Benefits news you may have missed: Aug. 16-20

Major trend coming as COVID-19 vaccines show up in job listings: Employers usually pepper job ads with qualification requirements, salary ranges and employee benefit information. The latest inclusion on job postings is a sign of the COVID times: vaccine mandate requirements. Two new reports show a surge in the number of job postings requiring potential employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Read more here.

How return-to-work plans are evolving due to the Delta variant: Scores of employers have reexamined and changed their return-to-office plans in recent weeks. After widely embracing remote work for well over a year, a number of organizations had planned for a return to the office in September. Now those plans are being put off, at least by companies that can continue with remote workers. Read more here.

Can benefits help combat the ‘talent tsunami’? With employee turnover on the rise thanks to a hot job market and soaring burnout rates, employers are more aggressively leveraging benefits to attract and retain talent. That’s according to a new report from Gallagher, which finds that, with HR and talent managers anticipating a sharp increase in voluntary exits as the economy improves, there’s a sense of urgency to ensure benefit and compensation offerings appeal to the needs of current and prospective employees. Read more here.

Why working women need a ‘culture of inclusion’ right now: The massive shift to remote work that occurred during the pandemic has been hailed by some as the future workplace brought to life nearly overnight. But the shift hasn’t been good for everyone—especially for female employees. Read more here.

Want to get workers vaccinated? Try these 6 strategies: With new variants of COVID-19 emerging and vaccines rates slowing, many employers have already had to pause or rethink their recently completed return-to-office plans. And although some employers are mandating vaccines, others worry about the impact that might have on talent in an already tight labor market. For CHROs seeking alternatives to a mandate, experts advise that incentivizing employees can be an effective and successful strategy. Read more here.

Hybrid, remote, on-site? Employees have weighed in: As the Delta variant continues to drive uncertainty in the business world, employers face important decisions on when and how to address permanent workplace locations. Read more here.

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Kathryn Mayer
Kathryn Mayer is HRE’s former benefits editor and chair of the Health & Benefits Leadership Conference. She has covered benefits for the better part of a decade, and her stories have won multiple awards, including a Jesse H. Neal Award and honors from the American Society of Business Publication Editors and the National Federation of Press Women. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Denver.