One area of competence that many employers, especially small and mid-size, are likely to need is expanded resources to support learning and development for employees. (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 terms of employment and employee benefits. Millions of people have hit the unemployment rolls in the past handful of weeks, social gatherings of all kinds have been disrupted and travel has been discouraged. At the same time, while some employers are chopping staff back, others are booming, hiring hundreds of thousands of people. Meanwhile, millions of people are learning to adapt to working from home, creating great disruption to their work/life balance.

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

Marty Traynor is an Omaha-based consultant in the benefits field.

Related: 5 ways benefits consultants can become more valuable during trying times