??BenefitBump Buzz – June 2023

Infertility Awareness Month and Pride Month, declining mental health in HR, and new childcare legislation are just a few hot topics this month. Read on to get the scoop on compliance happenings, top stories, and upcoming events that affect your workplace.?

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??Compliance Happenings?

Vermont Approves Plan to Pour Tens of Millions of Dollars into State’s Child Care System - The newly approved child care bill would expand state subsidies for families earning up to 575 percent of the federal poverty level (or $172,000 for a family of four) and families earning up to 175 percent of the poverty line (or $52,000 for a family of four) would now pay nothing out of pocket. The new payments will mean an infusion of funds for child care, allowing providers to be reimbursed at a 35 percent higher rate than they currently are. The legislation also tasks lawmakers with studying how to create an affordable full-day pre-K system.?

For more information: One state just became a national leader on child care. Here’s how they did it. (msn.com)?

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Minnesota Governor Signs Paid Family and Medical Leave Act to Give Workers up to 20 Weeks Off - Under a bill that Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed Thursday, making his state the 12th to require those benefits, Minnesota workers will be entitled to paid time off when they're seriously ill or to care for newborns and loved ones starting in 2026. The paid family and medical leave program will allow Minnesota workers up to 12 weeks a year off with partial pay to care for a newborn or a sick family member, and up to 12 weeks to recover from their own serious illness. Benefits will be capped at 20 weeks a year for employees who take advantage of both. The program will operate similarly to unemployment insurance. It will be funded by a new 0.7% payroll tax on employers that will take effect in 2026. Employers can deduct half of their premiums from workers' wages.?

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For more information: Minnesota governor signs paid family and medical leave act to give workers up to 20 weeks off (thehour.com)?

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??Top Stories – The Buzz You’ll be Hearing Around the Office?

HR Professionals Experience Declining Mental Health - HR professionals have endured relentless change that past few years from the pandemic to the Great Resignation, quiet quitting, record inflation, and now RTO, and have been advocates and pillars of strength for employees through it all—supporting employee mental health, access to benefits, and more.??

But now that pillar is crumbling: 61% of HR professionals report that they have experienced a mental health issue in the past year (+9 points from 2022). This finding, combined with double-digit declines in empathy toward their CEOs (-16 points), organizations (-23 points), and employees (-16 points), is evidence of burnout and “empathy fatigue” among HR professionals.??

Especially concerning finding from their report: employees (-7 points) and HR (-11 points) are less aware of their mental health benefits while CEOs think they are more aware of their company’s mental health benefits (+36 points from 2022), illustrating yet another large gap in perceptions.?

For more information: 2023 State of Workplace Empathy Report | Employee Benefit News?

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June is Infertility Awareness Month and Pride Month – infertility issues are faced by as many as 48.5 million couples around the world each year and infertility issues amongst same-sex couples are on the rise. Infertility is incredibly stressful and draining. Research has even shown the stress levels of women diagnosed with infertility are equivalent to those with cancer, AIDS, or heart disease. In our recent survey, we found that 61% of employees would change jobs for fertility benefits. Regardless of if you offer fertility coverage or not, there are steps every employer should take to effectively support their employees on the path to parenthood and we’re sharing 5 of them on the blog this month.??

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For more information: Support for Employees During Infertility Awareness Month & Beyond — BenefitBump?

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??Praise for Family-Friendly Companies?

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Trailblazers – Prisma Health Fertility Center of the Carolinas - Faris Rd. has been named to Newsweek Magazine’s 2023 list of “America’s Best Fertility Clinics.” Newsweek partnered with a respected global data research company to establish the top 100 fertility clinics as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Congrats @PrismaHealth!?

???Upcoming Events??

Buzz-Worthy Industry Events – We’re looking forward to attending the 2023 World at Work Total Rewards Conference in San Diego June 12th-14th and learning about ways to attract top talent in a way that is competitive, engaging and sustainable. Will you be there? Reach out to Sarah Moore to schedule some time to chat, if so!?

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