Make a beginning: Looking ahead to 2022
This time of year offers a time for reflection, as well as an opportunity to anticipate the future.
And just like that, another year has come and gone. Although in many ways, 2021 felt like a huge step forward, it still offered plenty of challenges and struggles. This time of year offers a time for reflection, as well as an opportunity to anticipate the future, and this month’s issue includes both.
Our annual timeline provides a visual overview of the year that was (can it really have been less than a year ago that we were talking about initial vaccine rollouts and the dissolution of Haven?) From GameStop, to the Price Transparency Rule to the impacts of the Delta variant, let’s just say there’s plenty of ground to cover.
Speaking of, this month’s cover story offers a handy progress report to help you sift through some of the big events of the previous 12 months and provides perspective on their impact on our industry, your clients, and their employees. As Scott Wooldridge writes, “It’s clear the pandemic has set into motion a number of major new developments in the world of work—some that have been stubbornly resisted for some time, and some that have been pleasant surprises. This snapshot captures just a few of the key issues that will be on benefits advisors’ and employers’ radar in the year to come.”
In “Another shot,” Bo Armstrong analyzes how the pandemic has refocused benefits strategies and created an opportunity for benefits advisors to bolster employees’ damaged sense of security, stability and wellbeing while helping employers more effectively attract and retain employees through more creative benefit strategies.
And we also had a little fun with this month’s Action Reaction column, asking benefits professionals to wave their magic wands, banish COVID forever, and offer their preferred headlines and topics of conversation. Some took a serious approach and focused on our industry, while others expanded their wishes outside of the benefits world.
As you wind down from Q4 and look ahead to better days in 2022, I hope you find some time to recharge with family and friends. If nothing else, the past few years have been an unforgettable reminder about what really matters most.