HR Trends to Watch in 2022 | Chicago Benefits Group

Human Resources leaders are always being asked to look into a crystal ball and predict the future. You probably don’t have any super powers. But your Spidey sense might be telling you that a few trends that are surfacing are likely to stick around through the new year, 2022. The coronavirus pandemic has changed your … Continued

Are Your Healthcare Benefits Contributing to the Labor Shortage? | Chicago Benefits Agents

Employee benefits are a major bargaining chip for companies looking to attract talent. The problem is healthcare costs are skyrocketing, and it’s difficult for employers to offer the same level of coverage. Higher costs are either resulting in less coverage or smaller wages for employees. Find out what’s happening with healthcare and recruitment, and get … Continued

IRS Announces 2022 Retirement Plan Contribution Limits | IL Employee Benefits Consultants

On November 4, 2021, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2021-61 announcing cost-of-living adjustments affecting dollar limits for pension plans and other retirement-related items for tax year 2022. Many pension plan limits will change next year because the increase in the cost-of-living index met the statutory thresholds that trigger their adjustment. Other items, however, will not … Continued

How Health Insurance Can Win the War for Talent | Chicago Employee Benefits Agency

The COVID-19 pandemic shined a spotlight on the importance of employer-provided health benefits. Not only have employees been requesting an expansion of their benefits for months, but report after report has indicated that comprehensive plans that also cover mental health or include paid parental leave, for example, are the key to getting people back to … Continued

IRS Announces 2022 Limits for Health FSAs and Transit Benefits | IL Employee Benefits Group

Today, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced annual inflation adjustments for more than 50 tax provisions, including an increase in voluntary employee contributions to employer-sponsored healthcare flexible spending arrangements (HFSAs) to $2,850 for plan years beginning in 2022, up from the 2021 limit of $2,750. For HFSAs that include a carryover provision, up to $570 … Continued

Tips for Managing the Holiday Blues | Chicago Benefits Firm

“Children laughing, people passing, meeting smile after smile” stirs happy memories of singing Christmas carols for some, but for others, the holidays can be the most stressful and loneliest time of the year.  The holidays often present a dizzying array of demands – shopping, baking, and entertaining to name a few.  For those dealing with … Continued

Departments Issue Further Guidance Under No Surprises Act | Chicago Employee Benefits

On September 30, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury (collectively, the Departments), along with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), released an interim final rule (IFR) under the No Surprises Act (Act) to help protect health care consumers from surprise billing and excessive … Continued

Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease | IL Employee Benefits Advisors

Many of us have heard of Alzheimer’s disease but may not know much more than it is a disease that causes memory loss.  Experts suggest that more than 6 million Americans, most of them age 65 or older, may have dementia caused by Alzheimer’s.  This disease is currently ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in … Continued

The Root Cause of the Great Resignation Is Not What You Think | Chicago Employee Benefits

Theories abound about why workers are leaving their jobs in record numbers in 2021 and thus creating what pundits are calling the Great Resignation. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs in August. These resignations continue to be higher in food service, retail, and education. One popular opinion … Continued

Four Misunderstood Terms in the Americans with Disabilities Act | Chicago Benefits Group

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to employers with 15 or more employees. Despite its broad coverage, there’s a lot of confusion about what the law requires and what its terms entail. A big reason for this confusion is the language of the law itself; the ADA speaks of nebulous concepts like undue hardship … Continued