In the midst of a global health crisis, employees are looking to their leadership for support and guidance now more than ever before, and among the top ways employers can provide support right now is through benefits.
Bill Gimbel, President of LaSalle Benefits, shares the 4 benefits employers should be sharing with their teams right now:
Telehealth
Telehealth gives employees the ability to visit a doctor virtually through a secure website or video conferencing platform. People can seek medical advice without sharing germs with anyone, which is crucial right now. Many large insurance carriers have temporarily waived cost sharing for members’ telehealth coverage to make it more accessible during the pandemic. Most major insurances have approved Telehealth but Medicaid/Medicare has not, as of now at least. Contact your insurance vendor to learn about their Telehealth options.
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)
Working from home and being isolated for long periods of time not only can get very lonely but coupled with mentally managing a global health crisis, it can build immense anxiety and stress. EAPs offer confidential counseling with employees being able to speak to a mental health professional over a phone or video call to ease anxieties. EAP’s can help employees struggling with personal or work-related issues.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
An employee’s FSA can be used to help lessen the impact medical expenses can have. Because an FSA is a pre-taxed account, using this money for all applicable purchases can help save an employee money. Consider refreshing employees on what their FSAs can and can’t be used for, like on deductible copays, medicine and other health related purchases, eye care, diet and nutrition resources and in some cases baby/child products or household cleaning products.
Wellness Programs
Popular wellness programs offered to employees include smoking cessation programs, diabetes management programs, weight loss programs, preventative health screenings, mindfulness programs and gym memberships. Encourage employees to continue utilizing these wellness programs as a part of their normal routine.
If you offer gym memberships as an employee perk, see if the gym is offering online classes or virtual resources. In a time of such uncertainty, it’s crucial that employees stick to their routines pre-pandemic. If that means working out or meditating, there are countless resources being generously offered at little to no cost amid COVID-19 that you can provide your employees a list of.
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