Benefits Manager

American Red Cross workers in Connecticut authorized their contract negotiators Sunday to call a strike, if necessary, to reach an agreement with the agency.

A study released Friday by a pension-reform group suggests California state and local governments could save billions of dollars a year by moving to a hybrid retirement plan similar to one used by the federal government.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he's discouraged over the lack of progress made by the committee developing new health insurance plans for 800,000 government workers.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is telling The Associated Press that both his economic record and his experience leading a large growing state sets him apart from his Republican presidential rivals.

Enrollment is always a busy time of year for human resource departments, but the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has added an extra layer to sort through, causing many employers to consider changes.

As questions about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act continue to surface and rising premium costs remain the reality, small businesses are exploring their health care options, and one solution that has come up is self-funded plans.

Though the economy has shown signs of modest improvement, the health care spending share of the nation's GDP hasn't retreated to pre-recession level.

Eighty percent of employers say 2010's health reform law is increasing their costs and administrative hassles, which is a cause for concern, according to a recent employer survey by Kansas City-based Lockton Benefit Group.