Benefits Buzz

Did you know that about half of employees don’t understand their benefits, and 80% of employees never even open communications about benefits? Many employees often feel confused about their benefits plans options, especially if their employer is using “complicated HR jargon” in their benefits messaging. Bri Boerner, Senior Operational Writer, Global Talent Development at WEX and Hayden Goethe, Senior Content Marketing Strategist at WEX, join us to talk about their tips on how employers can effectively communicate benefits messaging to their employees in a way that’s relatable and easy to understand.

A potential upcoming recession means companies are looking for ways to cut costs, but employee wellness still remains top of mind for many employers. In a recent survey, 55% of businesses said they will not reduce salaries if there is a recession, and 47% said they will not reduce benefits. Ryan Filipek, lead benefits analyst here at WEX, joins us to share his advice on how to advocate for employee benefits and justify your expense plans during benefits budget conversations with leadership.

At the end of January, President Biden informed Congress that he planned to end the two COVID-19 national emergencies on May 11, 2023. Recently, House Joint Resolution 7 passed the House and Senate and was delivered to President Biden on April 5, 2023, resulting in immediate termination ahead of the expected May 11th date. From an employee benefits and COBRA perspective, this means that temporary extensions introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic will also expire. Let’s talk with Jill Longo, Director of Compliance, Health at WEX, about what the end of the COVID-19 national emergencies means for COBRA, FSAs, and more.

Disclaimer: This episode was recorded prior to President Biden signing legislation to seemingly end the COVID-19 National Emergency effective April 10, 2023.

HSAs offer an excellent opportunity for participants to save money on healthcare expenses and for employers to support their employees’ wellness needs in a cost-efficient way. But it’s important to remember that there are HSA rules and regulations you and your employees need to follow in order to stay compliant. Join us as we talk with Jason Cook, Vice President of Healthcare Emerging Markets at WEX, about HSA rules for employees, designing an HSA program, and how to keep HSAs exempt from ERISA.

Now that a new benefits plan year is underway, it's time to shift participants from how to "choose" their benefits to how they "use" their benefits to ensure a positive experience. We’re opening Season 6 of our Benefits Buzz podcast with a webinar recording hosted by our new Benefits Buzz host Nathan Coverstone. Our guests share tips and best practices to help you best support your employees in the new plan year.

Inflation and a declining financial market have resulted in nearly half of Americans unable to cover a $400 emergency medical expense. Compound that with 50% of employees leaving jobs for mental health reasons and many HR professionals are facing a perfect employee wellness storm. As employees turn to their employers for financial, physical, and mental support, HSA Day 2022 aims to provide meaningful tools and educational resources on one particular benefit that meets the needs of a variety of employees: the health savings account (HSA). Check out our HSA Day webpage to learn more!

Our guests: 

Tori Dunlap: Globally-Recognized Money Expert and CEO/Founder of Her First $100K

Jennifer McClure: CEO of Unbridled Talent & DisruptHR

While HSAs can be used for saving, spending, and investing, many HSA participants are simply using the accounts to save on their needs today. Valeria comes from a family full of past and current HSA users who leaned on these accounts specifically for spending to save on expenses such as copays and dentist appointments. Plus, she’ll share her experience growing up in a Spanish-speaking family and her role on our implementation team and what that means for HSA and benefits education.

HSA Day is October 15! Learn more about the benefits of an HSA. 

ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance. And, chances are, if your company isn’t focused on ESG, it might be falling behind the competition in a variety of ways. More than 90% of S&P 500 companies publish ESG reports in some form. In the second episode of our two-part series, we take ESG reporting a level deeper by talking with two of our HR representatives who worked directly with our report. How were they involved? And why is this something every HR team should be thinking about?

Check out WEX’s ESG report here. 

ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance. And, chances are, if your company isn’t focused on ESG, it might be falling behind the competition in a variety of ways. More than 90% of S&P 500 companies publish ESG reports in some form. What is ESG? And why is showing your ESG data externally important? In the first of a two-part series, we introduce why ESG has become such a business-critical topic in 2022.

Check out WEX’s ESG report here. 

The tax law for VEBA has been around for nearly 100 years, but VEBA usage and popularity has evolved over time. Funded HRAs with a VEBA trust are a really popular benefit for unions and within the public sector. How well do you know VEBAs? Can they make a difference for those who depend on you? We’ll talk through the basics of VEBAs. Listen/watch to learn more, or check out our blog post.