As the pandemic passes the six-month mark in the US, new trends and insights in benefits are emerging. Employees are grappling with unprecedented stress and continued uncertainty. Faced with difficult choices in business continuity planning, employers are focusing on the cost-benefit of support for employees. Here’s a closer look at what advisers and employers [...]

These are stressful times. Employees face tremendous strain at work and home, which is often now the same physical place. Not surprisingly, the pressure and fatigue are affecting employee mental health. Let’s take a closer look at the factors driving employee stress, why employer empathy matters so much and how employers can show it. [...]

As the ongoing pandemic hits the half-year mark, workers across industries are under historic pressures. Employees are facing a great deal of uncertainty about their jobs, remote work environments and the future. In our always-on culture, the pandemic has further blurred the lines between work and home, pushing the workday nearly 50 minutes longer [...]

The cost of healthcare is a major concern for employers and employees alike. And for good reason: employee benefits account for about one-third of employers’ total compensation costs.[1] This is why employers focus on cost control and on strategic benefit planning to ensure maximum return on investment. Coverage gaps and unexpected medical bills can [...]

This year is unlike any other. Amid great uncertainty, it’s more challenging than ever for advisers and employers to make decisions for improved benefit planning. Public health and economic responses to the pandemic have thrown the traditional benefit planning cycle off course this year. Flexible gap-coverage solutions have never been more important in delivering [...]

High deductible health plans (HDHPs) have steadily become the norm, not the exception, as employers seek to contain healthcare costs. As of last year, a majority of employers (51%) offered one of these plans.[i] And more employees are also enrolling in these plans: one analysis by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found [...]

Employers across industries are realizing how important mental and emotional health is to overall employee well-being. This shift had begun before the upheaval of the coronavirus crisis: A recent MetLife survey found that nearly 75% of employers indicated that managing workplace burnout and employee stress was a priority for 2020.[1] But the stress, uncertainty [...]

As we enter summer, brokers are beginning their busy season. They are preparing to guide their clients through benefit planning for next year and beyond. But amid unprecedented uncertainty, this benefit planning season is unlike any other. Preparing for pivots with flexible benefits is key. Despite tomorrow’s unknowns, taking a strategic approach in benefit [...]

The last decade has seen tremendous growth in the Health Savings Account (HSA) market. The increasing cost of healthcare has prompted many organizations to move to high-deductible health plans. So now HSAs have become even more prevalent. In fact, there are now over 25 million HSAs in the United States, up nearly 15 percent [...]

Workplace burnout is a serious problem for employees and employers. It was a serious issue before the coronavirus pandemic, as “always-on” workplace cultures and pressures placed growing stress on employees. In fact, recent surveys by Gallup[1] and CareerBuilder[2] revealed that up to two-thirds of employees reported suffering from workplace burnout and that nearly one-third [...]