Story Ideas

Stay up to date on the latest insurance and financial products and services trends, including return to work/stay at work, compliance, voluntary benefits, retirement readiness, paycheck protection and annuities. Learn more about The Standard’s insights and perspectives on these topics with the resources below: research studies, survey results, white papers, infographics, story angles and experts.

Media Inquiries

Get in touch with us for media inquiries.

Return to Work / Stay at Work

We asked HR business decision-makers to rate their organization's absence and disability practices and used their scores to produce our Absence & Disability Readiness Index report. Here’s what we learned.

A survey of employees from various industries examined the link between disability management and employee productivity.

Story Ideas

Meet the Experts

Our industry experts are available to explain, advise and contribute to the trending conversations about the resources, plans and programs to help employees return to work or stay at work while managing a health condition in the workplace.

Compliance

We talked to companies of all sizes, and here are some of the Absence and Disability challenges companies face at different stages of growth.

Stay up to date on Paid Family Leave developments, including the latest news and resources, with our Relatively Speaking blog.

Story Ideas
  • Paid Family Leave

    Employers have started adding PFL benefits as a helpful recruitment and retention tool, as well as to provide a financial safety net for employees.
  • ADAAA

    Mishandling, delaying or refusing accommodations could result in an employee filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission — or worse — a lawsuit for failing to accommodate a disabled employee.
  • Absence Management Trends

    Stay-at-work and return-to-work assistance programs can help alleviate compliance responsibilities from an employer and help employees receive the resources they need to work comfortably.
  • Supporting Employee Caregivers to Drive Retention

    Experts can provide insights on various leave types and benefits available, beyond leave, for employers.

Meet the Experts

The expert compliance team at The Standard can help navigate complicated industry regulations, stimulate discussion around paid family leave benefits and offer tips about absence management.

Retirement Readiness

Put saving for retirement on your to-do list at every stage of your life and career. To see what actions to take now, choose the life stage that fits.

Story Ideas
  • Balancing Student Loans With Saving for Retirement

    Millennials are earning more discretionary income and may be inclined to use that money to pay off their student loan debt — instead of saving for retirement.
  • Stable Value Funds

    For employers with plan participants craving more conservative investment vehicles to help protect their money for retirement, a stable value fund can be the ideal product.
  • Behavioral Finance and Its Impact on Retirement Readiness

    Key findings have proven that specific tips advisors provide upfront can help combat plan participants’ typical behavioral tendencies and make retirement planning seem simpler and more attainable.

Meet the Experts

Our retirement planning experts know the ins and outs of preparing for one’s financial future. They speak to the challenges of timing, behavior and lack of information with tips and advice about the products, resources and support available.

Paycheck Protection

Educate clients about coverage that provides a benefit if they need to take time away from work to care for a child, parent or spouse with a serious health condition.

Story Ideas
  • Family Care Benefits

    New individual disability insurance products can help clients focus on family caregiving should a family member become seriously ill or injured, without worrying about income.
  • Selling Individual Disability Insurance to Millennials

    Millennials finding their footing in adulthood presents advisors with a huge opportunity to tap into this market for individual disability insurance sales.
  • Changing the IDI Conversation

    When it comes to selling individual disability insurance, it’s important to recommend the coverage that provides clients the best value — that is, a policy that best suits their income protection needs in the long run as well as their budgets.

Meet the Experts

The knowledgeable individual disability insurance team at The Standard knows the importance of providing for one’s family. Their depth of expertise on the products and plans available can help families protect their income. Contact us for an interview or contributed article to learn more.

  • Adam Aschoff 
    Regional Director – GSI, Individual Disability Insurance
  • Chris Coy 
    Regional Director, Individual Disability Insurance
  • Jill Frohardt 
    Second Vice President, Individual Disability Insurance Sales
  • Jeremy Horner 
    Vice President, Individual Disability Insurance and Business Transformation Office
  • Tawni (Johnson) Crawford 
    Regional Manager, Individual Disability Insurance
  • Patricia Lynch 
    Regional Director, Individual Disability Insurance
  • Sue Schweitzer 
    Second Vice President, Individual Disability Insurance, Underwriting and Operations
  • Patrick Sheehan 
    Regional Director – GSI, Individual Disability Insurance

Annuities

Even in a low interest-rate environment, an annuity's compounded growth and tax-deferral can grow your savings faster than you may think. What are you waiting for?

Story Ideas

Meet the Experts

Learn more from The Standard’s individual annuities experts on how annuities can offer peace of mind to one’s financial portfolio. The team is versed in providing successful sales tips, clarifying misconceptions and articulating how clients can reduce risk and provide a predictable financial future.

  • Paul Garofoli 
    Regional Sales Director, Individual Annuities
  • Rich Lane 
    Vice President Individual Annuities Sales and Marketing
  • Mark MacGillivray 
    Director of Financial Institutions, Individual Annuities
  • John Williams 
    Regional Sales Director, Individual Annuities

Corporate and Community Involvement

From donating millions of dollars annually to volunteering thousands of hours each year, The Standard and our employees make a real difference in the communities we call home.​

Our legacy of giving is grounded in a partnership between employees and the company to create opportunities and deliver results.

Story Ideas
  • Employee Volunteerism

    Giving back to our community through volunteer hours, events and company initiatives.
  • Corporate Giving

    Each year, our employees donate millions to nonprofits across the nation.
  • Board Leadership Training

    Our executives serve on dozens of nonprofit boards. To prepare, they participate in annual board training sessions sponsored by The Standard.
  • Sustainability

    Our buildings feature locally sourced supplies, recycled materials and renewable energy.

Meet the Experts

Learn more from The Standard’s subject matter experts on a range of corporate community involvement topics from volunteerism and giving to operational sustainability. Contact us for an interview or a contributed article.

  • Bob Speltz 
    Executive Director of The Standard Charitable Foundation and Senior Director of Community Relations