Voluntary Benefits

Expert Opinion

How to design financial wellness benefits that are relevant to employees

Chris Whitlow | August 17, 2018

By offering employees benefits more relevant to their needs, employers can make a bigger impact in both adoption rates and employee engagement.

Expert Opinion

Unique benefits to recruit and retain female employees

Matthew A. Michela | August 17, 2018

The unemployment rate for women is lower than men, making the competition for top-level female candidates even more fierce.

Infographic

Infographic: Employees’ open-enrollment struggles

Emily Payne | August 16, 2018

What are the top trends benefits educators see when it comes to health care enrollment?

Expert Opinion

Bridging the mental health gap with telebehavioral services

Jessica Taylor | August 16, 2018

While benefits managers understand the importance of behavioral health care, there are very real barriers that prevent employees from getting the treatment they need.

Commentary

Educating before enrolling

Marty Traynor | August 16, 2018

A key part of the open enrollment education and communication process is often overlooked until just before open enrollment, when it’s often too late.

Analysis

Half of employees spend 30 minutes or less reviewing benefits

Katie Kuehner-Hebert | August 15, 2018

A fair amount of workers say they feel stressed, confused or anxious when enrolling in their benefits.

Analysis

Hot voluntary products and platforms

Bonnie Brazzell and Nick Rockwell | August 14, 2018

When looking at voluntary sales by product platform, group product sales continued to dominate individual products.

Analysis

Most popular employee perk? Time off.

Allison Bell | August 14, 2018

Even for millennials, paid family leave beats help with repaying student loans.

Analysis

Top stressor for American workers? Their job.

Marlene Satter | August 09, 2018

Employees' struggles with limited career growth opportunities and burnout are causing high levels of stress.

News

New paid parental leave proposal would tap Social Security benefits

Katie Kuehner-Hebert | August 03, 2018

The Economic Security for New Parents Act was introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio this week, to mixed reviews.

Best Practices

Risk vs. reward: Safely weaving social media into the workplace

Steven Bearak | August 03, 2018

Your employees are already spending time on social media. Take the time to help them stay secure and rally them behind your company’s brand.

News

Employee benefits newsmakers: Jellyvision, Wink, Endeavor Plus, Milliman

Caroline Marwitz | August 01, 2018

News about partnerships, mergers, and new hires from Salary.com, MammothHR, Acensus, and more.

Analysis

Poor engagement hinders financial wellness programs’ value

Marlene Satter | August 01, 2018

Just a third of employees actually participate in financial wellness programs, even though many are having a hard time financially.

Research

What's most important to today's job seekers?

Katie Kuehner-Hebert | July 31, 2018

Salaries and good benefits top the list, of course, but what other factors can entice candidates' interest?

Analysis

Employee access to health insurance, paid leave increasing

Allison Bell | July 26, 2018

Policy changes have had a big effect on health insurance benefits and leave benefits.

Market Insights

Sales of critical illness insurance rise: LIMRA

Allison Bell | July 25, 2018

About 24 percent of U.S. employers now offer some kind of critical illness insurance benefits.

Expert Opinion

Financial wellness in the age of anxiety

Scott Thompson | July 25, 2018

Employees who feel at least some anxiety about their personal finances are now more the norm than the exception.

News

Walmart employees embrace on-demand paycheck app

Matthew Boyle | July 20, 2018

More than 200,000 Walmart employees in the U.S. use a new app to manage their finances or access their wages early, and it's not just the hourly workers.

News

Employers collaborate to boost health, well-being initiatives

Marlene Satter | July 20, 2018

Employee engagement with such programs currently leaves a lot to be desired, according to the National Business Group on Health.

Chart

More positive signs for voluntary

Bonnie Brazzell and Nick Rockwell | July 17, 2018

All segments of voluntary sales distribution except occasional producers saw sales increases this year.

Is the largest enrollment firm hiding in plain sight?

Eric Silverman | July 13, 2018

Most 1099 contractors mistakenly believe they are beholden to one insurance carrier for enhanced benefit enrollment services.

Best Practices

The evolution of voluntary: Finding the best fit

Scott Wooldridge | July 12, 2018

The demand for quality service and products has led more than 40 percent of brokers to switch carriers the past three years. How do you find the right one?

Best Practices

The evolution of voluntary: Expanding voluntary benefit offerings

Scott Wooldridge | July 05, 2018

When it comes to voluntary benefits, the best defense is a good offense.

Best Practices

3 questions to ask about paid leave programs

Sander VanderWerf and Rachel Arnedt | July 05, 2018

Do you know the cost of employee absences at your business? It's the first step in getting a handle on the costs and benefits of paid leave.

Analysis

Millennials drive interest in long-term care benefits

Allison Bell | July 04, 2018

Carriers may be afraid to sell it, but workers seem to like it almost as much as life insurance.

Best Practices

A tipping point for LGBT policies in the workplace

Alan Goforth | July 03, 2018

Evolving policies and societal attitudes about LGBT benefits create opportunities for brokers.

Analysis

Employee wellness programs can lower diabetes risk

Marlene Satter | July 03, 2018

A study of at-risk individuals enrolled in an employer-sponsored wellness program not only cut their risk of diabetes, but reduced body weight, as well.

Research

Paid parental leave offerings at an all-time high

Rebecca Greenfield | June 29, 2018

More than one in three U.S. employers offers paid maternity leave beyond the amount required by law.

Best Practices

Employers need to take a strategic look at workers' well-being

Katie Kuehner-Hebert | June 28, 2018

To recruit and retain workers, employers need to demonstrate a genuine interest in their employees' well-being.

Market Insights

Voluntary benefits: How they’ve become a must-have product for brokers

Scott Wooldridge | June 28, 2018

In the first of a three-part series, we explore how voluntary benefits have become an important part of a complete benefit package.

News

The EEOC isn’t taking action on wellness regulations, but employers certainly can

Michael Popke | June 28, 2018

The current wellness regulations will sunset in January 2019, and the EEOC has made no move to institute new ones, leaving employers in limbo.

Research

Employers expand benefits to attract, retain workers

Emily Payne | Katie Kuehner-Hebert | June 21, 2018

Employers focused most on expanding their health-related benefits and wellness offerings.

Live Coverage

Employees want financial wellness, just don’t call it that

Emily Payne | June 20, 2018

To drive success and utilization of your financial wellness program, break it down into the components that really matter to employees.

Quick Takes

Benefits of tax reform windfalls keep coming

Katie Kuehner-Hebert | June 20, 2018

After the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act last December, company after company announced how they would put their windfall to use for their employees…

Expert Opinion

Improve employee well-being with a new focus: Return on Health

Jake Cleer | June 17, 2018

Employers need to be aware of how an employee’s well-being impacts the workplace, and what they can do to achieve a high ROH.

Market Insights

Corporate wellness market to double in value by 2026

Katie Kuehner-Hebert | June 12, 2018

Programs in North America and Europe will likely see the biggest gains due to high health care expenditures and the availability of a wide range of providers.

Expert Opinion

4 ways to foster employees' mental health in the workplace

Michael Serbinis | June 12, 2018

By thinking broadly about your mental health benefit offerings, you can better provide value and meet the needs of your employees.

Disrupting the voluntary benefits market

BenefitsPRO editors | June 06, 2018

In his BenefitsPRO Broker Expo presentation, voluntary expert Eric Silverman outlines what advisers need to do to move beyond a status-quo enhanced benefits strategy.

News

Humana adds dental plan aimed at coverage continuation market

Allison Bell | June 05, 2018

Consumers who had dental insurance before can get immediate coverage for basic and major services.

Expert Opinion

Consumers need more education on disability insurance--Millennials in particular

Greg Poulakos | June 04, 2018

Disability Insurance Awareness Month is ending. The need for awareness lasts all year round.

Expert Opinion

Don't forget about employees' financial well-being

Brian Hamilton | June 01, 2018

How does your company make sure it’s not just checking the box but rather effectively addressing the physical, emotional and financial needs of the people on its teams?

Expert Opinion

The value of total compensation statements

Jessica Foust | May 30, 2018

It's up to employers to step in and remind employees of the full value of their compensation packages.

Research

Millennials driving employer adoption of benefits tech

Joel Kranc | May 25, 2018

A new survey from Guardian Life shows that employers want to provide benefits in a way that best suits their changing workforce.

Research

Personalized support from employers enhances employee retention

Marlene Satter | May 24, 2018

Workers who feel that their employer-provided benefits have a positive impact on their lives are more than 40 percent more likely to declare themselves loyal to the company.

5 way brokers can maximize voluntary benefits portfolios

Denise Szott | May 22, 2018

To meet increasing demands and save themselves time and effort in expanding a voluntary portfolio, brokers should follow these five guidelines.

Research

Employees who participate in wellness programs are healthier, at least

Katie Kuehner-Hebert | May 21, 2018

More than half of people with access to wellness programs say the initiatives have made a positive impact on their health.

Infographic

Infographic: How insurance helps sick pets

Shawn Moynihan | May 18, 2018

Despite common ailments, only about 1 percent of North American cats and dogs are covered by pet insurance.

Research

10 top causes of disability claims

BenefitsPRO Editors | May 17, 2018

Disability insurance is a critical part of a benefits portfolio for any employer looking to offer a competitive package and help offset the rising costs of health care.

Analysis

2018 voluntary survey: The fight for employers' business grows fiercer

Gil Lowerre and Bonnie Brazzell | May 17, 2018

Brokers are selling more voluntary today than they have in the past. Here's how to stay competitive.

Commentary

Disability insurance: Why it’s not just for your clients’ employees

Janet Buzil | May 17, 2018

No one plans on becoming disabled, but if it does happen, disability insurance helps—a lot.