How to Handle a Childcare Gap

The word “workplace” has a whole new meaning as more people than ever work remotely. And while the lack of commute can be a bonus, parents are finding they are struggling with childcare. In fact, almost half of parents with young children at home don’t feel as productive working from home. The childcare challenge is…

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Is Stress Affecting Your Employees? Here’s How to Help

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Work-related stress is the leading workplace health problem. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently included “burnout” in its new edition of the International Classification of Diseases, describing it as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” And the…

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Taking Time Off is Good for Employee Engagement

The pandemic hasn’t stopped summer from arriving! As vacation season kicks off, it is a good time for HR teams to encourage the value of taking a break. As we all know, vacations are important for emotional and physical health of employees. In fact, studies show that they build a far more engaged, happy, and…

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Seven Ways Employers Can Create Flexible Work Options

Competition for Talent Informs Trend in Flexibility as Benefit Option HR departments know all too well the fierce competition for top talent being waged today. And as you develop appealing compensation offers and benefits packages, there is one peak benefit that employees are clamoring for—and that’s flexibility. If you are still clinging to a fixed work…

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Six Health Benefits of Raising Chickens

Raising chickens has almost an infinite number of benefits. These benefits range from simple companionship to self-sufficient food production.   Raising and keeping chickens even has several health benefits that can positively impact those with mental or physical disabilities. In fact, several universities such as the University of Minnesota are utilizing therapy chickens during exam…

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Creating Inclusive Workplaces for Employees with Disabilities

By Gene Lanzoni Assistant Vice President Group & Worksite Marketing – Thought Leadership Guardian Life Insurance Company of America Making workplaces accessible to employees with disabilities goes well beyond physical modifications to the workspace. Employers should also actively seek to make jobs overall more flexible to meet the demands of a diverse workforce.   In…

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My Final Lesson About Mental Health in the “New Normal”

In observance of Mental Health Month, I’ve been writing on the lessons I’ve learned about mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic. (You can read about Lessons 1 to 3 here and Lessons 4 to 7 here.) The seventh and final lesson to living in the “new normal” following the easing of lockdown restrictions is in…

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Protecting Your Future with Disability Insurance

Author: Phil Bruen, vice president, Life & Disability, Group Benefits, MetLife The impact of COVID-19 on the workforce has only reinforced the importance of leave and the value of income protection offered through disability insurance. Many workers are without jobs or having their hours reduced, so employees are justifiably anxious about the pandemic’s economic effect…

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Clarifying the Connection between Short-Term Disability & COVID-19

By Diane Russell, Senior Vice President of Marketing & Consumer Strategy   There has been plenty of confusion related to COVID-19 around the country. Working remotely, schooling at home, shelter-in-place, social distancing and other factors have created a situation none of us could have planned for. As head of Marketing & Consumer Strategy for Lincoln…

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The Next Four Things I Learned About Mental Health Amid the Pandemic

In this second installment of a three-post series about mental health during a pandemic, Fred Schott of The Council for Disability Awareness picks up from where he left off in part 1, and shares four additional things he’s learned about life during a pandemic. 4. There’s a difference between being alone and feeling lonely  …

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The Coronavirus and the Individual Disability Income Market

By Bob Herum, Ameritas second vice president of DI and GSI Sales and Marketing The United States is approaching two months since COVID-19 descended upon us, and the U.S. economy was blind-sided by the effects of the virus. Millions of American workers have been laid off, furloughed or told to work from home. Millions of…

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The First Three Things I Learned About Mental Health Amid the Pandemic

Introduction On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared the spread of the new Covid-19 viral disease to be a pandemic. But it wasn’t until the following day, March12, that the stark reality of the new situation became clear to the 330 million residents of the U.S.A. Tom Hanks declared he and his…

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