Inspiring a More Resilient Workforce: Why Employers should Provide Support to Managers Who are Shouldering the Challenge of Propping Up Employees’ Well-Being

By Missy Plohr-Memming, senior vice president, Group Benefits, MetLife   Acting as a vital bridge between employers and individual contributors, a managers’ role has become even more critical over the last year and a half. Indeed, managers have not only stepped up to the challenge of navigating recent shifts in the workplace, but also meeting…

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The Positive Impact of COVID-19 on the Social Security Administration

By Michael Mattison Editor’s Note: The Social Security Administration was not immune to COVID-19. Like every other aspect of life that changed with the pandemic, the SSA needed to pivot in order to serve the public.  While this was a daunting task, the organization transitioned into an almost entirely remote workforce over the span of…

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COVID-19: Proving The Value of SSDI to American Workers

By Steve Perrigo Editor’s Note: The far-reaching effects of a global virus mean employees with disabilities need Social Security Disability Insurance benefits more than ever. Thankfully, awareness is growing.   Significant health impacts halted work for many American workers – some estimates reach 11 million – and it’s leading to a search for answers. The…

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Changing the Disability Conversation with Your Clients – Making Financial Plans Disability-Proof

Bob Herum, MSFS, CLU, ChFC, RHU, REBC Editor’s Note: Facts do not change your clients’ behavior when it comes to understanding their risk for being out of work due to an injury or illness. Bob Herum presents a primer on how to alter your discussion about the impact of disability on financial plans. Traditionally, the…

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Millennials: Expecting to Make a Life Change this Year? Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Overlook Open Enrollment

Author: Marquis Smallwood, vice president of Workforce Engagement at MetLife   Editor’s Note: As open enrollment season rolls around on the heels of another challenging pandemic year, many employees are looking at their employer benefits through a new lens. This is particularly true of millennial employees. A new MetLife survey found nearly two-thirds (64 percent)…

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Benefit Strategies that Protect Employee Income, Drive Enrollment, and Assist Recruitment and Retention

Ernest Dube Director, Enrollment & Account Management Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® Editor’s Note: Employers can help employees better prepare for their future and help close potential income gaps caused by longer-term workplace absences by providing supplemental income protection. This benefit provides additional coverage benefits from a protection perspective and also enhances employee recruitment…

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From The CDA Research Files: The Impact of Remote Work on Absence Rates

Editor’s Note: In this latest installment of The CDA’s ongoing research series, Fred Schott, director of operations and research, provides a summary of findings from the Current Population Survey on the connections among occupations, availability of remote work, and absence.  These findings were presented during September 2021, to the National Association of Supplemental Benefit Insurance 2021…

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How To Offer a Supportive, Productive Environment During an Employee’s Absence from Work

By Christina Bridges Editor’s Note: Absence and disability – including a short-term disability – often create uncertainty for both the employer and the employee. Employees are contending with health, wellness, and income concerns; and employers are looking to ensure a smooth return to work, as well as a seamless tracking of the leave. It can…

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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…

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Labor Market Signals U.S. Employers To Embrace Hiring People with Disabilities

By LeighAnn Jarry Editor’s Note: Employers seeking to expand their workforce are encountering challenges due to the tight labor market. Despite offering generous benefits and higher compensation, it is difficult to find employees. But there is a virtually untapped pool of applicants – people with disabilities. Now is exactly the right time for employers to…

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Building a Resilient Workforce During Periods of Adversity

By Tracey Ferstler, PhD, Head of Return to Health, Global Claims, MetLife   COVID turned the world as we know it upside down, and people who work in and around absence management and disability insurance are looking for answers on what’s next.  Will we return to normal or is this our new normal?  What is unique…

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Tips for Managing Fall Allergies

When the summer heat begins to give way to lower temperatures and the days get shorter and shorter, the onset of fall tends to make itself known seemingly overnight. It can be an exciting time of year; finishing summer vacations, getting back to school, preparing for winter. But for many people, it also signals the…

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