7 COVID-busting benefits that will help employees return to work
Check out these seven employee benefits that can aid employers in designing their return to work process.
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” The old adage suggesting growing affection when two people are apart appears to apply to the modern workplace as well. In a recent survey by workforce technology firm Envoy, an overwhelming 90% of 1,000 U.S. full and part-time employees miss the workplace and 94% want to spend at least one day a week in their office. It’s understandable because U.S. workers have historically spent so much time in the office.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019, 82% of employed persons did some or all of their work at their workplace and 24% of employed persons did some or all of their work at home on days they worked. These are pre-COVID numbers. Though statistics are not yet available, it is a foregone conclusion that a large share of U.S. workers are now performing many work tasks at home.
Related: Q&A: Safety, workers’ comp and the remote workforce
For workers to feel comfortable returning to work, employers must go beyond the bare workplace minimum. Thankfully, there are many innovative return-to-work tools that can help, and new offerings are introduced every day. From modest enhancements to comprehensive programs, employer-sponsored benefits can meet the needs of employees in the COVID-19 world and address COVID-19 workplace risks.
Here are seven employee benefits that can aid employers in designing their return to work process:
1. Provide personal protective equipment (PPE).
According to a poll released in July 2020, roughly 34% of employees said their employers were not providing PPE even though they had returned to work. Multiple news reports have put a spotlight on companies for failing to provide proper PPE, especially in frontline industries where workers are most vulnerable. For personnel returning to the workplace, masks, gloves, face shields, and personal hand sanitizer are an essential need. Additionally, employees should always be instructed on how to properly wear PPE in the workplace (for example, masks should cover both the nose and mouth).
2. Screen employees with lab testing.
Many employers have instituted visual examinations, temperature checks and personal health questionnaires to help curb COVID-19 infections. However, lab testing is also an important return to work approach. There are two main types of testing: 1) Molecular Testing, which looks for the virus using a nasal swab specimen (a positive result indicates an active infection); and 2) Antibody Testing (sometimes known as serology or IgG testing), which looks for antibodies using bloodwork to identify individuals with an adaptive immune response to the virus, indicating recent or prior infection. Most large lab companies offer return-to-work testing.
3. Review flexible spending account (FSA) elections and allowable changes with employees.
In May the IRS announced that account holders will be able to make mid-year changes on their FSA contributions, allowing them to either increase or decrease the amount. FSA account holders will also be able to carry over slightly more money into next year. Over-the-counter medical products, including PPE, are now allowed under flexible medical accounts on a permanent basis and should be included in plan documents and communications.
4. Expand telehealth benefits to include mental health screening.
According to a survey from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP), 83% of U.S. organizations offered telehealth benefits prior to the pandemic. An additional 13% have implemented telehealth services because of the pandemic. Telehealth is especially helpful to help treat mental health conditions such as depression, which is taking a devastating toll on U.S. adults during COVID-19.
In October, the large lab company Quest Diagnostics which does a majority of the nation’s return-to-work COVID-19 testing, announced they would begin offering mental health screening in partnership with virtual care company Catapult Health. These services can be utilized by employee populations staying home as well as those returning to work. Consider including this service as a benefit for both employees and their dependents, who may be similarly impacted.
5. Expand at-home childcare support options.
Earlier this year (pre-COVID-19), Willis Towers Watson published survey results of U.S. companies pertaining to their workplace arrangements. Of note, only one third (34%) of respondents indicated that they had a childcare referral service in place for 2020, with a meager 2% planning to add it as a benefit in 2021. Roughly one in five (19%) employers had emergency or backup childcare services available to employees in 2020, with only 3% planning to add it in 2021.
When employees transition back to the workplace while still having dependents in a work or school from home setting, employers should reconsider their childcare support benefits, such as adding or expanding childcare service benefits or allowing for flexibility to apply benefits to the home setting.
6. Help employees understand public policy changes impacting the workplace.
Multiple public policy changes from federal, state, and local government are working to ease the financial burden on workers. The Society of Human Resources Management recommends ensuring employees understand the eligibility requirements for policies like Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Employers should create a way to collect necessary supporting documentation from employees to take advantage of COVID-19 tax credits and relief programs. Employers should also review any Dependent Care Assistance Program FSA election changes with employees to ensure their new or revised elections are correct.
7. Don’t forget about training and knowledge enhancement.
According to a report from insurance firm Unum, employers may be surprised to learn that increasing work from home will increase the war for talent. When people can work anywhere, their choice of employers is virtually unlimited. To compete, employers will need to revisit their benefit offerings now and in the future. Already, business schools including Pepperdine Graziadio Business School are seeing increased enrollment and launching new programs to aid those who seek foundational business skills in anticipation for the future workplace. Employers who offer workforce training, especially credentialed programs, are giving employees a reason to stay and benefit the organization’s bottom line.
While these employee benefits can help employers develop a sound return-to-workplace process, there are additional issues to take into consideration. Many businesses and benefits managers are facing unprecedented challenges and rapidly shifting business priorities in response to COVID-19. I believe it will be critical to explore the impact of returning to the workplace and its meaning for employees. The pandemic has not only resulted in employees working from home, but for many of them having their children and/or spouses at home. The duration of the pandemic may have led to new life routines being developed that will now be disrupted.
As employees look at returning to the workplace, their child’s school may not have reopened and/or there is no childcare they can bring in or afford to free them up. A growing number of marriages and relationships have suffered, and an employee may be still reeling from that. There are single people who may have relocated for a new job at the beginning of the pandemic and are unsure of their new surroundings. Additionally, many people were hired during the pandemic and these new hires may be coming into the workplace for the first time and need attentive integration. Having a process for dealing with these psychosocial issues will enable employees to be more effective, empowered, and engaged upon returning to the workplace. What employer wouldn’t want that?!
Many employers no longer fear allowing people to work from home; however, many millions of employees will eventually need to return to work in some capacity. Examining employee benefits and the human element of managing a workforce can help employers today and ensure employers are well-prepared to retain and recruit top talent for the road ahead.
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