Recent Success Stories

• Completed Benefits Assessment project for a multinational technology organization, providing them with helpful insights into the strengths and weaknesses of their current approach.
•  Secured group travel medical program for large financial firm.

South Africa

A ruling from The High Court of South Africa has forced legislators to act on maternal and paternal leave laws. The court invalidated sections of two maternity, parental, adoption, and commissioning of parental leave provisions on the grounds that they unfairly discriminate against non-birthing parents. Currently, birthing mothers are entitled to at least 4 months of leave, while fathers are only entitled to 10 days. The decision declared the current leave laws discriminate against adoptive parents and surrogate parents. The ruling has recently been suspended for two years to give lawmakers time to address the changes needed. For now, all parents can receive 4 months of maternity leave benefits. Employers will be expected to adapt their leave policies to adhere to the upcoming regulatory changes.

Australia

Australia has recently passed a bill that will curb employers’ ability to contact workers outside of normal working hours. This bill gives workers the right to refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact from an employer outside of their working hours. The Australian legislators have responded to the growing trend of emailing and texting employees after work with the expectation of a reply. Workers have felt that their workday has been expanding without an increase in their pay. Exceptions are made in cases of emergencies, but specifics are still being confirmed. As the bill stands, employers who do not adhere will face fines and possible jail time, depending on the severity of the case. The bill has received mixed reactions as it awaits to be confirmed by the House of Representatives.   

Global

A recent survey of multinational organizations revealed that 70% of employers have implemented a global minimum standard for employee benefits plans. Over the past five years, employers have increasingly focused on their benefits plans to support employee’s well-being and attract and retain talent.  The same study found only 36% of employers had a global minimum standard in 2019. Employers can prove that their benefits structure aligns with organizational values by setting a global minimum standard. When designing a benefits plan, a global minimum standard is a way to create an inclusive plan where all employees, regardless of country, are valued. Well-being and employer perception could rise if leaders adopted an employee-centric approach to global benefits design.