Tax-favored FSA dollars can make the holiday season brighter

We can all agree that the last few months of the year can be among the most joyful — and the most challenging. Work deadlines, holiday travel and expenses, gatherings to plan and attend, cold-and-flu season all collide, leaving employees grateful and exhausted, content and stressed out, fulfilled and overfed. It's a sprint that may feel more like a marathon, and it can take a financial, mental, physical, and emotional toll on even the steadiest among us. 

HR teams and employers may see the holiday hubbub manifest itself in decreased employee motivation, absenteeism, reduced concentration, and overall lower productivity. In addition, more than half of employees say they have more stress than usual during the holidays, and about one in five say their overall well-being declines, according to a Monster poll. That's no way to end a year, much less ring in a new one. 

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What can your team do to address this trend? Employers can bolster spirits and help employees maintain their good health — or maybe even lay the groundwork for a healthier path in 2025 — by reminding employees about available benefits that support their financial, physical, and mental health. 

One easy and timely step is to encourage employees to check their flexible spending account (FSA) balance. With the December 31 use-it-or-lose-it deadline close at hand, it's the perfect time to use extra FSA dollars. Not only can employees save money (always a welcome bonus around the holidays), but they can also purchase FSA-eligible health and wellness products to help counteract the season's stress for themselves and their families. 

Here are a few ways FSAs can help employees indulge themselves in well-deserved self-care and comfort — while wisely spending their tax-free dollars.

Treat common holiday illnesses 
Nothing takes the shine out of the holidays faster than a bout of the flu or even a common cold. Employees can find relief for that cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, muscle aches and fever with an assortment of over-the-counter treatments to help bodies feel better faster and heal more comfortably.

Relieve pain
After long hours of screen time at work, extra shifts for sales and manufacturing teams, and late nights prepping for holiday festivities, employees may find relief from chronic or acute pain with soothing massage tools, hot and cold packs, custom orthotics or devices like a TENS unit. Braces and supports, joint supplements, and infrared body wraps can also help provide relief, and all are FSA eligible. 

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Soothe away tension and headaches
The stress of the holidays can trigger or exacerbate migraines and tension headaches. Remind employees in need of relief about FSA-eligible products to treat headaches, including hot or cold eye masks, pain relief patches and medication, sleep aids, and a heated migraine relief device for a high-tech touch. 

Manage mental health
According to the American Psychological Association, 43% of people say stress interferes with their ability to enjoy the holidays. This increased stress can even lead to physical illness, depression, anxiety, and trigger increased substance use. Remind employees that their mental health and well-being are always a priority. Finding time to fit in convenient, confidential therapy is easier with FSA-eligible telehealth services from companies like BetterHelp. 

Improve, track, or manage conditions
There are so many eligible high-tech tools to help employees stay on top of their health conditions. Explore everything from digital thermometers to blood pressure monitors, personal EKG monitors to health trackers, over-the-counter hearing aids, electronic insect sting relief, and more. Employees may even want to gift one of these devices to themselves or their eligible dependents.

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HR teams can make it even easier to use FSA dollars by making sure employees know how to access and use their accounts, find eligible products, and who to talk with when they have questions. Also, communicate important dates such as the December 31 spending deadline and any carryover or grace periods, if offered. 

Is it possible to tame holiday stress? Not entirely. Yet among all the noise, activity, and expense, employers can encourage employees to take care of themselves and to take advantage of available benefits to help alleviate some of the season's side effects, which creates more time for the season's joy.