Research: Data and insights from the CDA

Practical Learnings from the MetLife Annual Employee Benefit Trends Study 2021

By Carol Harnett I recently had the privilege of hosting a podcast with Missy Plohr-Memming from The Council for Disability Awareness’ member company MetLife. Missy is a senior vice president of MetLife’s group benefits national accounts sales organization where she oversees sales strategy and growth initiatives. We talked about the 19th Annual Employee Benefit Trends Study…

Family Matters - The Impact of the SSDI Application Process on Applicants, Caregivers and Families

The Impact of the SSDI Application Process on Applicants, Caregivers and Families

By Missy Biggs Applicants, caregivers, and families experience unexpected support and  frustrations during the Social Security Disability Insurance benefits application process. On the one hand, each family member (including a spouse, divorced spouse, children, and adult children disabled before age 22) may be eligible for a monthly benefit of up to 50 percent of the disability benefit amount.…

Mental health - preventing burnout in employees

Employers Can Begin to Address Burnout in the American Workforce

By:Tracey Ferstler, Assistant Vice President, U.S. Claims and Operations, MetLife   The topic of mental health took on an entirely new meaning in 2021. After a year of uncertainties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, employees and employers alike are focusing more closely on mental wellness and burnout. Employee anxiety, depression and burnout are at…

Disability insurance is income protection

Three Lessons I Learned Through Postpartum Depression

By Diane Russell, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Strategy, Lincoln Financial Group If you have children, you know there’s no shortage of advice from family, friends and sometimes even strangers. Yet, mothers dealing with postpartum depression often feel like they have no one to talk to about what they’re going through. At least, that’s…

Family Matters - Leveraging paid and unpaid leave to improve employee well-being

How Employers Can Leverage Paid and Unpaid Leave to Improve Employee Well-Being

By: Phil Bruen, senior vice president, Life & Disability, Group Benefits, MetLife While more than two-thirds of employees consider paid and unpaid leave to be a must have benefit, fewer employers offer these programs now than they did in 2019 and 2020. Phil Bruen shares three tips for businesses around the successful application of leave…

Family Matters, What is Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML)

PFML: What It Is and What Can We Expect

This article originally appeared on the American Fidelity blog. Nearly three decades back, in 1993, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was passed. FMLA requires certain organizations to offer workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a new baby or sick family member. Today, states across the US are enacting state paid-leave laws,…

The importance of spousal disability insurance

How Can We Help Financially Protect Families With A Stay-at-Home Partner?

When talk of disability income insurance comes up, you probably understand how important it is to protect the breadwinner. Particularly in households where only one person earns an income, disability income insurance (DI) is critical coverage for those who want to financially protect themselves and their loved ones. Insuring a portion of your paycheck with…