Recent Episodes

If your organization is thinking about switching from a traditional vacation plan to unlimited vacation there are a lot of things to consider. In this episode we chat with Kristine Karnath of Moog on how and why her company made the switch and potential pitfalls to avoid. 

For more information, watch to the International Foundation webcast Kristine was featured in here: https://www.ifebp.org/education/webcasts/Pages/webcast-ind.aspx?wcode=22T09&wname=unlimited-paid-time-off-will-it-work-for-your-organization

International Foundation members can watch all of our webcasts for FREE! Get more information on International Foundation membership here: http://www.ifebp.org/membership

Unlimited Vacation - One Employer's Experience

Could education benefits help your organization recruit and retain talent? In this episode we'll school you on the various options available to employers in this area. (see what we did there?)

Check out the items mentioned in this episode:

Student loan benefits pulse survey: https://ifebp.org/store/Pages/student-loan-survey.aspx

2022 Employee Benefits survey results:
https://ifebp.org/store/employee-benefits-survey/Pages/default.aspx

Other great research resources from the International Foundation:
https://www.ifebp.org/Resources/Research/Pages/default.aspx

Learn more about National Employee Benefits Day:
https://www.ifebp.org/AboutUs/NEBD/Pages/default.aspx

Best practices for student loan match benefit implementation:
https://www.plansponsor.com/student-loan-match-can-start-one/

Education Benefits

More and more states are stepping up to fill the savings gap for individuals who don't have access to employer-sponsored retirement plans. In this episode we talk to Christine Cheng, Director of the Illinois SECURE CHOICE program on how Illinois employers fit into the program, and Kim Olson, Senior Officer on the Retirement Savings Project at the Pew Charitable Trusts on what the data tells us about these types of programs.

State-Facilitated Retirement Plans

ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence tool, is making headlines. But, does it have any place in the employee benefits industry? We talked to some human experts to find out.

Read Kathy's post and many other great blog posts on the International Foundation's Word on Benefits Blog: https://blog.ifebp.org/

Benefits Bonus: Could ChatGPT Be Used in Employee Benefits?

Artificial Intelligence seems to be taking the world by storm, but can it be applied to employee benefits? We dive into how this new technology can help benefits professionals and when they should be cautious.

This episode is an audio read of a Word on Benefits blog post. Read the post here: https://blog.ifebp.org/three-ways-to-use-ai-in-employee-benefits/

Benefits Bonus: Three Ways to Use AI in Employee Benefits

We dive into the many options and why employers may want to consider offering benefits for family-forming services like IFV, egg harvesting, egg and sperm freezing, surrogacy, etc.

Family-Forming Benefits

This month the Pod Squad discusses the trends we're seeing in employer financial education benefits and how educating employees on their personal finances can better your organization.

Find all of the International Foundation resources and tools Anne and Julie discussed here: http://www.ifebp.org/retirementsecurity

Financial Education Trends

This month, we focus on the state of GLP-1 drug coverage, and how it is effecting the benefits community.

GLP-1 Coverage Update

On this Benefits Bonus episode, we take a look at the results of our 2024 Employee Benefits Survey and see how the industry of employee benefits is changing.

Benefits Bonus: 2024 Employee Benefits Survey

On this episode, we revisit the topic of mental health initiatives, in honor of World Mental Health Day on October 10th.

Catch our Mental Health in the Workplace Virtual Conference on October 9th!

Learn more at https://www.ifebp.org/education---events/virtual-education-and-webcasts/virtual-conferences---workshops/mental-health-in-the-workplace-virtual-conference/home

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Benefits

We talk with Vikki Walton, a leader of health equity on how employers can decrease disparities among their employees' and improve the health of employees and their families with benefit offerings and workplace culture.

Employers' Role in Health Equity

In this last episode of the year we're recapping all the big benefits news from 2024. 

2024 Benefits Year in Review

Did you know there are at least 40 potential areas of employee benefit plan regulations and legislation to watch in 2025 and beyond? In this episode we discuss the things employee benefits professionals should have on their radar in this new presidential administration.

Read our colleague, Jenny Gartman's wonderful blog at www.ifebp.org/blog

Watch the webcast we discuss at www.ifebp.org/webcasts

Benefit Plan Laws and Rules on Our 2025 Watchlist

This week, we are joined by special guest Jason Sheffield, the National Director of Compliance at The Baldwin Group, Inc. Join us as we discuss best practices in cybersecurity and updates on recent events.

Health Plan Cybersecurity (feat. Jason Sheffield)

What do tiny houses have to do with your staff? A lot, as it turns out. Well, kind of. Host Stacy talks with International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans VP of Talent, Andie Gebert, on her advice and insights for how employers can navigate communications, policies and more for employees spanning four, sometimes five generations, all with different sets of values. 

Four Generations, One Workplace

This episode is an audio read of a Word on Benefits blog post. Read the post here: https://blog.ifebp.org/building-resilience-how-to-prepare-your-organization-for-disasters/

To find more resources, including a template of a disaster recovery policy and sample documents, visit the Benefits Knowledge Center: https://www.ifebp.org/resources---news/benefits-knowledge-center

Benefit Bonus: Disaster Planning

This week, we focus on this years theme for National Employee Benefits Day, which is future-ready financial education. We’re diving into the financial stress and mental health of workers. 

Visit www.ifebp.org/benefitsday for more information.

Financial Stress in the Workplace

This week, Justin chats with special guest Ryan Picarella, Executive Director of the Wellness Alliance, about wellness in the workplace.

Workplace Wellness (feat. Ryan Picarella)

Anne and Julie discuss the complicated process of how a bill becomes a law.

Benefits Bonus: How a Bill Becomes a Law

In this episode we're talking to Chelsea Ryckis, President of Ethos Benefits on what it means to view your health plan through the eyes of a fiduciary and how that perspective could lead to savings and improved benefits for your employees.

Chelsea presented on this topic at the 2024 International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists Symposium. Hear many other great presentations like hers at this year’s Symposium! https://www.iscebs.org/symposium

Check out Chelsea’s own podcast from Ethos Benefits: https://businessofbenefitspodcast.com/

Don't forget - if you manage an ERISA plan, you're legally required to think (and act!) like a fiduciary. The International Foundation has your back with everything you need to know about your fiduciary duties in one easy-to-understand e-learning course. It's a great option to learn about your duties for the first time or brush up on them: https://www.ifebp.org/education---events/virtual-education-and-webcasts/e-learning-course/e-learning-courses/fiduciary-responsibility-for-erisa-plans

A Fiduciary Approach to Your Health Plan

This episode is an audio read of a Word on Benefits blog post. Read the post here: https://blog.ifebp.org/what-the-executive-order-increasing-pbm-fee-transparency-means-for-employers/

To find more resources, including a template of a disaster recovery policy and sample documents, visit the Benefits Knowledge Center: www.ifebp.org/resources---news/b…s-knowledge-center

Benefits Bonus: PBM Fee Transparency

This week, Anne chats with special guest Dr. Tyler Amell, about the science behind the aging process .

Aging and Organizational Strategies

The Big Beautiful Bill impacts employee benefits in a big way. We're sorting through it all from retirement plan changes to commuter reimbursements and more.

The Big Benefits Impact of the Big Beautiful Bill

This week, Justin chats with special guest Michael Stoyanovich, Vice President and Senior Consultant in Segal’s Administration & Technology Consulting practice about the use of artificial intelligence in health plans. 

Artificial Intelligence in Health Plans

This episode is an audio read of a Word on Benefits blog post at www.ifebp.org/blog

To find more resources, including a template of a disaster recovery policy and sample documents, visit the Benefits Knowledge Center: www.ifebp.org/resources---news/b…s-knowledge-center




Benefits Bonus: Health Care Cost 2026

The cost of cancer care is rising in the U.S. for patients and employers. Learn how those costs are shaping some U.S. employers' health care benefit offerings in this bonus episode.

Read Rebecca's post and many other great blog posts at https://blog.ifebp.org/ 

View the entire Cancer/Oncology Care Strategies: 2025 Pulse Survey report at https://www.ifebp.org/CancerCare2025

International Foundation members get access to all the Foundation's timely research and much more! Learn about membership at https://www.ifebp.org/membership

Cancer Care Spend is on the Rise for Employers

This week, Julie chats with special guest Paula Stop, Director of Total Rewards at The Fresh Market, about savings programs in a diverse workforce

Emergency Savings Programs

Planning for retirement is more than just saving and investing money–there are many other things to consider as well, some of which may not be on your radar. So, we turned to Talking Benefits' own Julie Stich for some insight not only because she's a benefits nerdthusiast, but also because she has first-hand experience! In this episode, Julie takes us through all the things she did to prepare for her recent retirement from finances and fun to health and home improvements.

"Ready or Not", the book Julie found so helpful in her planning, is available to anyone! Get your own copy at http://www.ifebp.org/readyornot

Be sure to listen to the end for Julie's special message to listeners! Yes, you read that correctly - Julie has retired and this is her final episode after 9 (yes, NINE!) years behind the Talking Benefits microphone. The Talking Benefits crew is so incredibly happy for her, but we'll certainly miss her benefits expertise, nerdiness, and especially her warm and ever-present laugh! 

Retirement Planning: More Than Money

This episode is an audio read of a Word on Benefits blog post. Read the post here:
https://blog.ifebp.org/executive-order-on-drug-discounts-has-uncertain-impact-on-employers-price-negotiations/


Read Jenny's post and many other great blog posts at blog.ifebp.org/




Benefits Bonus: Executive Order on Drug Discounts Has Uncertain Impact

Even though our culture is opening up about mental health, the stigma persists. We talk about how employers can start to break down the barriers and help their employees deal with mental health issues.

Want to read the blog post we referenced in the episode? Click the link below.
https://blog.ifebp.org/index.php/support-the-mental-health-of-employees

Stigma and Mental Health

International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans benefits pros Julie Stich, Justin Held, Anne Patterson and Stacy Van Alstyne dive into retirement, health care, hot trends, or whatever else the benefits industry throws at them.

Talking Benefits

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