Good morning!

Today, we're exploring the challenges of open enrollment and educating employees on the benefits available to them. Also in this issue:

🧑‍⚖️ SCOTUS hearings
⬆️ Rising health care premiums
💉 Covering GLP-1s

Here's a look at what we're seeing, what it means, what we're anticipating, what's resonating and what you think about today’s workplace. Let's get SMART!

Open enrollment often challenges HR teams due to a lack of clear project leadership, resulting in recurring issues such as missed deadlines, inadequate testing and unaudited enrollment files. Common issues include insufficient documentation of lessons learned, incomplete end-to-end testing, unaudited enrollment files and overreliance on passive enrollment. Leah Joyner, founder of HCM Tech Advisory, recommends assigning a dedicated project lead to oversee the process, ensure alignment among stakeholders and maintain accountability year-round.

Employers face increasing pressure to cover GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, with Cigna predicting that all insurers will cover these medications within a year, according to a report from the Peterson Center on Healthcare and KFF. This possible mandate is supported by research suggesting that, within the next year, insurance companies will make GLP-1 coverage standard. Although 43% of large employers already provide coverage, many report that costs are higher than expected.

Employees are becoming more attuned to their benefits amid rising health care costs, but a significant gap exists between employers and employees regarding financial wellness support, according to Payroll Integrations. The report reveals that while nearly half of employers believe they fully support financial wellness, only 28% of employees concur, underscoring the need for improved benefits communication. HR can implement several key strategies: regular check-ins to discuss benefits, bringing in external financial experts for specialized guidance and leveraging technology to make educational resources easily accessible.

The Supreme Court's current term features several high-profile employment law cases, including a review of the president's authority to remove executive appointees without cause, which could overrule long-standing precedent.