Voluntary benefits

When benefits are customized to fit employee needs, not only are employees happier, they’re also significantly more satisfied with their jobs, loyal to their employers and engaged and productive at work.

Employers need to go beyond traditional healthcare to attract and retain top talent, a new report finds.

Voluntary benefits set employers apart in the war for talent; how do brokers choose which ones to bring to their attention?

“If we don't have a game plan for how to educate employees, everything is for naught,” says Nick Rockwell, president at Eastbridge Consulting Group.

Advanced care planning is an opportunity for advisers to address caregiving with clients and boost the value this benefit brings to employers.

“Given the demographic trends we are seeing, today’s workforce will continue to face the challenges of caregiving,” says Scott White, vice president of global people operations and rewards at Levi Strauss.

“The financial burden of student loans is a major reason fewer employees are taking advantage of 401(k) programs,” Scott Thompson, CEO of Tuition.io, says.

“We expect a lot of our people. We expect them to work hard and we have an obligation to take care of them,” says Chief Operating Officer Sonia Menon.

The company will work to integrate MindSciences’ app-based mindfulness programs into its benefits offerings.

“It is so critical to have equality in your benefits,” CEO Kate Ryder says.

Rising Star Whitney Ehret’s background in human resources helps her see both sides of the benefits process.

Dog friendly policies and benefits specific to pet ownership needs are a unique way for employers to attract and retain talent.

About 78% of employees with high financial stress say it is a distraction at work.

Today’s young adults are the first downwardly mobile generation in American history and face a slower growing economy while saddled with unbearable amounts of student debt.

“One of the pain points we’re trying to solve for employers is getting their employees the right care quickly,” says David Dougherty, Dana-Farber Network medical director.

New moms “are not willing to put up with pumping in a broom closet or a bathroom,” one expert says.

“We believe every single employee of a company should have access to advice,” says Stephen Ulian, head of institutional distribution at Bank of America.

Benefits that specifically target working mothers can have a profound impact on the employee and the business.

It’s not what you make. It’s what you keep.

Employers are increasingly turning to advanced pay tools as a way to help employees who may be financially unstable.