Workers appreciate a good wage for a
good day’s work. A good benefits
package is icing on the cake. These days, however, benefits are much more than
that. Many companies are offering packages
that include solid, affordable benefits, health-related amenities and wellness programs.
These “full-service” benefits packages benefit
both the employees and their employers.
“Providing benefits to employees should
be a top priority for any company,” says Mike
Langenfeld, executive vice president of
InfoCision Management Corp. “Some companies even have specific departments dedicated to employee benefits. At any rate, a
good benefits package is key to finding and
maintaining top employees.”
Selecting and maintaining the right
employee benefits plan is a daunting task,
however. But, if you know what your
employees want and need, you can provide
services that are right for everyone.
Smart Business spoke with Langenfeld
about what makes a good benefits plan and
how your company can implement one.
What medical coverage should be offered?
It’s best to offer a full line of medical coverage, both to part-time and full-time employees. Give them two health plans to choose
from. One could be a low-premium plan and
the other a low-deductible plan. Then,
employees are free to choose whichever best
meets their individual family’s needs and
requirements. You could also offer supplemental insurance policies like AFLAC’s
income replacement policies, which are
designed specifically to each employee’s
needs. You can also offer free life and accidental dismemberment insurance policies as
well as free long-term disability insurance.
What health-related amenities can you offer?
Two major amenities that are growing in
popularity are on-site physicians and on-site
fitness centers. With on-site physicians, you
have board-certified physicians from the
local area — who still maintain their own private practices — staffing your company’s
offices. That way, the physicians who work
with employees are not under the normal
pressures of trying to break even on costs and have no incentive to cut corners. The
result is that the doctor only has to focus on
the patient. The company handles all of the
business details and supplies. Employees
are responsible for paying a small co-pay
that is payroll deducted. On-site physicians
can usually see employees outside the office
setting, as well. They are available on weekends to contact for care questions. Many
companies also partner with local pharmacies, so they can call in prescriptions for
employees. The company confirms the
order and payment, and the prescription is
delivered the same day.
What about workers’ children?
Many companies offer child care centers,
which provide a nurturing, educational and
healthy setting for employees’ children.
Programs are designed to meet the individual
needs of each child and to help children learn
skills, develop interests and enjoy the companionship of other young children and
adults. Some curriculum areas include language and creative arts, math and sciences,
and gross and fine motor development.
Children are taken outdoors to play on the playground and to go on walks. Often, the
playground equipment is state-of-the-art.
What wellness programs can be offered?
You could offer annual health screenings or
flu shots on-site. Some programs help with
quitting smoking, losing weight and managing stress. You can offer employees cash or
other incentives for completing these programs. Another popular option is fitness programs, such as yoga or aerobics. Several
health management programs provide education and support to employees who are
pregnant or diagnosed with a chronic disease. Programs also exist for expectant parents, those suffering from depression, those
with asthma, COPD, diabetes, heart failure or
coronary artery disease, and those suffering
from musculoskeletal and chronic pain.
Isn’t all this expensive?
The key to keeping premium increases low
is constantly communicating with employees on how to use their benefits wisely and
to pick the right plan for their personal use
and for their families. In addition to the traditional employee handbook, it helps to have
a dedicated Web site that lists all your benefits and amenities, along with copies of any
of the forms that may need to be filled out.
How can extra benefits increase employees’
appreciation of a health package?
Offering additional benefits options allows
employees to customize their health package
to meet their specific needs. For instance, in
a family where everyone wears glasses or
contacts, the option to purchase a vision plan
could be a large incentive. For many families,
access to affordable dental care is also
important. Having a plan where employees
and their dependents can afford to go to the
dentist for preventive maintenance and for
special dental care can be very important.
Not only do these additional benefits
increase employee satisfaction, but they also
enhance employee health and wellness.
MIKE LANGENFELD is the executive vice president for call center operations at InfoCision Management Corp. InfoCision is a privately held teleservices company and is a leading provider of inbound and outbound marketing for nonprofit, commercial, religious and political organizations. Reach him at (330) 668-1400.