4th Quarter 2009
Lighten the Load
Uncertainties about our health-care system don't appear to be going away anytime soon. Employees still struggle to understand their health plan or make sense of their hospital bill. Employers share the burden when frustrated employees lose work hours managing their health-care issues or turn to their HR departments for help.
The Health Advocacy Solution from The Standard can help lighten the administrative workload for your clients, their employees — and you.
read moreLeave Absence Management to Us
Employee leave isn't a simple subject. There's sick leave, vacation, STD, FMLA and many other types. Planned and unplanned absences don't just decrease productivity, they increase administrative overhead — an estimated three-plus hours weekly that distract managers from their core job functions.1
read moreStaying Strong in Tough Times
The recent economic downturn has been challenging industry-wide, but there are reasons for hope. For example, LIMRA has found that employers are maintaining core employee benefits despite the recession.1 Here are steps you can take right now to help position your business for the inevitable turnaround.
read moreComparing Apples and Oranges
If you've been analyzing carriers by comparing their Short Term Disability durations, you might be surprised to learn what these numbers really mean.
read moreSelling IDI with LTD
These days, people are looking for more ways to protect themselves. For employers who offer Long Term Disability insurance (LTD) only, this may be the right time to suggest they add Individual Disability Income Insurance (IDI). Excellent opportunities can be found in white-, blue- and gray-collar markets.
read moreBuilding Your Business Webinar Series
Looking for a competitive edge? The Standard offers our partners a convenient, online way to pick up practical information on the issues driving our industry. Features an interactive Q&A session.
read moreProducer Connection is a quarterly online newsletter for Employee Benefits producers of The Standard. Subscribe now.
Bookmarks
The Free Library (www.thefreelibrary.com) has expanded its magazine collection. There are more than 9,000 articles from Best's Review alone. The Free Library describes the service as "an invaluable research tool and the fastest, easiest way to locate useful information on virtually any topic."
The nonprofit Disability Management Employer Coalition (www.dmec.org) is devoted to integrated disability and absence management. Full access to DMEC resources requires a paid membership, but you can view news of interest at no cost.
Trend spotter and innovation expert Jeremy Gutsche has penned a highly visual and energetic book that offers ideas for thriving in any kind of economy: Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark Innovation During Times of Change (www.exploitingchaos.com).