Young woman recovering from Covid-19 at home: Choosing Resilience, Living Fully: Open Enrollment 2021

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…

Financial advisor discussing disability insurance with a client: Choosing Resilience, Living Fully: Open Enrollment 2021

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…

group of diverse professional workers over a city background

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…

How to offer a supportive, productive environment during an employee's absence

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…

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

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…

Protecting Those With Disabilities Against COVID-19 Variants

How We Can Protect Those With Disabilities Against COVID-19 Variants

As much as all of us just want the pandemic to go away, the COVID-19 variants have added more complications to consider. Among these are the ways we can go about keeping individuals with disabilities and vulnerabilities safe as the variants spread.   At this point, over half of Americans have been vaccinated, but unfortunately,…

Personal story - I have OCD

I Have OCD

By Dan Jolivet Editor’s Note: Dan Jolivet’s very personal story about his experience with being a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder captured our collective attention immediately. This is a story everyone should read. Dan is honest and vulnerable, and you will gain perspective from Dan’s observations. [Note: The author’s representations here solely reflect his personal opinion…

Research: Data and insights from the CDA

From The CDA Research Files: How Anxiety and Depression Impacted Employee Absence Before the Pandemic

By Carol Harnett Editor’s Note: The Council for Disability Awareness – led by Fred Schott and its research committee – has closely monitored the impact of mental health on short-term, long-term, and individual disability claims for several years. Given the exponential increase in attention the pandemic and recent societal events brought to this topic, we…