3 Hidden Effects of Workplace Depression
Originally posted March 19, 2014 by Jeff Guardalabene on https://ebn.benefitnews.com
At any given time in the United States, an estimated 1 in 10 adults report symptoms that would qualify for a depression diagnosis.[1] For HR,navigating employee mental health can be tricky. Not all symptoms are noticeable, but a few hidden indicators can hinder overall productivity.
Procrastination and missed deadlines. A person’s day-to-day ability to plan, execute and complete tasks can be affected by depression. This can present itself in the workplace in the form of projects that aren’t completed, or sometimes, not even started.
Difficulties with memory and learning. Many people with depression report feeling as though they’re unable to remember things they used to recall with no problem. Job tasks and routine processes become a burden as the employee tries to do something that used to come easily. Frustrations can mount, exacerbating the problem.
Team morale. Not all depressed employees look “depressed.” Some may manage to put on a “game face” at work while experiencing lagging productivity and decreased motivation. This game face may make it more difficult for co-workers to realize an employee is suffering. Rather than see someone in need of help, co-workers instead see a co-worker who isn’t pulling his or her own weight. This can have a dramatic impact on the morale and productivity of others.
Create a preventive culture
Referring employees to available resources, such as an employee assistance program, can help some at-risk or affected employees. But in other instances, this approach may not be enough. Employers should consider ways to create a company culture that can help identify and mitigate the effects of depressed employees. Keep these considerations in mind to build a supportive culture:
Improve communication throughout your company. Encourage your HR team and managers to engage in face-to-face communication with employees. This will enhance trust and help employees not feel isolated or alone during an illness.
Invest in training. Help equip managers to handle emotionally charged conversations and ways to identify at-risk employees.
Be flexible with your intervention methods. Hopefully, your organization already has a process for assessing issues and intervening when an employee has a health problem. But remember, approaches such as fit-for-duty assessments may not work well when dealing with an emotional health issue. Be prepared to adjust as needed.
By noticing and understanding the hidden impacts of depression, and working to develop office policies that include support and early intervention for employees struggling with mental health conditions, employers can have a very noticeable impact on the overall health and productivity of their workplaces.
[1]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An Estimated 1 in 10 U.S. Adults Report Depression. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/features/dsdepression/. Accessed February 19, 2014.
Retirement confidence rebounds from five-year lull
Originally posted March 18, 2014 by Michael Giardina on https://ebn.benefitnews.com
Retirement confidence among Americans regained some of the losses reported over the past five years – where approximately 18% are very confident and 37% are somewhat confident with the future financial needs – according to a new survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute.
In its 24th installment, the EBRI annual Retirement Confidence Survey states that there was a 5% point jump in Americans workers who reported they were very confident and there was no statistical change among the population that were not at all confident at 24%.
Last year, 21% reported that they were not too confident and 28% - the highest level in the survey’s history – are not at all confident about the future needs of a comfortable retirement. 2013’s lowly sentiment also resonated with the very confident and somewhat confident, which reported 13% and 38% markers, respectively.
The Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization states that there was a 10% jump in worker confidence with a retirement plan who report being very confident at 24%. For the cohort without a retirement plan, the very confident level dipped down one percentage point to 9%.
“Retirement confidence is strongly related to retirement plan participation,” says Jack VanDerhi, EBRI research director and co-author of the 2014 report. “In fact, workers reporting that they or their spouse have money in a defined contribution plan or IRA or have a defined benefit plan from a current or previous employer are more than twice as likely as those without any of these plans to be very confident.”
The findings indicate that 1 in 10 of participant households currently enrolled in a retirement plan were listed as being not at all confident. At the same time, half of respondents without a retirement plan reported the same confidence level.
While 64% of workers report that they or their spouses have saved for retirement – a statistically equivalent figure to 2013 – 90% of workers currently signed up to a retirement plan list they have saved for their future income needs when they exit the workforce.
Also, retiree confidence, typically higher than worker confidence levels, continues to climb in 2014. Twenty-eight percent felt were very confidence in their financial security, a 10% jump from 2013.
Roughly half of participants state that financial hurdles such as the cost-of-living and daily expenses – as well as lingering debt – hinder worker savings.
“Just three percent of workers who describe their debt as a major problem say they are very confident about having enough money to live comfortably throughout retirement, compared with 29 percent of workers who indicate debt is not a problem,” says Matt Greenwald, of Greenwald & Associates, which conducted and co-sponsored the survey.
During America Saves Week earlier this year, Dallas L. Salisbury, president and chief executive officer of the EBRI and chairman of the American Savings Education Council, highlighted that employers can assist with the current savings epidemic. Salisbury explained that workers who conducted retirement-needs calculation were more confident to save what is needed for retirement. Complementing this goal, he says that the theme for this year’s America Saves Week is “to set a goal, to make a plan and to save automatically.”
Other findings of this year’s RCS:
- Workers acknowledge the need for savings: Approximately 22% of the sample believes that they need to save between 20-29% of their income and another 22% believe that 30% of income is warranted.
- Estimating retirement savings needs is still unpopular: Roughly 44% state that they and/or their spouse have participated in this calculation.
- Financial advice is even less popular and falls on deaf ears: one in five workers and 25% of retirees report they have sought the help of a financial adviser; Only 27% of workers and 38% of retirees say they used all of the professional’s financial advice.
HSA, HRA contributions reach record high in 2013
Originally posted March 14, 2014 by Melissa A. Winn on https://ebn.benefitnews.com
The number of employers contributing to health savings accounts or health reimbursement arrangements continues to grow, with 71% of employees reporting contributions from their employers in 2013, according to a new report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.
That number represents the highest level of employers contributing since the 2005 inception of the EBRI/ Greenwald & Associates Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey (CEHCS).
While the study found that the number of employers contributing to HSAs and HRAs has grown, it also found the amount of their contributions for some has declined. The percentage of employees with employee-only coverage reporting employee contributions of $1,000 or more slipped from 28% to 23% in 2013.
For employees with family coverage, employer contribution levels were mostly unchanged, however.
That trend held true for employee contributions, as well. EBRI found, on average, workers with employee-only coverage dropped their HSA contribution levels last year, but those with family coverage kept contribution levels relatively steady.
These findings come from the 2008–2013 EBRI/Greenwald & Associates Consumer Engagement in Health Care Surveys (CEHCS), and earlier EBRI surveys, that have tracked the growth of so-called consumer-driven health plans since 2007. CDHPs consist of HSAs, health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), and high-deductible health plans designed to bring aspects of consumerism to health insurance plans.
According to the study, 11.8 million adults ages 21-64, 9.7% of the U.S. population, were enrolled in a plan with an HRA or HAS in 2013. Another 9.3 million reported they were covered by an HSA-eligible plan but had not yet opened the account. Overall, therefore, the study found about 21 million adults ages 21-64 with private insurance, representing 17.3% of that market, were either already in a CDHP or covered by an HSA-eligible plan. When their children were included, 26.1 million individuals with private insurance, representing 15% percent of the market, were either in a CDHP or an HSA-eligible plan.
The full report, “Employer and Worker Contributions to Health Reimbursement Arrangements and Health Savings Accounts, 2006–2013,” can be found online at ebri.org.
Are employees more satisfied than ever with their benefits?
Originally posted March 17, 2014 by Andy Stonehouse on https://ebn.benefitnews.com
Despite some sense of grumbling out in the working world about the shape of benefits in the midst of further ACA rollouts, one new study suggests employee satisfaction regarding their benefits is at an all-time high.
MetLife’s 12th annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study, released Monday, shows what researchers suggest is a tremendous level of overall satisfaction with workplace benefits – with some of the highest numbers in more than a decade.
According to this year’s study, the overall satisfaction level hit 50%, the most solid self-evaluation of benefits in the MetLife research’s history.
And while voluntary benefits strategies also appear to be paying off, the company says that fewer employers report that voluntary benefits are at the forefront of their overall strategy.
“Employees who are very satisfied with their benefits are more than twice as likely to report being very satisfied with their jobs,” notes Todd Katz, executive vice president, Group, Voluntary and Worksite Benefits, with MetLife. “Because of this, offering a wider variety of benefits pays dividends for both employers and employees.”
Katz says the study indicates that benefits are a strong driver for employee loyalty, with 44% of respondents indicating that having benefits customized to meet their needs would be an even stronger pull to keep them happy and motivated on the job.
That ability to personalize their own benefits choices as part of a workplace package is taking on more appeal, the study finds. Some 78% of workers say they would like a greater variety of benefits to choose from and 80% say it would be valuable to have benefits customized to their individual circumstances, or their age.
Most importantly, 60% indicated that they would be willing to bear more of the cost involved in order to have more personal benefits choices.
Even with strong employee support and enthusiasm, Katz says the survey indicates that employers themselves are less supportive of voluntary benefits being a cornerstone of their benefits strategy, with numbers dropping almost 10% since the 2012 survey.
“This shift in employer focus is somewhat unexpected,” Katz says. “But rather than a change in strategy, this is likely a result of employers being consumed by health care reform and other cost control strategies.”
Katz suggests that employers continue to consider the long-term goodwill and retention benefits of offering a solid array of voluntary choices.
“The employee satisfaction numbers make it clear that voluntary benefit strategies are paying off for employers and that attention should not be shifted from existing plans. Changing course now may have negative effects on loyalty and productivity in the future.”
Feds release employee compensation breakdown
Private industry employers spent, on average, $29.63 per hour worked for total employee compensation in December 2013, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. Wages and salaries averaged $20.76 per hour worked and accounted for 70.1% of that cost, while benefits averaged $8.87 and accounted for the remaining 29.9%.
Private industry employers paid, on average, $2.45 per hour worked for insurance benefits, including life, health and disability insurance, accounting for 8.3% of total compensation. In addition to insurance, the other benefit categories were supplemental pay(overtime and premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses), which averaged 85 cents per hour worked (2.9%) and retirement savings, which averaged $1.10 per hour (3.7%).
The Bureau’s Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (ECEC), a product of the National Compensation Survey, measures employer costs for wages, salaries and employee benefits for nonfarm private and state and local government workers. ECEC news releases are published quarterly.
The average cost for legally required benefits, such as Social Security and Medicare, came to $2.43 per hour worked in the private industry, or 8.2% of total compensation in December 2013. Social Security comprises the largest legally required benefit cost component at $1.39 per hour, or 4.7% of total compensation, the Bureau said. Legally required benefits such as Social Security and Medicare are often directly linked to wages; therefore, higher paid occupations or industries will typically show higher cost estimates for this compensation component, the Bureau added.
Costs for other legally required benefits include workers’ compensation, which averaged 43 cents per hour worked (1.4% of total compensation); state unemployment insurance, which averaged 23 cents per hour worked (0.8%); and federal unemployment insurance, which averaged just 4 cents.
Private industryemployer costs for paid leave benefits averaged $2.05 per hour worked. Private
industry paid leave benefit costs were highest for management, professional and related occupations.
ECEC data on total compensation, wages and salaries, and benefits in private industry are produced annually for 15 metropolitan areas. Metropolitan area data will be included in a news release set to be issued June 11.
Plan Now to Celebrate National Employee Benefits Day on April 2nd
Originally posted on https://www.ifebp.org/
According to the Employee Benefits Research Institute, almost nine in ten people don’t think they’ll have enough saved when they get to retirement. Study after study provides data pointing to the same conclusion: A crisis is coming. Are your plan participants prepared for it?
This year, the focus of National Employee Benefits Day is to increase awareness of the retirement crisis, and to help plan sponsors motivate participants to actively engage in their financial wellness.
To help make financial wellness more urgent for your participants, we have created a number of resources that will help cut through the clutter and provide simple tools to get them thinking about their future.
Get started with these helpful handouts that explain key terms for: Retirement Plans [PDF],Investments [PDF] and Credit [PDF].
Social Media, New Technology Drive Healthy Behaviors
Originally posted March 04, 2014 by Kathleen Koster on https://ebn.benefitnews.com
Employers and wellness vendors can elevate worker engagement to new heights by reinforcing healthy behaviors through the seamless application of emerging technologies. From using big data to identify and manage at-risk employees to combining biometrics with the social health version of Facebook, EBN looks at three areas of new technology that can help spur wired employees toward well-being.
Virtual trainers and clinics
According to the National Institutes of Health, users who have a weight-loss coach are 214% more likely to lose weight than those without. However, for most employees hiring a personal trainer is not financially feasible. Yet the interest is there: 74% of American adults want, but cannot afford or accommodate, a “traditional” personal trainer, says David Joseph Aguayo, regional vice president of sales at Anthem National Accounts.
As an alternative, Anthem provides a trainer-centric approach to wellness that doesn’t break the bank. The health insurer partnered with online trainer FitOrbit to provide virtual fitness and real-time, Internet-based coaching. Members begin by answering short questionnaires covering their dietary needs, exercise habits and preferred coaching styles. Based on their individual responses, they are matched with a list of nationally certified personal trainers. After selecting a trainer, the employee electronically receives a customized fitness and nutrition plan and ongoing coaching – the latter via the modern miracle of unlimited texting, plus a weekly personal exercise plan – to support their goals.
In an independent 20-week study, active FitOrbit users consistently lost an average of 1.3 pounds per week. Over three years, the tech platform’s own data shows 0.83 pounds per week of weight loss across all users.
Anthem also delivers the robust benefits of onsite clinics to employers who could otherwise not afford them, using similar technology.
“For employers that want to provide easier access to care or have onsite clinics, but don’t have the financial resources to invest in a brick and mortar facility, online care is way to explore that,” says Aguayo.
Using a new Anthem app, employees can seek medical advice through a live video chat feature that was launched late in the fourth quarter of 2013. Thereby, the employer can drive primary care access for employees without the major cost burden. The white-glove concierge service for health, as Aguayo describes it, gives members access to qualified and very experienced care professionals who can help assuage health issues and prescribe medicine for primary care needs, such as headaches or fever. The best part is the app engages employees where and how they want to be engaged, using text, instant messaging or phone.
The app also helps to keep employees going over the long run, in programs and resources they would ordinarily not participate in. For example, if a member calls in with a question about their health, the customer service advocate uses that opportunity to connect them with a coach or nurse.
“We’re leveraging our technology and investing in our people and trying to engage and create a whole new health experience that’s just in time [for the consumer]," says Aguayo.
Instead of “dialing for dollars” outreach, which most vendors employ to reach as many people as possible, Anthem advocates let members know what’s available at the point in which they’re actually asking for it, when they call in for help on their own.
Aguayo points out that 27% of people Anthem is trying to outreach to and engage with will call customer service in next three to six months to ask a question. That’s a great opportunity to tell them about the resources, capabilities and incentives available.
“We look at every possible pathway to engage people,” says Aguayo, emphasizing the role that technology and, in particular, mobile outreach has in today’s workplace.
Target outreach with big data
Another wellness vendor, Healthstat, implements patient engagement and behavior modification outreach via its electronic health records system, Pro-change Behavior Systems. The behavior change technology and coaches can identify employees’ level of readiness to change their behavior as well as how to best engage them.
“It’s not enough to know their risk profile, you need to know where they’re at, mentally and emotionally, and their readiness to change,” says John Kaegi, chief corporate strategist of Healthstat, Inc.
The system derives information from e-clinical employee health records to channel employees toward healthy living by combining behavioral science and employees’ risk assessments.
On the provider side, the technology prompts the coaches or trained clinicians to ask their patient the right questions, based on the patient’s risk analysis and their readiness to change. They can also proactively reach out to clients before they visit the clinic.
“It’s a lot easier when you have all the information at hand...to change behaviors,” says Kaegi.
The health risk assessment survey includes questions on readiness to change along with their risk profile. Straightforward questions (and some indirect ones) help triangulate their information to gauge a patient’s consistency. The program also culls data from the employee’s biometric screening results so the coach knows their data, even if they fail to mention that they smoke or have a certain health issue.
For example, the survey may ask how many times they tried to diet in the last 12 months. If the individual is not mentally ready to change, they may not have dieted before or have just tried brief stints at losing weight.
The Pro-change Behavior System uses a trans-theoretical model on how people change health behaviors and what spurs them to change. Based on decades of research, this model asserts that people fall into five stages of behavior change: pre-contemplative, contemplative, preparation, action and maintenance.
Kaegi says that 80% of Americans are stuck between pre-contemplation mode, meaning they don’t think they need to change, and contemplation, which means they wish they could change, but don’t know how.
Based on this model, the Healthstat program uses a different approach than what doctors may use. If a morbidly obese person sees a doctor, that professional likely advises them to diet or they will suffer greater health risks and eventually die prematurely.
“Sharing information and warnings just doesn’t work with people who are in [high risk] categories. What does work is an understanding, listening and caring coach who can walk them through the change at their own pace,” says Kaegi. Doctors don’t have time for this type of approach, he adds.
If a pre-contemplative obese person is targeted by Healthstat’s process, their coaches suggest the individual schedule an appointment at the clinic by a certain date. If they don’t make an appointment, then the coach is prompted by the electronic health record. A trained coach calls the individual and convinces them, kindly and patiently, to go to an appointment the coach will schedule. Once at the clinic, their staff can treat patients for health complaints like a sore throat or ear infection and then spend the remainder of the 25 minute appointment helping them begin a journey of personal health.
For this program, the employer would need access to an onsite clinic or they could combine with other smaller employers who can’t afford an on-site clinic to participate in a near-site location.
Sharing biometrics online for social support
In their new platform, online wellness facilitator Keas combines a social media front end with biometric integration to offer employees a fun, social and supportive environment to improve their health while building camaraderie in the workplace. Companies such as The Cheesecake Factory, Pfizer and Salesforce.com are customers of the platform, which offers employees customized content specific to their individual health needs. Safeway and Target have recently signed on as well.
When not working or watching TV, adults spend a great deal of time on Facebook and other social media platforms. Keas has created a “Facebook for your health,” says CEO Josh Steven, where employees can share healthy meal ideas and exercise routines in an online community where their peers can like their posts and exchange comments. Comments bring people back into the platform, increasing engagement and making health a two-way street.
Participants can also join groups for challenges and goals as well as enter company-wide challenges to take more steps or eat more greens. Since the platform is fully integrated with quantifiable data from their personal measurement and accountability devices, such as FitBit bracelet trackers, employees can upload their results and receive actionable advice or feedback on how to achieve their daily fitness goals.
A longitudinal health profile that gives employees a basic overview of their individual well-being and health risks provides them with a visual representation of how they are improving their health over time. In addition, quizzes, challenges, weekly goal setting and healthy breaks will be tailored to address high risk issues such BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, and pre-diabetes. The platform sets small goals to teach users how to accomplish weekly objectives no matter where they are in their personal health journey.
“Give them information that they can use, that’s actionable and not too medical,” says Steven.
The program requires employees use their names because they behave better, says Steven, though he says those taking part have few qualms because “the tone and quality of participation is positive and encouraging."
While employees can share their biometric information (after agreeing to a pop-up that ensures they are fully aware of the risks sharing their private information), most people instead share examples of how they’re improving their health. For example, individuals will post, “how I reached over 12,000 steps a day” or “how I managed my stress.’”
"Users’ stories are not medical in nature, but they relate to medical conditions that carry high risk factors and drive up health care costs. We approach it from the ‘how to’ or a ‘what you can do’ approach, rather than from hard data," explains Steven.
All too often, a person with high risk factors will stop attending coaching sessions because they fail to do their homework. They feel guilty so they stop participating. This program, which can integrate coaching, suggests manageable and fun goals from which the participant chooses three each week.
"Tech has to be presented in a way that it's not technical. Employees don’t want to know about what tech is used; they want it to be easy, fun and social. We look at technology as an enabler and a tool that makes health fun and social and allows integrated data," says Steven.
Steven believes that the more people are social about their health, the more they can be proactive and make changes like improving their diet and exercising.
“When communicating with peers about losing weight, improving your diet or reversing metabolic screening rates, as long as you’re not alone and have colleagues to share with, collaborate and encourage you, that really drives behavior change,” he says.
IRS Issues Additional Final Regulations for Play or Pay Rule
Originally posted on March 05, 2014 on https://www.treasury.gov
On March 05, 2014, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released final rules to implement the information reporting provisions for insurers and certain employers under the ACA that take effect in 2015.
“Today’s announcement is part of the Administration’s effort to provide certainty and early guidance about major health policies so employers, small business owners and other individuals can plan for 2015,” said Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy Mark J. Mazur. “Treasury’s final rules significantly streamline and simplify information reporting while making it easier for employers and insurers of all sizes to provide the quality, affordable health coverage that every American deserves.”
While 96 percent of employers are not subject to ACA reporting requirements or the employer responsibility provision because they have fewer than 50 employees, in 2015 requirements begin to phase-in for the remaining four percent of employers that are required to offer quality, affordable coverage to employees or make a payment. The final regulations released today on information reporting by those employers will substantially streamline reporting requirements for employers, particularly those that offer highly affordable coverage to full-time employees. Final rules were also released today to provide guidance for reporting by insurers and other parties that provide health coverage under the ACA. Together, these rules respond to feedback from stakeholders and will help employers and insurers effectively comply with their responsibilities.
These additional final rules include the following key provisions:
Single, Combined Form for Information Reporting
Employers that “self-insure” will have a streamlined way to report under both the employer and insurer reporting provisions. Responding to widespread requests, the final rules provide for a single, consolidated form that employers will use to report to the IRS and employees under both sections 6055 and 6056, thereby simplifying the process and avoiding duplicative reporting. The combined form will have two sections: the top half includes the information needed for section 6056 reporting, while the bottom half includes the information needed for section 6055.
- Employers that have fewer than 50 full-time employees are exempt from the ACA employer shared responsibility provisions and therefore from the employer reporting requirements.
- Employers that are large enough to be subject to the employer responsibility provisions and that “self-insure” will complete both parts of the combined form for information reporting.
- Employers that are subject to employer responsibility but do not “self-insure” will complete only the top section of the combined form (reporting for section 6056). Insurers and other providers of health coverage will report only under section 6055, using a separate form for that purpose. Insurers do not have to report on enrollees in the Health Insurance Marketplace, since the Marketplace will already be providing information on individuals’ coverage there.
Simplified Option for Employer Reporting
- For employers that provide a “qualifying offer” to any of their full time employees, the final rules provide a simplified alternative to reporting monthly, employee-specific information on those employees.
- A qualifying offer is an offer of minimum value coverage that provides employee-only coverage at a cost to the employee of no more than about $1,100 in 2015 (9.5 percent of the Federal Poverty Level), combined with an offer of coverage for the employee’s family.
- For employees who receive qualifying offers for all 12 months of the year, employers will need to report only the names, addresses, and taxpayer identification numbers (TINs) of those employees and the fact that they received a full-year qualifying offer. Employers will also give the employees a copy of that simplified report or a standard statement indicating that the employee received a full-year qualifying offer.
- For employees who receive a qualifying offer for fewer than all 12 months of the year, employers will be able to simplify reporting to the IRS and to employees for each of those months by simply entering a code indicating that the qualifying offer was made.
- To provide for a phase-in of the simplified option, employers certifying that they have made a qualifying offer to at least 95% of their full-time employees (plus an offer to their families) will be able to use an even simpler alternative reporting method for 2015. Those employers will be able to use the simplified, streamlined reporting method for their entire workforce, including for any employees who do not receive a qualifying offer for the full year. Those employers will provide employees with standard statements relating to their possible eligibility for premium tax credits.
The final regulations also give employers the option to avoid identifying in the report which of its employees are full-time, and instead to just include in the report those employees who may be full-time. To take advantage of this option, the employer must certify that it offered affordable, minimum value coverage to at least 98 percent of the employees on whom it is reporting.
For more information, see sections 6055 and 6056 final regulations here.
Study Reveals Importance of Personal Interactions in Return-to-Work
Originally posted March 03, 2014 by Kristy Tugman on https://www.voluntary.com
Most HR managers are aware of the impact that disability absences have on an organization’s bottom line. But what they may not realize is that the costs associated with these absences are also having an effect on the global economy, as businesses everywhere struggle with getting disability-related costs under control. In fact, one study showed that disability costs were 8 to 15% of payroll in 2002. Seven years later, a similar study found that statistic to hold true, while also suggesting that disability costs would rise by 37% in the future due to the aging population.
Other studies confirm that disability costs are indeed a concern for countries around the world: the U.K., Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Australia and Canada all report escalating disability payments. In Norway, for example, disability payments are about 2.4% of the country’s gross domestic product. And Canada reports that close to 10% of its working population is receiving disability benefits.
Unfortunately there’s no magic bullet for solving the challenge of disability absences, as employers have come to realize. But with so little research supporting effective techniques for return to work, most employers would agree that it’s time for researchers to explore the possible factors − particularly behavior-based techniques that have shown promise − involved in helping employees get back to work successfully.
A recent qualitative study of employees in a cross-section of industries, including manufacturing, television production, financial services and the legal profession, explored patterns and trends of those who went out on disability and their return to work experience. The findings were particularly instructive for employers seeking answers for how to motivate employees on disability to make the transition back to work.
Positive and negative consequences
The study identified several key themes of note, starting with the consequences of not returning to work. The researcher concluded that participants in the study experienced a range of consequences that evolved throughout their experience of being out of work. These included negative consequences, such as financial impact (not having enough money to pay the bills), a loss of personal identity (defining one’s self in terms of job duties) and a loss of control (over one’s destiny). Yet consequences could also be positive, with some participants expressing relief that they didn’t initially have to resume their job duties.
It also became clear that personal interactions were very important as motivators, and were linked to both positive and negative consequences. Not surprisingly, the most significant interactions for employees were those with their co-workers and managers. Employees who experienced negative interactions with their manager had a decreased sense of connection with their employer – and were less motivated to return to work. In addition, participants indicated that when their manager reached out to express concern about their disability, it helped to strengthen their sense of loyalty to the company. However, if a manager reached out only to inquire about when they planned to return to work, it put undue pressure on the employees and created anxiety.
Interactions with co-workers were even more significant for employees. Employees noted that positive interactions with their fellow workers made them feel as if they “owed” it to their peers to return to work. But when co-workers failed to reach out to those who were out on disability, employees said they felt a strong sense of disappointment and isolation.
Although it may seem counter-intuitive, the study revealed that negative consequences related to a loss of identity and control were factors that led to return to work in many cases. Employees expressed a direct connection between their identity, self-worth and work. Some participants said they were motivated to return to work because they feared “losing themselves” if they did not.
Likewise, when employees gave control to their physician about their return to work, they were not as likely to return. Initially, most of the participants did release control to their doctor, but as they began to recover from their disability, they slowly took control back through small steps toward independence and each made the decision to get back on the job as they felt more in control.
The findings from the study have clear implications for employers. For example, although co-workers play an important role in helping employees with disabilities feel connected to the company, they are often unsure about how to appropriately stay in touch. Some said they didn’t want to bother the employee or intrude on what they were going through. One simple way to reach out is to send a card from the team, letting the employee know he or she is being thought of. In addition, managers can contact the employee to ask about their well-being, rather than requesting a return-to-work date.
Employers also need to realize that what type of consequences the employee is experiencing can be useful in helping overcome the barriers to return to work. The study showed that what an employee was thinking and feeling played a significant role in influencing the level of recovery. For instance, when employees started to believe they were in control, they felt a sense of empowerment. When they began to take responsibility for their productivity, they saw it as a positive sign that they could adapt and ultimately recover and return to work.
If rehabilitation practitioners and employers can understand the consequences an employee is experiencing, they can both interact and intervene more effectively with their employees who are out on disability to produce a successful return to productivity – an outcome that is beneficial to all.
Despite Delayed Key Provision, Health Care Reform Triggers Benefits Action Among Employers
Originally posted March 03, 2014 on https://www.voluntary.com
Employers report impact on benefits funding, opening opportunity for voluntary benefits
NEWARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With Affordable Care Act deadlines imminent in 2014 and 2015, employers are reporting the increased impact of health care reform on various aspects of employee benefits. According to Health Care Reform: Full Steam Ahead, the first in a series of five research briefs based on The Prudential Insurance Company of America’s (Prudential’s) Eighth Annual Study of Employee Benefits: Today & Beyond, nearly half (49%) of employers report they are extremely or very likely to make a high-deductible health plan their only health insurance option.
“The Affordable Care Act could very well usher in a new era for and emphasis on voluntary benefits. More employers are utilizing them for recruiting and retaining talent and employees increasingly view them as a cost-effective way to protect their families’ financial futures.”
“Although employers anticipate scaling back benefit offerings due to cost considerations, there’s great opportunity for them to offer voluntary benefits in order to continue providing attractive benefits to their employees,” said Vishal Jain, vice president, Strategy, Planning and Business Insights, Prudential Group Insurance. “The Affordable Care Act could very well usher in a new era for and emphasis on voluntary benefits. More employers are utilizing them for recruiting and retaining talent and employees increasingly view them as a cost-effective way to protect their families’ financial futures.”
According to the report, 73% of employers say the law is having an impact on benefits service and support and 69% report there is an impact on benefits communications. “With a shifting benefits landscape, carriers are now focused on being a trusted resource for employers while offering a full spectrum of services such as enrollment communications, benefits education, record keeping, and administrative services,” Jain said.
In addition to highlighting the law’s potential impact on voluntary benefits, health insurance exchanges central to the legislation are top of mind for employees surveyed. Key findings include:
Employees are increasingly confident more Americans will be covered under the Affordable Care Act (43%, up 7 percentage points from 2012). An expanding number feel fewer employers will offer health insurance (44%, a 13 percentage point increase from 2012), and 38% of those employees believe their employer will drop coverage.
Most employees report having neither a favorable nor unfavorable opinion toward both public and private exchanges.
About one-third of employees report they have heard of but know little about public or private exchanges while one-in-five say they have never heard of either before the survey.
“As employers evaluate the implications of public and private exchanges, the importance of their partnerships with carriers will continue to grow. Employers will look for carriers that provide value, make benefits administration easier, help employees make better benefit decisions, and provide excellent customer service,” said Jain. “We’re poised to support our customers with innovative and cost-effective benefit solutions, coupled with a full array of services designed to improve employees’ financial wellness.”