Smart Benefits: And Much More - Sam Slade

Smart Benefits: And Much More - Sam Slade

This column is titled “Smart Benefits.” We spend a lot of time here talking about health-related insurance. That’s because healthcare coverage is typically the foundation of any benefits package and the largest expense for most employers after payroll and building costs. But there are many other benefits employers can – and, in some cases, must – offer, including:

- Retirement plans
- Paid leave, vacation, and other workplace perks
- Wellness
- Voluntary insurance
- Medicare supplemental plans

All of these benefits, designed correctly, can work together to boost employee health, wellbeing, and engagement. And, by showing that an employer is invested in their staff and their futures, they can go a long way in recruitment and retention efforts.

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But it’s important to get these plans right. Just like the Affordable Care Act, ERISA and other laws govern health insurance that companies offer, these other areas are also heavily regulated, and compliance is essential.

To help companies understand what benefits you can and should offer, how to use the plans to transform workplaces for the better, and ways to stay on top of the latest rules affecting the offerings, I’ve invited some of my colleagues to weigh in.  

In the coming weeks, I’ll be introducing teammates who are subject matter experts in a variety of areas, including Joe Vasko, who leads our Retirement Administration team, Jim Sampson who heads our Retirement Advisory Services group, Jim Soucy, who runs our Medicare practice, and others. You’ll see columns from them about everything from tax law changes affecting retirement plans to new Medicare benefit programs that employers can offer their retirees at no cost.

I hope you find their perspectives valuable.