Insights

What is outplacement? Dealing with redundancies or settlement agreements can be tough, both for the individuals leaving and the organizations having to make hard choices. Outplacement provides employees who are leaving a company - voluntarily or involuntarily - with practical career advice and coaching support to help them make their next move. Outplacement and career transition services is usually provided by an expert supplier and paid for by the employer. It can be delivered on a one-to-one

Driven by the impact of Covid-19, coupled with an existing desire to create a leaner organization, The British Heart Foundation (BHF) was entering a consultation process that would sadly result in a significant reduction in headcount. They wanted to look after their leavers with compassionate and expert outplacement support but also needed a service appropriate to their not-for-profit budgetary constraints. We listened carefully to BHF's needs and provided an initial proposal that included a co

Depending on whom you talk to, the term 'outplacement' means different things to different people. As the Client Services Manager here at Connor, I will always check the candidate's understanding of the term outplacement during our initial engagement and chemistry matching call, as the response I receive to this question varies enormously. For candidates having never received support through an outplacement service before, the most common response I receive to this question is that we will prov

Congress Passes Federal Spending Bill with Important Employee Benefit Provisions Last week, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (CAA 2023), a $1.7 trillion-dollar annual federal spending bill. The CAA 2023 includes several bipartisan provisions that affect group health plans and adopts important retirement plan proposals known as SECURE 2.0. The CAA 2023 provisions applicable to group health plans include the following: Telehealth Relief Extension - The CAA 2023 provides

Today's generations are growing up in a fast-paced, ever-evolving environment with an uncharted virtual twist. We have compiled tips and resources to help teens and adults navigate every new digital turn.

Effective for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, the Transparency in Coverage Final Rule (TiC) requires most group health plans and carriers to make personalized out-of-pocket cost information available to participants through an internet-based self-service tool or in paper format (upon request). The requirements do not apply to grandfathered plans, account-based plans (e.g., HRAs and FSAs) and excepted benefits (e.g., stand-alone dental and vision benefits). The purpose of the s

On December 12, 2022, CMS released the proposed Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters Rule for 2024. This notice is issued annually preceding the applicable benefit year and, once final, adopts certain changes. Additionally, CMS issued Premium Adjustment Percentage and related guidance to inform the payment parameters for the 2024 benefit year. While the proposed rule primarily impacts the individual market and the Exchange, CMS's Premium Adjustment Percentage and related guidance addresses

Congress recently passed the Respect for Marriage Act (RMA), which continues protections extended to same-sex and interracial marriages and repeals a provision of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). DOMA contained a provision that stated that it did not require states to recognize same-sex marriage if that marriage was entered into in another state or treated as valid under other states' laws. The RMA repeals that provision and prohibits states from denying the full faith and credit to any publ

On December 8, 2022, the DOL released informational copies of the 2022 Form 5500 Series Annual Return/Report. While the forms have not been finalized, they provide insight into the changes for plan year 2022. Specifically, the informational copies of Form 5500 and its instructions reveal several changes to specific retirement filings. The Changes to Note section of the instructions mentions the following changes: New characteristics codes have been added to Form 5500, and technical changes