Benefits Think Call in the SWOT team to grow your agency
Commentary: Is your agency ready for 2015? Columnist Nelson Griswold shows how an in-depth analysis of a firm's strengths and weaknesses can help set goals for the new year.
Client communications
Stalled career management programs damaging retention
Employers inability to provide clear and effective career management tracks may be forcing their more goal-oriented workers the very employees they need to retain to jump ship.
Benefits Think Creating content to grow your business
Commentary: Take this small step now, says consultant Wendy Keneipp, and become the feared competitor in your market.
Benefits Think 3 steps to winning the first appointment with a prospective client
Commentary: You only get one chance to make a first impression. Columnist Mel Schlesinger shares his tips on how to make that first appointment with a prospective client a successful one.
Benefits Think What benefits do your employees really want?
The features and services that you think workers will appreciate and use may be completely different than what employees actually desire, so communication is key – maybe even in the form of a company survey. Easy access is also key to better utilization.
Benefits Think 3 ways to counsel employers through an employee’s depression-related return to work
Commentary: October is National Depression Awareness Month. Jeff Guardalabene, a mental health case manager with Standard Insurance Company, offers these tips on how to help your employer clients navigate this important but often uncharted territory.
Benefits innovation stuck in neutral
In a world where instant gratification and customization are a way of life, workplace wellness programs havent kept pace, says Scott Haverlock, senior manager, talent & total rewards with Niagara Bottling, Inc. and a keynote speaker at this years Benefits Forum & Expo.
Benefits education, communication paramount during the coming year
Communication will be a critical component of benefits administration in the future, according to Aflacs Teresa White, who outlines benefit and HR trends for the upcoming year.
Employers should lobby for repeal of COBRA
Commentary: Health insurance companies, health care professionals, politicians, academics and public health advocates all have opinions about what health care reform in America should look like.
CDHPs may lead to less preventive care
Patients with a consumer-driven health plan receive fewer preventive services than patients in traditional health plans, a study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute found. The results give advisers an opportunity to work with clients to proactively address any differences in quality between CDHPs and traditional plans.
Gallagher introduces comprehensive client call centers
The health insurance landscape is more complicated than ever. One national brokerage firm is leading the charge in providing direct guidance to their clients and clients employees through a centralized call center system.
New benefit offers education help to parents of special-needs children
myEdGPS helps working parents of special needs children map out an education plan for their child and offers guidance on how to access certain services through school systems, leading to tangible savings on health care costs for employers and health plans.
Brokers play increased role in private exchange adoption
A new analysis estimates even more employers will move active employees to private exchanges in part because brokers are taking on a bigger role in pushing them as a solution to rising health care costs.
Benefits professional of the year: Heather Vertrees
Heather Vertrees tunes up benefits at Fender Musical Instruments Corp. Her active role in a specialized wellness program for the companys factory workers has earned her the Benefits Professional of the Year honor.
Restaurant trade association sets course to rebuild employee engagement
The National Restaurant Associations Dawn Cacciotti is the recipient of EBNs 2014 Judges Choice Benny Award.
Benefits Think 3 steps to take when reviewing fee disclosures
Commentary: Open enrollment time means employer clients will be reviewing fee disclosures. Columnist John Ludwig discusses several steps plan sponsors should take when reviewing the disclosures for accuracy and to determine if fees are fair and reasonable.
Benefits Think 3 tips to succeed in a complex business environment
Commentary: It all starts with a mindset, says EBA Advisory Board member Mark Gaunya. Do you begin each day with a mentality of scarcity or abundance? One is a recipe for failure.
Ignore online marketing at your own risk
Commentary: The marketing efforts of independent brokers are woefully behind, says consultant Wendy Keneipp, who shares tips on how to keep up with your employer clients changing business practices.
Play or Pay in 2015 so many requirements, so little time
Commentary; 2015 is getting close and the Employer Shared Responsibility Mandate (Play or Pay) under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is almost here. So what does this mean for your organization?
As job market grows, employers are beginning to put more emphasis on talent when hiring
After a booming jobs growth spurt in June, hiring slowed, but still grew overall in July. The U.S. economy added 209,000 jobs last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. And with that growth, many employees are becoming just as selective as employers have been in choosing their next career path.