Employee Benefit Adviser - July/August 2020

Top Women in Benefit Advising

The Top Women in Benefit Advising class of 2020 proffer their best advice to counter both conscious and unconscious bias in the workplace.

Our Top Women in Benefit Advising for 2020 are making their mark on the industry with their ambition, innovation and leadership.

“I didn't want to have to work my way up. I wanted to start at the top,” says Aida Swanson, one of Employee Benefit Adviser’s Top Women in Benefit Advising for 2020.

Workplace strategies and benefits need to support employees during a crisis that address the whole person — financial, connectedness, and physical and behavioral health.

Around 63% of workers say their company could do more to support their emotional and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Within this group, 22% said their company’s response was “barely adequate,” “a disaster” or “non-existent.”

Right now, access to affordable credit is crucial for many, as 1 in 5 American households has lost income due to the pandemic, and unemployment offices are overwhelmed with claims.

An early look at the impact from the economic shutdown was not as bad as feared, while industry insiders see opportunities for advisers and sponsors to talk up the value of retirement and emergency savings.

A benefit provider believes the coronavirus crisis highlights the need to help employees with financial wellness.

Employees are expensing work equipment and health and hygiene supplies, leaving businesses the task of deciding whether to pick up the bill.

Before COVID-19 kept everyone still, these key executives made some strategic moves within the benefits space.

Machine learning will help companies hire more efficiently and safely as they begin to look toward the future post-pandemic.

With an eye on boosting internal mobility and promoting strong mental health, more employers are investing in learning and development.

A company created a kiosk to help employers deal with privacy concerns over taking temperatures at the office.

In order to maximize the plans fiduciary responsibilities, a contract with appropriate terms and definitions must be in place to allow the plan to exercise their right to carve-out prior authorization.

Leading through this crisis requires empathy for what people are going through now and understanding how living through this crisis will shape people’s expectations around work and non-work lives.

An early look at the impact from the economic shutdown was not as bad as feared, while industry insiders see opportunities for advisers and sponsors to talk up the value of retirement and emergency savings.

The majority of U.S. workers do not have enough savings to help them in the event of a medical emergency and often turn to their retirement funds for help.

The pandemic highlights why employers must have well-defined core values and communication strategies.

The Ava bracelet predicts a woman’s fertility window with 89% accuracy, which is helpful for employees struggling to become pregnant.

When employees feel the pressure to deliver better results in a short amount of time, they are less likely to attempt riskier innovations.

Employee mental health is a workplace crisis, with frontline workers struggling with increased anxiety and depression during the coronavirus pandemic.