📓 benefits Qs & new laws

ℹ️ benefit renewals & new laws

✍🏾 What are the 1 or 2 most important questions HR leaders want answered ahead of their benefits renewal choices? Is it funding option education? Plan/cost transparency? Employee satisfaction? Broker commission?

Context: Company serves HR teams with our marketplace to research benefits brokerages, offering ratings and reviews for 1000s of advisor firms.

📣 Rachel Ackerman, Director, People Operations @ Barstool Sports:

The two most important questions I typically want answered ahead of my benefits renewal choices are:

Plan/Cost Transparency: I need clear and transparent information about the full costs of benefit plans, including premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket expenses. I want to understand how these costs will impact both my company’s budget and our employees’ financial well-being. This transparency allows me to make informed decisions on which plans to offer and to ensure we are getting the best value for our investment.

Employee Satisfaction: I’m focused on ensuring my employees are satisfied with the benefits package, as it plays a major role in retention, engagement, and overall morale. I want insights into what our employees value most in a benefits plan and whether the current offerings meet those needs. High employee satisfaction with benefits can reduce turnover and improve productivity, so I look for data on employee preferences and feedback.

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✍🏾 What new national laws are impacting the workplace?

Context:  I saw that there is a new law in effect about lactation – providing lactating employees break time and space for pumping, etc. I have also seen many new moms (like myself) experiencing confusion on their rights and work environments that don’t follow the new rules.

📣 Remy Rivera Rodriguez, HR Manager @ Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology:

Absolutely, there are some important new laws impacting the workplace, especially regarding lactation. The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act is a big one. It requires employers to provide reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space for lactating employees to pump breast milk for up to one year after the child’s birth. 

In addition to that there’s the Overtime Pay Regulations which raised the salary threshold for overtime exemption which would impact compensation structures and workforce management. We also have Pay Transparency laws and others. Let’s not forget the new OE under the new administration. There’s so much to keep up with! I make it a priority to stay up to date with webinars related to these topics, articles, and newsletters too!

📣 Ben Madden, Owner @ HR Action:

Some of the biggest national laws coming out now are with the executive orders being signed into law. The changes in what the EEOC will “accept” for discrimination has changed (and is still not well defined) with regards to sex and gender. While the government views that there are only two genders, state and local laws still also recognize LGBTQIA+ and are still protected. Title VII despite the “revisions” to the views of the federal government doesn’t allow for discrimination.

As for lactation, this has been codified in the FLSA regulations. There needs to be ample breaks provided (compensated as all other breaks for non-exempt employees) and a private clean space (not a restroom) for women to be able to express milk as well as a place for storage. This must be allowed for up to a year. Violations can include back pay etc… If a location is not available, the employer is supposed to reasonably accommodate just like any other “disability” and allow for alternative arrangements.

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