Employee benefits

The Ava bracelet predicts a woman’s fertility window with 89% accuracy, which is helpful for employees struggling to become pregnant.

Employee mental health is a workplace crisis, with frontline workers struggling with increased anxiety and depression during the coronavirus pandemic.

An early look at the impact from the economic shutdown was not as bad as feared, while industry insiders see opportunities for advisers and sponsors to talk up the value of retirement and emergency savings.

Employers are in a unique position to address employees' financial struggles, as benefits programs are a powerful tool that can help support employees in meeting their current and future financial needs.

“Employees really want to feel if they are going back to the office that they will be safe,” Sequoia CEO Greg Golub says.

“We read this as an occasion to really integrate women's health with children's health, and that the combination of that integrated support is what makes happier and more successful working parents,” says Erik Lumer, chief product officer at Maven.

A benefit start-up unveils a new platform that consolidates maternity and parental benefits into one.

Switzerland’s second-largest bank is recommending higher ranking employees purchase two additional weeks of vacation this year, according to a Credit Suisse spokesman.

In order to maximize the plans fiduciary responsibilities, a contract with appropriate terms and definitions must be in place to allow the plan to exercise their right to carve-out prior authorization.

Around 63% of workers say their company could do more to support their emotional and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Within this group, 22% said their company’s response was “barely adequate,” “a disaster” or “non-existent.”

“As that complexity has grown, it was important for us to make sure that we continue to invest in capabilities that are going to be the necessities that employers are looking for,” says Voya executive Lou Strippy.

Instead of choosing a one-size-fits-all plan for a group, employers can offer fixed reimbursements that employees can use to purchase their own insurance or use for medical expenses.

Many organizations have taken significant steps to reduce employment costs, and nearly a third already have or plan to furlough workers, with another 19% saying they might if necessary, according to a survey by Unum.

“It is critical for employers to actively demonstrate their commitment to mental health parity. Fear and stigma can only be overcome when employees believe their workplace provides a safe environment,” says Dr. Eric Hart, chief medical officer of Healthstat.

Workplace strategies and benefits need to support employees during a crisis that address the whole person — financial, connectedness, and physical and behavioral health.

As states around the country attempt to restart their economies, lack of child care will continue to keep some people — mostly women — from getting back to work.

Americans’ retirement savings are increasingly threatened by disabilities that temporarily keep employees out of work by turning to hardship withdrawals from retirement plans.

The partnership gives employees access to preventive care, discounts on supplies, and free veterinary consultations.

Demand has soared for mental health services as bank employees put in long hours, supervise kids while working at home and endure personal crises. Citi, BofA, Fifth Third and others are getting creative to help them decompress during the pandemic.

If Democrats win in November, single-payer healthcare could still be on the agenda. Its adoption would shake up the benefits industry.