One area of competence that manyemployers, especially small and mid-size, are likely to need isexpanded resources to support learning and development foremployees. (Photo: Shutterstock)

As this column is being written, toward the end of March 2020,we are wrapping up what is probably our most chaotic month in termsof employment and employee benefits. Millions of people have hitthe unemployment rolls in the past handful of weeks, socialgatherings of all kinds have been disrupted and travel has beendiscouraged. At the same time, while some employers are choppingstaff back, others are booming, hiring hundreds of thousands ofpeople. Meanwhile, millions of people are learning to adapt toworking from home, creating great disruption to their work/lifebalance.

Given all this chaos, what are the trends that might emerge interms of new or reemphasized benefits? Let's think about it.

Marty Traynor is anOmaha-based consultant in the benefits field.

Related: 5 ways benefits consultants can become morevaluable during trying times

One area of competence that many employers, especially small andmid-size, are likely to need is expanded resources to supportlearning and development for employees. Businesses need to trainnew associates and retrain experienced ones at a pace they've neverexperienced before. In addition, they often need to deliver thistraining to remote workers through technology.

Clearly, there is a big need for employers to find resourcesthat can help them, and the communications resources offered byemployee benefit brokers, enrollment organizations, and thesystems-based resources available for benefits communication can berepurposed to help facilitate employee learning anddevelopment.

Balancing duties for work and families has never been asstressful as it is now for many; children being forced to adapt toat-home schooling at the same time their parents are forced toadapt to remote work. Employee benefits that provide tools to helpemployees manage their work-life balance—and their stress level—areessential. Many employers offer employee assistance programs, but they havenever had the promotion and utilization they deserve. Liketelehealth, their services can be delivered through phone calls orface-to-face technology.

In addition, benefits that help employees by providing onlinetools for meditation, yoga, and other relaxation techniques, areimportant in helping relieve anxiety.

Finally, financial wellness benefit programs are available, thebest of them well-equipped to provide digital resources as well aspersonal counseling. Employers need to make sure theseoft-underutilized tools are available and promoted to employees andtheir family members.

When employees work from home, this opens doors to potentialcomputer security risks for their employers, as well as themselves.Employers need security for their own private networks and thesystems they protect, but it's equally important that employees arenot exposed to cyber risks. Benefit programs offering onlinesecurity as well as identity theft are more important thanever.

Benefit portability and/or conversion processes need to beseamless, as millions of employees are without paychecks. Benefitadvisors and their insurance carriers need to make sure employeeshave access to information and support for maintaining neededbenefits. Many states are protecting coverage against lapse in theshort term, but in the long term, making sure employees know theirportability rights and have access to efficient processes willassure that needed insurance protection is not lost.

What about voluntary enrollment? As workers change jobs, orpotentially change their eligibility status inside their employer,the voluntary enrollment process has to be efficient, prompt, easyand must include clear communications so employees and theirfamilies understand and can easily enroll in the benefits theyneed.

I've heard stories of many enrollments that are being delayed orpostponed. This isn't really doing anyone a favor when today'suncertain world makes the need for benefits a clear reality toemployees. Why delay their chance to buy benefits they need? Thetools are available to promote, rather than delay, voluntaryenrollment in these troubled times. The enrollment process itselfmust allow for better online communications. Call centeravailability to answer can keep a personal touch in the processwithout requiring in-person enrollment. Finally, there should be amore intensive focus on education through webinars and toolsdelivered through, or alongside, benefit administrationsystems.

Now's a great time for benefit brokers and advisers to helptheir employer clients. Training and development of workers in atime of change, providing tools to help employees balance theirwork and life responsibilities, giving employers and theiremployees access to better online security, benefit portabilitysupport, and voluntary enrollment processes are just a few of theopportunities to serve customers emerging as we begin to understandthe changes taking place.

Read more: 

• 3 family-building benefits trends brokers shouldknow about
• 3 ways to help employees get through thecoronavirus pandemic
• The "new normal" in voluntarybenefits