Successful stay-at-work services

Successful Return-to-Work Program Design for Behavioral Health Conditions (Part II)

Dan Jolivet described the importance of return-to-work programs for employees with behavioral health and substance abuse disorders in his first post along with two key elements associated with program success: a holistic approach and the services of a return-to-work consultant. In Jolivet’s second post, we consider the importance of stay-at-work services and program metrics.  …

Successful Return-to-Work Program Design

Successful Return-to-Work Program Design for Behavioral Health Conditions (Part I)

Prior to the pandemic, the United States saw a decades-long epidemic of “diseases of despair” with increasing rates of depression, suicide, addiction and overdose deaths. Mental health and substance use issues—and the economic and human costs of those conditions—were a focus for employers. Then came the pandemic. Rates of anxiety and depression tripled and remain…

Setting up a home workstation that promotes comfort and productivity

Setting Up a Home Workstation that Promotes Comfort and Productivity

By Cammie McAda, Vocational Rehab Employer Services Leader, Guardian   With the quick onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses transformed the way they work almost overnight. With so many offices shifting their working arrangements unexpectedly, the majority of employees were not set up with a traditional home workspace. While working with an ad hoc setup…

Man making pharmacy purchase using his HSA account

Open Enrollment: What Your Employees Should Know About HSAs

For most people, October means pumpkin spice lattes and candy. But for HR people, it means “open enrollment” season. As you put together your educational information to introduce your team to their different options, one you might pay particular attention to is the use of high-deductible health plans (HDHP), specifically the ability to pair them with…

Overworked young professional with his head on the desk

You Need a Vacation (And So Does Your Team)

As Labor Day fades from view, most HR teams typically breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy a respite from juggling vacation requests and staffing. But, just as everything about 2020 has been different, this year summer didn’t automatically mean “vacation.”   In fact, a vast majority of your team might have forgone any days…

Six ways to promote employee productivity during summer

Tackling the Summer Slide: Promote Employee Productivity with a Twist

The lazy days of late summer are great…unless it’s your employees who are feeling a little bit too much summer fever. Because even though it’s the time of year when we want to hit the pool, the beach or the park, the work still has to get done. However, employees have become more emphatic about “work/life”…

Gig worker delivers food to woman at home

What Gig Economy Workers Need in a Financial Safety Net Today

If you’re a typical gig economy worker, you have multiple income streams. Maybe you drive for Uber, deliver meals for Grubhub, serve as a virtual assistant for several clients, and write a regular blog that generates ad revenue.   Having multiple income sources can be an advantage during uncertain times. But the downside of gig…

Helping Employees Deal With Change

Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. shared the following article. In business and life, change is constant. Markets go up and down, companies merge and close, economies struggle, and global issues affect people’s lives. Knowing how to respond to these changes is challenging. Employees especially worry about how these changes will affect their jobs and livelihood. Employers can…