MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in July 2025 announced it is working with Care Plus, the largest premium healthcare provider in Brazil. Care Plus will offer medical coverage to MAXIS GBN’s captive clients across Brazil. Care Plus was founded in 1992 and was later acquired by Bupa in 2016. It provides healthcare solutions to more than 1,000 companies, covering 600,000 members across Brazil. It has more than 15

The UK’s HC 997 immigration-rule changes, published on 1 July 2025, altered important assumptions for sponsored recruitment. The principal changes were scheduled for 22 July. Employers reviewing international hires needed to check the occupation, salary and transition provisions together rather than rely on one headline threshold. Read the dated development The changes raised the general Skilled Worker salary threshold to GBP41,700 and generally returned the skill threshold to degree-level

SHRM’s June 2025 employee-benefits analysis offers a benchmark for healthcare priorities and benefit design. It also illustrates why employers need to read survey questions and sample descriptions before turning a headline percentage into a market trend or a recommendation to change their own programme. Read the dated development The survey covered 3,969 HR professionals. Healthcare benefits were rated very or extremely important by 88%, and 97% reported organisational health

Generali Employee Benefits (GEB) network in June 2025 announced a new strategic partnership with AI-benefits innovator Euphoric. Euphoric has developed an AI-powered, all-in-one benefits management platform providing cutting-edge global benefits analytics for Global HR leaders and their employees. It is designed to help employees and employers navigate the complexities of corporate benefit plans. For employers, Euphoric has developed a Global Analytics Platform (GAP), providing one centralized view of the

Zurich and Further Group in May 2025 announced they would offer a new employee benefit – called Critical Care – designed to help those needing treatment for serious illnesses. Critical Care can provide life-changing well-being benefits for employees who have cancer, heart or neurological conditions, are in need of organ transplants, or require specialist treatment abroad at leading hospitals. It can be added to any Zurich International Group Life

Poland’s Office for Foreigners announced EU Blue Card framework changes on 27 May 2025, with principal changes beginning on 1 June. For employers transferring highly qualified employees, the development required a fresh look at the actual immigration route rather than an assumption that an existing card permitted any local employment. Read the dated development The announcement described recognition of specified professional experience and provisions for short- and long-term mobility

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), its provisional estimates released in May 2025 show that gross domestic product (GDP) across the OECD area rose by just 0.1 % quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter (Q1) 2025, down markedly from 0.5 % in the previous quarter. This breaks the pattern of relatively strong and stable growth seen in the OECD area over the past two years. G7

The IRS’s May 2025 official bulletin sets out health savings account and high-deductible health plan parameters for 2026. For benefits and payroll teams, the immediate task is to label each figure correctly. Contribution ceilings, minimum deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket expenses describe different controls in a qualifying arrangement. Read the dated development The HSA contribution limits are USD4,400 for self-only coverage and USD8,750 for family coverage. HDHP minimum deductibles are

Published in April 2025, OECD Taxing Wages 2025 provides an updated view of taxes and social contributions on employment income. It is a new annual dataset for reward and mobility comparisons. Its observations concern 2024, so the report’s publication year should not become the payroll year in an employer’s analysis. Read the dated development For a single worker on average earnings, the average OECD tax wedge was 34.9%, up

In January 2025, the UK government announced plans to ease restrictions on returning defined-benefit pension surpluses. For employers, the proposal raised a funding and governance question: how might a future release support their pension arrangements or wider reward decisions while protecting promised benefits? Read the dated development The announcement envisaged agreements between employers and trustees. It preserved the trustees’ overarching duty to protect members’ benefits. The policy announcement did

In December 2024, New York’s governor confirmed that an additional twenty hours of paid prenatal leave for privately employed pregnant workers would take effect on 1 January 2025. Official employer guidance describes a separate entitlement for pregnancy-related health appointments, including access for part-time staff and newly hired employees. Keep the entitlement distinct The guidance measures the twenty hours over fifty-two weeks from first use and permits hourly increments. It

In November 2024, Germany adopted the Social Insurance Calculation Parameters Regulation for 2025, which took effect on 1 January 2025. It set the general pension-insurance contribution ceiling at EUR96,600 annually, or EUR8,050 monthly, and the general annual earnings threshold for compulsory health insurance at EUR73,800. These are historical 2025 values, not inputs for 2026 payroll. Label the parameters by function The regulation also sets a distinct health-insurance threshold under

In August 2024, AXA Hong Kong and Macau announced heatwave parametric insurance aimed at outdoor workers. The launch described a premium of HKD19.9 per person and a HKD100 payment or an equivalent anti-heatwave kit when the specified temperature trigger was met. It provides a concrete example of climate insurance being connected to a workforce need. Understand the trigger before the benefit The announcement tied the trigger to an arithmetic-average

In October 2024, the UK Autumn Budget announced a replacement for the non-domiciled remittance-basis regime and changes to employer National Insurance, with key measures planned from 6 April 2025. HM Treasury’s original overview brings the mobility and payroll elements together. It is a historical announcement record, rather than a complete guide to an individual’s present tax position. Examine the employee population The announcement described a residence-based regime, including a

In October 2024, Aon forecast a 10.0 percent global increase in medical-plan unit costs for 2025, compared with its 10.1 percent forecast for 2024. The release and report describe projections for employer medical plans. For benefits teams revisiting that period, the figures should remain labelled as forecasts rather than measured 2025 outcomes or individual renewal quotations. Read the regional comparisons carefully The report put the Middle East and Africa

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) has announced an exciting new initiative in partnership with Maven Clinic, the world’s largest virtual clinic for women’s and family health. On 1 October 2024, MAXIS GBN launched a comprehensive educational toolkit designed to help multinational companies provide essential support to employees experiencing menopause symptoms. The new service, available to MAXIS GBN’s multinational clients, aims to create a menopause-friendly work environment by providing

In a strategic move aimed at driving innovation and addressing evolving market needs, MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) has appointed Nicola Fordham as its new Chief Solutions Officer. This significant development was announced on 18 September 2024 and represents a fresh direction for the company’s approach to delivering solutions to multinational clients. Nicola Fordham, who previously held the position of Chief Underwriting Officer at MAXIS GBN, will now

London, 4 September 2024 – MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) proudly announces its latest partnership with Abi Global Health, a leading virtual care platform utilizing AI technology to connect individuals with healthcare professionals in under 40 seconds. This collaboration enables MAXIS GBN’s multinational clients to offer their employees immediate access to healthcare services, including physical and mental health support, via text, phone, or video consultations—anytime, anywhere. Abi’s cutting-edge

Zurich Global Employee Benefits Solutions (ZGEBS) has taken a bold step forward in its digital transformation journey, unveiling a suite of enhanced digital tools designed to streamline the way businesses manage global employee benefits. With new interactive dashboards, a dynamic online collaboration platform, and automated data transfer solutions, ZGEBS is setting a new standard for efficiency, transparency, and customer satisfaction. Innovation at the Core of Employee Benefits At the

In September 2024, Swiss voters rejected the occupational-pension reform in the referendum held on 22 September. The Federal Social Insurance Office records the package as a rejected reform. For employer benefits teams, the immediate significance is that its proposed changes should not be described as benefits rules enacted by that vote. Close the proposal with its outcome The package sought to strengthen second-pillar financing, broadly maintain pension levels and

In July 2024, Luxembourg government guidance explained how compensation should be handled when two statutory public holidays fall on the same day. Coincidence does not simply erase one entitlement. The appropriate treatment depends on the employee’s normal work schedule and whether work is actually performed. For employers, this is a practical leave and payroll administration issue with consequences for employees working different patterns. Begin with the individual schedule The

Willis Towers Watson (WTW) in June 2024 published the 2024 edition its annual “Employee benefits: Global insurance networks’ matrix” table. An indispensable tool of the trade for global employee benefits practitioners, it is available for download as a PDF, no registration required. The matrix “provides a complete listing of the eight global benefits networks, and their affiliated insurers and their offshore (third-country national or expat) capabilities.”

In June 2024, the US Social Security Administration documented Guernsey’s phased secondary pensions programme, citing local law and guidance. Employers with at least twenty six employees entered the first phase in July 2024, with smaller employers following under the published timetable. The programme supplements the State Pension and includes automatic enrolment for eligible workers, with opt out and re enrolment provisions. For multinational employers, the milestone illustrates how a

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in June 2024 announced that the G20 gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 0.9 % quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter (Q1) 2024, according to provisional estimates, up slightly from 0.7 % in the previous quarter (Chart 1). The area’s economic performance was primarily supported by China and India in Q1 2024[1]. Together with Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Korea and Indonesia, they recorded GDP growth rates

In June 2024, Germany’s official Make it in Germany portal described the new Opportunity Card for qualifying third country jobseekers. Initial job search residence can last up to twelve months, with secondary employment of up to twenty hours a week and limited job trials. Applicants may qualify through recognised skilled worker status or a points route with additional basic requirements. The practical recruitment lesson is to distinguish a person’s

In June 2024, Norway’s Ministry of Children and Families announced that the parental-benefit period at the 80 percent coverage level would increase from 295 to 306 benefit days from 1 July 2024. The stated objective was to bring the total payment broadly into line with the 100 percent option. The change concerned the relationship between replacement level and duration within the statutory system. Compare the whole benefit period A

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in May 2024 announced its latest trade numbers. After falling in 2023, G20 merchandise exports (current US dollars) bounced back in Q1 2024. Compared with Q4 2023, exports rose by 1.9 %, driven by strong growth from China, while imports slipped by 0.2 %, partly reflecting lower energy prices. According to preliminary estimates, G20 services trade continued to expand in Q1