Editor’s Note

May is Disability Insurance Awareness Month, so let us focus on the topic. We all read about how disability hampers one’s life, and career, but rarely do we think something happening to us. Did you know that your chances of becoming disabled are probably greater than you realize? Studies show that one in four of today’s 20-year olds entering the workplace will become disabled before they retire. Shocking, but true!
 

Disability may come in the form of an injury, illness or disease. It can happen suddenly, such as a car accident, heart attack or aneurysm, or it may happen gradually, such as a neurological disease, heart condition or diabetes. No matter how it manifests, a disability that prevents someone from working for months or years can be financially devastating.
 
This month’s cover article, HR Pros Need To Educate Employees About Their Disability Protections by Steve Perrigo, talks about how HR professionals can play a key role in reminding employees about the importance of their monthly income, plus, in the event of a disability, how vital this protection is for their household. Read the article to know more on this timely topic.
 
With fierce competition for top talent, many companies are expanding their benefits packages hoping to lure blue chip hires to their workforce and prevent top performers from leaving. RiseSmart’s 2019 Guide to Severance & Workforce Transition surveyed 1,500 HR professionals around the world to identify the most striking trends shaping severance programs and how these benefits are strengthening talent acquisition and retention. Read Emily Elder’s article,A Job-Seeker's Market Has Employers Beefing Up Benefits: Study, to learn the top 4 trends from the survey.
 
1 in 7 people experience mental health problems in the workplace, with evidence suggesting that 13% of all sick days in the UK can be attributed to mental health conditions. However, which industries are working the hardest to bring these figures down by talking about mental health in a professional setting? Catch up with Sean Walsh’s article, Mental Health Awareness: How Confident Are Brits Talking About Mental Health In The Workplace?, to know the cities most and least confident talking about their mental health at work.
 
For a company to be truly productive, it requires its employees to be present! Happy, minimally-stressed employees are less likely to get sick, less likely to be absent, and can be more productive with kindness and support.Deepa Ramaraj’s article,Stress Reduction For An Increase In Employee Productivity, shares a different perspective to handle employee absenteeism.
 
This is not all! We have a variety of other informative articles on employee benefits and wellness in this issue. We hope you enjoy reading all the articles and get back to us with your valuable feedback.