healthcare, Health Insurance, and Employee Wellness.

Sleep Hygiene Tips

For those with packed schedules, long days or a lack of routine, prioritizing sleep may feel daunting. Fortunately, focusing on your sleeping environment, habits and attitude can lead to improved sleep hygiene.

This article explains sleep hygiene and its importance and highlights seven tips for quality and restorative rest.

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Report: Employee Leave Requests Rose in 2024, Mental Health Among Key Reasons

Employee leave requests increased for the third consecutive year in 2024, according to the 2025 State of Leave and Accommodations report from software firm AbsenceSoft.

As expected, the survey revealed that recovery from an illness or injury is the top reason for employees’ leave requests, with 57% of employers reporting these as a top three most common cause.

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Protecting Employees' Medical Information in the Workplace

Employers obtain employees’ medical information for various reasons, such as verifying a reasonable accommodation request, certifying leave or confirming eligibility for disability benefits.

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Live Well, Work Well: Dietary Tips to Improve your Immune System

DIETARY TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM In the midst of respiratory illness season, you may be taking precautions to protect yourself and your family from these infections, including the flu, COVID-19, norovirus and RSV. An effective way to prevent illness is to bolster your immune system through food. It’s important to note that getting sick isn’t entirely avoidable, and no specific food can prevent illness. However, incorporating certain foods and nutrients into your diet can give your immune system the support it needs to fight off infections and keep you healthy

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Ronda Herman
Key Drivers of 2025 Health Care Cost Increases

Health care costs are projected to increase substantially in 2025. Estimates show a similar growth in spending to 2024, marking multiple years of compounding costs.

Specifically, health care costs in the United States are likely to increase by 7%-8% in 2025, according to the following data from multiple surveys:

  • Large employers predicted their health care costs would rise about 7.8% in 2025 before plan design changes.

  • Employers estimate a median 8% increase in health care costs in 2025.

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Ronda Herman
Compliance Overview: Employee Assistance Programs

Employee Assistance Programs

Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are work-based intervention programs that connect employees with resources to identify and address personal problems. EAPs providing medical care are considered group health plans that must comply with various legal requirements, such as ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA and the ACA. This Compliance Overview summarizes these requirements for EAPs.

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Ronda Herman
Addressing Employee Well-being as an Enterprise Risk

Employee well-being refers to the overall state of workers’ physical, mental and emotional health, which can often be influenced by various workplace dynamics (e.g., workload, connections with co-workers and available resources). Although employee well-being is typically considered an HR-related matter, it’s also an enterprise risk that directly correlates with a wide range of key business objectives.

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7 Key Employee Benefits Trends in 2024

Attracting and retaining employees has challenged employers since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, the labor market is expected to cool slightly; however, competition for talent will remain. As such, employers must remain agile and adapt to developing labor and market trends that will shape the market in 2024. In particular, current labor challenges are forcing employers to find ways to balance rising health care costs and inflation while providing employees with benefits they value and need. Understanding this year’s key employee benefits trends can help employers attract and retain talented individuals in an evolving labor market.

This article discusses seven key employee benefits trends in 2024.

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4 Key Trends Driving Employer Health Care Costs in 2024

Amid ongoing inflation pressures, employees and employers alike can expect their health care costs to increase in 2024. Global professional services firm Aon reported that health care costs for employers will grow by 8.5% in 2024 (to more than $15,000 per employee), nearly double 2023’s figure. In line with those findings, the Business Group on Health’s 2024 Large Employer Health Care Strategy Survey predicts a 6% increase in health care costs in 2024.

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