Archive for March, 2011

Are your employees educated on their benefits?

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

When is the last time you asked your employees if they could tell you about their benefit package? Do your employees understand the benefits you are providing? Most likely the answer is “No.”

Unfortunately many companies have not made it a priority to communicate to their employees the information regarding their benefits. This needs to change. Although employees may not be asking about their benefits it’s so important as an employer to make sure you are taking the time to communicate this information. Someone might ask, why should we care? Understanding benefits will help both the health and financial security of your employees, two things that are key to employee retention. With the cutbacks of HR employees and the confusion around the health reform, it’s sad to say that the communication is lacking. Employees are signing up for benefits and not really thinking through their selections.

What are some of the things you can do as an employer to help educate your employees?

  1. Make sure you understand how your employees prefer to receive benefit communication. Is it by email? Mail? Phone?
  2. Are you working with a benefits to broker to make sure you are getting the best and most appropriate packages for your employees?
  3. Are you tailoring your communication to specific people in your company rather than sending out mass emails etc…?
  4. Research shows – about 24% of employees surveyed indicate that they tend to choose the same benefits; 44% read some information and possibly discuss options with a relative or friend, but in general don’t make many modifications from year to year.

Educating and communicating to your employees the importance of understanding their benefits is key to a healthy work environment. If you have questions regarding benefits it’s always important to contact your benefits adviser.

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Music, Laughter, & Your Health

Friday, March 25th, 2011

When is the last time you laughed out loud? When is the last time you listened to a good song? In a recent article on CNN.com it explains that researchers found that people who took part in bimonthly group sessions built around music or laughter lowered their systolic blood pressure (the top number in the reading) by an average of five to six points after three months. By contrast, the average blood-pressure reading in a control group that received neither therapy didn’t budge.

This shows that there must be a psychological effect happening. The heart and mind are very much connected and using these types of alternative remedies to lower blood pressure are very promising.

Here are 5 ways to fight stress and help your heart:

    1. Focus on relaxation - stress-reduction techniques and exercises such as yoga, meditation, and tai chi have been shown to lower stress hormones and bolster immune function.
    2. Connect with friends – spending extra time with friends can help not only with your mental health, but with your heart health. Laughing and sharing experiences together are very healthy activities for the entire body.
    3. Don’t hold grudges - research suggests that people experience more psychological stress and higher heart rates when they hold grudges than when they grant forgiveness.
    4. Laugh & lighten up – laughter can burn up to 20% more calories than keeping that poker face, according to a 2005 study, which monitored adults while they watched funny and not-so-funny film clips.
    5. Cut the caffeine – caffeine can quickly raise your fight-or-flight response and all the attendant stress hormones.

      We hope these tips will help you stay healthy. Health and wellness are very important, especially if you are struggling with stress at work. Make sure you understand the importance of your employee’s health and overall wellness.

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      You hired a new employee – now what?

      Wednesday, March 16th, 2011

      When you are working with new employees and addressing an enrollment plan there are some very important steps to take. Here are a few of the steps to help you make the process flow from the beginning to the end. Even if your HR department takes care of these steps, it’s important as an employer or an employee to be aware of the process. 

        1. Provide the new employee with a pre-employment benefits newsletter.
        2. Make sure the employee has the links to all online forms so they can review coverage options.
        3. Supply the new employee with information for registering on carrier website.
        4. Speak with the employee regarding for for spouse. For example the spousal allowance compliance form.
        5. Provide the employee with a benefits comparison if multiple plans are offered.
        6. Make sure the employee is aware of all annual notices required by federal and state law.

          After the employee has gone through eligibility the next step is to address the follow items.

            1. Speak with the employee on how claims are filed, processed and the general time it takes for turnaround.
            2. How to resolve claim issues and who to speak with.
            3. Procedures to address questions and concerns.
            4. Makes sure the employee has all ID cards ad they are printed correctly.

              If you have questions regarding any of these steps it’s important to speak with your employee benefit adviser.

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              5 TIPS TO MORE HAPPINESS!

              Thursday, March 10th, 2011

              Sometimes it’s easier to say you are happy than to be happy. As part of our focus on health and wellness we are going to look at 5 things will make you happier. It’s not always easy to do these things, but thinking about them everyday will help inspire you to be happier. We hope you can take a few minutes and look over these tips.

              1. Be Grateful: Take a few minutes everyday to be grateful, perhaps it’s sending a thank you note or a letter to a good friend. Studies have shown that when be are grateful they have an increase in happiness.

              2. Be Optimistic: Optimistic thinking is very important to happiness. Waking up in the morning, smiling, and telling yourself  you will have a good day will lead to increased happiness.

              3. Count Your Blessings: Research has shown that people who sit down each week and write three good things that have happened to them are happier. This exercise gives people the ability to reflect on the positive things in their lives, rather than negative things

              4. Commit Acts of Kindness: Helping others can help yourself. By doing acts of kindness you will feel better about yourself and ultimately lead to a happier lifestyle. Small acts of kindness count as well. Spending a few hours helping a friend, donating to a charity, or volunteering are simple ways to help another.

              5. Use Your Strengths: What are you good at? What do you shine at doing? Using your strengths will make you happier and will also make the people around you happier. Are you good at organizing meetings? If so, you should be the one arranging them and ultimately this will make you happier.

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              BROKER, CARRIER, OR DOING IT YOURSELF?

              Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

              After a recent survey conducted by BayPoint Benefits in early February, it was very obvious that people are unaware of the difference between working with a Benefits Broker, working with a Carrier, or doing it yourself. Most of the confusion comes with the costs associated. Have you ever asked yourself, what is the least expensive way to do something? Most likely the answer is yes. People tend to gravitate to finding ways to cut costs and very often the natural thing to do is go directly to the person that is offering the services you are looking for, example would be Kaiser. However, this is not the case with benefits. By working with a Benefits Broker you are not only getting the extra personal touch and specialized services, but in some cases you are saving money.

              So here is the breakdown to help you next time you are deciding how to implement employee benefits into your company.

              1. The definition of a Carrier is as follows: the organizations that for a contractual fee underwrite the payment of losses or costs incurred by the policyholder within the conditions of the policy. For example this the type of company we know as Blue Shield, Kaiser, etc… Working directly with a carrier especially when you have a large amount of employees can be very confusing and you will not be getting the extra benefits a broker can offer and the specialized services.

              2. The definition of a Broker is as follows: one that acts as an agent for others, as in negotiating contracts, purchases, or sales. In the case of a Health Benefits Broker you may think that you are spending more because you are getting more services, but this is not the case. You are getting the added benefits of working with a broker for the same amount of money. Some of these benefits may include, human resource services and specialized plans for your employees.

              3. Doing it yourself: if you decide to implement health benefits into your organization by yourself be prepared for a lot of work. Although you may feel like you are spending less money, you are spending more because of the time it will take. For individual health benefits doing it yourself is okay, but when you are signing up an entire company it’s very important to use a Health Benefits Broker.

              If you have any questions be sure to contact a Benefits Broker to help you understand the process.

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