While most people were delighted to see 2021 leave and welcome 2022, others were apprehensive. How not, after two years? How is it going now that we are well into 2022? Is it business as usual? What are the new benefits package trends?
Do you need to alter anything? If you think something isn’t right, check out the top three benefits trends of 2022. And always keep diversity in mind.
Flexibility and hybridity
You’ve heard it before. But you’ll hear it a lot. Why?
It’s the top non-salary benefit companies may provide.
The Future of Benefits webinar featured Jennifer Schoenig, VP, Guardian. In it she says we’ve adapted to new habits and lives. Work and life have become increasingly intertwined. It’s becoming commonplace.
Schoenig, who works from home, enjoyed her first coaching experience. The time obligations and commute never permitted it before.
But not everyone wants to stay home all day. Some miss their coworkers. Others, alone or with kids, desire to get out of the home. Each side has advantages.
Perks at work
Being in the workplace enables people to create networks and interpersonal skills quicker. And you don’t need to plan meetings to have a chat you could have in the hallway or at a colleague’s desk.
To recruit and retain talent in 2022, companies will need to state they have flexible work arrangements, including date or time.
Nearly two-thirds of companies expect at least some of their employees to be remote by 2022, said Gene Lanzoni, Guardian SVP, Thought Leadership. They’re more equipped than ever for remote work. Since the epidemic began, most have embraced remote work technologies. When most employers were worried about keeping customers and increasing their firm. To keep workers in 2022, employers must figure out the best workplace model.
Community Benefits
But establishing community and engaging remote employees must be prioritized.
Don’t overlook folks who work from home, urges Schoenig. Invite them to work. Tell them they’re always welcome. And ask people who aren’t nearby to join in.
She also recommends video meetings to ensure everyone is paying attention and not multitasking. Also, make sure you allocate individuals fairly. Don’t simply give something to folks outside your door.
How can you make the workplace a place where workers desire to be?
Why did I come in here today? workers must not be able to say. Why didn’t I do it at home?
Schoenig says Guardian has core days of Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. They provide Free Lunch Tuesdays and Wellness Wednesdays. They strive to mix it up and give benefits that workers don’t receive at home. People regard it as again. Not only a chance to cooperate.
Make it a terrific experience when someone comes in, says Schoenig.
Improved emotional and mental health program
Who cares about mental health?
Let’s face it. It hasn’t been easy. Also, one in five individuals has mental health concerns each year, and 55% of persons with mental illnesses go untreated.
It’s been years. It’s only that the epidemic increased awareness and conversation about the concerns, lowering the negative stigma.
While many businesses do provide mental health benefits, they are underused. So how can you increase employee use of mental health resources?
Accessibility
Access to care is a significant barrier. Nobody knows where to begin.
Mental health benefits must be accessible for starters, says Guardian’s John Modica. Access must be digital, and resources must be flexible to meet employee demands. Treatment should incorporate self-paced cognitive behavioral therapy tools tailored to each person’s requirements. This may involve coaching, care navigation assistance, online and in-person counseling, and medication management.
Not knowing about these perks won’t help them utilize them. Take the effort to regularly convey benefits and collaborate with your care provider to guarantee employee use and result.
Mental health services must also cater to the varying expectations of generations.
Companies must demonstrate employee care to retain and recruit top talent. And one method is to demonstrate you care about their mental health.
A method that caters to all generations’ demands and perspectives seldom succeeds. You can customize employee benefits for each generation, Modica says. Millennials prefer benefits options, paid time off, remote employment, schedule management, and flexibility. Meeting these requirements may improve mental health.
Also, consider your workers’ preferences for benefit packages. Much depends on demographics. Geography. Age spread. Gender. And local cultural norms and traditions. Are your employees close to an international border, or state border? This can affect their taxes. Making benefits more complicated. But remember the old adage: when in doubt, offer more money.
Develop and implement a comprehensive employee benefits leave plan for trends.
Following the outbreak, 75% of businesses modified their unpaid leave policy. We all know what that did to AI prospects.
According to a report published in the Guardian, this pattern will continue until 2022.
That this happened is not unexpected when you consider that COVID-19 spurred the creation of brand new or independent COVID-19-related rules. It was an absolute necessity. As of now, 80 percent of employers report that senior management’s awareness of the importance of leave management. This increase of awareness is due significantly as a result of COVID-19. Furthermore, the large number of employees who have had to take time off to care for the culprit. That is to say, a family member or their illness. The number of people in this situation has increased significantly.
Transformation thinking
In the words of Garlande Patz, COVID-19 transformed the thinking of leave management. The pandemic creates a venue to allow companies the chance to do a reset on leave policy truly. Patz is at Guardian, his official title is Leader and Sr. Absence Management Practice. Thus, the epidemic is shining a focus on how important it is to support workers’ mental well-being. In addition, it is also highlighting the fact that many firms did not have rules or procedures in place. Procedures that allow employees to take paid time off to care for a family member.
From a policy standpoint, there has been a significant increase in policy changes. Consequently, increasing the number of businesses providing paid family leave benefits in recent years. Some of this is due to the implementation of COVID-19. Still, some companies expect to see several paid state leave regulations, many of which provide coverage for family care. Employers also want to make sure that their corporate rules align with the state’s benefits, which may be complicated.
From the perspective of the process, COVID-19 has also identified various shortcomings. Because of the process the most significant shortcoming is workers’ lack of information about their company’s leave policies. When it comes to taking time off, workers are particularly interested in knowing what benefits are available to them. That is to say, they want to know where they can learn more about those advantages. Indeed, how to claim those benefits when they need them.
Priorities for paid leave and mental health
As a result, COVID-19 compelled employers to examine the policies they provide to their employees. This examination was to ensure that they are meeting employee needs. That is to say, to ensure that the policies have clear definition, easily accessible, and easily understood. Consequently, employees can take advantage of the policies.
And according to Patz, there are two types of leave that will take center stage in 2022. They are leave paid and leave for mental health issues. Employers will continue to prioritize the growth of paid company leave in their planning for 2022. On the other hand, employers must be aware of the continually changing nature of the leave environment.
According to Patz, the intricacy and conformity of leave is a worry. While discussing leave, it’s also important to consider state leave and accommodations under the ADA. To effectively enforce the complexities in that area, employers must also be prepared to deal with the additional complications. Such complications posed by vaccine mandates under COVID-19 and any exemptions the legal team requires or related accommodations.
Employee well-being and productivity
COVID-19 is most certainly, without a doubt, a lot to cope with in and of itself. Furthermore, there’s also a renewed emphasis on the health and productivity of the workforce. As a result, businesses must seriously consider ensuring that their staff remains healthy and productive. Burnout is still rampant due to the epidemic, which harms workers’ mental health.
So, regardless of the company’s size in 2022, some experts believe that leaders should place a greater emphasis on mental health in the workplace, said expert internet whiz Patz. Can you tell what you think about the resources offered to employees? What methods do leaders use to make workers aware of these resources? How does the company culture support mental health in the first place? asks the author.
When it comes to the challenges that smaller businesses will face in 2022, consider their resources. Moreover, when it comes to providing paid company leave, smaller companies will face more obstacles than larger businesses. These advantages, on the other hand, are critical for every company.
These are the types of benefits that will be most effective in attracting and retaining top talent.
At lunchtime, the ping pong tables have long since disappeared. Indeed, employees are paying close attention to the benefits package.
It’s also worth remembering that employees desire the ability to access their leave information. That is to say, submit a leave request, and receive status updates. They want this through a variety of digital channels.
