EBNs annual Benefits Forum & Expo, held last week in Boca Raton, Fla., included a special focus on wearable wellness and an inspirational keynote address from marathon swimmer Diana Nyad. In case you missed the event, heres our coverage.
As the obesity epidemic and overall sedentary lifestyle continue to cripple the American workforce drastically increasing health care costs consider the inspirational words of Diana Nyad. The record-holding swimmer, who accomplished a near-impossible swim from Cuba to Key West, Fla., centers on one key message to help jump start the population: Never, ever give up.
Gone are the days of hula chairs and ThighMasters at the desk, new technologies and wearable devices are playing into the benefits and wellness strategies of employers, Amy McDonough, Fitbits director of wellness, told conference goers at the 2014 Employee Benefits Forum & Expo.
In a world where instant gratification and customization are a way of life, workplace wellness programs havent kept pace.
The one-size-fits-all communications approach is ending, but employee engagement is still an issue for many employers. Alison Davis, of employee communication firm Davis & Company, identified five root causes of deteriorating engagement, which she shared with attendees at this years Benefits Forum & Expo.
When shopping around for a wellness program partner, its the details that matter. All comprehensive wellness platforms should consist of four core programs wellness, disease management, EAP and work life components says Yale Mallinger of wellness company HMC-HealthWorks, but its what makes up those components that will make or break a plan. Therefore, employers must do their due diligence when choosing a wellness provider to work with, he says.
With more confusion swirling in the employer 401(k) market not to mention an American workforce with staggeringly low retirement confidence advisers and consultants recommend employers play a bigger role as a fiduciary when considering administration fees and investment education.
