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  • We’ve discussed it before, and we’re here to discuss it again – telehealth. The COVID-19 pandemic transformed our lives in ways we never knew were possible. From working remotely to completely separating ourselves from everyone, it was undoubtedly a shock to our systems. While the pandemic negatively affected our everyday lives, it certainly had a handful of positives. While telehealth was a thing of the past, it became more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic when we were all stuck at home. Continue reading to learn its benefits for business owners and their employees.

    What Is Telehealth?

    Telehealth, often referred to as telemedicine, allows your health care provider to care for you without an in-person office visit. You can talk to your health care provider live without having to leave your house, send and receive messages, and use remote monitoring so your health care provider can check on you at home.

    There is a variety of specialized care you can receive through telehealth, including the following:

    • Lab test or x-ray results
    • Mental health treatment, including online therapy, counseling, and medication management
    • Recurring conditions such as migraines or urinary tract infections
    • Skin conditions
    • Prescription management
    • Urgent care issues such as colds, coughs, and stomach aches
    • Post-surgical follow-up
    • Treatment and follow-up appointments for attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
    • Physical therapy and occupational therapy
    • Remote monitoring services that help you track your health goals and manage chronic conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol

    Telehealth continues to be one of the fastest-growing trends after the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, nearly four in 10 American adults (39%) have now utilized remote health care services, representing an exponential growth from 2019.

    Let’s Take A Deep Dive Into What This Means For Employers

    Employees are looking for benefits that reflect their culture and values. You can see this throughout the Great Resignation when 43% of employees quit their jobs and left for better benefits. The following are the benefits of providing your employees with access to telehealth which can promote equity and make for a more inclusive benefits environment:

    • Provider diversity options
    • Accessibility and convenience
    • Safety
    • Affordability – saves employees money
    • Offers speedy access to care
    • Supports mental well-being
    • Provides competitive advantage
    • Enhances productivity and performance

    A significant part of retaining a productive and diverse workforce is ensuring your employees feel appreciated and cared for. Providing this benefit to your employees allows them to communicate with health professionals without visiting a doctor’s office.

    Telehealth also means saving you time and money. Employers can reduce costs and cut down on missed work related to health issues. Ultimately, telemedicine helps employers in lowering the expense of their health care plans. A study by the Jefferson Health System dictated that each avoided emergency department visit accumulated cost savings ranging from $309 to more than $1,500. Telehealth visits cost, on average, $79 compared to $146 for a doctor’s visit and $1,734 for an emergency room visit.

    GMS Can Help

    Looking at the advantages telehealth provides your employees, and your business is a no-brainer. Telehealth is a benefit you should begin offering to your employees. Group Management Services (GMS) provides your employees with 24/7 access to a free doctor as part of our premier employee benefits administration service through Teladoc. The convenience of Telehealth saves you and your employees time by cutting out travel and sitting in waiting rooms. In addition, it limits the need to take time off work to fit an employee’s ailments into a doctor’s schedule and cuts out costly co-pays. At the end of the day, healthy employees are good for every business. Contact our HR experts about adding telehealth services to your business’s health plan. You’re just one click away from helping your employees stay healthy and productive.

  • Your employees spend the vast majority of their waking hours in the workplace. Whether they’re conducting work in the office or in a remote office, employees are managing workloads, engaging with customers and other employees, and are tasked with the daily pressures of performing their job duties. This ultimately leads to poor mental health at work.

    To improve the well-being of your workforce, have you considered enhancing your employees’ benefits package? You’re most likely familiar with benefits such as health insurance, retirement plan options, vision and dental insurance, pet insurance, and more; however, perhaps an employee assistance program (EAP) could be the perfect fit for your business.

    Continue reading to better understand what an EAP is and its benefits for your business.

    What Is An EAP?

    An EAP is a voluntary, work-based program offering free and confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and follow-up services to employees with personal and work-related problems. They typically offer employees free counseling benefits, which are usually alongside a company’s health insurance plan, so they have a stable and reliable outlet for managing workplace stress and anxiety.

    How Does An EAP Work?

    An EAP aims to connect employees with counselors and other support resources when they’re struggling, whether in their personal life or with work. Typically, the resources provided through an EAP are free, with a 24/7 line your employees can call. Calls are completely confidential and administered through a third-party provider. This allows your employees to feel comfortable expressing their problems to someone whom they can trust and rely on for support.

    The following are common areas that an EAP can help your employees with:

    • Nutrition
    • Anxiety
    • Depression
    • Grief during the loss of a loved one
    • Legal issues
    • Relationship issues
    • Basic medical advice
    • Finances
    • Substance abuse

    An EAP is designed to assist your employees in the interim; it’s not a long-term solution. When your employees talk to an EAP professional, they help them identify the root of the problem and then provide an action plan. If additional measures should be taken, that will be determined as well.

    Benefits Of Having An EAP Within Your Business

    Life’s challenges can negatively impact your employees’ productivity and performance when they cannot cope with them. When you provide them with an EAP, they gain access to resources to help them cope with their situations and speak to someone during challenging times. Ultimately, it can even benefit you, the employer, as it can reduce the negative impact on your company’s bottom line and overall morale. Alongside that, the following are the benefits of offering an EAP at your business:

    • Improved productivity
    • Stress management
    • Decreased absenteeism
    • Reduced accidents and fewer workers’ compensation claims
    • Greater employee retention
    • Affordable resources
    • Employee-focused culture

    How Do I Create A Successful EAP?

    The most critical step in creating a successful EAP is asking your employees what services would be beneficial to them. Consider following the below steps when creating your own EAP within your business:

    1. Gather employee feedback – Ask your employees where they’re struggling and what They believe may remedy the situation.
    2. Explore provider offerings – There are many EAP providers, each having its own plans and services. Be sure you do your research and weigh out all the options to determine which one would be the right fit for you and your employees.
    3. Compare the numbers – Every plan has its own limitations on the number of covered employees, the number of services offered, and how often your employees can access the service.
    4. Integrate it within your existing benefits plan – Once you find the right plan, it’s time to work with your EAP provider to integrate the services into your existing benefits package.

    Partner With GMS

    When you partner with a professional employer organization (PEO) like Group Management Services (GMS), you gain a partner that will help you implement this within your business every step of the way. In addition, GMS has contracted with Espyr to provide employees and their family members with a comprehensive EAP. Our EAP provides your employees with the following services:

    • Legal and financial consultation
    • Child care information
    • Elder care services
    • Adoption specialists
    • Academic resources
    • Pet care services
    • Special needs services

    Contact us today to learn more.

  • When employees are set up for success, companies enjoy the benefits. Happy, motivated employees are likely to be more productive and satisfied with their jobs, reducing turnover. While there are many options you, as an employer, can provide to create a great place to work, there are factors outside of the workplace that have a direct impact on the overall well-being of your employees.

    An employee assistance program (EAP) is one tool employers can use to help stressed-out employees and improve morale and work performance. Let’s break down what an EAP does, how it benefits both employers and employees, and how your company can get the most out of its program.

    What Is An Employee Assistance Program?

    The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) defines an EAP as “a work-based intervention program designed to assist employees in resolving personal problems that may be adversely affecting the employee’s performance.” These intervention programs are designed to give employees support for private matters until they can find a more permanent solution.

    Employee assistance programs are a great way for businesses to improve their overall employee productivity and health. The programs provide employees with access to confidential counseling and support, as well as referral services for mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and other services. An ideal EAP should meet the criteria listed below:

    • Confidential – Given the personal nature of employee issues, EAPs should allow employees to seek support privately and anonymously.
    • Accessible – Services provided by an EAP should be accessible online and easy for employees to contact during and outside of work hours.
    • Available – Services should be readily available to all employees and immediate family members who are eligible for the program.
    • Short-term – EAPs aren’t meant to be permanent sources of aid. The services an EAP provides are designed to give employees access to key services and short-term help until they can find a good, long-term solution.

    The exact form of support can differ greatly from program to program; however the goal is the same – to give employees the support they need to address factors that impact their mental and emotional health.

    Examples Of Employee Assistance Programs

    The average EAP provides a wide range of services aimed at providing critical support for your workforce, but the exact offering can vary from program to program. It’s most common for EAPs to address a number of personal issues, including the following concerns:

    • Relationship challenges
    • Grief over the loss of a loved one
    • Financial or legal problems
    • Stress management
    • Mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD
    • Substance abuse
    • Workplace or domestic violence
    • Crisis management

    EAPs offer confidential, professional counseling and support to employees, free of charge. Some can even be accessed via phone, text, or email 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

    While EAPs were traditionally developed to support personal issues, modern programs have expanded to include further services. Employers have found that several additional stressors impact work-life balance and an employee’s future plans. As the workplace evolves, modern EAPs have also included the following forms of support:

    • Childcare
    • Eldercare
    • Adoption specialists
    • Retirement planning
    • Living wills
    • Pet care
    • Academic and tutor resources
    • Personal and professional development

    Benefits Of Employee Assistance Programs

    More stress means more problems for both employees and employers. According to Gallup’s 2022 State of the Global Workforce Report, a whopping 57% of U.S. employees reported feeling stress on a daily basis. By alleviating that stress, EAPs can help businesses enjoy the following benefits:

    • Reduced absenteeism
    • Increased productivity
    • Better morale
    • Improved retention
    • Stronger applicant pools

    Reduced absenteeism

    Outside stressors can often lead to employees taking additional sick days or simply calling off to attend to personal issues. EAPs give employees the means to alleviate those stresses. A study by Federal Occupational Health (FOH) found that companies that offer EAPs saw a 69.2% decrease in absenteeism by giving employees access to various means of personal support.

    Increased productivity

    Just because employees are physically at work doesn’t mean that they’re productive. Behavioral health concerns such as stress, anxiety, or depression directly impact how engaged employees are at work. That same FOH study found that employees with access to assistance programs were 22.8% less checked out while on the job and more invested in their work.

    When an employee has an issue that’s causing them to miss work or perform poorly, it can trickle down to affect the entire department’s productivity. Having a program in place that helps individuals deal with these issues before they become a problem is a great way to be proactive.

    Better morale

    Another benefit the FOH found was that EAPs could improve employees’ sense of overall well-being. Studies found that EAPs increased users’ life satisfaction by 24.2% by addressing stressors that caused personal distress. In turn, employee morale is substantially better when employees take advantage of EAP services.

    Improved retention

    Simply put, stress makes good employees leave. EAPs show employees that your business cares about their well-being, making them less likely to suffer burnout or look for a fresh start somewhere else. In addition, EAPs can help prevent employees from being fired by helping them manage personal issues before they negatively impact their work performance.

    Stronger applicant pools

    Assistance programs can also encourage solid talent to join your business. According to SHRM, 76% of employees “Consider mental health benefits to be a critical factor when evaluating new jobs.” An EAP is a clear sign that your business takes employee mental health seriously.

    How To Get An Employee Assistance Program Started

    Getting started can be overwhelming. Here are some tips on how to launch an EAP plan:

    1. Decide what kind of EAP you want. Do you want one that caters specifically to your company’s needs, or do you want a one-size-fits-all program?
    2. Decide on a budget. Your budget will be an important consideration when choosing an EAP. You can calculate how much it will cost per employee by year or month to get a baseline—it might be less than you expect!
    3. Research different EAP providers—they should all have websites where you can read about their services and compare pricing and the benefits offered. Analyze the information from each provider and choose one that best fits the overall needs of your company.

    Another option is to contact your company’s insurance provider and see if they offer an EAP service. For a truly turn-key experience, you can hire a third-party agency to broker an EAP program for your business. It’s important to keep in mind that the size of your business may ultimately determine how many options are available to you.

    Once you have done the heavy lifting of choosing a program and getting an EAP in place for your business, it’s critical to focus on employee communication. It’s important that everyone in your organization, from HR to management, understands their role in the program and how to assist if an employee needs assistance from the program. In addition, it’s crucial that the EAP rollout is well communicated throughout your organization so that each employee understands the value of the program, what is being offered to them, and how to take advantage of this benefit.

    How To Maximize The Value Of Your Employee Assistance Program

    Offering an EAP is one step. Getting employees to use it is another. National studies find that EAP utilization averages just under 10%, but not because the programs are ineffective. SHRM reports a couple of key reasons for the low usage rate:

    • Privacy concerns – Employees either feel uncomfortable sharing personal issues or are afraid that employers will gain access to their personal health information.
    • Lack of promotion – Companies either don’t promote these programs efficiently, or employees aren’t aware of how to access services.

    Even with low participation numbers, employers who offered an EAP typically enjoyed a return on investment of at least $3 for every $1 spent, according to the 2020 Workplace Outcome Suite. Still, there are ways that businesses can encourage better EAP participation and receive even more value from their programs.

    Regularly promote EAP awareness

    It’s not uncommon for employees to only hear about their EAP once during the onboarding process or when the program launches. It’s best to give employees regular reminders about their EAP and how to access these services. These reminders can come in multiple forms – during annual meetings, email updates, etc. Regardless of how you send the message, multiple reminders will only increase the odds that employees will utilize these services.

    Stress your commitment to privacy

    It’s not always easy for individuals to admit they need help. That said, it’s essential to communicate that employees can privately access services online or on the phone around the clock.

    In addition, employees should understand that their interactions with these services are completely private and are not shared with the employer or others within the company. By stressing the private nature of an EAP, employees are more likely to explore these services on their own terms.

    Work with HR advocates

    It’s not always easy to manage the various aspects of benefits administration by yourself. Fortunately, you don’t have to promote and manage your EAP alone. The right EAP provider can help you maximize the effectiveness of your program.

    GMS partners with businesses to offer critical assistance and educate employees about how to best utilize these services. We help employers deliver a quality benefits package without having to spend the time to administer these benefits by themselves, including group health insurance, assistance programs, and more.

    Ready to enhance your employee benefits package? Contact us now about how GMS can help you save time and money through expert benefits administration.

  • With the state in which the economy is, employees and employers are struggling significantly. Whether it’s keeping up with the rise in prices for necessities or the labor shortage business owners are facing, these are challenging times. Employees need the support of their manager now more than ever to overcome these obstacles we’re all facing.

    As a business owner, the head of a company, or a manager with an organization, take a minute to think about whether you bring a positive impact on your employees’ mental health. Do you check in with your team regularly? You don’t have to discuss every detail of life outside of work. However, it’s essential that you let your employees know that you’re there for them if they need someone to talk to. Effective managers check in with their direct reports’ emotional state, are nurturing and ready to help, keep track of their direct reports’ goals, and offer constructive feedback.

    The Workforce Institute at UKG surveyed 3,400 individuals across 10 countries to spotlight the critical role our jobs, leadership, and managers play in supporting mental health in and outside work. Let’s see what they discovered.

    Survey Results

    Managers impact their employees’ mental health 69% more than doctors (51%) or therapists (41%) and even the same as a spouse or a partner (69%). More than 80% of employees would rather have good mental health than a high-paying job, and two-thirds would take a pay cut for a job that provides better support for mental wellness. In addition, work stress negatively impacted 71% of employees’ home life, 64% of their well-being, and 62% of their relationships. Finally, one in three employees said their managers fail to recognize their impact on their team’s mental well-being.

    Help Your Employees

    In an effort to avoid violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, non-discrimination laws, and confidentiality laws, leaders were previously taught to avoid discussing mental health with employees. However, in recent years, that’s no longer the case. Leaders are encouraged to check in with employees who appear distracted, tired, or stressed. To model work/life balance for your team, managers should share their challenges and stress-coping strategies. Managers who openly discuss stress convey the message that they can discuss their problems without feeling stigmatized. 83% of U.S. employees suffer from work-related stress, which causes around one million workers to miss work every day. Workplace stress typically makes up a substantial amount of the general mental health crisis. This could then lead to significant drops in productivity and burned-out employees.

    Consider Partnering With GMS

    Have you considered outsourcing your HR functions to a professional employer organization (PEO) like Group Management Services (GMS)? We take on the administrative burdens you don’t have the time or expertise to manage effectively. If you have employees that are struggling with their mental health, how can you help them? An easy step to help your employees is to enhance your benefits package. We work with you to create a unique benefits package that your employees want and need. Whether it’s adding mental health benefits or simply providing you access to telemedicine, we’ve got you covered. Telemedicine gives your employees free access to physicians around the clock, allowing them to connect via phone, video, or over the internet 24/7. It’s just one of the many benefits of our group health coverage. Interested in learning more about how you can help your employees? Contact us to learn more.

  • During a press conference on February 2nd, 2023, President Joe Biden announced he signed a memorandum laying out a national program of paid family and medical leave for employees. The conference also marked the 30th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave. Eligible employees are entitled to the following:

    • 12 workweeks of leave within 12 months for:
      • The birth of a child and care for the newborn child within one year of birth
      • The placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care and to care for the newly placed child within one year of placement
      • To care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition
      • A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her job
      • Any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent is a covered military member on “covered active duty”
    • 26 workweeks of leave during a single 12-month period to care for a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness if the eligible employee is the servicemember’s spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin (military caregiver leave)

    Improvements That Will Be Made

    As millions of workers across the country still face impossible choices between keeping a paycheck and caring for their families or themselves, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken proactive steps to assist these workers. Alongside this announcement at the press conference, they will continue to take action on national paid family and medical leave, affordable childcare, and home and community-based care so that all Americans can care for and financially support their families.

    President Biden’s memorandum will support Federal employees’ access to leave. It specifically calls on the head of Federal agencies to better support the access to leave without pay for Federal employees. In addition, it will also build on additional Administration efforts, improving access to and awareness of family and medical leave, which include the following:

    • Ensuring military personnel have access to 12 weeks of paid parental leave
    • Support paid leave efforts in states
    • Assisting employees that are impacted by cancer to understand their rights under the FMLA

    Alongside these efforts, the actions will also build on actions taken to support the economic security for women and families, which include:

    • Protecting the health and economic security of pregnant workers
    • Extending protections for nursing employees
    • Increasing investments in early childhood education and childcare
    • Supporting women’s rights to be safe in the workplace and free from sexual harassment and assault

    Additional Steps That Should Be Taken

    While there’s still much work to do to help employees during times of need, it’s essential as a business owner to take additional steps to ensure your employees get the help they need. While laws constantly change, perhaps you focus on enhancing your benefits program offerings. Do you currently offer benefits to your employees? Are there any other benefits you could offer your employees? Do you currently provide maternity leave? The main question you should ask yourself during these unprecedented times is, how can I stand out from my competition? In a tight labor market, you must find ways to stand out from the competition, and the number one way to do that is through your benefits program. Companies that offer great compensation and benefits to employees experience 56% lower attrition.

    So, where do you begin? Partner with a professional employer organization (PEO) like GMS to help you stand out from businesses similar to yours. While we offer HR, risk management, and payroll services, we also help you choose a competitive benefits program that your employees want and need. As HR professionals, we take on the administrative burdens that companies don’t have the time or expertise to manage effectively. Contact us today to get started.

  • We all know that the COVID-19 pandemic affected individuals and families worldwide. Most recently, inflation has flooded into the daily lives of Americans, causing the price of necessities to skyrocket. It remains clear that the highest inflation we’ve seen in decades has affected individuals in ways you may not have considered. Inflation is defined as the rate at which the cost of a good or service increases. The cost of food, housing, gasoline, utilities, and other goods have skyrocketed by 7.7% over the past 12 months – nearly a 40-year-high. While inflation is hitting just about everyone, low-income households are experiencing it a little harsher than others as employee wage increases fail to keep up with inflation. This has forced families to shift their budgets to cover the necessities needed to survive these challenging times.

    Cutting Back On Retirement Savings

    Many Americans have had to reevaluate their retirement saving habits because of inflation. A survey showed that half of U.S. adults saving for retirement had to pause their saving efforts in 2022 because of inflation. On top of that, 32% withdrew from their retirement savings, and 41% indicated they stopped contributing to their retirement funds. While inflation may seem like it’s winding down ever so slightly, inflation is not going away anytime soon. Kelly LaVigne, VP of Consumer Insights, Allianz Life, expressed, “While we all hope that the pace of inflation will slow, it will take time to moderate. Consumers need to prepare themselves by talking to a financial professional and incorporating ways to help fight the effects of inflation into their portfolio so that long-term inflation doesn’t affect retirement.”

    Tom Smith, Director of Retirement Services at GMS, stated, “With inflation increasing and the cost of living rising, it’s essential you are saving in your 401(k), especially if your company offers an employer match. You’re leaving free money on the table if you stop contributing altogether. If you’ve exhausted all options for cutting back on spending and are still looking to dial back your deferral amount, try and take full advantage of the employer match. This means if you’re contributing eight percent right now, but the match requires you to contribute at least five percent, don’t decrease your contribution to less than five percent. If you want to retire at some point, you need to have a variety of sources to draw income. It’s important to pay yourself first, and a 401(k) is a great option to do that with convenient payroll deductions and tax advantages.”

    How You Can Step In As An Employer

    As we all remain concerned about the economy and how it could affect you, it’s essential as a business owner to ensure you take every step to help your employees. For starters, if you don’t already offer a retirement plan for your employees, consider doing so. From there, consider matching your employee’s contributions. Employee matching is the best way to maximize your retirement savings while also receiving benefits for your business. If you’re unsure where to start, contact Group Management Services (GMS). GMS is a professional employer organization (PEO) that helps small businesses by taking on the administrative burdens you don’t have the time or expertise to handle. We help in all areas of your business, whether it be risk management, HR, benefits, or payroll, we do it all. We can help you set up a fully customizable retirement savings plan that makes your company more attractive to quality employees. When you partner with GMS, you can easily establish the following:

    • 401(k) eligibility requirements
    • Vesting schedules
    • Tax-deductible matching
    • Profit-sharing

    Contact us today so, you can begin helping your employees during these challenging times.

  • As the state of Michigan anxiously awaited the decision on minimum wage, the Michigan One Fair Wage v. Attorney General case results are in. On January 26th, 2023, the Michigan Paid Leave Medical Leave Act (PMLA) and Michigan Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act implemented in 2019 will remain in place. They found that the Michigan Legislature needed more constitutional authority to adopt and subsequently amend two 2018 ballot initiatives. If this had passed, the minimum wage would have increased to $12 per hour in 2023 and increase tipped wages to the full minimum wage. In addition, it would have enacted one of the country’s most extensive paid sick leave laws. These would have significantly impacted business owners, forcing them to make drastic changes to their paid time off policies (PTO) and procedures.

    What This Means For Business Owners In Michigan

    The good news is that because the lower court’s decision was reversed and given immediate effect, businesses are no longer forced to make significant changes to their PTO policies and wage schedules beginning February 19th, 2023. The minimum wage will stay the same at $10.10 an hour. However, there will most likely be an appeal, so employers will want to keep an eye out for any further developments relating to this case.

    How GMS Can Help

    Everchanging rules and regulations are constant battles business owners have to juggle. However, when you partner with a professional employer organization (PEO) like GMS, you no longer have to carry the weight on your shoulders. We take on all the administrative burdens you don’t have the time or expertise to manage. GMS experts keep you up to speed with new laws and regulations you should be aware of for your business. Save yourself time and contact us today.

  • Unfortunately, diabetes is increasing across the U.S. at an alarming rate. According to the Diabetes Research Institute, 34.2 million individuals, or 10.5% of the U.S. population, have diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. Your body breaks down most of the food you eat into sugar (or glucose) and releases it into your bloodstream. When your blood sugar increases, it signals your pancreas to release insulin. Insulin acts as a key to letting the blood sugar into your body’s cells for use as energy. If you have diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it as well as it should. If there isn’t enough insulin or your cells stop responding to insulin, blood sugar builds up and stays in your bloodstream. Over time, this build-up can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.

    Alongside diabetes, hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common disease among employees. Nearly half of the adults in the U.S. (47%, or 116 million) have hypertension. Hypertension is when your blood pressure, the force of blood flowing through your blood vessels, is consistently too high. The main way that high blood pressure causes harm is by increasing the workload of the heart and blood vessels, making them work harder and less efficiently. Over time, this force and friction of high blood pressure damage the delicate tissues inside the arteries.

    Your Responsibility As A Business Owner

    Chances are high that you have employees with diabetes. As a business owner, it’s your job to ensure your employees feel safe and comfortable in their work environment and, ultimately, outside of work. For employees that have health conditions such as diabetes, it’s even more important to ensure they have everything they need should an emergency take place. You must create a supportive culture for your employees with diabetes and create health benefits that include a more personalized approach to their care. Giving your employees access to affordable care and tools is essential to attract and retain the talent you need. The following are practices you can take to create a safe environment for employees who have diabetes:

    • Create a private or dedicated space for blood glucose monitoring or insulin delivery
    • Have on-site educational programs that promote awareness of diabetes
    • Offer workday flexibility for employees that need to make in-person or virtual health appointments
    • Promote a healthy workplace by encouraging and supporting health-related activities throughout the day (taking walks, adding a workout area in your building, offering gym membership reimbursement, and more)
    • Offer healthy and diabetic-friendly snacks and meals

    When you help your employees who suffer from this disease, it can ultimately help save your company money in health care costs, increase productivity, and reduce absenteeism. Providing your employees with the resources they need to achieve their wellness goals can, in turn, improve your bottom line.

    Diabetic Management With GMS

    At GMS, we understand how challenging it can be to wear multiple hats simultaneously. However, when it comes to your biggest asset, your employees, it’s essential that you do everything you can to make them happy and create a healthy environment. When it comes to employees with a disease such as diabetes, you may have to reconsider what you’re currently doing and determine how you can improve your efforts to support these specific individuals better. When you partner with GMS, you gain access to our diabetic management program as part of our premier employee benefits administration. We help employers and their employees transform their health, change lives, and create new opportunities for everyone through diabetic management with OneDrop. The artificial intelligence-powered program associated with diabetic management adapts to every participant’s specific conditions, including:

    • Diabetes
    • Prediabetes
    • High Cholesterol
    • High Blood Pressure

    Through OneDrop, it supports individuals on their journey to better health by providing diabetes testing supplies and blood pressure monitors. When you offer a diabetic management program to your employees, you’re providing them with the tools to, ultimately, transform their lives. They’ll have access to living healthier lives and regain their time and power. The program provides online health data tracking, health coaching, and other resources to access from anywhere.

    “Diabetes is one of the most expensive conditions for employees and their family members, directly impacting employers and productivity. The indirect cost equals $3.3 billion in absenteeism from the workplace, with an average of $26.9 billion annually. Furthermore, living with chronic conditions predisposes people to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Multi-condition programs such as OneDrop help make the connection between chronic conditions rather than treating each as a competing health narrative,” expressed Beth Kohmann, Vice President of Benefits at GMS.

    Reimagine possible and contact us today to get started.

  • Trying to balance raising a family, especially young children, and working a full-time job is quite challenging, especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. As schools were shut down and children had to learn remotely, parents had to figure out how to teach their children while working their full-time jobs. In addition, if parents couldn’t work remotely during the very beginning of the pandemic due to their occupation, trying to find a quality, affordable childcare added a whole new layer of stress. However, don’t forget that daycare centers and other childcare resources had to shut down for an extensive amount of time or reduce their hours, making it even more challenging for parents.

    In response to these unprecedented times, parents had to leave or at least consider leaving the workforce as they struggled to meet their employer’s work-from-home demands while helping their children through school. As a business owner who may face the same challenges as your employees, what can you do to help them and their families?

    Consider Offering Childcare Benefits

    From a survey that was conducted by 2,500 working parents, it was found that 20% of the working parents had to leave their job or reduce hours simply because of the lack of childcare. So, while business owners still face challenges attracting and retaining employees, adding childcare benefits could be your best solution. While you might not be able to add a daycare center within your business, there are plenty of other steps you could take to try and help your employees that have families, including the following:

    • Create support structures for women at work
    • Offer flexible work schedules and remote work for all parents
    • Increase childcare support as an employee benefit
    • Provide on-site or local childcare space and supervision
    • Be understanding
    • Provide what they need to succeed
    • Figure out their availability for meetings
    • Encourage transparency and communication

    Studies show that 64% of employees suffer from stress relating to balancing work and family commitments. If you recognize their feelings of stress and anxiety and take steps similar to the above, you can ultimately reduce the stress levels and prevent your employees from burning out or, worse, developing further mental or physical health issues. Reducing the feeling of stress amongst your employees will create a more positive work environment and more productive employees.

    Additional Steps You Can Take

    At the end of the day, offering childcare services within your business or providing employees with additional income to pay for these services probably isn’t within your budget. Alongside the list of steps you can take to make your employees feel heard and valued, you can partner with Group Management Services (GMS). GMS partners with business owners to make their jobs simpler, safer, and stronger. While we can’t build a child daycare center in the basement of your business, we can help by creating a benefits package that reflects these enhancements. We work with you to develop a plan so your employees can have the work-life balance they need to juggle the constant battle of their kids and careers. Whether it’s adding more paid time off days or providing them with resources to support their need, we’ve got you covered. Your employees are your biggest asset. The last thing you want is for them to leave your company because they don’t have the flexibility they need. Contact us today to learn how we can help you thrive and stand out during these challenging times.

  • The first day at a new job is always a little nerve-wracking. There is pressure to get to know your surroundings and meet your new colleagues. Then, there’s also the pressure of trying to figure out what’s happening next. Do I need to fill out lots of paperwork? Where are my parking passes? Will I have time to get an apartment before the weekend?

    When you start a new job, it’s also extremely important to learn your medical benefits. Your benefits are the set of terms and conditions surrounding your health insurance and other benefits. These often include employee costs, company contributions, and other factors related to your overall employee package.

    But what are classified as “job benefits?” Let’s take some time to explore exactly what job benefits are, looking at both monetary and non-monetary benefits.

    What Falls Under Job “Benefits?”

    You’ve just accepted a new job, congrats! One of the first things you plan to do is tour your new office and meet your co-workers, but before that can happen — you’ll need to read and understand a variety of documents. Understanding how benefits work will help you get off on the right foot.

    Although your new job is exciting, there are a handful of tasks that you need to take care of. One of the most important aspects beyond starting your task is understanding your new employee benefits and insurance plans. These benefits and plans can get quite complex, so you will have to do research in order to fully understand them.

    Most of us are probably aware of traditional benefits, such as health insurance, vision, dental, and more. But there are several options when it comes to these benefits, as well as ones that fall outside of the scope of your normal job perks.

    Types Of Job Benefits

    Work benefits are one of the foundational elements of every organization. These benefits sustain and enrich employees by providing them with various types of services for their day-to-day life. A company that invests in its employees’ well-being is a company that will be more successful. In fact, employees are 70% more likely to remain loyal to their employer if they’re satisfied with their benefits. Let’s go over some of the common types:

    • Disability insurance: Disability insurance is a form of coverage that helps you in case you’re unable to work due to an illness or injury. It typically pays out about 60% of your income for up to two years, with some policies offering longer coverage periods and higher payouts.
    • Health insurance: Health insurance covers medical expenses for employees covered under a plan. As an employee at a company with its own health plan, you may pay part of your medical bills yourself (through co-pays) but will also receive reimbursements from your employer for other expenses related to receiving treatment for an illness or injury during work hours, such as prescriptions.
    • 401(k) retirement plans: Retirement plans are offered by some companies so that employees can save for their future after they retire from working there. Or, so that they have a way to support themselves when they quit working altogether because they no longer feel able to do it anymore due to age or health reasons.
    • Dental insurance: Dental insurance is a form of health insurance that covers most or all of the cost of dental care. It’s a type of indemnity coverage where the policyholder pays a fixed amount to receive medical treatment and reimbursement for covered medical expenses. Dental insurance may also include coverage for routine check-ups and cleanings, as well as basic orthodontics and dentures.
    • Vision care insurance: This pays for eye care services such as glasses and contacts. Similar to health insurance, there is usually an office co-pay, but most of the balance is covered through your insurance plan.
    • Life insurance: Life insurance is a contract between you and an insurance company that will pay out a specific amount of money if you die while covered by your policy. The money is paid out to your beneficiaries (usually family members) as a lump sum—it’s not an income stream they’ll receive over time like social security or disability benefits.
    • HSA and FSA plans: A Health Savings Account (HSA) allows you to pay for medical expenses with pre-tax money, so you can save some money on taxes. An FSA stands for Flexible Spending Account, and it lets you set aside money from your paycheck before taxes are taken out so that when the time comes for medical costs, you’ll have extra cash available without being taxed on it (just like an HSA).

    • Paid time off: Paid time off is one of the most common types of job benefits available for employees today. This benefit allows employees to take time off from work without having to worry about losing their position or salary. This benefit also helps employers because it means they don’t have to find replacements for people who are taking time off from work due to illness or vacation plans.

    • Paid family leave: When someone has an illness or injury in their immediate family, they can take time off of work without losing pay or risking their job. This can be used for illnesses such as cancer or mental health issues. if your child gets hurt or sick, you can also use the benefit for them!

    • Tuition reimbursement programs: Tuition reimbursement programs allow employers to pay for courses or classes taken by their employees while they are working at that company. This type of program can help workers advance their careers by learning new skills or taking classes in fields related directly to their current jobs (such as marketing classes if they work in marketing).

    Outside of these traditional benefits are more modern options. These are more consumer-oriented and go above and beyond. Some of these benefits include:

    • Wellness stipends: The wellness stipend is an additional benefit that your company can offer to employees. It’s typically a monthly amount of money that you receive from your employer in order to use on health-related expenses, such as gym memberships or fitness trackers.
    • Mental health days/programs: Mental health days are an important part of any work environment. They allow employees to take time off when they’re feeling overwhelmed or burned out, and they also help employers make sure that their employees are healthy and safe in the long term.
    • Home office stipends: This is a lump sum of money that will go towards furnishing and decorating your office space so that it’s comfortable, efficient, and functional.
    • Flexible work schedule: You can work from home and set your own hours, or you can work remotely on a project that does not require your physical presence. This flexibility allows you to do other things like spend time with family, take care of yourself, or pursue personal interests.
    • Summer Fridays: Some companies allow their employees to take Fridays off during the summer months when most people are just looking to get out of the office and enjoy the sun. It’s a great perk for those who want to spend time with friends or family, or just need to get away from the daily grind for a bit.
    • Stock in the company: Stock in the company is a great benefit to consider. It gives you a stake in the company’s success, and it ensures that you’re working hard to make sure it succeeds. If you want to be an entrepreneur and build your own business, then having stock in the company is a great way to get started.
    • Free lunches: This is an easy way to save money at work, but you don’t want to get stuck eating the same thing every day. Make sure your employer offers a variety of options so you can mix up your lunch routine while still saving money on food costs.

    How To Choose The Right Benefits

    Once you’ve got a good idea of what the company offers, start thinking about what kind of plan would work best for you and your family. For example, if you have a spouse or children who are covered under your health insurance policy, it might make sense for both of them to use your policy. Not all benefits require you to make a decision, such as free meal plans and stipends. However, deciding on how to best utilize those perks can help you save money. Some questions you could ask yourself when deciding what benefits to accept are:

    • What kind of coverage do I need? Do I need dental, vision, or life insurance?
    • How much does it cost?
    • How much will I have to pay out of pocket for each type of benefit? What about prescriptions?
    • How much will my insurance cover?
    • What’s covered under each plan? You should know what’s covered and what isn’t before you sign up for a plan.

    Ultimately, job benefits matter because they help you to find the right job and also because they can influence your level of satisfaction with the position once you start working there.

    GMS Offers Quality Benefits And Support

    As a business owner, it’s crucial to keep and attract quality employees so you can continue to grow your business. Offering a quality benefits package is one of the best ways to retain and hire top talent. With GMS, our benefits outsourcing services allow your company to offer competitive, cost-effective benefits while you focus on what you do best – running your business. Let’s chat!