aFrom legislative attacks on abortion access and transgender rights, to the ongoing parenting crisis and pandemic burnout, there is no shortage of complex factors to consider when planning benefits.
To understand what employers are prioritizing for benefits next year, we reached out to Tami Simon, global corporate business leader at the Segal Group, a benefits and human resources consulting firm. Below is an excerpt from our conversation. Lightly edited for length and clarity.
What trends and common themes do organizations think about benefits in 2023?
The main factor we see is related to flexibility. There’s a lot of conversation going on right now related to paid vacation, unpaid vacation, and different types of leave (parental leave and maternity or paternity leave). That’s the big, big category. A lot is also said about mental health support and access to the kind of support networks people need. Caregiver Support — I don’t know how big of a force it is right now. There are many people who care for many other people, such as parents, children and other dependents, which affects their ability to work. , no doubt. [Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization]access to reproductive assistance, women’s access to health care, and the role of travel policies in group health plans.
Beyond these hot issues, there is one fundamental theme we are seeing this year: diversity, equity and inclusion. I’m thinking about Our health or retirement plans through the lens of diversity? So make sure that your employee’s benefits actually reflect her DEI policy or strategy of your organization. Many employers struggle with the question, “What does diversity have to do with my health plan?” Do you have providers in your network that represent the number of employees? Do you have sufficient financial literacy and education?
Please tell us more about how your employer is reacting to this issue. Dobbs decision? How does the organization view the impact of the ruling, such as fertility benefits and access to gender-affirming care?
Most of the data from our health insurance surveys show that fertility improvements have been going on for quite some time. What maternity benefits mean reflects how progressive a particular employer is and where it is located. What maternity benefits mean to employers in California may be quite different from what maternity benefits mean to some employers in the South. But overall, I believe there is more benefit from fertility treatment and more support for sex reassignment surgery. .
However, there is really no one-stop shopping. It’s up to the organization. Employers have their own philosophical belief systems. But HR is PR, so it certainly gets asked. What happens there affects the workplace, whether employers like it or not. At least you should be aware that the question is coming. Saying something affects them. Saying nothing also affects them.
Many of our clients are aware that what they put out during the open admissions season will be available to the public. and hold them accountable. As a result, the distinction between internal and external communication is becoming less and less. People other than your workers are starting to hold you accountable. I encourage organizational leaders to be consistent both internally and externally.
How broadly is mental health generally defined? Does it mainly refer to things like access to treatment, or do employers also include things like PTO and flexibility under that umbrella?
Mental health can be a huge, broad umbrella that means a million different things, or it can mean actual psychological or clinical help. , I would like to encourage employers not to put everything under the mental health umbrella. Be really focused on what you are trying to deal with. If you’re trying to deal with burnout, it’s a workforce resource issue, right? So how are your people working? where do they work? From a management perspective, focus there.
If we’re talking about stress, take a look at yourself as an organization and your role in that stress. However, understand that people have a whole life to bring into the office or factory. Maybe stress has nothing to do with you. So if someone is having marital stress, has died, or is afraid of Covid, make sure resources are available to deal with them. In that case, having a financial advisor may be your best bet. A lot can be called mental health, but the question is, what are the issues you’re really trying to address? Make available resources to address
What are your thoughts on nursing care?
I think elderly care is becoming more and more popular. We are starting to see some organizations including access to benefits for elderly caregivers. . And now some employers are expanding their employee assistance program legal benefits to address that issue. How many of you know what it means to be a real estate executor? They need help.
Caring for children, we look at different things. We have faced a parenting crisis in this country for a very long time, but the pandemic has certainly highlighted that crisis to a new level and organizations are recognizing that parents need help on many fronts. Therefore, there is a subsidy for childcare fees. One of the things I would love to see from a public policy standpoint is an increase in the dependent limit, which is currently $5,000. As a country, those dollars should catch up with the cost of childcare if we believe that saving money to pay for childcare is a worthwhile reason. Emergency day care can be accessed in the event of an outbreak, or if you contract Covid, or if your child becomes ill. Not just dollars. What also happens sometimes is the flexibility and understanding of managers.
Education costs probably come in third place. We help open or provide childcare accounts where money can be deposited, help people with student loans, student loan relief under 401k plans, and seed money for 529 plans so parents can We’re talking about being able to start saving for your child’s college education. Please tell me how. You can probably name a few employers and customers who think about it.
What are some best practices for employers when it comes to communicating benefits so that employees can actually take advantage of them?
more and more. Repetition helps. Using different communication strategies such as websites, texts, face-to-face meetings, virtual meetings, webinars and blogs is very important. I am a huge proponent of examples, examples, examples. And make sure you answer the questions people have while sitting at the kitchen table with their family. Because that’s what really matters.
Another question that is getting more and more conversations going into this open enrollment season is how to attract people who have just opted for the same benefits each year. The answer is because it provides what a particular population needs. But if you’re really boosting your gains and you don’t want them to be washed away and repeated, the way you’re reaching out to them and trying to get their attention, you should too. No, because the content is complex. It requires a lot of energy. So thinking about it is another thing we hear a lot. I think everyone is getting information overload now without overwhelming people.
Read the full transcript of our conversationincludes understanding the benefits workers seek and the social contract between employers and employees.
