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5 Benefits for the Post-COVID Workforce

5 Benefits for the Post-COVID Workforce

by | Jun 2, 2021 | Blog

5 Benefits for the Post-COVID Workforce. As the US recovers from the pandemic, organizations must reevaluate which benefits can best help their employees. 

The Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic brought significant change to the way that many Americans work. Some workforces have pivoted to full-time remote work, while others have blended models. However across all sectors and industries it’s clear that many employees have changed over the course of the pandemic and, as a result, the benefits they need from their employers are changing as well.

In the post-COVID workforce, attracting and retaining strong employees will likely look very different than it did pre-pandemic. These are some of the top employee benefits expected in the post-COVID workplace.

1. Reimbursement for a better work-from-home setup.

The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP) released a January 2021 survey of 527 employers. The report highlights the effects of the pandemic on organizations’ employee benefits programs. One of the major findings was that because of the influx in employees working from home, many companies are offering reimbursements for necessary tools that employees would have previously had access to at the office.

For example, 31% of employers are reimbursing workers for items such as office supplies, electronic devices, and internet service. An additional 8% of employers are offering a general work-from-home stipend, and 17% of employers are considering work-from-home reimbursement for the future.

2. Increased remote flexibility and greater focus on work/life balance.

Corporate offices aren’t the only place where people are experimenting with hybrid models of in-person and at-home time. For plenty of employees, their children’s schooling arrangements can be a cause of conflict with work. As such, we’ve learned through COVID that flexible working hours are a huge positive for both productivity and wellbeing.

According to the same IFEBP survey from January 2021, a majority of 59% of employers have permitted flexible hours to employees in order to accommodate child care. Additional child support is also extremely helpful for many employees. The survey said 14% of employers are providing resources for childcare, tutoring, and emergency back-up care. Another 13% are considering doing the same.

3. More robust and inclusive healthcare options.

First and foremost, COVID-19 is a health crisis. That feels obvious, but oftentimes the conversation shifts to the social and economic outcomes of the pandemic. That said, one of the biggest moves a company can make is ensuring their employees feel secure in their physical wellbeing. Expect more robust healthcare options to be a main factor in employee benefits. This could mean anything from improved telehealth coverage, to paid time off for COVID-19 vaccines or booster shots.

4. Accessible mental health support.

The pandemic’s effect on the population has expedited the rise of mental health struggles such as anxiety and depression. Thankfully, employer’s seem to be trending in the right direction when it comes to offering mental health services. According to Care.com’s “The Future of Benefits” report, 41% of companies surveyed planned to expand mental health support in 2021. An additional 59% cited improved mental health as a primary outcome of their caregiving benefits.

5. A focus on financial wellness.

For many Americans, the pandemic led to significant financial stress as households lost income, childcare became less accessible and uncertainty reigned supreme. Although discussing money may feel taboo, financial stress can be overwhelming and lead to real consequences for mental and physical health. In a post-COVID world, the significance of financial wellness is more understood than ever before. Expect employee benefits to include personal finance resources in addition to traditional compensation packages.

Best Money Moves is a human-centered and individualized approach to financial wellbeing. The comprehensive and user-friendly platform provides a plethora of financial resources and educational tools. The library of resources contains over 700 articles, videos, and calculators. Each Best Money Moves user has their personal feed tailored to the several distinct factors that monitor their personal stress. This means your employee can use Best Money Moves to educate themselves on anything from investing in the stock market to co-signing loans to buying their first home. 

Employee information is always private but employers do have access to key analytics that show overall employee financial stress and stress levels over time. The Employer Dashboard also features information on program usage, debt and savings levels and more so employers can see just how valuable Best Money Moves is to their employees.

If you want to learn more about how Best Money Moves can bring financial wellness to your company, download our whitepapers.

4 Predictions for the Future of Remote Work

4 Predictions for the Future of Remote Work

by | May 18, 2021 | Blog

4 predictions for the future of remote work. The COVID-19 pandemic has pivoted much of the American workforce to telecommuting. What does the future of remote work look like in a Post-COVID world?

According to the Pew Research Center, 71 percent of workers who can work from home are. What’s more, 54 percent of those workers have expressed a desire to continue to do so, even after the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic has passed.

The transition to a primarily remote workforce hasn’t been seamless for all organizations, but many employees have come to rely on the increased flexibility and comfort of working from home. Now, with an end to the pandemic in sight, workers are urging their employers to consider new, long-term remote work solutions — and many employers are listening. 

As the conversation around telecommuting grows, here are four predictions for the future of remote work:

1. For many organizations, the hybrid work model is here to stay.

Remote work certainly has its benefits: zero commute time, increased flexibility, and the ability to connect team members who might otherwise work across the country, to name a few.  However, employers and employees seem to be on slightly different pages when it comes to whether or not full-time remote work could really benefit their workforces.

According to a PWC survey from January 2021, 55 percent of employees would prefer to be remote at least three days a week after the pandemic. On the other hand, 68 percent of employers said a typical employee should be in the office at least three days a week. The likely outcome of this dissonance? A new and improved hybrid work model that strikes a balance between complete remote work and time in a physical office.

2. An increase in temporary workers and freelancers is likely.

According to an Upwork survey from June 2020, 59 million people had done freelance work at some point in the past year. Among those respondents, 12 percent only started during the pandemic. Freelance work has long provided employees with needed flexibility and for those out of work, it can be an excellent way to build stability and earn extra cash.

The adaptability of remote work means the pool of freelancers has grown significantly because of the pandemic. For employers, freelancers can be an efficient way to complete tasks without having to onboard a full-time salaried employee. Plus, remote teams mean freelancers can be found in areas outside of where an organization might be headquartered.

3. Cybersecurity will become more important than ever.

If organizations incorporate remote work into their long-term plans, then it’s likely remote security will play a bigger part in daily work than ever before. In fact, we’re already seeing this. According to Cisco’s Future of Secure Remote Work, 97 percent of American organizations already made changes to support remote work. An additional 82 percent said that cybersecurity is extremely important or more important than before COVID-19.

4. Big changes are coming for physical office spaces.

One huge benefit of remote work that’s hard for employers to ignore: remote employees are much cheaper than maintaining a physical office space. So, whether a team is remote full-time or is working on a hybrid strategy, corporate real estate could be in for a big change.  According to the same 2021 PWC survey, 87 percent of executives are planning on changing their real estate strategy in 2021. While many employers plan to consolidate their locations, others are planning to open new satellite offices in more residential areas. In fact, 56 percent of executives think they’ll need more space in the next three years. In short, we’ll be seeing people both accommodate for the hybrid model, but also reinvest in a better in-person experience that makes employees more likely to want to return to the office.

If you want to learn more about how Best Money Moves can bring financial wellness to your company, download our whitepapers.

Employees Are Planning to Quit Post-COVID. What Can You Do About It?

Employees Are Planning to Quit Post-COVID. What Can You Do About It?

by | May 11, 2021 | Blog

Employees are planning to quit post-COVID. What can you do about it? Many employees burnt out from the COVID-19 pandemic are looking to leave their employers. How can workforces keep their top talent?

The return of in-person work has ramped up across the country, following  the national vaccine rollout. However a new problem is on the horizon: An estimated 1 in 4 workers plans to quit their job once the pandemic ends, according to Prudential Financial’s Pulse of The American Worker survey from March 2021. 

Considering the challenges of working at home during the pandemic and the increasing reports of  burnout, news of an employee mass-exit may not seem surprising. If organizations want to keep their strongest team members happy and in-place, it’s important to understand why so many employees are planning a post-COVID career change.

Here’s why more employees are planning to quit post-COVID and what you can do to avoid the wrong end of the potential mass-exit. 

Flexibility is here to stay.

Working from home has been an adjustment for many teams, but not one without its silver linings. Remote work offers employees a sense of agency over their schedule and flexibility in their lives, something that has been sorely needed in the uncertain early days of the pandemic. And employees are taking notice. In fact, according to the same Prudential Financial survey, 68 percent of employees agreed that a hybrid workplace model is the best fit.

What’s more, a lack of flexibility could directly contribute to employees quitting post-COVID. The survey also highlighted that 42 percent of respondents said that if their company doesn’t offer long-term remote options then they will look for a company that does. When so much of life is out of your workforce’s hands, a hybrid workplace might just be essential to employee wellness.

Employees fear the pandemic has erased upward mobility.

After a year at home, many employees are asking themselves if their personal career growth can be still achieved in their current environment. The Prudential Financial survey revealed that of the respondents planning to quit after the COVID-19 pandemic, 80 percent expressed concerned about career growth.

So, what are some ways to improve your company’s internal mobility? For one, consider your current employees for new positions before new hires. If you can reward an individual’s hard work by promoting them, you’re building loyalty and long-term sustainability. Other strategies to consider are investing in external workshops to support the upskilling of your employees, or creating a system of internal mentoring that places value on mutual feedback between peers and managers.

Isolation leads to disconnection.

According to the Prudential Financial survey, another major factor for the large number of employees on the move is a lack of connection with coworkers. In fact, 42% of workers planning to leave post-pandemic gave their employers a “C” grade for ability to maintain company connectedness during COVID-19. To learn some strategies to improve employee culture and engagement check out our previous articles on the subject. 

The pandemic has been a difficult time for everyone and many folks are seeking change. The thing is, for many companies that change can come from within.

If you want to learn more about how Best Money Moves can bring financial wellness to your company, download our whitepapers.

Workplace Vaccine Strategy for COVID-19

Workplace Vaccine Strategy for COVID-19

by | Apr 27, 2021 | Blog

Workplace Vaccine Strategy for COVID-19. As COVID-19 vaccines become more widely available to Americans, workforces must decide how to handle vaccine strategies among their employees.

As COVID-19 vaccines become more available, more and more employers are evaluating their role in the immunization program. Some organizations are incentivizing vaccinations, others are wrestling with vaccination mandates and still others are taking a more laissez faire approach.

This is how workforces are tackling vaccine strategy among their employees.

Current State of Vaccination Strategy

At the time of this publication, more than half of US adults have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the CDC. Eligibility restrictions continue to lessen as accessibility increases. There is a general sense that perhaps the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel is in sight. That said, there is still a lot of work left to be done. Employers can be an important cog in the machine as we endeavor to reach herd immunity.

Mandate Debate

While the health benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine are undeniable by any respectable medical professional, some employees are still against the vaccine. According to a survey of 1000 employees by Perceptyx Research and Insight from Jan. 2021, 43% of employees claimed they would consider leaving their place of employment if they required the vaccine.

While some companies are leaving the choice entirely up to their employees, a sizable section are requiring the vaccine if employees want to return to the office. The same Perceptyx survey reported that 38% of employees said their employers were requiring them to get vaccinated in order to return to the physical workspace.

But perhaps encouragement without force is the best approach. The Perceptyx report also suggested that employees are more likely to get the vaccine if they are encouraged but not required as opposed to required. So what does encouragement look like?

Common Incentives for Vaccine Strategy

While we don’t often look towards McDonald’s as a model of health, the company is strongly encouraging vaccination efforts by providing four hours of paid time to any employee with proof of vaccination. They are also connecting employees with informational resources about the vaccine. Many companies are doing the same. Chobani yogurt is offering six hours of paid time off, three for each dose. Paid time off isn’t the only form of motivation. American Airlines is offering an extra day off and a flight voucher. Bolthouse Farms is offering an impressive $500 bonus for every full-time worker that gets vaccinated, the Wall Street Journal first reported.

Whatever your preferred vaccine strategy, one thing is clear. Employers have a certain responsibility for the health and wellbeing of their employees. After a year and a half cooped up at home, the time is now to make an impact and take those first steps towards normalcy, both in the workplace and elsewhere.

If you want to learn more about how Best Money Moves can bring financial wellness to your company, download our whitepapers.[/fusion_text]

4 Ways to Combat Zoom Fatigue While Working Remotely

4 Ways to Combat Zoom Fatigue While Working Remotely

by | Apr 14, 2021 | Blog

4 ways to combat zoom fatigue while working remotely.  Zoom has been an invaluable tool for keeping workforces connected throughout the pandemic, but overuse could lead to burnout. 

Remote work helps you gain back commute time and you can easily connect team members across the country through the Internet. However, after months of working remotely, more and more employees are finding themselves with a new problem: Zoom fatigue.

What is Zoom Fatigue?

Zoom fatigue, as identified and studied by researchers in places like the Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Lab, is a type of burnout associated with virtual calls.  Zoom fatigue can be caused by a number of factors, but the biggest seems to be that the cognitive load of virtual meetings is actually higher than what employees experience in-person. Workers strain to stay engaged behind a screen and interpret conversations with significantly less non-verbal cues than we do in person.

How can you avoid zoom fatigue?

Researchers have found there are four ways to combat zoom fatigue while working remotely. Try to adopt the following:

1. After meetings, take time out to rest your eyes.

Stanford researchers suggest that the increased levels of eye contact that occur during virtual meetings can feel unnatural and exhausting. So, following meetings, it’s a good idea to take a break from the screen. A walk outside, a stretch or a snack can go a long way toward giving your eyes and brain a break — just try not to trade one screen for another and avoid picking up your phone or turning on the television to unwind. You might also try a break strategy such as the 20-20-20 rule. This rule, developed by Jeffrey Anshel, states that every 20 minutes you should look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

2. Learn how to organize your Zoom screen to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Seeing a person up-close and face-to-face is intense, and can leave our brains feeling stressed or on-edge. So, the default speaker-view of many zoom calls may not actually be ideal. Does the intensity of looking at one person in speaker-view throw you off? Or does seeing a speaker up close help you better read their facial expressions? If your camera is on, do you fixate on yourself? Or does it help you focus to know that your coworkers can see you? Organizing the way you see yourself and others in Zoom calls may help you feel less overwhelmed and gradually reduce Zoom fatigue.  Look for tutorials to optimize your experience, just make sure you know what you want.

3. Aim to define the difference between your workspace and your home.

This can be hard to achieve when we’re literally working from home, but sometimes Zoom fatigue is simply a product of feeling like the work day never ends. Look for ways to make a clearer divide in your day. Try working from a dedicated space that helps you feel “in the office.” Consider putting on work clothes even if you don’t leave the house, just to put your best foot forward for the day.

You might also want to work set hours. This one is important, especially with regards to Zoom fatigue. Make sure your meetings have hard end times as well as start times. This keeps everyone efficient and allows you to plan your breaks with more time in advance. Take these breaks seriously and try not to schedule back-to-back meetings if you can.

4. Before you agree to Zoom, confirm that a meeting is in fact needed.

Zoom has been an amazing tool in maintaining some semblance of normalcy and connection in our workspaces. However, if you know that you or your coworkers are suffering Zoom Fatigue from constant video calls, ask yourself before your next call: Is a face-to-face meeting really the best course of action? Would detailed written instructions or an articulate email suffice? If so, maybe take a break from the Zoom altogether and opt for an approach that will allow yourself and your team members to work at your own pace.

If you want to learn more about how Best Money Moves can bring financial wellness to your company, download our whitepapers.

4 Reasons Employee Financial Wellness is a Top Priority for Employers

4 Reasons Employee Financial Wellness is a Top Priority for Employers

by | Apr 7, 2021 | Blog

4 reasons why employee financial wellness should be a top priority for employers. Employers  recognize the importance of employee financial wellness. Here’s why.

The importance of financial wellbeing is becoming increasingly clear to many employers, made all the more urgent  as the economic fallout of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues. In fact, 90 percent of employers reported they planned to create or expand their financial wellbeing programs beyond retirement decisions, according to HR Consultancy Alight Solutions. The February 2021 survey, which involved over 115 employers that lead over 5.4 million employees, found that employers are expanding their focus on financial wellbeing, with 67 percent of employers offering a broader wellbeing initiative in the past two years alone. 

4 Reasons Why Financial Wellness is a Top Priority for Employers

Here are four key reasons why employee financial wellbeing is a top priority, as highlighted by Alight Solutions’ survey. 

1. Financial wellness enhances the overall employee experience.

85% of employers are creating or expanding their financial wellbeing program in order to enhance the overall employee experience, according to Alight Solutions. An average employee’s 40-hour work week accounts for almost a quarter of the hours in their week. Enhancing the overall experience should be a top priority simply because it can enhance the life of an employee altogether by providing additional financial security.

2. Financially stable employees are engaged employees.

72% of employers cited increasing employee engagement as a reason to create or expand their financial wellbeing program. Additionally, when employees feel their employers care about their health and well-being, they’re 38 percent more engaged, according to a report by Quantum Workplace and Limeade.

3. Organizations that invest in employee financial wellness are more appealing places to work.

If you make an effort to enhance the engagement and experience of your employees, your company looks more attractive to prospective employees. Employers generally understand this. In fact, 47% claimed they created or expanded financial wellbeing programs to  differentiate themselves as an employer. Being able to offer a full range of benefits beyond the job description can help bring in the best talent.

4. The impact of COVID-19 has made the need for financial wellness more apparent.

In 2020, almost 80% of employers increased communications about the retirement and/or financial wellbeing benefits that they provide to their workers. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused collective trauma among employees. Pandemic-related financial insecurity has taken a toll. Many employers recognize the need to uplift their employees and guide them through these financial difficulties.

It’s Easy to Bring Employee Financial Wellness to Your Workforce

Insightful, comprehensive and easy-to-use. Best Money Moves offers consumer-focused financial education designed to help users of all experience levels learn more about their money. More than a simple budgeting tool, Best Money Moves helps your employee educate themselves about everything from investing in the stock market to co-signing loans to buying their first homes with access to a library of over 700 articles, videos and calculators. Plus, Best Money Moves connects employers with data they can use to help their workforces succeed by  leveraging user analytics to create individualized employee content.

Do Your Employees Need Help Paying Bills?

Whether your employees need help saving money, paying their bills, raising their credit scores, getting ready for retirement or buying a house, Best Money Moves is there to support them every step of the way with best-in-class products, services and benefits tailored to suit your workforce needs. Best of all, Best Money Moves is portable, so when your employees move on, they can take it with them. Give your employees the very best financial wellness experience. Reach out for a demo today! If you want to learn more about how Best Money Moves can bring financial wellness to your company, download our whitepapers.