Good News, Anyone?

It’s been a while since anyone has had anything good to report in the employee benefit world. Healthcare expenses are on a meteoric rise with little sign of improvement, which has sparked a raging political debate that has everyone holding their breath. Business owners and employees grow increasingly weary of the ongoing “pay more, get less” benefits trend.

It’s tough to view employee benefits as a strategic investment, particularly at a time when most executives are just looking for ways to stop the healthcare hemorrhaging.

It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that the people most exhausted by all of the bad news are the folks we’re charged to care for, motivate, inspire, and lead. The economic downturn has taken a toll on our staff, and simultaneously left us with fewer resources to invest in employee productivity, retention, and wellness. The economic reach of our employee benefit programs has diminished precisely when meaningful benefits packages have become most important – after all, most of us don’t have much extra incentive or wellness cash these days, but we all need the healthcare cost reductions and productivity boosts those programs generate.

Fortunately, there are a few benefits programs that offer significant multi-dimensional leverage. I’m obviously and shamelessly biased, but I think Vacation Wellness™ falls in that category. It’s an easy tool to help you retain talent (believe it or not, salary.com reports that 2/3 of your staff is probably looking for a better job despite high unemployment numbers), reduce healthcare expenses, generate loyalty, and demonstrate meaningful investment in your key business resource – your staff – all without spending much money.