Compensation and benefits media

26/06/2026

Designing a benefits package for a remote-first workforce

Learn how to design remote employee benefits that balance core health coverage, flexible stipends, multi-state compliance and equity, with concrete numbers, templates and real-world examples.

Setting intern and new grad pay for summer 2026: the benchmarks that matter

22/06/2026

Setting intern and new grad pay for summer 2026: the benchmarks that matter

The counteroffer playbook: when to match, when to let go, and what data to use

19/06/2026

The counteroffer playbook: when to match, when to let go, and what data to use

Recognition Programs

18/06/2026

Recognition programs are not a substitute for compensation: a contrarian take on non-cash rewards

The compression trap: how to fix pay compression without blowing your budget

19/06/2026

The compression trap: how to fix pay compression without blowing your budget

Spotlight

Real-time salary benchmarking without survey data: how live job postings are replacing annual surveys

24/06/2026

Real-time salary benchmarking without survey data: how live job postings are replacing annual surveys

Learn how to combine real-time salary benchmarking from job postings with traditional salary surveys to design competitive salary bands, improve pay equity and strengthen compensation governance.

Multi-state pay data reporting: a compliance playbook for the 2026 filing cycle

Reporting Requirements

12/06/2026

Multi-state pay data reporting: a compliance playbook for the 2026 filing cycle

Practical playbook for multi-state pay data reporting compliance, focusing on California’s 2026 filing cycle, new data fields, penalties, SOC job categories and HRIS strategy.

Skills-based pay sounds right. Here is why most implementations fail.

Salary Structures

12/06/2026

Skills-based pay sounds right. Here is why most implementations fail.

Skills-based pay sounds right, but most implementations fail. Learn why taxonomies, assessment, market data and AI governance matter more than slogans.

Short-term incentive design that does not reward sandbagging

Bonus Structures

12/06/2026

Short-term incentive design that does not reward sandbagging

How to design short-term incentive plans that curb sandbagging, balance metrics and payouts, and align bonuses with real performance and long-term value.

Your best retention lever is a benefit nobody sees in the paycheck

03/06/2026

Your best retention lever is a benefit nobody sees in the paycheck

Learn how to turn invisible employee benefits into a visible retention lever with better total compensation communication, practical tools, and data-backed governance.

Open enrollment that moves the needle: what the best-run plans do differently

Flexible Benefits

01/06/2026

Open enrollment that moves the needle: what the best-run plans do differently

Learn open enrollment best practices that turn a compliance task into a strategic benefits moment, improve plan fit, and boost employee satisfaction without increasing costs.

Building a compensation philosophy that survives a CFO challenge

29/05/2026

Building a compensation philosophy that survives a CFO challenge

Learn how to build a compensation philosophy framework that survives CFO scrutiny by tying pay, benefits and total rewards to measurable business outcomes, market data and internal equity.

25/05/2026

Health insurance costs outpace wages for the fifth straight quarter: the ECI signal boards are missing

Employer health insurance costs are rising faster than wages, reshaping total rewards. See how BLS, Aon and Mercer data quantify the trend, why employees do not feel the spend, and what boards and HR can do to manage costs without eroding retention.

Total rewards strategy: from buzzword to boardroom metric

05/06/2026

Total rewards strategy: from buzzword to boardroom metric

Learn how to build a board-ready total rewards strategy that integrates pay, benefits, development and wellbeing, with a practical KPI scorecard, data-backed case study and key statistics on retention and performance.

Workers produce more, keep less: what a 77-year low in labor share means for your retention strategy

22/05/2026

Workers produce more, keep less: what a 77-year low in labor share means for your retention strategy

Learn how the labor share compensation impact has become a critical retention signal, how macro labor share trends shape pay equity perceptions, and how CHROs can design compensation strategies that link rewards to value created.

Virginia breaks the Mason-Dixon line on pay transparency: what the July 1 law means for multi-state employers

18/05/2026

Virginia breaks the Mason-Dixon line on pay transparency: what the July 1 law means for multi-state employers

Learn what Virginia’s 2026 pay transparency law (Va. Code § 40.1-28.7:10) requires for job postings, salary ranges, remote roles, anti-retaliation, and how compensation teams can build compliant templates and ATS checklists.

Compensation is a message: when the story your pay tells contradicts the strategy you claim

20/05/2026

Compensation is a message: when the story your pay tells contradicts the strategy you claim

Learn how to close the say–do gap between your compensation philosophy and real pay outcomes with data-backed audits, clear KPIs, and practical examples of aligning pay, benefits, and incentives.

FMLA eligibility rules: the flowchart every HR partner should have on their desk

27/05/2026

FMLA eligibility rules: the flowchart every HR partner should have on their desk

Learn how to apply FMLA eligibility rules using the three-gate test for employer coverage, employee tenure and hours, and qualifying reasons, with remote work, state leave laws, intermittent leave, and documentation best practices explained for HR and managers.

Caregiving benefits as a retention lever: the numbers behind the sentiment

Flexible Benefits

15/05/2026

Caregiving benefits as a retention lever: the numbers behind the sentiment

Reframe caregiving benefits as a retention and pay equity lever, with concrete program designs, data metrics and governance tactics for HR and people leaders.

Mid-year comp reforecast: the questions to ask before June

11/05/2026

Mid-year comp reforecast: the questions to ask before June

Learn why a mid-year compensation reforecast belongs in May, not July, and how to use May compensation planning to manage retention risk, pay equity, reserves and finance alignment with practical templates.

AI in rewards: where algorithms help, and where they will get you sued

14/05/2026

AI in rewards: where algorithms help, and where they will get you sued

Learn how to govern AI compensation management with bias audits, explainable pay decisions, and contract safeguards so your rewards strategy stays fair, compliant, and defensible.

13/05/2026

Pay equity remediation without triggering new litigation

How to turn pay equity remediation into a defensible compensation strategy, from budgeting and communication to legal privilege, monitoring and salary vs lump-sum fixes.

Five-year equity vesting is back: designing retention grants under the new proxy regime

Stock Options

08/05/2026

Five-year equity vesting is back: designing retention grants under the new proxy regime

Learn why executive equity vesting design has become a board-level issue, how to balance time-based and performance-based awards, and how vesting length affects retention, dilution, tax, and investor expectations.

Why 83% of employers still spread merit equally, and why it is a retention trap

Performance-Based Pay

Why 83% of employers still spread merit equally, and why it is a retention trap

Learn how to design a differentiated merit increase strategy that concentrates salary increases on high performers without undermining pay equity, using 60/30/10 budgeting, better calibration, and executive governance.

by Madeleine Beaumont

GLP-1 drugs on your plan: coverage rules that contain cost without revolt

GLP-1 drugs on your plan: coverage rules that contain cost without revolt

Learn how to design sustainable GLP-1 employer coverage, including eligibility criteria, prior authorization, behavioral pairing, vendor strategy and three-year cost modeling for obesity and type 2 diabetes benefits.

Understanding the Costs of UPS Retirement Health Insurance

Understanding Costco's Dental Coverage Options

03/07/2025

Understanding Costco's Dental Coverage Options

Understanding the Voluntary Separation Scheme: An In-Depth Guide

02/05/2025

Understanding the Voluntary Separation Scheme: An In-Depth Guide

Non-Monetary Rewards

Using non-monetary rewards to boost employee engagement

Understanding Paternity Leave in Massachusetts

Paid Time Off

01/07/2025

Understanding Paternity Leave in Massachusetts

Understanding Eligible Expenses for SF MRA

Wellness Programs

Understanding Eligible Expenses for SF MRA

Understanding Deutsche Bank's Pension Scheme

Retirement Plans

09/05/2025

Understanding Deutsche Bank's Pension Scheme

Adding Your Newborn to Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance: A Step-by-Step Guide

Adding Your Newborn to Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance: A Step-by-Step Guide

Understanding the Intricacies of Captive Health Insurance

Understanding Your Rights: Can You Be Fired if FMLA is Denied?

Understanding Your Rights: Can You Be Fired if FMLA is Denied?

Navigating the American Plan Administrators Provider Portal

01/07/2025

Navigating the American Plan Administrators Provider Portal

Understanding Unemployment Benefits After FMLA Termination

Benefits Compliance

26/04/2025

Understanding Unemployment Benefits After FMLA Termination

Understanding the Johnson & Johnson Pension Plan

Retirement Plans

30/08/2025

Understanding the Johnson & Johnson Pension Plan

Understanding Citi's Total Compensation Online Platform

Understanding Citi's Total Compensation Online Platform

Understanding Legal Compliance in Employee Compensation

Understanding Legal Compliance in Employee Compensation

Understanding the intricacies of ADA lawsuit settlement amounts

Location-agnostic pay: the hidden cost of killing your geo-differentials

Understanding the intricacies of ADA lawsuit settlement amounts

Compensation Strategies

Salary Structures

Location-agnostic pay: the hidden cost of killing your geo-differentials

Learn how geographic pay differentials, flat national pay and tiered metro models affect total compensation cost, internal equity and relocation policy, with concrete examples, math and sample geo-factor guidance for total rewards leaders.

Pay equity audits that hold up in court: a defensible methodology

Learn how to run a defensible pay equity analysis that legal counsel supports, from scoping and regression controls to remediation budgeting and disclosure choices.

by Jackson Gonzalez

Employee Benefits Programs

401(k) plan fees benchmarking: what counts as reasonable in 2026

Retirement Plans

12/05/2026

401(k) plan fees benchmarking: what counts as reasonable in 2026

Learn how to benchmark 401(k) plan fees under ERISA, avoid fee litigation and document a prudent fiduciary process using credible market data, clear governance routines and transparent participant communication.

US health benefit costs set to jump 6.5% in 2026: the deductible game is running out

22/04/2026

US health benefit costs set to jump 6.5% in 2026: the deductible game is running out

Employer health benefit costs are projected to rise 6.5% in 2026, pushing average spending per worker above $18,500. Learn how income-based contributions, network design, GLP-1 management and ACA coordination can control trend while protecting affordability and equity.

by Vincent Lefebvre

Incentives and Rewards

Retention without sign-on bonuses: what actually sticks

Recognition Programs

24/04/2026

Retention without sign-on bonuses: what actually sticks

How an employee recognition survey can transform compensation and benefits strategies

Recognition Programs

17/03/2026

How an employee recognition survey can transform compensation and benefits strategies

Thoughtful office valentine ideas that strengthen teams and workplace rewards

Non-Monetary Rewards

17/03/2026

Thoughtful office valentine ideas that strengthen teams and workplace rewards

Meaningful thanksgiving team building activities that strengthen culture and reward employees

Non-Monetary Rewards

15/03/2026

Meaningful thanksgiving team building activities that strengthen culture and reward employees

Legal and Compliance

Pay transparency laws by state: the 2026 compliance map

Location-agnostic pay: the hidden cost of killing your geo-differentials

Pay transparency laws by state: the 2026 compliance map

Learn how pay transparency laws by state affect job postings, remote roles and internal promotions, with key statutes, thresholds, penalties and practical compliance examples for compensation leaders.

ACA affordability threshold 2026: the 9.96% rule and the three safe harbors

Learn how the ACA affordability threshold of 9.86% for 2026 really affects employer health plan contributions, how the three IRS safe harbors work, and how to avoid costly Section 4980H penalties and IRS Letter 226J challenges.

by Quincy Larson

Trends and Innovations

Salary Structures

Technology in Compensation

Location-agnostic pay: the hidden cost of killing your geo-differentials

by Quincy Larson

Crafting a welcoming letter to a new employee that elevates compensation and benefits