Everything To Know About Employer-Offered Life Insurance Going into Open Enrollment

By Juliane Kowalski, Senior Vice President, Group Benefits, MetLife Editor’s note: Life insurance is not only a way to pay for funeral expenses. It can cover major expenses such as housing, childcare, and college tuition as well as everyday ones like groceries, transportation, and credit card bills.   If we’ve learned anything from the past…

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Long Live Claims!

By Ian Bridgman Editor’s Note: Ian Bridgman is a longstanding member of The Council for Disability Awareness board. He also happens to be British – although, according to Bridgman, he became a “bloody American” in 2008. (Despite his citizenship, Bridgman still carries his wonderful dry sense of humor.) In this post, which first appeared on…

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Ready for Open Enrollment? Three Steps To Getting In Shape for a Great Season

For HR folks, the fall is sort of like their own version of the retail holiday season or the big football final…that’s because it’s open enrollment, the time when employees are able to make major changes to their benefits plans without penalties. And just like retailers start planning their holiday promotions early, so should the…

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Disability Insurance Is Important No Matter Your Age —What To Consider

By John Feeney, vice president, group sales and market development for the Renaissance Life & Health Insurance Company of America.   Attention Gen Z and Millennials: disability insurance is an important coverage for you, too. Some view employer-sponsored group disability insurance as an ancillary benefit reserved for older individuals, when in fact, disability insurance should…

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Prioritizing Workplace Accessibility For All Employees

Every employer knows how difficult it can be to recruit and retain top talent. For far too long, however, one important and immense sector of the workforce has been under-utilized. Millions of Americans with disabilities have been excluded from the workforce simply due to the inaccessibility of the workplace.   This constitutes not only significant…

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Shaping Your Home Around Your Changing Capabilities

As we age, previously manageable aspects of our houses can become hazardous. Studies show that household accidents account for an annual average of 20 million hospitalizations in the U.S. Renovating your home for accessibility can help you age gracefully without relocating.   Deciding Whether to Age in Place   Choosing to remain home has several…

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Anxiety and Disability in the Workforce

By Holly Devine  Editor’s Note: Holly Devine grew up knowing how to advocate for herself and what she needed – as it related to being a person with a physical disability. But it wasn’t until she was working at her first job after college that she learned how to ask for support with a mental…

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“New Year’s Resolutions” for September

Happy New Year! Wait…aren’t we a little early (or a lot late) for that greeting? The truth is that for many people, September is the “real” new year, despite what the calendar says. And it’s easy to see why—after all that was traditionally the time we came back to school in a new outfit, maybe…

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Four Ways Reptiles Can Improve Your Mental Health

By Nigel Robert   Editor’s Note: The prevalence of mental health conditions (most commonly anxiety and depression) accelerated during the COVID pandemic and has been on the rise in many places. Some people may find that letting a reptile into their life can help combat some of the effects of their condition – and this…

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Had a Great Workout? Hold off the Alcohol!

A cold beer or chilled glass of wine sounds like a great reward for a hard, physical workout. Maybe you ran a few extra miles. Played pickle ball until the lights were turned off. Skied a steep trail for the first time. Or, worked extra hard in the garden for hours.   For many of…

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The Bat Out of Hell Workout: Why Running Like a Kid Never Gets Old

Little kids. They’re freaky fast. Running, wildly darting back and forth. Wow! Talk about fun. The faster you chase them, the more they laugh. For many parents, the image of bats escaping out of hell says it all.   But, fast forward 40-plus years, and running like a kid is a distant memory. That kind…

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Back-To-School 2022: Tips for Parents

When we think of back-to-school anxiety, it typically centers on elements like new routines, hectic schedules and whether our kids will find a friend. But those worries sound almost quaint, as we consider “back to school 2022.” With the ongoing pandemic, nearly all of the nation’s largest school districts are still offering remote learning opportunities…

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