Forsite Benefits - Blog #Embrace ChangeForsite Benefits - Blog #Embrace Changehttps://www.forsitebenefits.com/blogs/tag/embrace-changeSat, 20 Dec 2025 17:47:53 -0800http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[4 Ways Employers Can Level-Up the Employee Benefit Experience]]>https://www.forsitebenefits.com/blogs/post/4-ways-employers-can-level-up-the-employee-benefit-experience

Unicorns, flying pigs, golden eggs, and a money tree. What do these have to do with your company’s Employee Benefits you ask? Absolutely nothing. But now that I have your attention let us talk about the benefits you, as an employer, offer and how you communicate those benefits to your employees.

 

Whether you are a company of under 50 or a fortune 100, benefits are typically promoted at onboarding for new hires and once a year at open enrollment. That is where it usually stops. Seriously! Outside of Payroll, your second or third greatest expense to be in business is only addressed one to two times per year. Not only are employee benefits expensive for you as the employer, but a big decision for us employees too. So, would you say addressing employee benefits 1-2 times a year is sufficient? I do not think so.

Address the Education and Communication Gaps.

Employees are most often not taught how to use their benefits and what might be worse is that most do not even know what benefits they have even after electing them. If an employee does not know what benefits he or she may have, do you think their spouse or significant other knows? More than likely not. Some of the most common questions or comments I receive as a Benefit Advisor include:


  • I do not know what benefits I have.
  • Where do I go with questions about my benefits?
  • Does my company have a wellness plan?
  • Do I have life insurance through work?
  • Is my doctor in-network?
  • Are there more affordable options for my prescription medications?


If Joe, the employee, does not know what his benefits are, how to use them, or where to go with questions about coverage, how can you expect him to make the most informed decisions about his health and wellbeing? See where I am going with this?


OK Brad, we hear ya. So, what can we do? Glad you asked!

Distribute a Simple To-Do List for Immediate Progress.

Each employee & their plan dependent(s) should be provided with this list to take action on the following items.

 

1.  Get registered on the Insurance Carrier’s website.

a.  Create a username & password for medical, dental & vision plans.

2.  Confirm that chosen care providers are in-network.

3.  Know the plan deductible and coinsurance and have a summary of benefits readily available.

a.  I always recommend calling the insurance customer service to verify my benefits before my appointments.

4.  Create a list of phone numbers & email address to call when you have question or need help with benefits-related questions.

5.  Obtain most recent ID cards for the plan holder and dependents.

a.  This list should contain the contact information of the company’s employee advocacy program through your benefits broker.

Forsite provides another helpful checklist, called The Open Enrollment Checklist, you can share with employees to ensure they are equipped with the resources and information they need to navigate benefit needs all year long.

Provide Employees with Year-Round Benefit Education.

Here are some ideas for topics you could address with your employees consistently throughout the year to increase employee engagement in healthcare education and awareness and reduce unnecessary claims.

    • Diabetes management - most health insurance plans have a program to help.
    • Employee Assistance Programs.
    • Heart health.
    • Mammograms.
    • Prescription medication saving tools (Amazon Pharmacy, Wal-mart $4 drug list, and GoodRx)
    • Safety reminders for those in manufacturing plants, shops or production lines.
    • Smoking cessation.
    • The importance of scheduling and attending an annual wellness exam.


Engage Employees Wherever They Are.

Recognize that not all your employees are in an office, cubicle, or storage B (“Excuse me, I believe you have my stapler” Melvin). You may have employees on the production floor, out in the field, on the road, working from home, across multiple locations, etc.


My assumption is that not every employee is effectively engaged or knows where to find important employee benefits info. You probably send all corporate communications via email, intranet, break room postings, or your Human Resources team members are fielding the questions. These are just the most common communication methods I hear.


Instead of these multi-channel communication approaches, don’t you think housing all communication and resources in one spot would be easiest, most effective, and provide the best employee experience?


Invest in the Best.

Your company can pay a gazillion dollars for the best benefits. But in order for those expensive benefits to attract and retain the best employees and build the best company culture, your company needs the best technology to effectively communicate year-round with employees and their family.

Get the Best Solution With Forsite Benefits' EXP.

We at Forsite Benefits have that solution to house all your important company communications and employee benefit information in one place; on the employees' smart phones. I love our App. We have been using our technology internally and are now offer our solution to companies who want to engage their employees in effective communications, benefits information and education, wellness initiatives, and company culture.

  

All those roadblocks of not knowing what benefits I have and where to go with insurance questions are gone as my company’s communications are in one spot. I don’t have to log onto my computer, get a printout, and ask my boss or HR team questions on what to do because my spouse asked me a question about our insurance.


“Hey, do we have life insurance through your work?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well do you know where you can find out?”

“No.”

“Who do we have to ask?”

“I don’t know!”


With EXP, employees and their dependent(s) can easily find the answers they seek right on the app.

EXP Educates Employees and Encourages Healthy Habits.

Education around benefits & wellness is oftentimes only covered at open enrollment. Our solution, EXP, aims to fix that. We surround your employees with the education they need to confidently navigate care, and improve their daily health habits.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EXP >>>

In summary, most companies do not have a consistent or effective way to communicate with their employees all year round. Most employees do not know what benefits they have or where to go with questions about their coverage. 2020 has spread our workforces out more than ever. Having the right communication tool to engage your employees has become so much more important.


Thanks for giving me your time! Now, let’s help our employees become the best, most educated and communicated-with healthcare consumers they can be!


This article was written by Brad Lindemann |blindemann@motionconnected.com

As a Business Development Manager for Motion Connected, Brad is an invaluable resource for employers when establishing, building upon or rebuilding the way employees are communicated with and engaged in company culture. With 15 years of experience assisting employees in benefit navigation, Brad can provide detailed insight into the struggles employees are facing today that employers might not know about, communication solutions to address these struggles and what information employers need to share with their employees for an elevated employee experience.


Readers are also enjoying

A webinar recording on Elevating the Employee Experience

The Three Es That Make or Break Your Employees' Experience


]]>Wed, 28 Apr 2021 11:27:21 -0500<![CDATA[10 Steps to Becoming a Heart Healthy Role Model]]>https://www.forsitebenefits.com/blogs/post/10-steps-to-becoming-a-heart-healthy-role-model



Adopting and sticking to heart-healthy habits is important for everyone at every age.  With heart disease being the leading cause of death among Americans, educating yourself on heart health is of the utmost importance. There are many ways to practice a lifestyle that contributes to heart health, in turn lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease.


Symptoms of cardiovascular disease may be different between men and women. Men are more likely to have chest pain, whereas women are more likely to have chest discomfort; shortness of breath, nausea, and extreme fatigue. If any of these symptoms occur, call 911 immediately! 

American Heart Statistics.

  • Nearly 1 in 3 Americans’ cause of death is cardiovascular disease.
  • Smoking leads to 1 of every 3 deaths from cardiovascular disease.
  • Cardiovascular disease kills 1 woman every 80 seconds!
  • Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for men.
  • Congenital heart defects are the most common birth defect in the U.S.A.

Download this month's Nav Series Newsletter to share with your team.

You may already be conscious of your heart’s needs and taking steps to maintain your most important organ’s health. Or maybe heart-health has not been at the top of your priority list over the years. The good news is, it is not too late to develop some habits that will help you take care of your heart!

Here are 10 ways you can start taking better care of your heart today, and influence those around you.

1.  Eat healthy at home. 

First, take notes on what foods are best to make up the majority of your diet. The American Heart Association recommends eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean animal protein, fish, nuts, and legumes. Using mainly these ingredients, create balanced meals.


Click here for a Heart Healthy Recipe Guide that is good for your heart and wallet. 


To make balanced, daily nutrition easy, plan your shopping list and weekly meals ahead of time to avoid impulse purchases, drive-through meals, and an unbalanced diet.

2.  Seek out a reputable, In-Network doctor and schedule your annual wellness checkup.

Your annual wellness visit with your primary care provider helps establish a baseline for your vital stats; weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc. This very important annual visit helps foster a relationship with your doctor, creating a comfortable environment and trust for if a more serious health issue were to occur. Going annually also helps your doctor with early detection of disease or other health problems.


No one likes a surprise healthcare bill in the mail. This brief article describes how to be sure your annual visit is FREE!  An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure.

3.  Get Active Every Day.

This isn’t as easy as it sounds. With our busy schedules of work, social and family life, waking up before the sun shines might feel like your only option to fulfill a physical activity quota. The trick is to treat the time you need for physical activity like an important meeting and schedule time to move in your calendar. Whether it’s multiple 10-minute breaks throughout the day to get out of your seat and stretch, or 30 minutes during lunch to go for a walk, find a routine that is comfortable for you. To take your daily routine to the next level, add some accountability. Ask a co-worker or family member to join you. Make it a club; walking, running, yoga, or any other movement you enjoy.


Here is a quick list of  30 ways to get your steps in at home.

4.  Do away with bad habits such as over-indulging in alcohol and smoking.

Over-indulging in alcohol is defined as more than one drink a day for women and 2 drinks a day for men. Smoking and drinking alcohol narrows the blood vessels and forces the heart to beat harder, which can ultimately lead to high blood pressure. Measurements above 140/90mmHg are considered to be high blood pressure.

5.  Live out your heart-healthy habits with the ones you love. 

Allow those around you to witness your daily commitment to heart health. Include your family in your daily exercise routine; walking together, taking bike rides, practicing yoga or engaging in other physical activities. Shop for and cook your favorite heart-healthy meals together. 


As a role model, here are 5 healthier living resolutions for you to commit to, and share with everyone around you. 

6.  Know your family history of heart health and take note of risk factors.

Leading a heart-healthy lifestyle alone can reduce your risk of heart disease by 45%. A crucial component to being proactive in your heart health is knowing your family’s medical history. Do you know of any cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure that runs in your family? Inform your doctor of your findings during your annual physical, so together, you can act early to mitigate the onset of any possible genetic cardiac disease.

7.  Practice meditation to improve factors linked with heart disease.

The slowing of your breathing helps you breathe deeper, ultimately lowering the production of the stress hormone, cortisol. Meditation reduces stress and anxiety, helps lower blood pressure, aids in smoking cessation and will reduce mortality risk from heart disease.


Wondering where to start with meditation? For easy, in-home meditation, YouTube contains countless meditation guides for anxiety, relaxation, mindfulness, and so much more.

8.  Maintain a healthy body weight as your metabolism slows down with age.

Muscle cells require more energy than fat cells. As we get older, we tend to lose muscle cells, hence our metabolism slows. Eating protein rich foods, such as fish, legumes, dairy, among other foods, could help increase your metabolism and helps your body hold onto muscle mass. For women, the decrease in estrogen, typically around menopause, makes a big impact on regulating metabolism.


Practice good habits in diet and exercise to maintain a healthy body weight.

9.  Check your blood pressure levels on a regular basis.

54% of strokes and 47% of coronary heart diseases worldwide are attributed to high blood pressure, so it is important to be in tune to your blood pressure levels. Have fun with your kids at the pharmacy or grocery store checking your blood pressure together near the store pharmacy.


How is Blood Pressure Measured?

Blood pressure is measured with two numbers. The first number, systolic pressure, measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart muscles contract. The second number, diastolic pressure, is the measure of your blood pressure between heart beats. Ideally, your blood pressure should be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg. 

10.  Be Mindful of Your Mental Health.

The American Heart Association recommends that depression be recognized as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. Depression increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 80%. There is a simple prescription for both mental health and cardiovascular disease; moving! Activity improves mood, sleep, response to stress and memory function. 

I hope this article has given you ideas on how you can start in keeping or making your heart healthy. A great way to start putting your heart health front of mind is to pick 2 or 3 of the 10 ways listed above and focus on those solutions for a given time. When those practices become habit, pick 1 or 2 more to focus on. No one is perfect but taking the proper steps in the right direction can only help!


On the personal side, get your family or loved ones involved. Everyone does better when it becomes social. Not only will you hold each other accountable, but you will be able to spend more time together doing something for your health!


On the professional side, check into seeing if your employer has a wellness program. If they do, see how you can get involved. If your employer does not have a wellness program, start a walking club with your coworkers! You will be surprised at how quickly others will be interested in learning about what you are doing, or they may start a club of their own that interests them!


For more information on how Forsite Benefits | Motion Connected has helped individuals and employers jump start their wellbeing platform, please contact me directly msteffek@forsitebenefits.com or 920-593-1912. Forsite Benefits | Motion Connected has seen fantastic results when it comes to mental and physical health improvements, along with correlations of improved health and improved health insurance performance when utilizing our resources. 

This article was written by Missy Steffek | msteffek@forsitebenefits.com

As a Benefit Advisor for the Forsite Team, Missy believes deeply in the importance of proper communication when it comes to company-sponsored benefit programs. Through her experiences as a frequent user and navigator of healthcare, Missy is an incredible connection for any professional seeking benefit communication and open enrollment advice. 

Did you enjoy this educational read? 

Here are some additional Nav Series Newsletter topics to Help Your Employees Better Navigate Today's Healthcare System.


Readers are also enjoying

How to Execute a Safe & Educational Open Enrollment Post COVID-19 by Missy Steffek


]]>Thu, 11 Feb 2021 11:50:00 -0600<![CDATA[The 3 F's of Overcoming the Resistance to Change ]]>https://www.forsitebenefits.com/blogs/post/the-3-f-s-of-managing-change



Have you ever been in a business meeting and heard a co-worker unenthusiastically explain the reasoning behind a specific policy, process, or procedure with “we have always done it this way”?  These seven infamous words that, when wielded in a professional conversation, have been viewed as an acceptable answer that allows the path of least resistance: doing nothing. Instead of the amygdala triggering the hormones for fight or flight when the threat of change is identified, it unfortunately relies on the 3rd f: freeze.


Today’s business climate is dynamic and continually morphing, and if your organization and team members are not following suit, it won’t take long to fall behind or worse.  2020 has been a year overflowing with strong resistance to forced flexibility (one of my favorite COVID Era terms), so you can understand the frustration many business leaders face when entertaining the idea of evolving their organization on a voluntary basis. 


With the talent market as tight as it is, and the knowledge that your workforce would rather get a paper cut and pour lemon juice on it than transition to online timecards, the struggle for employers to avoid upsetting the apple cart is real, but is it necessary?  With proper planning and guidance, we’d argue that it is not, and we’ll attempt to unpack that. 


What Causes Resistance to Change?

Humans are creatures of habit, so it is in our nature to fear change.  The uncertainty that change brings registers almost like an error in the brain and the ensuing involuntary threat to neurobiological needs like personal security, autonomy and control set the alarm bells ringing like the robot in Lost In Space (Danger, Will Robinson!!).  


To add to that, people consciously feel that the ways they have been thinking and going about their tasks for quite some time are actually the best way to operate, and the time invested in honing these skills has led to strides in quality, time, and economical efficiencies (or has it?). 


Overcoming Resistance to Change: The 3 F’s.

Now that we have addressed some of the factors that cause resistance to change, and we have conversely identified that evolution is imperative for a business to sustain, what do we do now? 


Through researching this topic, I came across an equation called Gleicher’s Formula, which simply explains how to overcome (R)esistance to change by identifying (D)issatisfaction, creating a (V)ision for the future, and implementing (F)irst concrete steps to turn vision into reality or D x V x F > R. To simplify things, I’ve modified this a bit into:


(F)rustration x (F)uture Vision x (F)irst Steps > (R)esistance or F x F x F > R



Here is a common example of what we see in our business. Considering the yearly increased costs of healthcare and the complexity of our industry, it is always beneficial for business leaders to keep a pulse on market trends and test the waters for opportunities they may be missing.  Yet, many companies continue to operate their health benefits program the same year after year and expect different results.  They claim there is nothing they can do to change the annual cycle, but I would argue the real hesitation stems from their own aversion to change that is deep rooted in their fear of disruption in their workforce. Let’s look at an example of how to navigate considering this change.


Frustration: Why change?

If your team members feel they are completely satisfied with their current benefits situation, there will be zero chance of participation in change. A few of the pain points you will have to drive home are:


·  Inflated healthcare and pharmacy costs

·  Lack of understanding of benefits

·  Confusion in navigating the system (along with limited providers)

·  Price transparency

·  And complex, paper-driven processes


Many employees have become so numb to this being normal, that they don’t even realize they should be frustrated.  Therefore, it is imperative for leadership teams to circumvent learned behavior and build awareness that there is a problem to create a catalyst for obtaining a brighter future and a picture of what that looks like.


Future Vision: What are you changing for?

In his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey’s 2nd habit of “beginning with the end in mind” is a great starting point for successfully navigating change.  Your team members will need a clear picture of how a transition will benefit them to get their attention and engagement. 


In this case, you can help your employees see themselves as educated consumers with easy access to appropriate paths of preferred healthcare in a streamlined method to obtain and utilize their benefits. 


All of this is well and good, but money talks.  When you let them know that all these things will put more money back in their pockets and allow their employer to grow and offer them more opportunity, they will be on their way to ignoring their involuntary responses and yearning to learn how to get there.


First Concrete Steps: How do we change?

It is said that the easiest way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. For your changes to take place, your employees will need guidance on what bite to take first, then second and so on. 


1.  Start with something easy, such as communicating low-cost options for care, procedures, and prescriptions.

2.  Second, move onto more education-intensive topics including levels of care, and simple technology-driven access to benefit information and online enrollment. 


The key is to have a sequential process of realistic steps to take on a daily and weekly basis resulting in an employee population who envisions their future state as realistic and sees a leadership driven path to turn that vision into their new reality.


Understanding Change

We understand that contemplating change can be daunting, actually changing can be unthinkable, and leading a change can be downright horrifying, but it doesn’t have to be.  What we have found (and research supports) is that it is not the actual change that people are afraid of.  It is a misunderstanding and skewed perception between the thought of modifying an engrained mindset (or activity), the reality of reward (incentive) delivered when modifications are implemented, and a path of digestible steps on making your vision come to fruition.


Most companies are frustrated with their current healthcare landscape, but sometimes long-standing relationships with traditional benefits brokers and a perceived aversion to change still outweigh strategic business decisions. If you are interested in making the future of your benefits program look different but are held back by the thought of where to start, our team at Forsite would love to chat.


Readers are also enjoying

The 3 E's That Make or Break Your Employees' Experience

]]>Fri, 08 Jan 2021 09:08:04 -0600