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.

From newly hired team members to seasoned employees nearing retirement, every employee will have unique healthcare needs for their stage of life. If you provide employees sufficient education on how they can intelligently navigate healthcare, not only will employees save money, but claims will be mitigated which effect the cost of the employer-sponsored benefit plan.

When it comes to a stage of life and the healthcare education provided for said stage, the largest gap that we see, and employers often attest to, is among retirement ready employees.

Staying on the employer-sponsored benefit plan is rarely in the best interest of a retirement ready employee or the employer. With age, employees typically see more claims and complicated health issues that will weigh heavily on the company’s benefit plan. Alternative health insurance could save an eligible employee nearing retirement some financial strain and equip them with the options they need for their wellbeing. In turn, the employer could be spared high dollar claims that would affect their plan premium.

Because of these truths, your retirement ready employees knowing and understanding all healthcare options available to them is in the best interest of both the employee and the employer.

The following webinar session was hosted by the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce featuring speakers from workplace wellness experts Motion Connected and Forsite Benefits.

AUDIENCE: HR professionals, Management, Operations, and others in positions of leadership. 

CONTENT:  If 2020 taught us anything, it is that the workplace is changing. How can organizations adapt to these changing needs, build a more employee-friendly workplace, and achieve long-term business success?  In this session, we discuss ways to increase engagement, boost retention, and create a positive employee experience. 

• Learn best-practice communication methods to reach a diverse workforce.
• Discover engagement strategies to attract and retain employees.
• Better understand the role of well-being in the time of COVID; is worksite wellness a solution?

We asked the Forsite Health & Wellness Center's Nurse Practitioner, Chelsi, for her New Year Healthier Living Resolutions. 

This list of achievable healthy habits considers the whole health picture: mind and body. For any individual seeking a healthier, happier new year, here are some simple resolutions to point you in the right direction.

1. Go for More Walks.

If you are not in the habit of frequent walks, start small! Tomorrow, get up and walk for 15 minutes. Gradually increase the number of days you walk and the length of your walks. To create some motivation in your walking endeavors, track your steps using a smart device such as a Fitbit or apple watch, or even your smart phone. 

An accountability partner is also a great way to stay motivated. Ask an office mate to commit to walking with you during the day, or a family member or pet to walk early in the morning or after work hours. 

 

2. Eat Your Fruits & Vegetables.

A diet including fruits and vegetables is so important for vitamin intake. being heart healthy and maintaining an ideal weight. It is recommended to include about 5 servings of fruit and vegetables into your diet each day. Think of one serving as about the size of your closed fist. You can increase your fruit and vegetable intake by making delicious smoothies, trying some new healthy recipes, or committing to fruit and vegetables as your snacks throughout the day and sides during meals. 

3. Drink More Water.

There are countless health benefits to proper water intake. These include, but are not limited to, increased energy, brain function, gut health, and weight control. What is proper water intake? The current standard is 8 glasses a day, but everyone is different! Listen to your body, and drink more if you feel you need it. It takes approximately 14 days of proper hydration to feel the benefits, so keep it up!

 

4. Be Mindful of Your Mental Health.

If you find yourself struggling in any facet of life, do not hesitate to find help. Counselors, crisis hotlines, and telehealth options are always available if you need assistance. 

Telehealth services rapidly increased in popularity in 2020, and conveniently include counseling and mental health services. Telehealth platforms operate like video call platforms many of us are comfortable using today. This service is user-friendly, often less costly than a regular visit to the doctor's office, and allows you or your dependents, such as your children, to see a professional from the comfort of your own home.

Find your provider here to learn more about Telehealth services offered to you.

5. Schedule Your Annual Physical.

Your annual visit with your preferred, in-network physician is covered through your company-sponsored insurance plan. Aside from this routine, preventative care, meeting with your physician once a year helps establish a relationship and trust for if a more pressing health issue arises.

Hesitant to schedule your annual physical? Many worry if their simple preventative visit will result in a surprise bill in the mail. To reduce this worry, here is a quick read about the difference between preventative services and diagnostic services, and some steps you can take to ensure your intended visit is covered under your plan.

Read An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure.

Chelsi’s New Year Resolution:

“With COVID, I am no longer going to the YMCA to work out. I’m hoping to start a home workout program this year and get out for a walk at least once a week.” 

Download this free, printable newsletter for the office.

This Month's Nav Series Newsletter is a quick and easy read about gathering and organizing your benefit resources.

Did you enjoy this educational read? 

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

• The Flu Vaccine & COVID-19
  
• Prevention and Routine Care
  
• Forsite Assist
  
• Life Stage Support
  
• Employee Assistance Programs
  
• Difficulty Affording Prescription Drugs?
  
• Telemedicine
• What is a Health Savings Account?
• The Open Enrollment Checklist For Employees

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 3^rd 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 2^nd 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.

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Supporting Employee Financial Well-being in the New Year.

2020 has not only effected the way Americans live on a daily basis, but has also posed significant economic threats that could have a lasting effect on their financial well-being. For purposes of this article, financial well-being refers to the state in which a person is able to meet their current and ongoing financial obligations, feel secure in their financial future and make choices that allow them to thrive.

Why Should Employers Care About the Financial Well-being of Their Employees?

Finances are a leading cause of stress for employees and can be a major distraction at work. As a result of financial strain, the workforce could experience reductions in engagement and productivity, increased absences, and poor overall health and well-being, ultimately impacting the businesses bottom line.

How Employers Can Help Employees Decrease or Avoid Financial Strain.

Employers can play a key role in supporting the financial well-being of their employees, and should consider the following ways to improve employees’ financial literacy:

• Educate employees about financial well-being through workshops and educational content, addressing topics such as:
• Student loans
• Debt
• Credit
• Financial goals
• HSAs
• Emergency funds
• and retirement
• Promote financial resources, including employee assistance programs (EAPs).
• Remind employees about all available benefits, and highlight perks that can offer financial relief or savings, and as Forsite's Life Stage Support Program.
  
• Send them off into the new year, empowered to take control of their healthcare needs with this employee checklist: Gathering and Organizing Your Resources >>>

Financial well-being is a challenging topic that directly impacts the workforce, but employers can offer support and help their employees make educated decisions. In general, employers should continue their due diligence in reviewing and adjusting benefits offerings so they align with employees’ evolving needs. 

Encouraging Employees to Use Telehealth Services.

As COVID-19 is still present across the country amid flu season, telehealth services offer access to quick, convenient and affordable care. In 2020, there was a significant increase nationally in telehealth utilization. Now, many providers and hospitals are encouraging patients to utilize telehealth services instead of coming to the office or hospital for non-life-threatening care.

What are the Benefits of Telehealth?

Although it’s a newer type of health care service, the modern telehealth platforms are generally user-friendly and operate similarly to other video call platforms. There are many benefits of telehealth services, which include, but are not limited to:

• Minimized risk to health care workers and patients by limiting exposure to the coronavirus and other diseases
• Improved health care outcomes due to increased access to care
• Greater ability for patients to follow shelter-in-place restrictions or suggestions
• Increased convenience due to receiving care in the comfort of one’s home
• Potentially increased cost savings, depending on the health plan

Educating Employees on Telehealth Services.

Once telehealth services are explained to employees, they may be more willing to embrace the offering. Using these services can help them stay healthy and access convenient care during these uncertain times. Be sure to provide easy-to-understand educational resources to explain what telehealth is, what it should and shouldn’t be used for, and how your health plan treats telehealth services.

What Employee Skills Will Be Desired in the Workplace in 2021.

The workplace in 2021 will require employers to rethink how to prioritize and develop necessary skill sets. In response, organizations should embrace a dynamic approach to reskilling talent in order to shift vital employee skills and help develop skills as they become relevant and necessary. Consider pursuing and supporting the following proficiencies for potential and current employees:

• Adaptability: Just as an organization may have quickly adapted to new ways of working and communicating, the willingness and capability to adapt will become a highly desired employee skill.
• Communication: Communication is not a new in-demand skill, but is now more important than ever. With many employees working remotely, communication skills are critical for emails and virtual meetings.
• Digital Capabilities: As the world and workplace rely more on digital assets and platforms, digital skills will be even more vital to success. Ideally, an employee should be proficient in learning and using new communication and project management platforms, and even programming and coding.
• Emotional Intelligence (EI): EI is the capacity to differentiate, evaluate and respond while recognizing both one’s emotions and the emotions of others. EI is often a sought-after skill for leadership roles, but it is relevant in today’s workplace for all roles.
• Considerations for Employers: Organizations can seek out and hire candidates who strongly demonstrate these skills, but can also develop these skills within their workforce. Consider developing current employees and incentivizing them to demonstrate these skills within your organization. 

Watch this video to learn 10 key employee retention resolutions for 2021 >>>

The content herein is provided for general information purposes only, and does not constitute legal, tax, or other advice or opinions on any matters. This information has been taken from sources which we believe to be reliable, but there is no guarantee as to its accuracy.

Copyright © 2020 HR 360, Inc. All rights reserved.

One of the leading employer challenges heard from leadership teams today is helping employees make educated decisions about their health care plan; more specifically, the need for employers to help employees with retirement. 

As your employees experience all stages of life from marriage to children or retirement, they are faced with health care plan decisions that, when chosen incorrectly, can cost them unnecessary financial strain. Unfortunately, employees are often uninformed, overwhelmed, and left feeling frustrated when navigating their health care plan.

A recent study done by Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance (NEWMA) looked specifically at retirement-age employees.

This study shed light on the increasing concern employers have for helping their aging employee population make informed healthcare decisions. With roughly 10,000 American employees reaching retirement age each day it’s a significant portion of your workforce that will need this support.

So, how can you help retirement age employees make informed healthcare decisions as an employer?

Check out this employee education piece on how to navigate health insurance for retirees under 65 before Medicare eligibility.

At Forsite Benefits, we continuously look for ways to make sure retirement-ready employees know all their options and how to find the best benefits for the least amount of cost. That’s why Forsite benefits developed Life Stage Support. Through our advocacy a Forsite Benefits Life Stage Support Counselor will work one-on-one with willing employees to coach them through selecting their best available health care plan option, saving them from unnecessary financial strain.

Be sure to check out the full article for more insight on what Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing groups need to know when it comes to their retiring employee population.

If you are interested in learning more about mitigating risk by finding the best coverage for your employees needs through our Life Stage Support services, please reach out to Charles | csvihlik@forsitebenefits.com.

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