Benefits Manager

A poll shows that almost half of small-business employers are optimistic about economic improvement this year. This is a cautious optimism, however, as the majority also expressed concern about revenue and hiring plans for the next six months.

The Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department want to know how they can effectively work with employers on a provision under the Affordable Care Act that requires employers with 50 or more full-time employees to make a “shared responsibility payment” if they don’t offer affordable health coverage.

Proposed cuts to pension payouts and health care would save Detroit about $120 million annually over four years and help leave the city with a budget surplus of $89 million, according to Mayor Dave Bing's deficit elimination plan.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has proclaimed Wednesday "State Employee Recognition Day," months after pushing a bill that would strip most of those workers of their collective bargaining rights.

Opposite-sex and same-sex and domestic partners of city employees in York City, Pa., may now be eligible for city-provided health insurance, provided they can prove the legitimacy of their relationship.

Florida's minimum wage will increase by 6 cents an hour to $7.31 on June 1 after a judge agreed the state's employment agency was miscalculating the rate.

A health insurance proposal popular with business groups but not all conservatives survived important tests Tuesday in Colorado's Republican House.

After two bad years in which gamblers either stayed home or held onto their wallets more tightly, the nation's casinos began to slowly rebound last year, with revenue increasing slightly even as the number of jobs declined.