employers

More companies are stepping in to help their workers with a much cheaper way to get some emergency cash than payday loans.

Walmart And Others Offer Workers Payday Loan Alternative

8:21pm August 16, 2018

by Chris Arnold

When lower-income working Americans have an unexpected expense, many turn to high-cost loans and get in financial trouble. More employers are giving them a much cheaper way to get emergency cash.

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The new tax credit sidesteps a common pitfall in the eyes of many Republicans by avoiding a mandate — it doesn't require employers to provide paid family leave. Instead, the law offers firms a financial incentive to provide the coverage.

Tax Credit Aims To Boost Availability Of Paid Family Leave, But Will It Work?

11:18am January 23, 2018

by Michelle Andrews

Many specialists in family leave policy say the tax credits included in the new federal law are too small to persuade most employers to offer such benefits.

The American Iron and Steel Institute is one of the trade groups that wants Congress to undo the stronger safety regulation enacted in 2016 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Congress May Undo Rule That Pushes Firms To Keep Good Safety Records

4:39pm March 20, 2017

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Labor statistics specialists under George W. Bush and Barack Obama warn that if the safety regulation is repealed, record keeping on worker injuries will become less accurate and less reliable.

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A survey finds that more than half of people with insurance through work are in a high-deductible health plan.

Employees Are Paying A Bigger Chunk Of Health Insurance Costs

5:26pm September 14, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

Bosses are passing more of the cost of health insurance on to workers in an effort to keep spending under control. But that can be unfair to lower-income employees, who pay disproportionately more.

Hikes In Employees' Health Premiums To Outpace Raises Again

12:55pm August 10, 2016

by Jay Hancock

Most employees at large companies should expect a 5 percent increase in their health insurance premiums in 2017 and few changes to the coverage and features.

Health & Safety

Work Can Be A Stressful And Dangerous Place For Many

11:57am July 11, 2016

by Joe Neel

The latest poll on your health from NPR and its partners finds that most people think their workplace is supportive of actions to improve health. But gaps suggest there is room for improvement.

This presidential election, many workers and employers say political vitriol is carrying over into the workplace — making it a potentially hostile environment.

In 2016, Talking Politics Can Make Things Uncomfortable At Work

7:31pm June 20, 2016

by Yuki Noguchi

This presidential election, many workers and employers say political vitriol is carrying over into the workplace — making it a potentially hostile environment.

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Duke Gillingham, president of Oasis Foods, in Hillside, N.J., says about two-thirds of his roughly 180 employees declined to enroll in the company health plan for 2015. Many make less than $15 an hour, and found the company plan too expensive.

N.J. Factory Turns To Medicaid To Insure Lowest-Paid Employees

4:28pm January 01, 2016

by Fred Mogul

Starting Jan. 1, midsize companies must offer health insurance to their workers or risk a penalty. A firm that has already faced that problem is helping low-paid employees enroll in Medicaid, instead.

Automatically enrolling workers into a savings plan and then deducting their pre-tax contribution from their paycheck means workers don't see or feel any loss. It sort of tricks our brains into doing the right thing.

Why Is It So Hard To Save? U.K. Shows It Doesn't Have To Be

3:09pm October 23, 2015

by Chris Arnold

Millions of workers in the U.K. who thought they couldn't afford it are saving thanks to a law that automatically enrolls them in a retirement plan. It tricks their brains into doing the right thing.

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Michael Doucleff Sr. (right) talks to a longtime customer at Duke Bakery in Alton, Ill.

Could Delaying Retirement Be Great For Your Health?

3:34pm September 25, 2015

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Scientists have found that working in one's 60s and 70s is associated with better physical and mental health. Even part-time work may be enough to reap the benefits.

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