Healthcare
August 23, 2021
Preparing for Open Enrollment With a Hybrid Workforce
With open enrollment season approaching, now’s the time for HR professionals to kick off their planning. Due to the pandemic—and employees’ desire for flexibility—many employers now find themselves with a workforce on a hybrid schedule. It’s imperative they make appropriate adjustments to lead a successful open enrollment period. As a flexible model designed to support...
August 16, 2021
OSHA Urges Employers to Require Vaccinated Workers to Wear Masks
The U.S. agency that regulates workplace safety issued guidance on Friday urging employers to require many fully vaccinated workers to wear masks to protect unvaccinated colleagues and customers, amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommended that workers wear masks “in areas of substantial or high community transmission,” such...
August 2, 2021
Preparing Workers’ Comp for Future Pandemics
Intending to recognize additional catastrophic exposures on workers’ comp systems that can impact ratemaking, the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) is proposing that any event exceeding $50 million in losses be excluded from the data used to set rates, including future pandemics. Other than certified acts of terrorism, NCCI’s catastrophe provision only accounts for single-event losses...
July 20, 2021
Why Starting Open Enrollment Early In 2021 Is More Important Than Ever
The COVID-19 pandemic shook the job market in ways never before seen. For one, it created so much uncertainty that employees who would’ve typically searched for a new job last year decided to stay put. For another, the pandemic prompted workers to take stock of their circumstances and consider what workplace perks matter most to...
May 28, 2021
The Demonstrated Value of Consumer-driven Health Plans
Employers may be familiar with high deductible health plans (HDHPs) and health care accounts, such as health savings accounts (HSAs). A CDHP is simply the combination of those benefits—an HDHP paired with a health care spending account. CDHPs can be an excellent way for employers to control health care spending. In fact, CDHPs are often...
January 4, 2021
5 Strategies Employers Can Implement to Help Support COVID Vaccine Uptake
While there has been a lot of positive news recently about the COVID vaccines, there are varying reports on the public’s concern and willingness to take it. That hesitation, along with vaccine access, will determine how quickly life returns to normal. We will need more than 70% of the population vaccinated to get back to a pre-pandemic society, and...
October 15, 2020
Catastrophic Workers’ Comp Claims During the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic surprised all of us in January 2020, with its speed of viral infection transmission causing high mortality and morbidity among those afflicted in the United States. This newly formed mutant coronavirus, now known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2, took the world by storm and many in this...
October 12, 2020
Tips for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
As school, socializing, and many aspects of life have moved online this year, it’s more important than ever that you protect your digital devices and steer clear of cybercriminals. So during National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), observed each October, the FBI and partner agencies remind you to do your part and #BeCyberSmart all year long. Now...
September 9, 2020
National Preparedness Month: Workplace Safety
No matter where you live, you’re sure to encounter and have to deal with emergencies, whether they be tornadoes, fires, chemical or toxic spills, or any number of other natural and man-made disasters. In these situations when conditions can so quickly become life-threatening, workplace preparedness is key and could mean the difference between life...
September 8, 2020
How to Support Employee Behavioral Health During the Pandemic
Fear, worry and stress are normal responses to perceived or real threats, or when faced with uncertainty. Understandably so, it is normal that people are experiencing worry or stress during the coronavirus pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of daily life. Americans are increasingly suffering from behavioral health issues during the...