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Semaglutide injection pen or cartridge pen for diabetics and weight loss in female hand. Medical equipment for diabetes patients

Iuliia Burmistrova/Getty Images

When the Trump administration announced that it struck a deal with two major GLP-1 manufacturers last month, it was unclear how soon discounts on the weight loss drugs would extend to workers on employer-sponsored insurance.

The White House is working with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to offer cheaper GLP-1s to patients enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid, as well as those who want to purchase the medications without insurance. But employers are keen to understand how soon such discounts may extend to their own medical plans, especially if they aren’t already covering the popular drugs.

“Once you have publicity around a Medicare price, I think the demand for a price that is close to that level is going to be really high,” Caroline Pearson, executive director of the Peterson Health Technology Institute, said. The White House said patients will be able to purchase GLP-1s on the direct-to-consumer market for around $350, while Medicare beneficiaries will be able to access them with a $50 co-pay. Historically, these medications have cost upwards of $1,000 a month.

As demand for the drugs remains high, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk recently embraced new models that seek to bypass pharmacy benefit managers and make GLP-1 coverage more financially feasible for employers.

For more on how GLP-1 manufacturers are bypassing PMBs to boost employer coverage, keep reading here.—CV

Presented By Paylocity

People over dated processes

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TECH

Transitions

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Global employment platform Oyster announced Tuesday founder and CEO Tony Jamous would transition into an executive chairman position. The company also announced Hadi Moussa as its incoming chief executive, effective Jan. 13.

“I started this business in late 2019 to reduce inequality [and] reverse brain drain,” Jamous told HR Brew exclusively Monday, on his last day as CEO ahead of the transition. “My story—having to leave my home country in Lebanon when I was in my teenage years to the West to find a better economical opportunity—was at the center of why I started Oyster, so people like me don’t have to leave their home countries.”

In 2022, Oyster achieved unicorn status after its $150 million Series C earned the company a billion-dollar valuation. It has raised a total of $288.2 million, from investors including ServiceNow Ventures and Georgian, among others.

The change in command comes as the platform looks to grow at scale amid rapid shifts in AI workflows and distributed work models all across the globe, and as companies look to diversify their global workforce in an increasingly connected world.

For more on the transition, and what it means for HR, keep reading here.—AD

TECH

Clear the calendar

Fangxianuo/Getty Images

Like your favorite bosses, even phishers are setting up meetings that could’ve been an email.

Cybersecurity teams are facing an increase in calendar-invite phishing messages, IT leads recently shared with IT Brew. That’s a particularly dangerous tactic, given how invites exist beyond the inbox.

“Even if you’ve done an effective job of teaching your employees not to click on email links, there’s just an informality to invites that I think makes the social awareness more challenging,” Marty Barrack, chief legal and compliance officer at healthcare IT company XiFin, said.

For more on the threat posed by meeting-invite phishing, keep reading on IT Brew.—BH

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WORK PERKS

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Francis Scialabba

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: Nearly 40% of job and loan applications reviewed by Checkr, a leading background check platform, include inaccurate employment or financial information as generative AI makes it easier for the unscrupulous to fake records and documents. (Forbes)

Quote: “It’s also a very cyclical job—you can’t guarantee a 40-hour week. You don’t know if you’re going to be laid off, if you’re going to work overtime.”—Shawn Nehiley, president of the Ironworkers District Council of New England, on the challenges of working in the construction field contributing to some of the highest suicide rates of any profession (the New York Times)

Read: Meta is upending its performance review system in order to better reward its top employees. Some high performers who make a “truly exceptional impact” on the company may even receive a 300% individual multiplier. (Business Insider)

One platform, one goal: Paylocity is a unified platform built to handle payroll, HR, talent, engagement, and analytics, all in one place. That way, teams can focus on people. Request a demo here.*

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The breakup blueprint

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More companies are breaking up to boost shareholder value—but for HR, that means managing chaos. Learn how people leaders plan spin-offs, align leadership, and keep employees informed while balancing strategy, structure, and sensitivity.

Check it out

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Written by Courtney Vinopal, Adam DeRose, and Billy Hurley

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