BenefitBump Buzz - January 2023

Ready or not, 2023 is upon us! At?BenefitBump, we’re covering what is going to affect your workforce this year. The?Transform Conference?is one of the best places to get a sneak peek.?Scott?and?Sarah?will be there?– let us know if you’re going so we can be sure to connect!?

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??Compliance Happenings?

3 States Enact Paid Family Leave Legislation –?The States of Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia passed paid family leave legislation, though each will impact employers differently. Maryland’s paid family leave program will apply to all employers with at least one employee in the state, with contributions starting 10/1/2023 and benefits being payable 1/1/2025. Delaware’s program will apply to all employers with at least 10 or more employees in the State. Contributions will begin 1/1/2025 and benefits are payable starting 1/1/2026. Virginia simply passed legislation creating a category of insurance for paid family leave. There is not state entitlement as part of this legislation.?

For more information, visit?https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/state-paid-family-leave-laws-across-the-u-s/?

Congress Expands Protections for Pregnant and Nursing Employees?-?Congress recently passed a $1.7 trillion bipartisan spending bill, which includes two laws – the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act) – designed to protect workers who are pregnant or breastfeeding. On December 29, 2022, President Biden signed the bill into law. The PWFA requires employers with 15 or more employees to make reasonable accommodations for employees and job applicants with known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, enabling them to continue working while maintaining a healthy pregnancy.??

The Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act, also known as the PUMP Act, expands workplace protections for employees with a need to express breast milk. The stated purpose of the PUMP Act is “to expand access to breastfeeding accommodations in the workplace, and for other purposes.” Although the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was amended to provide some protections for certain non-salaried nursing workers when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, the PUMP Act further amends the FLSA to increase those protections by including millions of salaried employees who were previously excluded from such protection. The new law also clarifies when workers must be compensated for time spent pumping and provides legal remedies for nursing workers for potential violations.?

For more information, visit?PWFA and PUMP Act Protect Pregnant and Nursing Employees (natlawreview.com).?

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??Top Stories – What Your Workforce Will Be Buzzing About This Month?

The Femtech Revolution –?Though women make up just over half the US population, investments into their health are often underfunded. Women’s healthcare enables better outcomes for women patients and consumers, investors and other stakeholders across the value chain, and society at large. Femtech is largely comprised of tech-enabled, consumer-centric solutions addressing women’s health, excluding biopharma and incumbent medical devices. In the US, women’s health startups have attracted?$916 million?for the first 11 months of 2022, according to investment data that Tracxn. In some cases, FemTech companies are filling gaps not yet addressed by biopharma and device incumbents, such as in the area of maternal health. The categories in which FemTech is having an impact are increasing -?Adriana Krasniansky, head of research at venture fund Rock Health, said “we think that digital health is really well-positioned to offer solutions in the sexual wellness, education space, access to birth control, access to medical abortion care, where that’s legal, and of integrating that across the female healthcare journey, and even across the pregnancy and possibly postpartum experience. So for us, that's something that we’re really going to be watching into 2023.”?

Thousands of NYC Nurses On?Strike –?About 10,000 nurses across five systems, including Mount Sinai and Montefiore, are looking for raises, benefit preservation, and policies that will address chronic understaffing—an issue that has plagued the healthcare industry for years. In New York, nearly all hospitals reported nursing positions they cannot fill, and almost half said they’ve reduced or eliminated services to mitigate the staffing challenges, according to a Dec. 2022 survey.???

For more information, visit?Thousands of NYC nurses prepare to strike (healthcare-brew.com)?

??Praise for Family-Friendly Companies?

Family-Friendly Benefit Innovators?-This month we recognize?Moderna?for being ranked #1 on?BioSpace’s Best Places to Work?in the large employer category on the 2022 list for career growth and development, leadership, culture, benefits, and innovation and drug pipeline. Congrats Moderna!?

??Upcoming Events??

Buzz-Worthy Industry Events?- We’re excited to be a sponsor at the?Transform 2023 Conference?in Las Vegas on March 27-29.?Let us know if you’ll be attending – we’d love to connect!?

For more information, visit?Welcome to Transform?

Stay Informed about?Family-Friendly Benefits in 2023 -?We at BenefitBump want to make sure you are th e most knowledgeable person at your company about what benefits and programs employers are offering their growing family population. In order to do that, we need your help. We’re requesting your input in our?3rd family-friendly benefits survey. After completing the survey, you will be one of the first to receive the comprehensive results and report. Your answers will be anonymous, and we will never share your data.

We truly appreciate your participation:?3rd Annual Family Friendly Benefits Survey (surveymonkey.com)?