Using the Internet. In order to provide benefits that are cost-effective and appealing to employees, employers must understand conditions in the labor market and be aware of what competitors are offering.

a. Discover what information employers can get on benefits from the following sources:

International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plans (www.ifebp.org/).

Employee Benefits Research Institute (www.ebri.org).

Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov). b. Learn about the consulting services available to employers from several prominent consulting firms:

Hay Group (www.haygroup.com).

Towers Watson (www.towerswatson.com).

Mercer (www.mercer.com).

Hewitt Associates (www.hewitt.com).

c. Find out about integrated disability management from the Integrated Benefits Institute (www.ibiweb.org).

d. Learn more about the problem of underfunded pensions and the financial obligations of the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation (www.pbgc.gov).

e. Explore the issues regarding health care, Medicare, and health savings accounts:

National Coalition on Health Care (www.nchc.org).

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (www.cms.hhs.gov).

Internal Revenue Service (www.irs.gov).

f. Get more information about a variety of benefit and services issues:

WorldatWork (www.worldatwork.org).

Society for Human Resource Management (www.shrm.org). g. Learn about health care exchanges at the federal governments health insurance exchange (www.healthcare.gov).