As businesses begin to adjust to a post-pandemic world, it’s gotten even more difficult to find and keep employees. New trends in well-being benefits may help give you the edge you need. As seen at the recent HR Executive Health and Benefits Conference in Las Vegas, as well as in other events across the country, employer wellness programs are beginning to offer a variety of benefits that appeal to a diverse range of employees and potential employees.\r\n
The trends in employer-sponsored well-being programs include an increase in mental health offerings, financial wellness options, and an even larger role of technology in benefits. Additionally, employers are seeing options for providing family and caregiving benefits, and health benefits that focus on getting back to care after the pandemic.
\r\nMental health: no longer a “nice to have”
\r\nWhen it comes to employer-sponsored well-being programs, mental health is at the forefront of most discussions in the current market. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on mental health, and according to a survey conducted by the Conference Board, over 40% of employees said their mental health suffered during the pandemic, and their burnout increased.1 Additionally, approximately 60% of employees said that the integration of their personal and work lives has increased, which also increases mental health concerns.1
\r\nA study from Business Group on Health and Fidelity showed that a majority of employers (91%) plan to make mental health part of their return-to-office strategy.1 Fortunately for employers, in the current market, mental health benefit options abound. The challenge is determining the right fit for your employee population and your budget.
\r\nWhen it comes to mental health, it’s important to remember that poor mental health doesn’t exist in a bubble. Mental and physical health are inextricably linked, and it’s unwise to address one without addressing the other. Poor mental health can lead to physical health issues, and some mental health conditions can even lead to increased risk of chronic disease, sleep disorders, and other health problems.2
\r\nIn addition to mental health care, be sure your wellness program also includes a measurable health component that helps employees identify chronic disease and other health risks through clinical data, such as a biometric screening program.
\r\nFinancial wellness is an emerging benefit option
\r\nIn the past, offering a 401K plan, and even 401K contribution matching, was the extent of the financial benefits offered by employers. However, with the way the pandemic has impacted many people financially, there are increasing options available to help employees with their financial health.
\r\nAccording to a survey of HR professionals, there has been an increase in use of more nontraditional financial benefits since the pandemic began.3 These benefits include financial planning, financial coaching, and emergency savings funds. Additionally, employers can offer financial benefits related to education, such as tuition reimbursement, 529 plans, and employer-provided student loan repayment.3
\r\nWomen are more likely than men (35% vs 23%, respectively) to say their financial health has suffered due to the pandemic,3 so these financial benefits could be especially important to some female employees and applicants. In addition, these benefits could also help to close the “gender gap in financial well-being,” which is caused by wage inequality, family and caregiving responsibilities that fall disproportionately to women, longer time spent in retirement due to longer life expectancy, and other factors.3
\r\nThere are many options for financial wellness in the marketplace, so as with any other benefit, it’s best to know your population to determine which, if any, of these would appeal to your current and potential employees. As with mental health benefits, it’s also important to consider overall health, as financial well-being can have an impact on other aspects of healthcare, including stress, mental health, and access to care.
\r\nThe role of technology in benefits
\r\nThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the availability of benefits technology.4 While it can be overwhelming to sift through all the technology and platforms in the market, it may be beneficial to think about how technology can help employees understand their benefits and how to use them.
\r\nMany employees say they don’t understand the benefits their employer offers, but technology can play a role in helping to increase understanding.5 Technology that helps streamline and simplify the benefits offered can help employees be more engaged in the programs their employer offers. The helpful programs available don’t do any good if employees don’t know how to access and use them.5
\r\nAnother way technology is changing the benefits landscape is by increasing access to healthcare. Virtual care options can help employers close the gaps in care for employees who may struggle to get routine healthcare outside their homes due to the pandemic, their work schedule, or availability in their area. With the help of technology, employees can request materials to complete a collection for a biometric screening at home and can also connect with a healthcare professional for virtual follow-up care and next steps.
\r\nExpanded benefits to support families and caregivers
\r\nMany workers are juggling home life and caregiving responsibilities in addition to their workload, and often their mental health, as well as their productivity, is impacted. During the pandemic, many of these stresses were exacerbated and the needs of caregivers shifted.6 There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to caregiving benefits, because caregiving doesn’t look the same in every family. For some, an on-site childcare option would be helpful, but for a childless person caring for an older relative, they need something completely different.
\r\nAs with other benefits, it’s important to understand what your employees, as well as those you are recruiting, find most valuable. Be flexible; think “outside of the box.” For example, family benefits can include greater scheduling flexibility, providing the technology for remote work, or offering more work-from-home days.6
\r\nEncouraging employees get back to care
\r\nTo optimize your investment in health benefits, now is the time to encourage employees to use those benefits. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals postponed or canceled routine screenings and other preventive care designed to detect cancer and other serious conditions at earlier stages.7 Not all conditions cause early symptoms, so often screening and evaluation are the only way to detect them early when treatment is more effective and less expensive.
\r\nBecause of lapses in screening during the pandemic, it is possible that more Americans have undiagnosed cancers and other health conditions. According to Harvey W. Kaufman, MD, senior medical director and head of Health Trends research for Quest Diagnostics, “early screening, diagnosis, and treatment for cancer is critical to achieving the most favorable outcomes. Due to gaps in care throughout the pandemic, we can expect a future wave of patients presenting with cancer at more advanced stages of disease.”7
\r\nAs an employer, you can help employees see the value of routine screening and preventive care and make these resources available to them. Offering a comprehensive biometric screening program to employees can help them gain awareness of their baseline health and potential health risks. Encouraging them to discuss their screening results with a doctor will also help empower them to take charge of their health. Additionally, employers can embrace virtual care as a way to address gaps in care and ensure that the virtual care offered is both easy and cost-effective for employees.8
\r\nThe COVID-19 pandemic changed many workers’ attitudes about working conditions and benefits. Employers who pay attention to these changes will be the ones who attract and keep the best workers. Offerings once considered perks have become must-haves, and there are many new benefit offerings aligned with workers’ new priorities.
\r\nMental health is undoubtedly becoming one of the most important considerations for employers, but be sure to consider it as one part of supporting employee health as a whole. Additionally, financial well-being benefits, technology platforms, and family and caregiving support are ways to think outside the box to offer employees support they value. Finally, understand that employees may have postponed healthcare visits during the pandemic, and urge them to return to care.
\r\n","@type":"corporate/components/text"}}" id="text-99749ca4e0" class="cmp-text">隨著企業開始適應後大流行的世界，招聘和留住員工變得更加困難。福利方麵的新趨勢可能會幫助你獲得你所需要的優勢。正如最近在拉斯維加斯舉行的人力資源主管健康與福利會議，以及在全國各地的其他活動中所看到的，雇主健康項目開始提供各種各樣的福利，吸引各種各樣的員工和潛在員工。
雇主資助的福利項目的趨勢包括心理健康服務、財務健康選擇的增加，以及科技在福利中發揮的更大作用。此外，雇主正在考慮提供家庭和護理福利的選擇，以及專注於大流行後重返護理的健康福利。
心理健康:不再是一件“值得擁有的事情”
當談到雇主資助的福利項目時，心理健康是當前市場上大多數討論的前沿。2019冠狀病毒病大流行對心理健康產生了重大影響，根據世界大型企業聯合會進行的一項調查，超過40%的員工表示，他們的心理健康在大流行期間受到了影響，他們的倦怠加劇。1此外，約60%的員工表示，他們的個人生活和工作生活的融合程度提高了，這也增加了人們對心理健康的擔憂。1
健康和富達商業集團的一項研究顯示，大多數雇主(91%)計劃將心理健康作為他們重返辦公室戰略的一部分。1對雇主來說，幸運的是，在當前的市場上，心理健康福利的選擇比比皆是。挑戰在於確定最適合你的員工群體和你的預算。
當談到心理健康時，重要的是要記住這一點糟糕的心理健康狀況並不是憑空存在的．心理和身體健康是密不可分的，隻解決一個而不解決另一個是不明智的。心理健康狀況不佳會導致身體健康問題，一些心理健康狀況甚至會增加患慢性疾病、睡眠障礙和其他健康問題的風險。2
除了心理健康護理，確保你的健康項目還包括可測量的健康成分，幫助員工通過臨床數據識別慢性疾病和其他健康風險，比如生物特征篩查項目。
財務健康是一種新興的福利選擇
在過去，提供401K計劃，甚至401K繳費匹配，是雇主提供的經濟福利的程度。然而，隨著疫情對許多人的財務影響，有越來越多的選擇可以幫助員工的財務健康。
一項針對人力資源專業人士的調查顯示，自疫情開始以來，更多非傳統經濟福利的使用有所增加。3.這些好處包括財務規劃、財務指導和應急儲蓄基金。此外，雇主可以提供與教育相關的經濟福利，如學費報銷、529計劃和雇主提供的學生貸款償還。3.
女性比男性(分別為35%和23%)更有可能表示，她們的財務健康因疫情而受到影響，3.因此，這些經濟福利對一些女性員工和申請人來說可能尤為重要。此外，這些福利還可以幫助縮小“財務狀況的性別差距”，這是由工資不平等、家庭和照顧責任不成比例地落在女性身上、預期壽命延長導致的退休時間更長以及其他因素造成的。3.
在市場上有很多財務健康的選擇，所以就像任何其他福利一樣，最好了解你的人群，以確定哪些(如果有的話)會吸引你的當前和潛在員工。與心理健康福利一樣，考慮整體健康也很重要，因為財務狀況會對醫療保健的其他方麵產生影響，包括壓力、心理健康和獲得護理的機會。
技術在利益中的作用
2019冠狀病毒病大流行增加了福利技術的可用性。4雖然篩選市場上所有的技術和平台可能會讓人不知所措，但考慮一下技術如何幫助員工了解它們的好處以及如何使用它們可能是有益的。
許多員工表示，他們不了解雇主提供的福利，但科技可以在幫助增進了解方麵發揮作用。5有助於簡化福利的技術可以幫助員工更積極地參與雇主提供的項目。如果員工不知道如何訪問和使用這些有用的程序，它們就不會有任何好處。5
科技改變福利格局的另一種方式是增加獲得醫療保健的機會。虛擬護理選項可以幫助雇主縮小護理方麵的差距針對那些可能由於大流行、工作安排或所在地區的可用性而難以在家庭之外獲得常規醫療保健的員工。在技術的幫助下，員工是否可以要求材料完成收集，以便在家中進行生物識別篩查還可以與醫療保健專業人員聯係，進行虛擬後續護理和後續步驟。
擴大福利以支持家庭和護理人員
除了工作外，許多員工還要兼顧家庭生活和照顧他人的責任，通常他們的精神健康和工作效率都會受到影響。在大流行期間，許多這些壓力加劇了，護理人員的需求發生了變化。6並沒有一種適用於所有人的護理福利，因為每個家庭的護理看起來都不一樣。對一些人來說，現場托兒會很有幫助，但對於一個沒有孩子的人要照顧年長的親戚，他們需要完全不同的東西。
與其他福利一樣，重要的是要了解你的員工以及你正在招聘的人認為什麼是最有價值的。靈活的;想想“跳出框框”。例如，家庭福利可以包括更大的時間安排靈活性，為遠程工作提供技術，或提供更多的在家工作時間。6
鼓勵員工重新護理
為了優化你在健康福利方麵的投資，現在是時候鼓勵員工使用這些福利了。在COVID-19大流行期間，許多人推遲或取消了旨在早期發現癌症和其他嚴重疾病的常規篩查和其他預防保健。7並不是所有的疾病都會引起早期症狀，所以篩查和評估往往是早期發現症狀的唯一方法，這樣治療更有效、更便宜。
由於大流行期間的篩查失誤，可能有更多的美國人患有未確診的癌症和其他健康問題。醫學博士Harvey W. Kaufman是Quest Diagnostics的高級醫學總監和健康趨勢研究負責人，他說:“癌症的早期篩查、診斷和治療對於獲得最有利的結果至關重要。由於在整個大流行期間的護理存在差距，我們可以預期，未來會有一波患者在疾病的更晚期出現癌症。”7
作為雇主，你可以幫助員工看到例行檢查和預防性保健的價值，並讓他們可以獲得這些資源。為員工提供全麵的生物識別篩查項目可以幫助他們了解自己的基本健康狀況和潛在的健康風險。鼓勵他們與醫生討論他們的檢查結果也將幫助他們掌握自己的健康。此外，雇主可以將虛擬醫療作為解決醫療缺口的一種方式，並確保提供的虛擬醫療對員工來說既簡單又劃算。8
COVID-19大流行改變了許多工人對工作條件和福利的態度。關注這些變化的雇主將會吸引並留住最優秀的員工。曾經被認為是額外津貼的福利已經變成了必須有的，而且有許多新的福利與員工新的優先事項相一致。
心理健康無疑正在成為雇主最重要的考慮因素之一，但一定要把它作為支持員工整體健康的一部分。此外，經濟福利、技術平台、家庭和護理支持都是打破固有思維的方式，為員工提供他們看重的支持。最後，要了解員工在大流行期間可能推遲了去醫療機構就診，並敦促他們返回醫療機構。
- Colletta,珍。把心理健康納入你重返辦公室的策略。人力資源執行員。https://hrexecutive.com/where-mental-health-fits-in-your-return-to-office-strategizing/．2022年4月。2022年5月2日進入。
- 心理健康如何影響身體健康?網絡醫學博士。https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/how-does-mental-health-affect-physical-health．2021年3月。2022年5月2日進入。
- 米勒,斯蒂芬。財務狀況良好可能是減少員工流動率的關鍵。社團。https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pages/financial-wellness-could-be-key-to-reducing-turnover.aspx．2021年9月。2022年5月3日訪問。
- Mayer,凱瑟琳。福利技術正在經曆一個時代——COVID是部分原因。人力資源執行員。https://hrexecutive.com/benefits-technology-is-having-a-moment-and-covid-is-partly-responsible/．2022年3月。2022年5月3日訪問。
- 克拉克,伊麗莎白。如何利用科技讓員工參與福利。人力資源主管。https://hrexecutive.com/how-to-get-employees-to-engage-with-benefits-using-tech/．2022年4月。2022年5月3日訪問。
- 薩默爾,喬安妮。護理福利可以支持員工——以及公司的底線。社團。https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pages/caregiving-benefits-can-support-workers-and-the-bottom-line.aspx．1月22日。2022年5月4日訪問。
- Quest Diagnostics健康趨勢®研究發現，在COVID-19大流行的第一年，癌症診斷急劇下降。該研究發表在JAMA Network Open上。Quest診斷新聞編輯室。https://newsroom.questdiagnostics.com/2021-08-31-Cancer-Diagnoses-Declined-Sharply-During-First-Year-of-COVID-19-Pandemic,-Finds-Quest-Diagnostics-Health-Trends-R-Study-Published-in-JAMA-Network-Open．2021年8月。2022年5月4日訪問。
- 弗蘭納裏,朱利安。雇主在這波由流行病驅動的延遲醫療中可以扮演的角色。《福布斯》。https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2021/11/05/the-role-employers-can-play-in-this-wave-of-pandemic-driven-delayed-healthcare/?sh=655f6545a962．2021年11月。2022年5月4日訪問。
