Benefits Buzz

The last 18 months have been unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. For our human resources listeners, it’s required you to be nimble and flexible in responding to dramatic changes to your employees’ needs. But with more changes this year as employees return to the office and with employment demand seemingly outweighing supply in many industries, this could be your most open enrollment period ever. Why? Find out in this episode of Benefits Buzz.

You’ve probably been here before … an employee asks you, “When is our open enrollment?” or “Is our office closed to celebrate the upcoming holiday?” even though your HR team has already sent multiple emails to employees with these answers. How can you better get your employees’ attention when communicating important information? Two of our communication experts share their advice.

Human resources professionals are responsible for a wide variety of tasks. However, when it comes to employee benefits, there are ways to reduce the HR workload. Learn the value of integrations with three specific examples of how you can cut down your to-do list with improved technology.

Health savings accounts (HSAs) give you three ways to save on your healthcare costs today. But did you know they also have long-term perks that rival a 401(k) and IRA? Those are just a few of the reasons why the number of HSAs has doubled in the last five years. Learn more about how you can benefit from participating in an HSA. Shop HSA Store using the promo code "WEXPOD10" for $10 off a $100 purchase at www.HSAstore.com.

If you spend your hard-earned dollars on eligible mass transit or parking work-related costs, then commuter benefits can help you save. We walk through the basics of these pre-tax plans so you can learn more about the potential savings.

It’s open enrollment time for most employees. That means this is your best opportunity to save money on your healthcare costs by contributing pre-tax dollars to a variety of benefits options. If you’ve been offered a medical flexible spending account (FSA), we’ll share a few of the reasons a medical FSA could be right for you. Shop FSA Store using the promo code "WEXPOD10" for $10 off a $100 purchase at www.FSAstore.com.

Do you have childcare expenses or care for a disabled loved one? If so, you may be able to save money by participating in a dependent care flexible spending account (FSA) if your employer offers one. Learn the basics of a dependent care FSA, so you can learn how to save money on your dependent care costs.

Check out our blog post to learn more. 

A culture rooted in equality is vital to making sure your business reaches its full potential. It’s no surprise that companies with higher gender diversity in their executive team are more likely to experience above-average profits. But historically, women have experienced unique challenges in climbing the corporate ladder. For example, only 7.4% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women.

Our chair and CEO Melissa Smith sits down to share her journey, what she’s learned along the way, and her suggestions for what companies can do to promote gender equality.

Millennials are now the largest generation of employees in the American workforce, but their Gen Xers and Baby Boomers aren’t far behind. And they will be central to developing self-sustaining and consistent leadership throughout the life of your business. That’s succession planning. We chat with Bethany Berkeley about how to effectively cultivate a leadership lifecycle across generations of employees.

Author. Accomplished swimmer. Motivational speaker. Diana Nyad has been in the national spotlight for nearly 50 years. Her accomplishments in the water are unparalleled: swimming around the island of Manhattan or going from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. But her journey toward these feats was met with all sorts of challenges. Prepare to be inspired by the one and only Diana Nyad!