In an increasingly tight workforce where many employers struggle to find top talent, telecommuting can be a draw for those who prefer (or need) to have flexible work hours.
Thinking traditionally about group benefits can lead plan sponsors to bypass entirely the needs of gen Y—a generation that’s poised to dominate the workplace in just a few short years. Shaw Communications Inc. aims to buck that trend with a new benefits package designed to give young adults the flexibility they seek.
Stress is a necessary and important part of life, but its impact on young adults is particularly strong. As generation Y employees move into the workforce, what can employers do to help them minimize stress? Start with customizing their benefits plans. This generation’s needs are unlike those of any other in the workforce.
Stress is a necessary and important part of life, but prolonged periods of high stress levels can lead to distress—a risk factor for all forms of psychological and physical illnesses, including anxiety, depression and chronic diseases such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
Hard to find qualified people for jobs overseas? According to a recent Mercer survey, many multinational companies indicated that finding qualified candidates for global assignments and managing the costs (compensations, benefits, housing) that go with that are a major concern.
Fewer disability claims and a speedy return-to-work schedule for employees who are getting help with mental health issues—employers want these to be a reality. But how do they make it so? While there’s no shortage of resources available to employers on how to create a workplace that is healthy for mind and body, the problem—despite good intentions—lies in actually taking action.
I recently read a fictional book in which the focus of the story was on genetic engineering and the race to discover the scientific equivalent of the fountain of youth. At the end of the book, the author asked, are immortals living amongst us? He presented a credible argument based on advances in medical science—more specifically genetic research—that children born today have an excellent chance of living forever.
Insurance carriers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have long observed that plan sponsors rarely request many of the products developed to help contain drug plan costs (e.g., managed formularies, tiered plan designs, enhanced prior authorization programs, therapeutic substitution initiatives). Recently, a plan sponsor with approximately 2,000 lives asked its carrier for a potential program centring around the surveillance of narcotic drug claims and was told that nobody had ever requested that before. This paints a bleak picture of the discrepancy between what’s available in the marketplace and what’s being requested by plan sponsors.
Cutbacks and cost-sharing have typically been the first response to increase healthcare costs. But in 2012, some plan sponsors started to think differently and put a focus on prevention and wellness.
Companies are constantly seeking ways to attract and retain the best employees. One innovative Chicago-based agency does it by being a dream employer.