Banco Popular de Puerto Rico

Benefit managers are well aware of the challenges associated with implementing a workplace wellness program – low participation, employee engagement and communication and C-suite resistance, to name just a few. But successful programs share common characteristics.

Open enrollment is a stressful time for benefit managers and employees alike. More than half of U.S. employees say the traditional open enrollment process to sign up for health care benefits is a waste of time and a miserable experience. In fact, the enrollment process is so unpleasant for employees that 20% of them would rather watch a movie about the life of Lindsay Lohan than complete it.

For many people, October signals the end of summer, the heart of football season and the return of favorite TV shows. But HR and benefits professionals have one event on their minds: open enrollment. Here, bswift’s Allison Malito and Jill Steinberg offers seven tactical tips based on their experience with real clients, to help make your open-enrollment process a smoother, more successful one.

A new report from business applications cloud-hosting vendor Intermedia, which contracted with Osterman Research to survey employees who recently left companies, finds they commonly retain some degree of access to corporate information.

Whether it’s Fitbit, Jawbone UP, Apple Watch or even Google Glass, consumer demand for wearable technology is at an all-time high. Amy McDonough, Fitbit’s director of wellness, shares five reasons wearable fitness technology is not just a fad and what each trend means for employers and employees.

Open enrollment is one of the busiest times of year for benefit managers. But don’t let the stress of the season get you down. Use these four strategies to fight back against the ill effects of stress.

A study conducted by the Trust for America’s Health found that one in five Americans (62 million) get the flu each year. Despite the numbers, fewer than half of Americans (45%) got a flu shot during the 2012-2013 flu season.

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 year’s Benefits Forum & Expo.

‘Tis the open enrollment season in the benefits world. For many benefit managers, that means stress, panic and very long days (and nights). But there are ways to make this time of year less frantic and more productive.

The organizations on Working Mother magazine’s 100 Best Companies nurture employees’ careers with benefits such as flex time, advancement programs and paid leave to new parents.