Compensation
Developing More Effective European Sales Incentive Plans
What improvements can be made in sales incentive plan design, metrics, target setting, and governance? And what challenges are companies facing in the current economy?

Doing More With Less: Paying for Performance in the New Economic Reality
The "great recession" of 2008—2009 has resulted in unprecedented cost-cutting actions for most organizations–especially cuts related to compensation. This article explores the traditional way companies have paid for performance through salary budgets, why this will no longer be effective in the new economic reality, and how to improve it.

  Compliance
PBGC Requests Comments on Purchase of Irrevocable Commitments Before Plan Termination
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) published a request for public comment on purchases of irrevocable commitments to provide plan benefits before initiating a standard termination under ERISA Section 4041. This Hewitt bulletin discusses the PBGC's concerns with such purchases in advance of a plan termination and the request for comments.

PBGC Proposes New Reportable Event Rule
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) published a proposed rule that would make sweeping changes to the reportable event requirements under ERISA Section 4043. Certain changes to the reportable event requirements were necessary due to the fact that the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) changed other PBGC-related calculations such as the variable rate premium. However, the PBGC proposed many other significant changes as well.

Final Regulations on Notice Requirements for Plan Amendments Reducing Benefit Accruals
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued final regulations on the notice requirements in Section 204(h) of ERISA and Section 4980F of the Internal Revenue Code. These provisions require a plan administrator to notify participants and alternate payees about an amendment to a qualified pension plan that significantly reduces the rate of future benefit accruals or an early retirement benefit or retirement-type subsidy.

  Health Care
Reform Update: Recent Political Events Force Change of Strategy, Slowing Passage of Final Health Care Legislation
Things were moving quickly in Washington until the Massachusetts Senate election. While notices of health care reform's death are premature, legislative leaders now need to determine what path will achieve the Administration's goal of passing health care reform this year. Options include taking an incremental approach, passing the recent Senate bill, or making changes to the Senate version through separate legislation.

COBRA Enrollments Among Subsidy-Eligible Employees Continue at a High Rate
Hewitt analysis indicates that average monthly enrollment rates in COBRA health care plans have increased by 20 percentage points since the COBRA subsidy was enacted in March 2009.

Emergency Unemployment Insurance Benefits Program and COBRA Subsidy Period Extended Two Months
As part of a Defense Department appropriations bill, President Obama signed a law that extends the length of the COBRA subsidy period from 9 months to 15 months and changes the period of eligibility to February 28, 2010.

  HR Effectiveness
Take a Marketing Approach to HR: Treat Your Employees Like Consumers
Learn how leaders in human resources are using common marketing tools to guide the strategic development of employees and increase employee satisfaction, while reducing costs.

Fifth European HR Barometer With the European Club for Human Resources
Hewitt has launched its fifth European HR Barometer, a survey of senior HR professionals from companies and organizations with more than 1,000 employees and operations in more than two European countries. The 2010 survey focuses specifically on ways of improving the HR function after the recession.

  Pension Risk and Investments
Most Companies Taking Active Steps to Reduce Overall Pension Risk
Hewitt recently surveyed more than 400 retirement professionals to understand how they're adapting their pension management practices in response to ongoing market volatility. Our survey found that most companies are adapting by changing the way they fund, invest, and design their pension plans.

  Outsourcing
Participants Using 401(k) Help Offered Through Their Employer Have Higher Returns
401(k) plan participants using professional investment help provided by their employer—such as target-date funds, managed accounts, and online advice—experience better returns on their retirement investments than those who do not, according to a joint study from Hewitt Associates and Financial Engines.

  Retirement
Global Retirement Update
Hewitt's monthly report summarizes recent legislative developments and trends related to retirement and financial management, and highlights recently passed and pending legislation that may require employers to take action to comply with new rules or review existing plans.

  Talent and Performance
What Makes a Company a Best Employer?
How do organizations achieve long-term sustainability? How do they focus their resources (including talent) most effectively to drive business success? To help organizations address these questions, Hewitt conducts Best Employer research globally.

Trends in Flexible Work Arrangements: Change Is in the Air
This Hewitt trends bulletin explores flexible work arrangements, discusses employer concerns and the benefits of such programs, reviews the political landscape, and shares employer success stories and implementation guidelines.

High Employee Engagement Bolsters Recession Recovery
A focus on employee engagement during the recession enabled the 50 Best Employers in Canada of 2010 to better weather the economic downturn and has positioned them well for economic recovery.

  New From Hewitt
Mid- and Large-Sized Companies Adopting Full Range of Outsourcing Solutions to Increase Efficiency and Lower Costs
Citing the need for HR expertise, robust and flexible technology, better compliance and risk management, and an exceptional customer experience, companies across both the middle and large markets selected Hewitt to help them lower their HR costs and provide world-class HR and benefits administration services to their employees.

Compensation Survey Catalog Available
In today's unprecedented economic environment, you need accurate, robust, and consistently collected data to make meaningful talent and reward decisions. Thousands of successful companies worldwide rely on Hewitt for in-depth data insights to help make quicker, fact-based decisions. Obtain the data you need for effective, competitive compensation planning in 2010 by accessing Hewitt's U.S. Surveys Data Solutions Catalog.

2010 Guide to Social Security, Medicare, and IRS Limits
This Hewitt guide outlines the annual and monthly limits for Social Security and Medicare, as well as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) limits for retirement plans and health savings accounts.

Significant Compensation and Benefit Due Dates for 2010
Hewitt's compliance calendar can help employers prepare for significant compensation and benefit due dates in 2010.

Hewitt Enhances Absence Management Offer by Adding Participant Advocacy Services
The new advocacy feature expands the breadth and scope of Hewitt's absence management solution by pairing each employee taking an extended absence with a highly trained participant advocate.

Hewitt Global Report—Monthly Legislative Updates
Hewitt's monthly updates summarize recent legislative activity, by country, for the following issues: labor environment, cost of employment, employment terms and conditions, retirement and Social Security, health care system, taxation of compensation and benefits, and issues for expatriate employees. The updates help employers determine whether they're in compliance with national laws or may wish to make changes to their HR policies and benefit programs.

Asia-Pacific
Europe
Latin America
Middle East and Africa