Editor’s Note

2020 was no less than a disaster. With the economic fallout caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, employers today have a larger responsibility and opportunity to help support their workforce become healthier, and most importantly economically stable. The need for solid employee financial wellness programs has been intensified by the current crisis. Will 2021 be the year of financial wellness? How can employers make financial wellness choices that’s best fit for their people and their business?

Check out this edition of Employee Benefits & Wellness Excellence, with a special focus on Financial Wellness Programs to learn more about key financial wellness strategies and trends to follow in 2021.

Most employers think that if they provide a 401(k), healthcare and perhaps a few voluntary benefits like a student debt refinancing program, they’re offering financial wellness. Financial wellness requires analysing how you can help your employees, and then choosing best-in-class solutions that not only provide options, but help employees sort through them, understand their power, and use them to the best of their abilities. Our cover article this month, 5 Financial Wellness New Year's Resolutions HR Leaders Should Make by Ilyce R. Glink shares useful wellness resolutions everyone in HR and in C-Suite should consider in 2021.

Many companies are looking for ways to help their financially stressed employees, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it also makes sense for their business. As solution providers seek to jump on the financial wellness bandwagon, choices among financial wellness and financial wellness solutions are proliferating. How can employers make the choice that’s the best fit for their people and their business? Read Martha Menard’s article The Five Key Factors Every Top Financial Wellness Program Should Have for more insights.

The deadly riot at the US Capitol sent a shockwave through our country and now its after-effects are starting to rear their head inside our companies. Read Nichole Kelly’s article, Employee Wellbeing In The Wake Of US Capitol Riots for 4 takeaways to empower and inspire your teams during such disturbances.

As we recover from the marathon of 2020, there is no better time to identify new opportunities, such as creating benefits packages that include vision care during National Glaucoma Awareness Month. Read Bob Ruff’s article, Seeing The Value Of Vision Benefits During National Glaucoma Awareness Month, and learn more about the benefits of including a vision care package in your company’s benefits plan.

Also included in this edition is a special research supplement on The State of Migraine Disease in the Workplace 2021 by the The HR Research Institute and Aimed Alliance. Download the report for key insights on how organizations might become more successful in fostering greater acceptance and support for migraine disease.

We hope you enjoy reading all the articles in this issue and get back to us with your valuable feedback. 

Stay Healthy!