Recently, I was on a call with a prospective client company’s human resource department along with representatives from a national employee benefits firm. The purpose of the call was a ‘finalist presentation’ for a voluntary Guaranteed Standard Issue (GSI) program for the executive class of employees. I provided the framework for an interesting ‘ask’ from…
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact millions of employees across the United States, nearly half of workers say open enrollment is more important this year. In fact, 75 percent of employees indicate there are benefits they are more interested in this year than last year, according to MetLife’s 2020 open enrollment survey. There…
A Canadian-based employee assistance plan provider, Morneau Shepell, conducted a study in 2017 in partnership with The Globe and Mail to better understand the one in five residents who experience a mental health problem or illness within a given year. The results indicated that 72 percent of surveyed employees who reported mental health challenges to…
Bipolar disorder – sometimes known as “manic depression” – is a disorder of the brain. People with this disorder will often experience extreme shifts in levels of activity, mood and energy. Such extremes are referred to as manic and depressive episodes. Out of all bipolar disorder cases, 83% are classified as severe. Most cases of…
When the quick care doctor who was stitching up my elbow asked how I fell in the parking lot, he broke into a smile when I said “skateboarding.” I’m over 60-years and reasonably “fit.” But, “smart” came into question that day. Being active and over 60 had lulled me into some overly casual choices,…
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…
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…
As the spread of the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 altered how we work, live and move about our communities, Americans started sending an increasing number of questions to The Council for Disability Awareness about Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). We turned to one of our member company experts – Ted Norwood of Integrated Benefits, Inc.…
When most people consider disability, they picture something catastrophic happening—an injury on the ski slope, or a speeding car hurtling into theirs—and, for the most part assume it can never happen to them. That’s why human resources experts often find it challenging to convince their employees of the importance of disability insurance even though you…
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…
