Author: Brian Scopinich

Gen Z is using Social Media to find answers about their health

What began as an app for silly dances and memes has become a bustling platform for the content of all kinds. Tiktok has become a place where you can learn all sorts of information, from recipes to budgeting tips, music, entertainment, history lessons, where to eat, and where to shop. The corners of Tik Tok are endless, whatever you seek. Not only are there videos posted about virtually everything, but we, as viewers, trust this content more often than not. In September, the New York Times, among other publications, reported Tiktok rivaling google as a search engine among Gen Z, with 40% of young people going to TikTok or Instagram over google to find places to eat. The platform has adjusted accordingly, making it easier to find related information using keyword searches.
For Gen Z, there is a lot of distrust in the establishment across several conductors of authority. Gen Z tends to trust the experience of their peers first and foremost. Employer benefits news reported that a recent study by CharityRx discovered that one in three Gen Z users consult Tik Tok before their doctors for health advice. When we consider the topics these Gen Z users seek advice for, anxiety, depression, and weight loss, one can infer that these are all topics traditionally met with judgment from an older generation. While, yes, post-pandemic, we are a more understanding and more mental health-aware society, old habits die hard, and Gen Z may see Tik Tok as a source devoid of judgment.
It’s easy to brush off the trends of a younger generation as fads that will pass, but in terms of social behaviors, social media is a pillar here to stay, like it or not. You can either jump on the bandwagon or get lost in its dust. While many fact check the information they find online, only some do. There is a space online waiting to be filled with truthful information to rebuild the trust it seems Gen Z lacks in healthcare. Gen Z has proved time and time again that just because this is how things have always been done doesn’t mean they will continue to be done in the same way. As a whole, the industry needs to maintain relevance by being the source of knowledge online, meeting this generation where they are instead of hoping they will come to you because we already see that they won’t always.
The truth is Gen Z is just one generation on Tiktok. The platform caters to users of all demographics. Being a peer is being on the app and part of the community as a whole, Gen Z has the spotlight, but they are only one segment of the 750 million monthly users worldwide. In a separate article from Employer benefits news regarding the uninsured population of the gig economy, Stride Health’s CEO, Noah Lang, makes the point that the key to success when it comes to the benefits landscape today is “education, awareness and frequency, and making it easier for their workers to be aware of opportunities.” We must use new mediums to communicate and educate people of all employment statuses about their coverage accessibility.
As a source providing access to benefits for all part-time workers, freelancers, the gig economy as a whole, and any under-benefited individual, Tiktok has been on our radar for some time. It’sIt’s a big wide world out there. Just waiting to hear what you offer; we’ll see you there.

Sources

https://www.benefitnews.com./news/gen-zers-are-turning-to-tiktok-to-answer-healthcare-questionshttps://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/16/technology/gen-z-tiktok-search-engine.htmlhttps://www.benefitnews.com./news/24-of-workers-in-the-gig-economy-are-uninsured-how-can-employers-help

Are you presenting HealthEE by HBG as a retain and attract tool? You should be.

The workforce is reshuffling. There is no doubt about it. Our new normal has sparked change in every industry universally. Employees want more, more flexibility, more balance, more control, just more. Whether they find that sense of more in another role or as a gig worker or freelancer, many are still trying to find the answer to their employment desires. According to the US Chamber of Commerce, the food and hospitality industries are among the most struggling industries to retain workers. In these sectors, the bulk of sales happen to the end consumer through the part-time workers, so they must be trained and controlled, armed with the knowledge to close the deal. No one can deny the importance of the customer experience. It is a heavyweight, especially considering those expected to hold it often feel the least appreciated. Traditionally the part-time worker is provided a different cachet than the corporate counterparts, no PTO, no benefits, and poor hours during the holidays while the rest of us are home with our families. While this model has worked in the past, the post covid employee isn’t biting in the same way anymore to attract and retain the necessary talent to close the sales in the store and behind the counter.
You can find the usual retention techniques across this platform and several others, including the shared working community; WeWork posted an article highlighting that retention means work-life balance, hiring good leaders, and building good teams, but how does one attract good leaders and sound teams? Businesses must convey a value matching the ideals of the potential hires they seek. Now while the most obvious of the bunch is providing employees with the ability to work from home, this is only an option for some industries. An employee can’t show a guest to their room or take a customer’s order from their home. However, there are other ways employers can give potential employees a sense of control and empowerment. Research from job boards Indeed and Glassdoor finds benefits and flexibility remain essential to attract talent. For the businesses that can’t afford to offer higher pay and can’t provide their employees a work-from-home option, how does offering the part-time workforce affordable benefits at no cost to the employer sound? Here is where Healthy Business Group steps in; their flagship product, HealthEE by HBG, is the online benefits solution for employers to offer employees at no cost to the employer, where employees can take control of their benefits and can choose to have more of what they need and less of what they don’t, now that’s an incentive.

Sources

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-retain-an-employeehttps://www.uschamber.com/workforce/understanding-americas-labor-shortage-the-most-impacted-industrieshttps://www.zippia.com/advice/great-resignation-statistics/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/12/business/economy/labor-participation-covid.htmlhttps://www.hrmorning.com/news/benefits-key-role/https://www.fm-magazine.com/news/2022/dec/benefits-flexibility-attract-talent-report-finds.htmlhttps://www.wework.com/ideas/professional-development/management-leadership/employee-retention-what-it-is-best-strategies-and-more’

24% of gig workers are uninsured, & missing from your book of business

With the influx of people switching to freelance or “gig” work, there seems to be a component missing from everyone’s “how to join the gig economy handbook” on accessing benefits. Employer Benefit News reported that a survey conducted by Stride Health found that of the 4,000 independent workers spoken to, 24% are currently uninsured. To break it down further, 80% of those cited believe coverage costs more than $100 a month per family member. This belief that coverage is unattainable leaves many not even considering having coverage an option for them.
The solution to this misconception is to spread information. As employers and employees lean into the gig economy, employers find it easier to hire freelance workers during economic uncertainty, and employees want more control. More freedom benefits can feel like no man’s land when providing access to coverage has always been challenging for employers. Employers can offer their part-time and gig workers benefits at no cost with the HealthEE by HBG online benefits store. Independent contractors, freelancers, and anyone under the “gig economy” umbrella has access to these benefits and can choose to receive them with an employer or on their own with gethealthee.com. Spreading the word about these benefits is a win, win. Employers need to differentiate themselves to retain and attract talent, and HealthEE by HBG can do that with no cost to the employer. On the employee’s side, everyone needs benefits. No one is immune to needing the occasional doctor’s visit or teeth cleaning, and drivers for Uber, Postmates, Doordash, etc., can only get by with auto coverage.
In a time of information overload with “insurance” generating millions of search results on google, providing clarity is valuable; give this value to your part-time workers, contract workers, freelancers, and everyone you know in the gig economy today.

Sources: 

https://www.benefitnews.com./news/24-of-workers-in-the-gig-economy-are-uninsured-how-can-employers-help

 

Checking in with HealthEE Support

As you know, our HealthEE support team is HealthEE by HBG’s friendly and accessible resource for answering any and all healthcare-related questions. January is a hectic month, we have many new members onboarding and calling with questions, so I checked in with the team to see what patterns they are noticing.
One wholesome trend we see is family members calling on behalf of loved ones like parents and significant others. It is incredibly touching to see family members discussing their loved one’s options and seeking the best plan for their needs.
Following the holidays, many callers have been looking for general plan overviews and in-network inquiries. Our team has found that the best way to clarify the difference from plan to plan comes down to the correlation between cost and coverage.
The feedback we have been receiving from callers is the general consensus that our members love the flexibility HealthEE by HBG healthcare plans offer.

Do you know what you’re missing from your book of business?

It is difficult to discuss the current state of affairs for any industry without returning to the long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, so bear with us. Among the challenges and work-from-home realizations, there were some among us not afforded the luxury of WFH. Essential workers, we dubbed them, the (in many cases) part-time workers keeping our supermarkets, delivery services, transportation, and even hospitals functioning. Even now, as we have returned to a sense of normalcy, WFH is still prevalent, and part time employees are still on the front lines. They form relationships with a brand’s consumers, the ones who are the faces of a company day in and day out. And yet they are missing from most brokers’ books of business. Why? 

Have we not experienced the vitality of the part-time worker these past few years? And of course we are also amidst a movement known as the great resignation, meaning companies need to do more to retain their employees. Covid-19 showed us how much we need part-time workers, but it also gave those workers every reason to want to quit their jobs. It’s up to employers now to find new solutions to hold fast to those employees and find new ones in a time where there are a plentiful number of WFH postings.

The pandemic has left brokers with new opportunities. Where traditionally, a broker’s book of business has not included the part-time employee, now they can. Not only is this a new market for brokers, but it also provides tangible value to the business owners. Part-time employees are the backbone of companies, and providing possible and accessible benefits will up current retention and incentivize new employees alike.

Take a deep breath this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving can be a time you spend with loved ones sharing delicious food, football, and larger-than-life balloons floating their way down 34th street. Or for many, it is also a time of great stress as you literally and figuratively sit on opposing sides of the table with your family. Whether it’s politics, when you plan to start your own family, or any of the many life decisions you made differently than your elders, Thanksgiving can feel more like an interrogation rather than a celebration.

For those looking to the end of November with stress instead of delight, consider utilizing our wellness resource, eMindful, for help dealing with the added stress you are feeling. Thanksgiving should be a moment to relax ahead of the crazy holiday season, don’t let the relatives get you down; get eMindful to reduce your stress and practice your breathing to get you through the day when it gets here.  

Thanksgiving may be the perfect time to start yourself on a wellness journey, as it is easy to forget to make time for yourself among the hoopla of the holidays. eMindful offers 24/7/365 access to on-demand meditation and mindfulness games. Daily sessions are 30 minutes, and you can choose a schedule that works for you. So treat yourself to self-care with eMindful this November and lead yourself to a less stressful December.

It’s not too late to get your flu shot!

Have you gotten your flu shot yet? It’s not too late, whether you simply forgot or attempted to walk into CVS in October only to be told to come back in a month. Here I am to remind you if you haven’t gotten yours yet now is the time. While you’re at it might as well grab that new booster as well. 

The flu like many other respiratory illnesses is spread person to person through droplets projected when an infected person talks, sneezes and coughs. During the past few years due to the pandemic our society has had limited opportunities for such droplets to be expelled with the wearing of masks being prominent and social distancing causing many to remain a safe distance apart. But this fall as mask mandates become a thing of the past and many of us hang up our masks, return to work, ride the train and go to social events like concerts and parties once again we are back in the line of fire for cold & flu season. 

Which is why it is predicted that the flu will return this season with seemingly extra force as our bodies are reminded of the countless germs we encounter and intake while going about our daily lives.

Making this an extra important year to get your flu shot if you have yet to do so. If you have not, whether you simply forgot or attempted to walk into a pharmacy in October only to be told to come back in a month. Here I am to remind you if you haven’t gotten yours yet now is the time and while you’re at it might as well grab that new covid booster as well.

Schedule your flu shot here or here.

HealthEE by HBG Support

We’ve all been trapped in a loop of “press 3 if you’d like to speak with a service provider” and “stay on hold for the next available representative.” With each awful hold song, you get more and more frustrated just to have a real person at the end speak as if they were a robot themselves and just want you to purchase whatever it is they are selling- whether or not it’s the right option for you.

That is not the HealthEE by HBG way. When you call 888-655-4053 or schedule an appointment online, you are speaking with the real people who make up the HealthEE by HBG support team. No premeditated scripts or robot voices telling you to repeat your name and date of birth over and over, just a conversation.
Personal, friendly and focused on finding the best solution for you, that’s HealthEE by HBG.
Schedule a free call here to discuss your benefit needs with the HealthEE by HBG support team today!

Industry leaders are catching our drift, do you?

Benefits are not one size fits all. Instead, benefits are a purchase to be considered, researched, and compared. We are not alone in these beliefs; a recent article on employer benefit news interviewed the CEO and founder of advising firm Next Impact, Lester Morales, regarding his views on employee healthcare. He spoke of his experience with his father having multiple myeloma cancer. Despite his father having employer-sponsored health insurance, the cost of the treatments forced him into bankruptcy. His experience has led him to believe employers should look beyond the traditional to find more employee options.
We couldn’t agree more. We created HealthEE by HBG to be that other option. HealthEE by HBG gives employees the power to browse coverage options. While traditional insurance is known for being a complicated and confusing process, it does not have the reputation of being one with various options. When asked what the most prominent misconception people have about healthcare is, Morales compared the process to purchasing a car, “You wouldn’t just drive to the local auto dealership, get in the first car and drive off without asking questions and negotiating the price. But that’s exactly what we do with healthcare.” Morale’s analogy is reminiscent of HealthEE by HBG’s co-founder Christian Stearns, who has repeatedly said no one wakes up in the morning with the thought of buying insurance. Car owners take great care in deciding which car they will purchase, and employees should be able to take the same care when buying benefits as it isn’t a purchase to be taken lightly or on a whim. Giving employees a sense of ownership and control of their health can be a powerful gift, especially now that inflation has taken hold and employees are trying to cut spending wherever possible.
The question becomes, however, is, who does the responsibility fall upon? Is it up to employers to seek various options for their employees? No, we don’t think so. With HealthEE by HBG, we have done the shopping around and created a one-stop marketplace of benefits ranging from healthcare to vision to additional benefits like life insurance and pet insurance. With a wide selection of plan types, we also offer these benefits at no cost to the employer. So give your employees the power to choose the coverage right for them and leave the administrative headaches to us.

Read the full interview here

How you can help employees with rising stress due to inflation

A recent study conducted by Qualtrics reveals a look into employees’ minds amidst rising inflation. The study found a large percentage of Americans to be concerned by their financial standing, considering it to be poor. To combat this, employees seek cheaper living environments, a second job or side hustle, and in many cases, an entirely new job offering higher pay. In addition, working from home has created ample opportunity for employees to take on extra work, whether extra hours from their primary 9-5 or something on the side. But, with more than half of working Americans considering holding multiple jobs, what does this mean for employers? 

It’s no secret that employee turnover is a huge cost for companies. We have already seen employees quitting their jobs in incomparable waves. Businesses must evaluate where their employees are hurting and try to adapt. Companies can choose to remain passive, keeping an eye on those who may join the “great resignation” and trying to reevaluate work distribution. Or a business can be proactive and offer their employees low-cost benefits. Lowering one of the monthly expenses eating up their paychecks will give employees more disposable income for their essentials, such as eggs and milk. With money being a top cause of stress for many Americans, offering lower-cost alternatives to healthcare and additional benefits will boost morale and productivity and create a sense of camaraderie among the business and its employees. The best part is the companies themselves don’t even have to lift a finger. With one of our HealthEE by HBG custom benefits stores, employers leave the administrative hassle to us and get to be the trusted messenger bringing the good news to their employees.