Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS, Author at Word on Benefits

Health Plan Change Communication Gone Right

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

28 Apr 201728 Apr 2017

Confusion, fear, frustration—just a few of the feelings that surface quickly when hearing about a health plan change. The trustees of the Midwest Operating Engineers (MOE) Fringe Benefit Funds knew that the success of a new health care plan design would depend on […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Compliance Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Employee Benefits Health Care Insurance Regulatory

Compliance Checkup—ACA, SPD, COBRA

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

13 Feb 201718 Aug 2017

The future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) remains uncertain, but employee benefit plan sponsors should be alert for compliance issues that aren’t going away. Scott Segal addressed common compliance errors during his presentation “Employee Benefits Compliance ‘Hot Topics’” during the 26th […]

Canada Employee Benefits Financial Education Financial Wellness Retirement Wellness

Five W’s of Workplace Financial Education

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

15 Nov 201624 Jan 2017

Are you considering implementing a workplace financial education program? Start the process by answering the “five Ws,” says one expert. “A thrown-together program is going to get you only so far. An effective financial education program starts out with a well-thought-out plan,” […]

Canada Communication Employee Benefits Financial Education Financial Wellness

Tap Into Data for Tailored Benefit Communication

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

27 Oct 2016

Tailoring pension and benefits messages by age or generation is a good first step toward helping plan members make better decisions. But that may not go far enough. “An evolution is coming to more personalized retirement and benefit plan communications,” said Michelle Oram, […]

Employee Benefits Human Resources (HR) Wellness

Wild and Not-So-Crazy Predictions About the Future of Work

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

12 Oct 201609 Aug 2018

Will insurance drones fly around and monitor our physical activity, and will Big Brother health plans tell when we’re depressed by monitoring our iPhone activity? Will employers use office space as rental housing for employees? Well, maybe. How about worker teams that […]

Canada Employee Benefits Health Care Wellness

Does Workplace Wellness = Healthier Employees?

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

02 Sep 201605 Feb 2020

Do employees who participate in workplace wellness programs actually become healthier? That’s one of the important questions researchers in Canada have been looking at, along with what kind of return on investment employers can expect from a workplace wellness program. Preliminary results […]

Canada Employee Benefits Mental Health

Strategies for Employers After Disaster Strikes

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

28 Jul 2016

When a disaster like the Fort McMurray wildfire hits, it’s important for employers to have planned not only for how to respond to the immediate disaster but also for its potential lasting impact on employees. “There’s a risk period. Just because someone […]

Canada Employee Benefits Health Care Mental Health

Addiction: Be Ready to Help

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

16 Jun 2016

Imagine summoning the courage to admit you have a problem with addiction and asking for help. Then imagine being put on a waiting list for treatment. Would you still be motivated to get help when a spot opens up—potentially several weeks later? […]

Canada Employee Benefits Health Care Human Resources (HR) Mental Health Wellness

PTSD: An Often Hidden Workplace Issue

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

03 May 201606 Jun 2016

Many people think of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as an issue for war veterans, but it is increasingly gaining attention as a workplace issue. Some Canadian provinces are passing what’s called presumptive legislation around PTSD, which means that when a worker has […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Mental Health Wellness

Which Benefits Make Employees Happy? Ask.

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

15 Apr 2016

Supplying a regular paycheck is an obvious role employers play in supporting their employees’ happiness, but there are other ways organizations can help their employees and plan members be content. The World Happiness Report 2016 Update came out last month, ranking happiness levels […]