The spring season signals a fresh start. There seems to be growing optimism as vaccines roll out and workplaces buzz with reopening plans.
Employers and employees are looking ahead to the short-term of returning to the office and to the long-term of what life will be like in a post-COVID world. For employers, that means taking a hard look at the benefits and resources employees need to navigate these uncertain times.
Read more: The 16 most popular employee perks
Most critical for some is rebuilding a strong financial foundation. The pandemic forced more than a third of employees to tap into retirement accounts in order to cover bills and basic expenses. In our cover feature, associate editor Amanda Schiavo explores the importance of offering more than a traditional 401(k) as part of a workplace retirement plan. Benefits like emergency savings, healthcare savings accounts and supplemental insurance can help employees of all ages be prepared for life beyond the office.
Read more: Special report: Retirement in focus
For many employers, the pandemic has challenged them in unprecedented ways. Our 2021 Rising Stars in HR and Advising is making it their mission to help organizations alleviate stress and support employees. Stefanie Cano, an account manager with Thrive Benefits, shared that the tragedy of losing her father to pancreatic cancer has driven her to provide support for those in challenging healthcare situations.
“I like to have discussions with our employee clients regarding our healthcare system. Every time there’s an opportunity to educate, I take it,” Cano says.
Employers are also looking to grow their businesses after scaling back over the past year. More than 80% of organizations plan to hire in 2021, according to Monster. Associate editor Paola Peralta looked into the challenges ahead for recruiting and retaining employees. An additional focus is on supporting women, who have been leaving the workforce at record rates, pushed to the brink by childcare responsibilities and mental health challenges. Benefits that include support for the entire family will be crucial to helping working mothers stay on track and excel.
Read more: Maven is leading the way in women’s and family telehealth
As always, benefits are the key to supporting employees through their everyday challenges. Employers are still ramping up mental health benefits, telehealth support, financial wellness initiatives and more to keep employees productive, happy and healthy throughout a new season and the months ahead.
Please visit benefitnews.com to see more of our coverage on all of these topics as we work to bring our readers the top stories and news impacting the HR and benefits space. Our full digital issue can be found here.
