Employer-offered benefits and programs have become an even more crucial way to ease employee stress and improve their well-being both now and in the future. (Photo: Shutterstock)

As employers and employees face unprecedented challenges while navigating the new realities of remote work and disruptions to normal life, workers' well-being has become strained. In fact, MetLife's 18th annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study found two-thirds of U.S. employees feel more stressed than they did before COVID-19.

The ways in which employers step up to support their workforces as the COVID-19 crisis continues to evolve and impact employees' overall well-being remains critical. These actions will lay the groundwork for the employee-employer relationship for years to come. It is therefore crucial for employers to take proactive steps to aid their employees in understanding how benefits can improve their health, establish a sense of stability, and mitigate stress, even long after the pandemic has subsided.

Related: How a great benefits advisor can help your employees through tough times