Filtered by author: Lisa Raphael Clear Filter

Supporting Working Caregivers: Beyond the Push to Get “Back to Normal”

A recent email started like this: “I have had a few situations recently where managers are becoming impatient with employees who are parents, feeling that the pandemic is over and the desire to get “back to normal.”  The sentiment is very real and understandable, compounded by pressure from the top, but for caregivers, life is not normal, and many of the challenges presented by the pandemic endure. The incidence of serious mental health issues like depression and anxiety remains at crisis levels. Concerns about kids’ learning gaps and mental health, persistent illnesses and sick days, the specter of layoffs, confusing return to office messaging and plans, and economic instability have all impacted retention, advancement and efforts to make organizations more equitable and inclusive.

Caregivers represent an essential portion of your workforce, whether we realize it or not. Many of those who have caregiving responsibilities are invisible in the workplace; researchers estimate that while 73% of the workforce identify as caregivers, only 56% of them say their work supervisor is aware of their caregiving responsibilities—a phenomenon Julia Cohen Sebastien, CEO of caregiver-support platform Grayce, has described as “quiet caregiving.”

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What employers need to know about Medicaid redetermination and its impact on employees

Starting April 1, 2023, employees no longer eligible for Medicaid may look to employer-sponsored health insurance to stay covered.

Beginning as early as April 1, approximately 15 to18M people will no longer be eligible for Medicaid coverage because of the redetermination process and likely will seek health insurance from another source, including employer-sponsored coverage. As a result, employers, brokers, consultants can work together to determine what this development might mean for companies’ health plans and employees.

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The "Love Your Heart" Guide for American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month.  To mark this important event, Hello Heart is pleased to provide benefits leaders with this guide to help encourage your members to “Love Your Heart,” and promote health and wellness throughout the year. Here’s what’s included: 

  • The basics of high blood pressure and high cholesterol
  • Why addressing these conditions is so critical
  • A brief history of American Heart Month
  • 10 simple yet powerful heart healthy-tips for your employees  
  • 10 great ways to mark American Heart Month in your organization 

The Basics of High Blood Pressure 

Blood pressure is the pressure of blood that pushes against the walls of the arteries, which in turn carry blood from the heart throughout the body. High blood pressure puts individuals at risk for heart disease and stroke, which are leading causes of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to guidelines published by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC), high blood pressure is said to exist when: 

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The Rewards of NEEBC Mentoring Program

One of the tenets of NEEBC’s mission is to encourage the next generation of employee benefits professionals, in part, through mentoring.  Each year, seasoned NEEBC community members mentor a new class of emerging benefits professionals in both group and, as of 2022, one-on-one settings.  The goal of the NEEBC Mentoring Program is for HR professionals to share their expertise in various areas of career development so our mentees can build a framework for their own development and growth.  We foster a networking and collaborative environment and invite subject matter experts of chosen topics to discuss possible solutions to current challenging HR issues. Our mentors feel great satisfaction giving back to a field they love and often learn a few things as well.

Reflections from a Mentor and a Group Leader
December marked our last session of NEEBC’s 2022 Mentoring Program, and diving into January, National Mentoring Month, it is a great time to pause and reflect.  I have been fortunate to benefit from wonderful mentors over my career who helped me get to where I am today.  Through NEEBC membership and participation, I have grown my network and become a NEEBC Board member.  So, when the opportunity presented itself to help resurrect our mentoring program, which was suspended for one year during COVID, and give back to this field, I jumped at the opportunity!  I also LOVE to talk about employee benefits and learn from the mentees as well. 

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