Employer-Paid

In a panel at the GE What Works Summit on American Competitiveness, policy and business leaders recognized that the 200,000 middle-market companies in the U.S. have untapped potential to create jobs and grow the economy.

In an abrupt about-face, House GOP leaders announced Monday they're willing to extend the two percentage point cut in the payroll tax through the end of the year and add the roughly $100 billion cost to the nation's $15 trillion-plus debt.

The White House said Monday legislation in the Senate that would give employers broad leeway to restrict coverage for contraception is "dangerous and wrong."

Well, just in case you had your doubts, consider the resurgent debate over the payroll tax cut. The suits in Congress have until Feb. 29 to figure out whether to extend the politically popular tax cut and hopefully how to pay for it or simply let it expire.

Sixty-one percent of private employers offer long-term incentives while 95 percent provide short-term incentives, according to a recent study by WorldatWork and Vivient Consulting.

A round-up of the weeks employee benefits news, reports and controversy