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Employers grappling with the cost and complexity of GLP-1 drugs are increasingly testing a workaround: steering certain employees to direct-to-consumer arrangements that operate outside the company's health plan.

The shift reflects a growing tension for benefits executives: how to manage soaring GLP-1 demand while preserving affordability, plan sustainability and clinical oversight.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in January 2026 rescinded Biden-era workplace anti-harassment and discrimination guidance mainly focused on protections for LGBTQ+ individuals and breastfeeding and pregnancy-related issues.

The move, which came after the EEOC achieved a quorum and a Republican majority, follows through on the policy priorities of the Trump administration. However, despite the rescission, employers may still face harassment and discrimination lawsuits from employees covered by the guidance.

The Dreaded Insurance Audit

If you run a business, at some point you'll be contacted by your insurer telling you they need to conduct an audit of your coverage to make sure you are being charged the appropriate premium.

For workers' comp policies that means looking at your head counts, hours worked and the type of jobs your workers are doing to see if any of those elements have changed since the policy took effect. They'll ask for a lot of documentation. It sounds stressful, but there's a way to handle these audits and it just takes some preparation.

Even if you have company cars or a fleet of vans, occasions may arise that require an employee to run an errand in their personal vehicle or one of your employees needs to rent a car while on a business trip visiting a client.

In these circumstances if you don't have the proper coverage, you could be leaving your organization exposed to liability if an employee injures a third party in an accident. Here's how to protect your company against this.

People who are older than 60 are generally happier than younger adults and teens, new research has found.

According to a survey on happiness and aging by banking giant HSBC, people are the happiest between the ages of 60 and 80. Why is this, and what can you do to lead a fulfilling life as you age?

Exercise can do more than improve your physical health. Research increasingly suggests that regular movement can also reduce symptoms of depression, improve emotional well-being and help build a positive attitude as you tackle the day.

While exercise is not a replacement for therapy and other treatments for people with depression, it can help some people better cope.

More and more Americans are being saddled with high out-of-pocket medical expenses after an accident, especially those enrolled in high-deductible health plans.

Depending on the deductible, a broken leg can end up costing thousands of dollars out of pocket before health insurance kicks in, a sum that many people struggle to scrape together. If you are concerned about the potential for large outlays after an accident, there is an inexpensive option that can provide an important backstop: accident insurance.

While employers' main priority for containing workers' comp costs should be workplace safety, they also need to keep an eye out for three stealth factors that can nudge their premiums higher.

Where employees work, what they do from day to day and how production technology affects workplace behavior are all often flying below the radar for many employers, who may be hit with higher premiums after an insurer audit and worker reclassification. In addition, technology designed to increase productivity — like wearables — may actually raise the potential for workplace injuries.

Cyber risks are set to intensify in 2026 as artificial intelligence reshapes how attacks are launched and how organizations defend themselves.

Three new reports agree that cybercrime is becoming faster, more targeted and more disruptive to business operations. AI is accelerating existing threats and shortening the time between intrusion and impact. Businesses also need to protect themselves against enterprise use of AI and the ongoing threat posed by ransomware and social engineering attacks in which people or software impersonate clients or company leaders.

Employers may eventually need to adjust workplace policies in response to President Trump's executive order directing the federal government to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act.  

Reclassification would place cannabis in the same group as some common prescription painkillers such as Tylenol with codeine, meaning it could be prescribed for proven medical purposes. As a result, the change will likely affect employers' drug testing programs, disability accommodation obligations and safety-sensitive job requirements.

Slips, trips and falls are the second most common cause of lost-workday injuries in general industry and can cause back injuries, sprains, strains, contusions, fractures, head injuries, paralysis and fatalities.

In retail establishments, these events are the third most common cause of lost-workday injuries — making it important for management to ensure floors are kept free of obstructions or objects that may cause someone to trip. OSHA takes these risks seriously and regularly fines retailers for trip and fall hazards identified during inspections.

Here's a look at these injuries and how to prevent them in busy retail operations.

If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan and find that it is not working as well as you hoped, there is a special window each year that gives you a chance to make one change. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs from Jan. 1 through March 31.

This enrollment period is different from the fall Medicare Open Enrollment Period that runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. It is only for people who are already enrolled in an MA plan. Here's how the enrollment period works and what you can do during this time.