Many of the arguments in favor of employee benefit specialists revolve around their proven ability to help companies find the best candidates for all positions and to retain those staff members. This is assuredly an important attribute, but is always important to recall that there are other pressures related to providing coverage that employers must keep in mind. Foremost among these is the need to comply with federally mandated regulations concerning employee benefits.
If there was a list of all government requirements on this subject, compliance would be a simple thing. Unfortunately, Congress and state legislatures constantly update and shift the laws pertaining to employee benefits. The massive overhaul to the healthcare system that took place in the past few years has presented challenges that many companies are still struggling to overcome.
For instance, the nature of COBRA has been altered so that extended healthcare benefits are now extended retroactively to laid-off workers. The required levels of many health-related benefits have also increased in many areas. Employee benefit specialists are well-versed in the minutiae that define these regulations, so having such professionals in one's employ can be extremely beneficial.
