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The 4 Best Benefits in 2024, According to Employees

The 4 Best Benefits in 2024, According to Employees

by | Mar 11, 2024 | Blog

The 4 best benefits in 2024, according to employees. Your benefits choices go a long way toward attracting the right employees. Here are the 4 best benefits in 2024, according to employees.

A holistic benefits strategy is one of the most important factors that job-seekers consider when deciding where to work. In fact, according to Forbes Advisor, 40% of employers believe that workers would leave their current jobs to find employment that offers better benefits.

Well-tailored, helpful employee benefits go a long way toward keeping your existing team members satisfied while also attracting new talent. With dozens of options, each catered to different ages, incomes and needs, how do you know the right program to choose?

To evolve your benefits strategy, you need to understand what will help your employees the most. Here are the best benefits in 2024 based on input from real workers.

A fact about the best benefits in 2024

1. Affordable healthcare

Healthcare costs are a major concern for employees, especially for those who earn lower wages.

Average healthcare premiums for American families increased 7% in 2024, according to research from KFF. As these costs rise, so do concerns about affordability. To ease the financial burden, employees look to their compensation packages for support.

The study from Forbes Advisor shows that 67% of employees and 68% of employers believe healthcare to be the most important benefit.

Healthcare benefits can be wide-ranging, but usually include some sort of insurance package that helps make medical costs more affordable for employees. Employer-paid healthcare benefits allow employees flexibility when dealing with a medical visit and peace of mind when the bill comes.

Employees also value alternative health benefits, such as gym memberships, wellness programs and mental health programs. According to Forbes Advisor, a third of employees surveyed named mental health programs as a top benefit.

Mental health benefits include everything from inclusive paid leave to workplace meditation. Programs that support mental health have shown improved performance at work among employees. Research from the National Library of Medicine reveals that 86% of employees treated for a mental health condition reported an increase in productivity.

2. Paid time off

PTO allows employees to take breaks from their busy schedules and recharge. In turn, potential burnout is replaced with productivity and a positive working environment.

Post-pandemic, there has been a significant shift toward flexible benefits that emphasize work-life balance. More companies are even adopting remote work strategies and four-day work weeks to help their employees.

Making these benefits as inclusive as possible is another factor to consider. Mercer’s 2023 Health and Benefits Strategies report shows that many employees are looking for benefits packages that include parental leave, adoption leave and elder caregiver leave.

With non-standard work schedules becoming the norm, flexibility in general is in high demand among most employees. Some lesser-known benefits in this area include virtual team bonding activities, a home office stipend and financial assistance to cover internet costs.

3. Pension and retirement plans

The same Forbes Advisor study found that 34% of employees and 34% of employers agree that retirement plans are a vital part of a company’s benefits strategy. A retirement plan allows employees to build a financial safety net as they work, saving money over their careers.

In a study from PeopleKeep, 87% of employees surveyed said they valued retirement benefits or retirement accounts. However, only 54% of the employers surveyed even offered those benefits.

Retirement plans are tax deductible, flexible and are a great way to attract new talent to your business. Introducing quality retirement plans is a great way to keep your employees satisfied and set them up for future success.

4. Financial wellness benefits

For employees struggling to keep up with their finances, financial wellness benefits have been shown to greatly improve stress levels, well-being and retention.

Costs of common goods and groceries are rising due to different economic factors, making it harder for salaried workers to manage their finances. According to BenefitsPro, 53% of US adults are financially anxious, while more than 60% of families don’t have an emergency fund.

Financial stress leads to decreased productivity at work and an overall lower quality of life for your employees. A comprehensive wellness strategy is the answer to financial stress outside of the workplace. These benefits provide personalized advice for all aspects of a person’s financial life. 

In fact, in PWC’s 2023 Financial Wellness Survey, 74% of employees who responded sought guidance when faced with a major financial decision, crisis or life event.

If you are looking to start a financial wellness initiative in your business, try Best Money Moves.

To learn more about Best Money Moves Financial Wellness Platform, let’s schedule a call. Contact us and we’ll reach out to you soon.

Best Money Moves is a mobile-first financial wellness solution designed to help dial down employees’ most top-of-mind financial stresses. As an easy-to-use financial well-being solution, Best Money Moves offers comprehensive support toward any money-related goal. With 1:1 money coaching, budgeting tools and other resources, our AI platform is designed to help improve employee financial well-being.

Whether it be retirement planning or securing a mortgage, Best Money Moves can guide employees through the most difficult financial times and topics. We have robust benefits options for employers, regardless of their benefits budget.

Our dedicated resources, partner offerings and 1000+ article library make Best Money Moves a leading benefit in bettering employee financial wellness.

4 Ways to Support Employees Living with Disabilities

4 Ways to Support Employees Living with Disabilities

by | Mar 6, 2024 | Blog

4 ways to support employees living with disabilities. Create an accessible workforce and access top talent with these helpful strategies.

More than 1 in 10 Americans live with a disability, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

And while people usually think of disabilities in the physical form, many Americans live with “invisible” disabilities. “Unseen” or “invisible” disabilities have symptoms and impairments that are non-apparent, such as chronic pain, learning disabilities, or mental health conditions.

All employees deserve to feel supported in the workplace, despite any adversities they may face. Learn how HR professionals and companies can support employees living with disabilities and provide resources that can facilitate their overall success.A fact about employees living with disabilities.

1. Cultivate a work culture that allows employees living with disabilities to show up authentically

Focusing on equity and inclusion can help create a work culture and environment that not only attracts top talent but allows employees to show up as their full selves.

Recruiters and talent acquisition teams are increasingly focusing on recruiting diverse talent — however, it’s important to build a work environment where employees with disabilities feel included. Creating an inclusive work environment is key to both attracting talent but also retaining talent. Data from the U.S. Department of Labor found that organizations that diversified to include employees with disabilities report a 72 percent increase in employee productivity.

Whether it be live transcriptions during virtual meetings, using larger text in PowerPoints, or providing a private wellness room, companies are going beyond the minimum to make the workplace more accessible. These small touches and accommodations can make a difference to top talent in the job market.

2. Create an employee resource group supporting accessibility and employees living with disabilities.

Employee resource groups are communities within companies that connect employees of a shared identity or interest identity, such as race/ethnicity or gender. Employee resource groups have been around for decades — in 1970, the first employee resource group was created by a group of Black employees at Xerox. Today, companies have evolved to support employee resource groups for employees living with disabilities, whether “visible” or “invisible.”

Navigating the work environment with a disability isn’t easy, especially when it comes to self-advocacy and asking for accommodations. Having an employee resource group focused on accessibility and employees living with disabilities can help create a community and attract top diverse talent.

3. Offer financial wellness education that is accessible and easy to use.

Americans living with disabilities are more likely to face financial hardship, compared to Americans without disabilities. Per the U.S. Census Bureau, employees with a disability make about $28,000 on average, compared to $40,000 for employees without a disability. This means that employees living with disabilities are more likely to face financial hardship as they have less disposable income, or money left over after monthly expenses.

Offering a financial wellness program can help improve employees’ financial wellness and knowledge. For instance, many Americans living with disabilities are less likely to have a bank account than Americans without disabilities.

A robust, accessible financial wellness program should be personalized to individual employee’s needs — some employees may need help getting their first credit card, while others may be seasoned investors looking to expand their portfolio. Regardless of one’s level of financial knowledge, all employees can benefit from access to financial wellness benefits and resources.

4. Allow employees to use their health insurance benefits starting day 1

Some companies require a waiting period before employees are allowed to use their health benefits; however, for employees living with disabilities, waiting 60 or 90 days may be too long and only exacerbate their symptoms.

For instance, employees suffering from a chronic condition or taking multiple medications may not be able to afford to go a month or two without health insurance. This may worsen their conditions.

Allowing employees to use their health insurance benefits starting day 1 can demonstrate a corporate commitment to inclusivity — moreover, this can help set employers apart from the competition when attracting top talent.

To learn more about Best Money Moves Financial Wellness Platform, let’s schedule a call. Contact us and we’ll reach out to you soon.

How Small Businesses Can Develop a Financial Wellness Strategy

How Small Businesses Can Develop a Financial Wellness Strategy

by | Feb 7, 2024 | Blog

How small businesses can develop a financial wellness strategy. Learn more about how small businesses can embrace financial wellness to increase employee well-being.

A comprehensive benefits package is one of the best strategies small businesses can use to retain employees and attract top talent. When salaries are comparable, the decision to take an offer often comes down to the level and quality of an employer’s benefits program. 

In fact, according to a survey conducted by ConsumerAffairs, 42% of employees stated they would likely leave their jobs for another position with better benefits.

a surprising statistic about the necessity of financial wellness for small businesses

Why are employee benefits important to small businesses?

Employee benefits are forms of compensation outside of a traditional salary or wage. Small businesses often include a suite of benefits when advertising a job offer to stand out among larger competitors in their industry. 

Some benefits, such as health insurance, workers’ comp and social security are required by law. These are known as statutory benefits and serve to protect employees from struggling with money directly after leaving a job or provide coverage if there is a workplace accident or illness.

However, benefits also serve as a method for small businesses to satisfy employees. To retain employees in full-time positions, a quality benefits strategy is vital. Small businesses are often competing with the tools and resources of larger organizations and may struggle to find ways to stand out when looking for top talent.

According to a Pew Research Center study, in 2021, 43% of workers who quit their jobs left due to lack of benefits flexibility, including poor health insurance and mediocre paid time off. Although statutory benefits are necessary to support a workforce, auxiliary opportunities are usually the backbone of a comprehensive benefits program, especially for small businesses.

Why should your small business offer financial wellness as a benefit?

When considering the costs of statutory benefits, including a financial wellness component may seem unnecessary, especially for small businesses. However, according to Morgan Stanley, 75% of Americans believe that financial wellness should be a part of their company’s programs. 

It’s also important to note that workers are struggling with their finances at an alarming rate. According to a Bankrate survey, 52% of U.S. adults said their financial issues harmed their mental health, which included an increase in stress. These mental declines impact employees at the office, leading to lower productivity and increased rates of absenteeism.

Data also suggest a disturbing trend toward the lack of financial resources for employees. And problems with financial wellness can span far beyond an employee’s life at home. According to data collected by management software engineer TeamStage, employees who experience severe financial stress levels lose between 29 and 39 workdays every year to attend to concerns. 

At small businesses, financial wellness benefits are the key to solving your workers’ most pressing issues. These programs usually include a host of resources and tools that help employees manage their finances and provide an easy outlet to address the most common money concerns.

The bottom line is that financial wellness benefits can have a positive impact on engagement at work, improve your company’s brand among prospective employees and save your small business money in the long run.

How small businesses can develop a financial wellness strategy

If you have a small business, considering the financial well-being of your employees is one of the best ways to support and grow your workforce. With a small business, you can tailor benefits to fit your company’s culture and address your employees’ needs. 

Here are some tips for supporting your team’s financial well-being. 

1. Ask your employees what financial wellness benefits are right for them. A smaller team can help you get individual responses and create a more personalized benefits solution. Ask employees how they feel about their financial wellness and if extra resources would be beneficial. Compared to large corporations, small businesses can be much more in tune with their workers’ needs, so take advantage of that when considering what benefits to offer.  

2. Promote a financial wellness initiative. Including a comprehensive financial wellness program into your business can help employees get back to setting and achieving their most important financial goals. Financial wellness can take many forms, but you might consider basic financial literacy courses, budgeting classes, retirement planning, and the tools a benefits solution might offer. At a small business, it can be easier to create tailored offerings based on the demographics of your company. 

3. Regularly assess the effectiveness of your benefits strategy. Simply offering the benefit to your employees is only the first step. For your employees to get the full freight of the benefits you offer, make sure to consistently ask for feedback to facilitate the right changes. From there, you can make the adjustments that will help your workforce the most. 

Ready to embrace financial wellness for your small business?

Best Money Moves is an interactive financial wellness benefit that helps employees make smarter choices about their money. 

Whether employees are building their first budget, paying down debt, working toward homeownership or planning for retirement – Best Money Moves has the tools they need to turn financial goals into reality. 

Best Money Moves users gain access to a suite of debt trackers, budgeting calculators and a library of 900+ articles, videos and webinars. Our tools empower employees with actionable solutions to real-world problems. Best Money Moves users also receive exclusive member deals from our library of trusted benefits partners, including discounts on insurance, college planning prescription medications and so much more.

Schedule a call with a member of our team to learn more about Best Money Moves. Contact us and we’ll reach out to you soon.

3 Reasons to Focus on Employee Financial Security

3 Reasons to Focus on Employee Financial Security

by | Jan 22, 2024 | Blog

3 reasons to focus on employee financial security. Critical insights from recent data reveal the significant benefits of supporting employee financial security.

Significant inflation and economic turmoil have brought employee financial security into the spotlight. Recently, Mercer published their 2023-2024 Inside Employee’s Minds study and found that 78% of all employers surveyed felt a high to moderate level of concern regarding employee financial well-being. 

This worry isn’t without good reason. One of Mercer’s most pressing insights reveals that employees have a renewed focus on financial stability in 2024 — and they’re increasingly turning to their employers for help. 

Here are three key reasons employees’ financial security should be top of mind of employers in the new year and beyond.

an important insight into the need for employee financial security

1. Recent economic trends have made it harder for employees to maintain healthy personal finance habits.

Inflation has been a prevailing concern over the past year and the workforce has felt the effects. Seventy-two percent of employees surveyed by Mercer agreed with the following: “High Inflation and market volatility have significantly increased my financial stress.” What’s more, 51% of employees reported reducing their discretionary spending due to economic concerns. Another 37% had to reduce or tap into savings. 

When asked to rate their top unmet needs, “covering monthly expenses” and “being able to retire” topped the list of employee concerns. More than 10% of all employees surveyed had at least some concerns about their financial health. Financial stress has long been linked to poor outcomes at work. Stressed employees also feel less productive and experience higher rates of absenteeism.

2. Economic strain and financial stress threaten overall employee well-being.

Stress from inflation and similar economic turmoil seeps into aspects of everyday life. Some of the most crippling expenses that the American workforce face are related to healthcare. Only about three-fourths of employees feel they can afford needed healthcare without facing financial hardship. This includes employees making six figures. Moreover, for employees in lower income brackets, these numbers drop. Only around half feel they can afford needed care. 

Long-term stress takes a physical toll on the body, causing high blood pressure, headaches, insomnia, fatigue, and more. These stressed employees may in turn spread discontent in the workplace and negatively impact company culture. According to data collected by Gallup, stressed employees are more likely to butt heads with coworkers and superiors alike.

3. Competitive employers recognize the importance of employee financial security and supportive financial benefits. Economic strain and financial stress threaten overall employee well-being.

As personal finance woes have skyrocketed to the top of worker’s minds, financial security has become a key benefits incentive. Mercer’s research uncovered that one in three employees are considering leaving their employer because their benefits needs have not been met. 

More and more employers are integrating financial wellness tools into their benefits strategy, or plan to in the new feature. Mercer found that of their surveyed employers, 55% already offered some type of basic money management tool and another 27% hoped to integrate such tools soon. Fifty-three percent of employers also offered financial planning seminars and webinars with another 27% planning for such tools down the road. 

Support employee financial security with holistic financial wellness benefits.

Personal finance benefits can support employees of all ages and help employers to stand out in a crowded job market. 

Best Money Moves is an interactive financial wellness benefit that helps employees make smarter choices about their money. 

Whether employees are building their first budget, paying down debt, working toward homeownership or planning for retirement – Best Money Moves has the tools they need to turn financial goals into reality. 

Best Money Moves users gain access to a suite of debt trackers, budgeting calculators and a library of 900+ articles, videos and webinars. Our tools empower employees with actionable solutions to real-world problems. Best Money Moves users also receive exclusive member deals from our library of trusted benefits partners, including discounts on insurance, college planning prescription medications and so much more. 

Schedule a call with a member of our team to learn more about Best Money Moves. Contact us and we’ll reach out to you soon.

What is Employee Cybersecurity? Plus, 3 Ways to Improve Your Cybersecurity Strategy

What is Employee Cybersecurity? Plus, 3 Ways to Improve Your Cybersecurity Strategy

by | Jan 8, 2024 | Blog

What is employee cybersecurity? Plus, 3 ways to improve your cybersecurity strategy. Learn how organizations can improve employee cybersecurity practices through proactive training and hands-on education.

In 2023, employee cybersecurity breaches cost organizations an average of 4.45 million dollars, according to a 2023 report from IBM. What’s more, only 1 in 3 affected organizations were able to spot and report these breaches through internal security procedures. The rest had to be alerted of the breach by a third-party organization — or by the hackers themselves. 

Remote work and the rise of AI technology have redefined our digital landscape. Without robust employee cybersecurity measures in place, companies of all sizes find themselves increasingly vulnerable to hackers or ransomware attacks. 

Learn more about employee cybersecurity, including how a poor cybersecurity strategy could leave your organization vulnerable to attack.a surprising statistic about the importance of employee cybersecurity

What is employee cybersecurity? Why does employee cybersecurity matter?

Employees across all industries use some type of technology in their daily operations, from basic communications technology such as email and message systems to industry-specific technology such as medical devices or stock trading software. 

Employee cybersecurity is the art of protecting these digital networks, devices, and data from unauthorized access or criminal use. Cyber security strategy may include protecting documents and emails from hackers, frequently checking for software viruses, reporting suspicious emails and more. 

For many executive teams, employee cybersecurity is a top-of-mind issue. According to Accenture’s recent CEO survey, almost 3 in 4 CEOs worry about their company’s ability to minimize damage from a cybersecurity attack. And despite companies’ increasingly investing in cybersecurity software, these investments don’t address one of the greatest risks and vulnerabilities: employees, themselves. 

Many cybersecurity attacks start with human error, whether it be accidentally downloading a virus or clicking on a phishing link. Employee cybersecurity ensures that workers have the right knowledge, strategy and preventative tools when it comes to spotting and averting cyber attacks.

3 ways to improve employee cybersecurity

1. Upgrade employee passwords with two-factor authentication.

Having a strong, unique password is helpful, but this is only the first layer of password protection. Passwords can be reused, stolen or cracked. So companies have started to double-check employees’ identity with two-factor authentication (also known as multi-factor authentication) as another layer of protection.

With two-factor authentication, after an employee inputs their password, they will be prompted to complete a second step that would be a lot harder for a hacker to fake. Common authentication methods, according to CISA, include using:

  • Something an employee knows (e.g., a PIN or security question answer)
  • Something an employee owns (e.g., sending a confirmation text to your phone)
  • Something an employee is (e.g., fingerprint or face identification)

Adding an extra layer of protection can help prevent unauthorized access to accounts, software and other sensitive data. 

2. Educate employees to spot (and avoid) phishing scams. 

One of the most common ways that hackers target employees is through phishing scams, which involve the use of fraudulent emails, text messages, phone calls or websites designed to trick users into downloading malware, sharing sensitive or personal data (e.g., Social Security number, login credentials, etc.) and more. 

According to IBM, over 40% of cybersecurity attacks use phishing to gain access to company information and data. 

Phishing attacks commonly include grammatical and spelling errors, sketchy email addresses, threats of jail time and other unrealistic consequences. By teaching employees how to identify phishing, companies can minimize their vulnerability to hackers and ransomware attacks.

3. Create an online hub for employee cybersecurity resources.

To help employees navigate the ever-changing world of cybersecurity, companies have begun developing employee cybersecurity support hubs. Within these cybersecurity hubs, employees receive consistent reminders to perform software updates, regularly change their passwords and more. 

Employee cybersecurity hubs serve as a dedicated resource for all things cybersecurity and IT-related. For instance, cybersecurity and IT hubs may include a hotline number for employees to call with any questions, as well as a reporting system for phishing attempts. 

With a clear, consistent place for employees to get cybersecurity support, companies can help increase employees’ cybersecurity awareness and minimize the risk of a harmful breach. 

To learn more about Best Money Moves Financial Wellness Platform, let’s schedule a call. Contact us and we’ll reach out to you soon.