BCG Blog - Sponsors

It’s a stressful time in almost every way possible. How are employees feeling this financially, and what gaps are they looking for plan sponsors to fill?

Of the 168 countries surveyed for the 2020 Social Progress Index, America currently ranks 28th and is one of three countries (joining Brazil and Hungary) where citizens are worse off than in 2011 when data collection began. So what's contributing to this decline in quality of life?

Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs, or open MEPs) are allowed by the SECURE Act. Here’s a rundown of what a PEP is and what plan sponsors need to know about them.

The recent spread of COVID-19 within the White House and beyond quickly made headlines. What lessons can employers glean from this high-profile case study of coronavirus in professional environments?

It’s time for real change, and employees won’t settle for performative measures. However, learning what to look for comes before they can determine what’s “woke-washing” and what’s a real commitment to justice and reform.

Are jobless benefits a necessary and life-saving measure or a terrifying spectre worthy of Halloween? While many fear the possible economic impact, studies paint a sunnier portrait.

What makes a safe workplace, and what are employees looking for when returning to work? Having a policy is only step one: making sure procedures actually work to make the workplace safer and are strictly enforced is step two.

Unfortunately the surprise may be the passing of Justice Bader Ginsburg leaving the Court to start its October session with an even number of Justices. Here is a quick look at how a split court could impact ERISA decisions this Fall.

“Pods” or small groups of families socializing and educating together during the pandemic have spiked in popularity as the school year begins. But there are some serious concerns to consider before becoming a 21st Century Pod Person; here are four of them.

More and more adults are becoming caregivers to aging and elderly relatives, and the number of young caregivers is increasing disproportionately. What resources can plan sponsors offer employees who are trying to plan for these emotionally and financially challenging circumstances—or may already be facing them?

The real estate market is seeing some significant changes, but not everyone can agree on what those are. Are people really leaving cities? Is Airbnb done for, or will it bounce back? Most importantly, how can sponsors help their employees find the tools and advisors they need to set themselves in the best position?

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted markets in unexpected ways, and many are struggling to understand these new trends. With the right frame of reference, plan sponsors can help employees see the emerging consumer behavioral patterns.

How much does a COVID test cost? Unfortunately, like many healthcare-related questions, there’s no simple answer. There are, however, a few steps employees can take to ensure they’re minimizing their out-of-pocket expenses and getting accurate results.

Zoom, Webex, Teams, oh my! Online meeting platforms are seeing an uptick in use due to the sheer volume of people working remotely, but not everyone can make every meeting. Here are a few tips for supplementing your meetings and presentations for all to enjoy…and for creating digital content to connect safely with clients.

Though early retirement and using retirement savings right now seem like ideas completely at odds with each other, the two courses of action are more similar than they seem; it’s that COVID has employees making tough retirement decisions across the board.

Why are Millennials more reticent to enter the stock market than their predecessors? Student loans may offer some insight.

Almost half of those in the workforce have a part-time “side gig” to help pay the bills, save for retirement, or generate a little extra spending money. As the COVID-19 pandemic prompted massive layoffs and record unemployment numbers, here are a few ways gig workers can cope during this economic crisis.

It’s easy for brands to adopt the language of social reform and make commitments they have no intention of keeping. Here’s how to help your clients distinguish performative allyship from real commitments to racial justice before investing.

COVID-19 may have made your parent’s plans of living independently more complex. Here are four resources a Plan Sponsor can provide their employees to tackle the topic of moving a parent into their home.

Many companies that have fiscal years not tried to the calendar year, like those who start their FY in July or schools who might start their FY in August, may be entering that open enrollment period now. Here are a few tips on how to increase your presentation game to help those employees stay focused and get the information they need.

The rate of unemployment for women in the workforce is higher than that of men, closing in on 55% of the 20.5 million jobs lost in April, Employees who relied on income from family members who are now unemployed may feel lacking in confidence just as that is most needed. Here are a few ways to raise that confidence.

There are a great number of questions about how the CARES Act may change the work processes and workflow for plan sponsors. Here, we outline some ways that might happen so that plan sponsors can modify their work to meet their employees’ needs.

Most of the attention on the CARES Act involves stimulus money given to businesses and individuals. The Act also eases important restrictions on withdrawals from employee retirement plans.

The focus of this article is to consider who might need to be involved in implementing the new provisions of the CARES Act for your plan participants. As you’ll see, your workplace’s human resources, legal team, EAP, recordkeeping, information technology and facilities management teams will need to work together on this topic.

While employees adjust to the new normal of social distancing, they may also be trying to adjust to the new normal of stock market volatility. Understanding how habituation works may help those employees to be savvy investors in the long run.