Benefit advisers spend much of their time helping middle-market and enterprise employers manage medical trend, pharmacy costs, compliance and renewal pressure. That attention is well earned. Healthcare costs are expensive, closely watched by executive teams and clients place high value on the data analysis advisers bring forward.
Not every meaningful cost gets the same level of analysis. Leave design and administration are good examples. They often sit just outside the main benefits strategy conversation, treated more like an operational nuisance than a meaningful workforce planning opportunity. Too often, leave is treated as a responsibility benefit advisers hope will land somewhere else.
