Understanding Compensation and Benefits: A Comprehensive Guide

About Compensation and benefits

Clarity and confidence for pay and benefits decisions

Compensation and benefits is a practitioner-focused media resource for leaders shaping total rewards. We translate complex market signals, benchmarking data, and policy shifts into practical guidance you can use.

Our mission is to help organizations build programs that retain talent, support performance, and withstand scrutiny, while improving cost efficiency and governance.

From job architecture to benefits design and incentive plans, we prioritize ROI, compliance, and outcomes you can measure.

What you can expect

Evidence-based insights tied to compensation strategies and governance
Actionable frameworks for benefits programs and vendor evaluation
Coverage of incentives and rewards that align performance and pay
Clear updates on legal and compliance requirements
Trends and innovations to modernize total rewards with confidence

Explore Compensation Strategies

Current trends

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

Compensation Policies

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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

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01/06/2026

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

Building a compensation philosophy that survives a CFO challenge

Compensation Policies

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29/05/2026

Building a compensation philosophy that survives a CFO challenge

Health Insurance

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25/05/2026

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

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

Pay Equity

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22/05/2026

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

Spotlight

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

Labor Laws

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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

Compensation Policies

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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

Labor Laws

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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

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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

Market Benchmarking

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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

Labor Laws

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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.

Pay Equity

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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

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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

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07/05/2026

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

Health Insurance

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07/05/2026

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.

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

Salary Structures

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07/05/2026

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.

by Quincy Larson

ISS and Glass Lewis extend pay-for-performance to 5 years: what changes for grant design

Performance-Based Pay

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29/04/2026

ISS and Glass Lewis extend pay-for-performance to 5 years: what changes for grant design

Learn how ISS and Glass Lewis have shifted to a five-year pay-for-performance lens, what it means for executive compensation design, and how boards can stress test grants, improve disclosure, and manage Say-on-Pay risk.

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.

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.

Total rewards transparency: when showing the whole pie backfires

Compensation Policies

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03/05/2026

Total rewards transparency: when showing the whole pie backfires

Why most total rewards transparency efforts backfire, how the 120% trust cliff works, and how to design compensation policies and benefits that employees actually believe.

Massachusetts starts fining non-compliant job postings: the first real pay transparency stress test

Learn how Massachusetts pay transparency enforcement works in practice, from Notices to Cure and two-day response windows to escalating fines, coverage thresholds, and practical audit steps for compensation teams.

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.

Retention without sign-on bonuses: what actually sticks

Practical employee retention strategies for HR and managers, from recognition design to stay interviews, counter offers, career paths and flexible work policies.

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

Proxy season 2026: what ISS and Glass Lewis will actually punish this year

Compensation Policies

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21/04/2026

Proxy season 2026: what ISS and Glass Lewis will actually punish this year

Say-on-Pay 2026 guide for compensation committees: how ISS 2025 Americas policies and Glass Lewis 2025 pay-for-performance scorecards affect executive pay design, grant structures, and proxy disclosure.

by Laura Patel

Understanding the Costs of UPS Retirement Health Insurance

Understanding Costco's Dental Coverage Options

Health Insurance

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03/07/2025

Understanding Costco's Dental Coverage Options

Understanding the Voluntary Separation Scheme: An In-Depth Guide

Compensation Policies

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02/05/2025

Understanding the Voluntary Separation Scheme: An In-Depth Guide

Non-Monetary Rewards

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12/06/2025

Using non-monetary rewards to boost employee engagement

Understanding Paternity Leave in Massachusetts

Paid Time Off

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01/07/2025

Understanding Paternity Leave in Massachusetts

Understanding Eligible Expenses for SF MRA

Wellness Programs

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12/06/2025

Understanding Eligible Expenses for SF MRA

Understanding Deutsche Bank's Pension Scheme

Retirement Plans

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09/05/2025

Understanding Deutsche Bank's Pension Scheme

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

Health Insurance

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12/06/2025

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

Health Insurance

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12/06/2025

Understanding the Intricacies of Captive Health Insurance

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

Labor Laws

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12/06/2025

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

Navigating the American Plan Administrators Provider Portal

Pay Equity

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01/07/2025

Navigating the American Plan Administrators Provider Portal

Understanding Unemployment Benefits After FMLA Termination

Benefits Compliance

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26/04/2025

Understanding Unemployment Benefits After FMLA Termination

Understanding the Johnson & Johnson Pension Plan

Retirement Plans

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30/08/2025

Understanding the Johnson & Johnson Pension Plan

Understanding Citi's Total Compensation Online Platform

Compensation Policies

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12/06/2025

Understanding Citi's Total Compensation Online Platform

Understanding Legal Compliance in Employee Compensation

Labor Laws

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12/06/2025

Understanding Legal Compliance in Employee Compensation

Understanding the intricacies of ADA lawsuit settlement amounts

Labor Laws

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12/06/2025

Understanding the intricacies of ADA lawsuit settlement amounts

Compensation Strategies

Pay transparency laws do not fix pay: structure beats disclosure

Salary Structures

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23/04/2026

Pay transparency laws do not fix pay: structure beats disclosure

Learn why a pay transparency strategy is not the same as a compensation strategy, how salary range disclosure exposes job architecture, and how HR leaders can use transparency laws to build defensible, equitable pay structures.

by Jackson Gonzalez

Mercer pegs 2026 US merit at 3.2%. The real story is the 83% spreading it flat.

Performance-Based Pay

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20/04/2026

Mercer pegs 2026 US merit at 3.2%. The real story is the 83% spreading it flat.

Learn how to use your merit increase budget 2026 as a strategic tool for retention, pay equity and performance, with data from Mercer and WorldatWork and practical salary budget governance examples.

by Aya Nakamura

Employee Benefits Programs

Thoughtful mental health gifts for employees that elevate workplace care

Wellness Programs

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18/03/2026

Thoughtful mental health gifts for employees that elevate workplace care

Learn how thoughtful mental health gifts for employees enhance total rewards, reduce stress, and strengthen workplace care through strategic, data driven benefit design.

Working at the Boys and Girls Club: what to know about compensation and benefits

Explore what to expect from compensation and benefits when working at the Boys and Girls Club. Learn about pay structures, unique perks, and how these roles support professional growth.

by Jean-Paul Dubois-Maier

Incentives and Rewards

How an employee recognition survey can transform compensation and benefits strategies

Recognition Programs

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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

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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

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15/03/2026

Meaningful thanksgiving team building activities that strengthen culture and reward employees

How an employee engagement calendar elevates compensation, benefits, and workplace culture

Recognition Programs

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14/03/2026

How an employee engagement calendar elevates compensation, benefits, and workplace culture

Legal and Compliance

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

Benefits Compliance

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28/04/2026

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.

What shipbuilders need to know about employee compensation lawsuits and wage fixing claims

In depth analysis of shipbuilders employee compensation lawsuits, wage fixing claims, and how shipyard workers, engineers, and families may be affected.

by Rebecca O'Donnell

Trends and Innovations

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

Technology in Compensation

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13/04/2026

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

Learn how to craft a welcoming letter to a new employee that clarifies compensation, benefits, and culture while strengthening onboarding, trust, and retention.

by Rebecca O'Donnell

How smart eNPS questions transform employee engagement and advocacy

Technology in Compensation

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11/04/2026

How smart eNPS questions transform employee engagement and advocacy

Learn how well designed eNPS questions, scales, and surveys reveal employee engagement, guide compensation and benefits decisions, and strengthen workplace advocacy.

by Charlotte Bernier-Wells