Best Practices and Market Trends: Employee Benefit Planning Innovations

Employment markets continue to evolve, laws and regulations change, and for today’s workforce – one size does not fit all.  The focus today in human resources has to be on Total Rewards flexibility to meet the needs of a diverse workforce.  This workshop focuses on area changes in salary markets, managing employee benefit plans and their related costs, as well as a discussion on best practices and trends in retirement plan benefits. 

The cost of employee benefits in the United States has been a highly visible topic of discussion over the last several years for consumers, employers, state and federal policy makers and the media. While a number of health policy innovations and health-care related laws have been put into place, health care costs still continue to rise-- causing employers to shift costs to employees or in some cases, phase out benefit programs that had previously been effective to help attract or retain key talent.

Like many aspects of Employee Benefits, the retirement plan environment is also complex and heavily regulated.  New fiduciary regulations, increased scrutiny on plan costs and an increase in retirement plan litigation means HR professionals and benefit managers must stay up to date in a rapidly changing landscape.

Please join us for a discussion around strategies that have proven effective for many of our clients. We will discuss solutions available in the marketplace and discuss how we have put many of these into practice with achieved results. Learn how different approaches to risk management, retirement solutions and employee benefits can help mitigate risk, lead to a healthier & happier employee population, and solidify your recruiting and retention strategies.

What if you didn’t have to sacrifice quality within your benefits package to reduce your costs?  Join us to learn how to maximize the utility of your offerings. 

Presented by:

Speaker Information:

Mardi Burns, SVP and Senior Benefits Consultant for Associated Benefits and Risk Consulting  joined Associated Benefits and Risk Consulting in 1987 and has over 30 years of experience in employee benefits, with a focus on assisting medium to large employers design, implement and manage their benefit plans. Her specialties include multi-sited self-funded plans, strategic benefit planning facilitation, public employer plans and integrating the benefit strategy with engagement and wellness strategies. She provides renewal and benefit analysis, union negotiation consulting, employee education, healthcare reform analysis and planning and wellness consultation, while keeping an eye on strategic recommendations. Mardi has been involved in the design and implementation of several employer on-site and near-site health clinics including facilitating cooperative multi-employer clinics. Additionally, Mardi is a frequent speaker on employee benefits costs and solutions.

Lisa Metcalf, Employee Benefits Consultant for Associated Benefits and Risk Consulting began her career in the health insurance industry in 2004 working with claims processing, claims analysis and medical records review. She moved into a sales and consulting role in 2006 and expanded her focus to large employer groups in 2010. Her core strengths include strategic planning, communication and attention to detail. Lisa’s background in various facets of the insurance carrier side has also provided a well-rounded depth of knowledge in multiple product lines and the benefits market as a whole. She also possesses functional knowledge around the mechanics within claims processing, compliance, medical policy, payment solutions and provider contracting.  Lisa’s expertise in strategic planning, market trends and benefit and network analysis will serve to guide her clients to provide a best-in-class offering for employees. She also helps clients manage costs, receive the greatest value for their investments and meet their desired short- and long-term goals.

Charles E. Carlson is a partner in Carlson Dettmann Consulting, LLC.  He has advised employers on human resource matters for over forty years. Carlson was CEO of Enetrix, LLC, a survey research company acquired by Gallup, Inc. in 2008.  In addition, Carlson has been a labor relations advisor to the UW-Madison, personnel director for University of Wisconsin-Madison, and has taught compensation management for both the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business and graduate level courses for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  He holds a master’s degree in public administration and policy from UW-Madison, a BA degree in political science and economics from the University of Illinois.  He is a Certified Compensation Consultant through the WorldatWork and has been in partnership with Scott Dettmann since 1996.

Schedule of Events:
7:30am - 8:00am Registration/Networking/Breakfast
8:00am - 8:15am Business Meeting/Sponsor Presentations
8:15am - 10:30am Program
 

Recertification Credits:
The program has been approved for 2.0 hours of general credit for HRCI and 2.5 hours for SHRM continued education credits.  
   
   
Registration:
To register at the member price to attend, you need to log into the FVSHRM website using your member username and password. Please note that registration for this program will not be reimbursed due to cancelation or no-show nor can payment for this session be transferred to a future program.