Unum tracks the latest economic and regulatory issues that are shaping today's benefits industry, from health care reform to the new trends in cost sharing.

Using this guide, employers can create a "future-ready" benefits strategy designed for today's post-recession economy. The cost–effective approaches can help meet the needs of an increasingly diverse workforce while helping retain the critical skills workers so essential to business success.

New this year: an evaluation of cost and time efficiency techniques that are helping HR managers streamline the benefits process, from outsourcing leave management to benefits administration systems that offer a significant return on investment.

The data includes analytics from Unum's internal database, the largest repository of its kind in the nation, as well as research from top industry experts.