Comp & Benefits


  • Customer spending rising due to inflation
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Many workers lack access to employer-provided retirement plans, data shows

    “The bottom line is that if Americans are not saving for retirement through their employer, then they are probably not saving at all,” the National Institute on Retirement Security found.

    By Feb. 12, 2026
  • Kaiser Permanente mental health workers on strike carry signs
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Kaiser reaches settlement with DOL over alleged mental healthcare access failures

    DOL alleged that Kaiser didn’t offer adequate provider networks and used patient questionnaires to prevent members from receiving care.

    By Feb. 11, 2026
  • Explore the Trendline
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    Adeline Kon/HR Dive
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    Trendline

    Inside the rapidly changing world of employee benefits

    Healthcare costs are climbing and employee needs are changing. How can HR professionals adapt?

    By HR Dive staff
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    Stephanie Keith / Stringer via Getty Images
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    Column // Happy Hour

    A third of workers say they want ‘heartbreak leave’

    If a company were to offer time off to grieve a breakup, 43% of workers say they would likely use it, career site Zety found.

    By Updated Feb. 11, 2026
  • This image depicts the podcast series image for AON's HR Dive series, "The Stretch: Workforce Health and Benefits – Expanded"
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    Mariana Ramirez/HR Dive
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    Sponsored by Aon

    [Podcast] The Stretch: Workforce health and benefits – expanded

    This podcast series seeks to highlight innovative thinking when it comes to health and benefits.

    By HR Dive's studioID • Updated Jan. 28, 2026
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    Monica Bertolazzi via Getty Images
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    Sponsored by AON

    Retirement plans are evolving. HR’s role and risk are evolving with them

    Managing today’s retirement plans brings higher stakes for HR leaders.

    Feb. 9, 2026
  • Jars of Skippy peanut butter on a California shelf
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    The spread of ‘peanut butter’ pay raises

    Across-the-board raises may have sticking power as companies reassess their compensation strategies in the face of inflation, Payscale said.

    By Feb. 5, 2026
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    Share your perspective in our 2026 Identity of HR survey

    HR Dive would like your insight on the state of the profession and your priorities for the future.

    By HR Dive staff • Jan. 30, 2026
  • Rep. Greg Casar (R) (D-TX) speaks during a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    6 or more days of PTO can reduce turnover, study shows

    A new study shows sufficient PTO can prevent workers from quitting, right when employers say they’re investing in leave.

    By Jan. 29, 2026
  • A baby sits in a shopping cart as a woman looks at the cheese aisle in a grocery store.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Nearly 3 in 4 US companies say they plan to invest in leave in the next 2 years

    Employers are expanding multiple forms of leave, including parental, bereavement and caregiver leave, WTW found.

    By Jan. 29, 2026
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    Permission granted by Michael Kunde / Kaiser Permanente
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    Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente

    How to keep health care costs predictable

    Kaiser Permanente’s integrated care and coverage make health care costs more predictable.

    Jan. 26, 2026
  • A view of the exterior of the Department of Labor building.
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    JHVEPhoto via Getty Images
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    Feds tout reopened wage-and-hour violation self-reporting program

    The Payroll Audit Independent Determination program, or PAID, now allows employers to voluntarily resolve Family and Medical Leave Act violations.

    By Jan. 23, 2026
  • Boxes of the diabetes drug Ozempic rest on a pharmacy counter
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Why cover GLP-1s? They’ll lower employer healthcare costs, study says

    While the medications may be pricey, a multiyear study by Aon found consistent use correlates with lower medical cost growth and fewer hospitalizations for cardiovascular events.

    By Jan. 23, 2026
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    The image by Rachel Johnson is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
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    ‘Stark divide’ emerging in pay for in-demand roles versus stagnating jobs

    Artificial intelligence-related skills are driving compensation growth, according to Aquent’s 2026 Salary Guide.

    By Lara Ewen • Jan. 23, 2026
  • A nurse in protective equipment administers a flu shot to a woman in a mask who has been blurred out.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Small business health insurance coverage at risk as costs rise, EBRI finds

    Even as overall employer-based coverage increased in the U.S., small companies pulled back.

    By Jan. 22, 2026
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    SDI Productions via Getty Images
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    Trump’s ‘no tax on tips’ brings new W-2 era

    In this transition year, employers should carefully document the methods they use to track tip payments, one tax professional said.

    By Maura Webber Sadovi • Jan. 22, 2026
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    Mark Wilson via Getty Images
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    Salary budgets to remain stable in 2026, WTW finds

    Only 6% of companies said they plan to increase budgets, while 21% will reduce pay budgets from their initial projections, the report said.

    By Jan. 21, 2026
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    Permission granted by Michael Kunde / Kaiser Permanente
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    Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente

    How to keep health care costs predictable

    Kaiser Permanente’s integrated care and coverage make health care costs more predictable.

    Jan. 20, 2026
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    Kyle Ortiz via Getty Images
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    Employee who seemingly told work he would misuse FMLA leave still gets jury trial

    The decision shows just how thoroughly a court may scrutinize an employer’s handling of intermittent Family and Medical Leave Act leave.

    By Jan. 16, 2026
  • The camera points down on a man as he faces and dresses his baby on the floor.
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    Getty Images
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    State paid family leave benefit changes in 2026

    An Epstein Becker & Green attorney noted that navigating the logistics of multiple state leave plans can get tricky.

    By Jan. 15, 2026
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    Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo via Getty Images
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    Front-line workers say pay and flexibility are top 2026 priorities

    Nearly half of those surveyed said there were two separate cultures at their workplaces: one for front-line employees and one for everyone else.

    By Lara Ewen • Jan. 13, 2026
  • The exterior of the Labor Department building, with a sign that says "United States Department of Labor"
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    Feds caution employers about bonuses, pay structures in overtime compliance

    The U.S. Department of Labor also addressed exemptions for “learned professionals” and commission-earning employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

    By Jan. 12, 2026
  • A collage of an ill person and two people looking at a book.
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    Permission granted by Deel
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    Sponsored by Deel

    The unlimited PTO trap: Insights from the experts at Deel

    Unlimited PTO promises freedom, but new data shows cultural norms create risks for global teams.

    By Ellie Merryweather • Jan. 12, 2026
  • The north facade of the White House is seen partially illuminated at night
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    Samuel Corum via Getty Images
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    New DOL independent contractor rule arrives at Trump White House

    The administration may decide to return to the “economic reality” standard it articulated in a final rule released at the tail end of the president’s first term in office.

    By Jan. 9, 2026
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    Getty Images
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    This week in 5 numbers: Lonely workers say they miss more work

    Here’s a roundup of numbers from the last week of HR news — including the number of companies who cite a lack of relevant experience among candidates as a major barrier to hiring.

    By Jan. 8, 2026
  • Fight for 15 protestors demand $15 an hour minimum wage in Washington, D.C.
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    Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
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    Minimum wage increases hit 19 states in 2026

    A number of states crossed the $15 per hour threshold long used as a rallying cry among worker advocates.

    By Jan. 8, 2026