 |
| |
| |
| Good morning and happy Friday, Daily Money readers. It's Jayme Deerwester, back with you as we head into the weekend. Speaking of which, there will not be a newsletter Monday as USA TODAY will be observing the Juneteenth holiday. |
| It's been a busy week, dominated by bear markets, Federal Reserve interest rate hikes, record gas prices, crypto plunges, layoffs and other bad news. With so much bad news coming at once, it can be hard to ferret out what it all means . But the market spoke loudly this week, with all three major stock indices falling to new 52-week lows on Thursday after a short-lived rebound Wednesday. And it may be suggesting consumers should prepare for more gloom. |
| On that depressing note, let's dig into today's edition of The Daily Money. |
Should workers who refuse health screenings pay more for insurance? |
| Like many large employers, Yale University gave its clerical, food service and maintenance workers a choice: Get a routine health check or pay a $25 weekly fee. |
| Workers alleged in a federal lawsuit the university's participate-or-pay employee wellness program violated two federal laws. In a preliminary settlement approved Tuesday by U.S. District Court in Connecticut, the university agreed to pay nearly $1.3 million to workers and attorneys and won't assess the $25 weekly fee for four years, or until federal law or regulations change to allow such a program. |
| For more than a decade in corporate America, employers have been pushing wellness programs that help workers stop smoking, lose weight or change unhealthy behaviors. Often administered by third-party vendors, programs persuade employees through incentives or financial penalties to undergo biometric screenings that typically include a blood draw to check cholesterol levels and diabetes and blood pressure readings. |
| Employers say these plans can limit rising health costs, boost productivity and reduce absenteeism. But some workers say wellness programs are anything but voluntary, charging workers higher premiums if they don't participate. |
| The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sides with workers: "Employee participation in employer wellness programs must be voluntary," EEOC spokesman Victor Chen said in an email. "To give meaning to that requirement, the incentives for participation cannot be so substantial as to be coercive." |
| 📰 More stories you shouldn't miss 📰 |
| Airport armageddon: Flight cancellations continue Friday after bad weather; what does the airline owe you if they cancel your flight? |
| Mortgage mayhem: U.S. mortgage rates had their biggest one-week jump in 35 years. |
| Ford leads vehicle recall list: Latest bulletin includes GM, Honda, Porsche and Volvo. |
| Should you sign up for autopay? It can save you money, but be aware of the rules. |
| Last-minute Father's Day gifts: These presents will still arrive in time for Sunday. |
T-Mobile's latest perks: 25 cents off a gallon of gas, free streaming on flights |
| As more Americans get ready to travel this summer, T-Mobile is ramping up perks for its current customers and perhaps hoping to attract new ones. |
| The wireless carrier will offer customers 25 cents off a gallon of gas at Shell stations this summer and free connectivity and streaming on flights. Additionally T-Mobile is giving customers access to high-speed data in more than 210 countries. |
| T-Mobile members on the company's Magenta Max plan or Business Unlimited Ultimate plan will get 5 GB of free high-speed data every month when visiting one of more than 210 foreign countries. On Magenta or similar plans, T-Mobile customers get will be able to use the perk on four flights per year, then for one hour on every flight after that. |
| T-Mobile isn't the only carrier with incentives to keep customers and bring in new ones. On Thursday, Verizon announced it is offering its wireless customers home broadband plans starting at $25. The deal for new customers requires signing up for autopay and having a premium 5G mobile plan. |
🎵 Mood music 🎵 |
| I'm the type of person that needs the TV or some noise in the background in order to fall asleep. For the past week, I've been relying on old seasons of my favorite reality show of all time, "RuPaul's Drag Race," to accomplish that. But there have been side effects: My brain is now brimming with Ru's song lyrics at all hours of the day. Today, I'm going to quote some life advice from one of them. |
| "Pick myself up, turn the world on its head. Don't forget what, don't forget what my momma said: 'People talking [trash] since the beginning of time. Unless they paying your bills, pay them [naysayers] no mind.' " |
About The Daily Money |
| New to the newsletter? Subscribe to The Daily Money to get the best consumer and financial news from USA TODAY delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. And give our Daily Money Mood Music Spotify playlist a listen. It features every song quoted here. |
| Follow Jayme Deerwester on Twitter – or Instagram, if you prefer puppy pictures. (Because everybody loves puppies!) |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
No comments:
Post a Comment