Disclaimer: Virgin Pulse and HealthComp are now Personify Health
Your people arethecrucialsystem underpinning your organization’s ability to grow and thrive. Many organizations ponder, “Are employee benefits really necessary? Why?” The answer lies in their critical role in an organization’s strategy. So how crucial are employee benefits to achieving yourcompany’s goalsand objectives? They are extremely important.
What are employee benefits?
We often get asked – what are employee benefits? Employee benefits, also known as perks or fringe benefits, are provided to employees over and above salaries and wages. This leads us to consider, “What is the purpose of employee benefits?” Essentially, they are designed to enhance employee satisfaction and loyalty. These employee benefit packages may include overtime, medical insurance, vacation, profit sharing and retirement benefits, to name just a few.
Why are employee benefits important?
Offering benefits to your employees is important because it shows them you are invested in not only their overall health, but their future. Understanding why benefits are important in a job helps companies design packages that truly meet employee needs.
Asolid employee benefits package can help to attract and retain talent. Benefits can help you differentiate your business from competitors. The value of employee benefits cannot be understated; they signify an investment in employees’ health and future.
Employee benefits can improve your company’s bottom line by engaging employees to participate in wellbeing programs, such asPersonify Health. Furthermore, “Why employee benefits are important” becomes clear when we see the direct impact on organizational health and efficiency.
Healthier employees mean reduced healthcare costs for your organization. Employees with fewerhealth risks experience fewer sick days, fewer trips to the doctor, and spend more time working in your organization, bringing their best selves to work every day.
Employee Benefits Packages
Depending on the type of organization and the job, employee benefits may be quite different. This diversity underlines that when we ask “why are benefits important in a job”, the answers vary widely but always point back to employee well-being and satisfaction.
For example, government employee benefit packages for full-time employees look very different from the packages offered to part-time employees. Employee benefits packages are typically discussed during the final interview or at the time an offer is extended. The right benefits package can give you a distinct advantage in competitive recruiting situations.
Each state in the USA is different; however, there are some basic benefit laws all employers must follow. Required benefitsinclude:
- Provide employees time off to vote, serve on a jury and perform military service
- Comply with all workers’ compensation requirements
- Pay state and federal unemployment taxes
- Contribute to state short-term disability programs in states where such programs exist
- Comply with the Federal Family and Medical Leave (FMLA)
Employers are not required to provide:
- Retirement plans
- Health plans (except in Hawaii)
- Dental or vision plans
- Life insurance plans
- Paid vacations, holidays or sick leave
How Personify Health optimizes your HR investments
In business, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to employee benefit initiatives and programs. Every organization and individual’s needs are different. By tailoringprograms to engage employee interests and increasing awareness to drive program usage, organizations realizeimprovedoutcomesand increased business performance.
Personify Health’s modern, integrated platform creates a streamlinedemployeeexperience to maximize your HR investments and drivecore business results.
How to find out about Employee Benefits Solutions?
We recommend talking with your employee benefits advisor or specialist to learn more about the benefits packages and solutions your business is committed to providing. Engaging in meaningful conversations about what is the purpose of employee benefits can reveal much about a company’s values and priorities. Some companies will have an internal employee benefits information system (also known as a benefits portal) which will contain the services being offered.
Some companies will send out employee benefits news outlining current benefitchanges to plans or solutions.
If you are new to employee benefits, resources such as the Employee Benefit Research Institute or the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans offer information to help you get started.
Popular employee benefits
Benefits include, but are not limited to:
– Health Insurance (medical, dental & vision)
– Vacation
– Sick leave
– Retirement plan including company contribution/matching
– Wellbeing program that offers incentives for both individuals and families
– Profit sharing
– Transit benefit allowance
– Gym reimbursem*nt
– Tuition or student loan contribution
– Salary increase
– Bonus
– Flexible working hours, including options to work from home
– Disability insurance
How does Personify Health fit in to Employee Benefits?
Personify Health provides versatile benefits solutions to employers by utilizing culture-first technology. This unique approach allows Personify Health to meet you where you are on your wellbeing journey, and evolve with you and your business.
If you already have wellbeing programs in place, Personify Health can help you unify them through HR programs, tools and added benefits. Our purpose is to make your programs accessible through a seamless and dynamic employee communications and benefits portal. With Personify Health’s culture-first technology, your business is sure to see improved personal and business outcomes.
Too often, employers have valuable benefits that go unused because employees are overwhelmed by the volume of information. Personify Health’s Hub solution provides the perfect platform for providing a personalized benefit experience that presents options based on each of your employee’s individual needs, interests and eligibility.
Adding wellbeing to your employee benefits plans
Personify Health has mapped a comprehensivewellbeing journey— much like a buyer’s journey — that outlines the critical stages organizations go through on their way to truly strategic wellbeing.
Learn how wellbeing programs can impact your employees and transform your workforce to become a happier, healthier, more productive place to work.
