Communicating employee benefits is a year-round job –– making sure employees remember key dates, know how to make changes when they have a life event such as getting married, submit claims on time and so much more. But open enrollment…
Healthcare
4 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Smoking Cessation Program
Tobacco use is the most common substance use disorder in the U.S. Between 8% and 18% of healthcare expenditures, depending on smoking prevalence, are attributable to smoking. Most smokers want to stop, and each year about 50% of all smokers…
It’s Time to Rebrand the HDHP and Here’s How
As a marketing professional, I am highly aware that presentation is everything. In my opinion, there are several marketing hacks that the health care industry could adopt to increase plan participation and to better position certain programs in a more…
How to Make Life Easier for Working Parents
The working parent’s employee experience is difficult, to say the least. According to Bright Horizons’ 2016 Modern Family Index, more than one in three new parents think they’re treated worse than their co-workers. Understandably, this can hurt employee well-being and…
Are You A Stress Addict?
Take a moment and consider the following questions: Do you find that you’re consistently in a state of crisis at work, with one fire to put out after another? Do you regularly reject solutions that are offered for the problems…
Your Job Is Killing You. Seriously
How often have you or your colleagues said, “This job is killing me”? What you likely didn’t know was that you were right — the workplace is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States! (And the results…
An Insurance Primer For Small Businesses That Want to Stay Competitive
For many small businesses, the struggle to compete with larger companies for talent is an uphill battle — particularly when it comes to benefit offerings. While you know recruiting and retention is important, you may not be sure if the…
5 Reasons Why Working Too Many Hours Is a Bad Idea
24-year-old copywriter Mita Diran’s last Tweet, several hours before she lapsed into a coma and died. One thing most millennials figure out faster than workers of older generations is that work/life balance isn’t just important, it’s crucial. While exceptions like Miss…
4 Ways Companies Can Combat Tech Addiction
Technology addiction is damaging our personal and work lives. Studies suggest people are increasingly unhappy with their use of screen time and social media. The endless refresh cycle of major apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, etc. are highly addictive…
Wellness, Flexible Benefits Can Make a Big Difference
New research reveals that an alarming 62% of workers believe that their employer and workplace are having a negative or very negative impact on their wellbeing. But what’s behind this disconnect between employers and employees’ wellbeing? And what can businesses…
3 Stressed Workers Your Wellness Program May Be Overlooking
As more employers start investing in wellness benefits and initiatives, it’s important to understand their objectives. It’s no secret employees need help with managing their stress. SHRM’s annual benefits survey found more employers are offering wellness programs, while a MediKeeper…
Wellbeing Trends We’ll See In 2018: Vending Machines, Standing Desks and Nap Rooms
It’s no secret: Over the last few years, corporate well-being programs have really come of age. Continued advances in technology and a renewed cultural interest in health and well-being are largely behind this big shift. But, as I consider corporate…
9 Reasons to Invest in Benefits You’re Not Offering Now
So you’ve survived open enrollment. Now that you’re finished fielding 10,000 questions about health care plans, you can start looking ahead to 2018. New Year. New Benefits … amirite?! The stretch between open enrollment and the holidays is a fine…
5 Tips to Help Your Employees Get Through The Holidays With Less Stress
It’s that time of year again. Time to start preparing (and indulging in) lavish meals, fighting over the last Black Friday deal, holiday parties and after holiday party, and making jolly when out of town guests arrive It’s the holiday…
What If You Asked ‘How Are You’ and Really Meant It?
What would you do if someone honestly answered that rhetorical greeting we all use, “How are you?” What if instead of “Fine” or “Good,” which is what convention requires, your coworker said, “I’m not feeling myself. If fact, I’m feeling…
IRS Intends to Pursue Employers Over ACA Violations
Letters released this summer by the IRS continue to point to the agency moving forward with its plans to enforce the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The IRS has indicated it could be issuing penalty notices as soon as the end of the year to companies that have…
The Looming Showdown: Privacy, Wellness and Productivity
Shortly after purchasing my first Fitbit, I noticed a change in my airport travel routine. Instead of looking for moving sidewalks or a comfy seat, I walked all over the airport during layovers for no reason other than to amass…
Will You Know What to Do If Your HR Data Is Held Hostage?
The recent data breach suffered by Equifax served as a reminder to businesses everywhere of the omnipresence of cybercriminals and the damage they can cause. While the Equifax data breach was reportedly caused by hackers exploiting a security vulnerability, cybercriminals…
Wellness Is Mainstream, Benefiting the Employer and the Worker
If you suspect wellness is something of a fad benefit, just a few minutes of walking around at the Employer Healthcare & Benefits Congress that ended last week would have disabused you of that thinking. It seemed like every other…
Fight Employee Burnout With These Tips
Every job can be stressful in its own way, but burnout takes that stress to an unhealthy, extreme level. The Mayo Clinic defines it as a state of physical, emotional or mental exhaustion combined with doubts about your competence and…