Talking Benefits

It's that time of year again (cue the ominous music)... but this year's open enrollment experience may be a lot different for some organizations. We talk about best practices and tips from our members on taking open enrollment to the digital world. Read the research report we refer to in this episode: www.ifebp.org/research Check out the Case Studies in Annual Open Enrollment virtual conference and all other IFEBP virtual conferences: www.ifebp.org/virtualconferences Become an International Foundation member today: www.ifebp.org/membership

Talking Benefits producer Rose Plewa reads her blog post on what mental health professionals are terming "the next pandemic" or the "third wave" of COVID-19. You can read this great blog post and many others at blog.ifebp.org.

We all know sleep is important, but not everyone gets their full eight hours each night. In this episode we talk about why employers should care about their workers' sleep habits and how they can help them log some more zzz's.

Talking Benefits host Julie Stich talks about why EAPs may be one of your organization's most vital assets in the wake of COVID-19. You can read the full blog post at blog.ifebp.org

The world has changed. Over the past few weeks, we’ve experienced a dramatic shift in conversation—Organizational leaders are working to find how these discussions become part of our day-to-day work. Talking Benefits Producer Stacy Van Alstyne gives her take on a recent webcast put hosted by the International Foundation. You can watch the webcast at www.ifebp.org/webcast

Many employees are being called back to the workplace as states begin to lift their COVID-19 regulations. We discuss how that weighs on the minds of workers and what employers can do to make the transition a bit easier.

This is a Benefits Bonus – an extra bite-sized episode to bring you some added benefits content between our regular episodes. Read the blog post on which this Bonus Benefits episode is based here: https://blog.ifebp.org/index.php/support-the-mental-health-of-employees

We're continuing our COVID-19 series and in this episode we talk about how the pandemic is impacting employer-sponsored health plans. Find a link to the survey mentioned in this episode and many more coronavirus-related resources at www.ifebp.org/coronavirus

We're back after our brief hiatus with a new COVID-19 series. This episode we talk about how the pandemic is impacting employer-sponsored retirement plans. Find a link to the survey mentioned in this episode and many more coronavirus-related resources at www.ifebp.org/coronavirus Discover the magic of compounding for yourself! Watch the video Anne mentioned here: https://youtu.be/vkzXoJkpk_Y And check out this video outlining several of the items we discussed in this episode: https://youtu.be/38JbZwFTXq4

Its award show season and we're asking the same burning question you are - why aren't employee benefits represented on the big screen?! This episode we dive into how the characters in our favorite 2019 flicks could have utilized their employee benefits. So grab some popcorn and hit play!

2019 is almost over, so we're taking a look back at the biggest benefits news headlines of the year. Plus we'll let you know what to watch out for in 2020.

Musculoskeletal medical claims (try saying that three times fast!) have risen to the top of the list of most costly conditions for employers. Why? What can you do? We talk to a chiropractor and offer solutions to CRACK down on your claims costs (see what we did there?).

Even though our culture is opening up about mental health, the stigma persists. We talk about how employers can start to break down the barriers and help their employees deal with mental health issues. Want to read the blog post we referenced in the episode? Click the link below. https://blog.ifebp.org/index.php/support-the-mental-health-of-employees

Open enrollment season is here! We're bringing back our most popular episode for an encore. This episode is sure to answer your burning questions about this crazy time of year!

It's back to school season, which means many are taking out student loans. We talk about why employers should care and what they can do to ease the burden for employees.

Summer is here and that means shorts and tanks. But what about in the office? We're talking relaxed dress code, early outs, biking to work and other summer benefits and policies companies are putting in to place as they put on their shades.

This episode we're keeping it all in the family talking about family-friendly benefits. Maternity leave policies, flex time and 529 plans... oh baby! LINKS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE Word on Benefits Blog post on single-friendly and family-friendly benefits: https://blog.ifebp.org/index.php/single-friendly-workplace Elder Care Benefits episode: https://soundcloud.com/ifebp/episode-17-elder-care-benefits Trendy Employee Perks episode: https://soundcloud.com/ifebp/episode-16-trendy-employee-perks

Employees aren’t all financially savvy and it may be impacting your bottom line. We discuss how your employees’ bank accounts affect your workplace productivity and what you can do about it. LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW: www.ifebp.org/retirementsecurity EMPLOYER TOOLS: Financial education program checklist http://www.ifebp.org/pdf/financial-education-checklist.pdf Sample employee assessment survey http://www.ifebp.org/pdf/misc/Financial-educational-needs-assessment.pdf List of questions when hiring a vendor http://www.ifebp.org/pdf/misc/Questions-for-FInancial-Vendors.pdf Retirement plan checklist http://www.ifebp.org/pdf/misc/RetirementSecurityChecklist.pdf EMPLOYEE/PARTICIPANT RESOURCES: Budgeting worksheet www.ifebp.org/pdf/misc/NEBD-YourBudget.pdf Retirement planning worksheet www.ifebp.org/pdf/misc/NEBD-PictureYourself.pdf Communications toolkit www.ifebp.org/news/featuredtopics/retirementsecurity/Pages/financial-fitness-toolkit.aspx Retirement 101 www.ifebp.org/retirement101 VIDEOS: A T

What can you do for employees struggling with substance abuse? Find out how to be a supportive employer, make the recovery process easier for your employees and how to avoid fraud in your plan.

Everyone gets stressed, but what happens when your staff members are too stressed to be productive? This episode we talk about how stress affects the bottom line and how employers can help their staff decompress.