Stay HealthEE all spring long

Healthy habits are important to maintain all year long but if you’re anything like me, I tend to get a little lackadaisical in the winter months and could use a refresher come spring. If you’re looking to revamp your routine for the warmer weather look no further, we have CDC recommended tips and tricks to get you healthy and ready for the summer.

The CDC recommends you get 150 minutes of moderate intensity leveled activity every week. While 150 may sound like a lot this can work out to 30 minutes a day 5 days a week. Walking can be a great way to get your physical activity in while also going about your everyday routine. Alternatively physical activity can also be a nice break from the norm and an opportunity to try something new. You can join a local gym or take a virtual work out class on demand from the comfort of your backyard through Wellbeats. Sources such as the American College of Sports Medicine advocate that adults engage in resistance training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two days per week. Working out three times per week allows for a more balanced and consistent exercise routine, with adequate rest and recovery time between workouts. 

While you are getting your body moving don’t forget to hydrate! Rethink any sugary sports drinks and sodas instead opt for classic H20 or for a little extra elect a electrolyte infused water. Electrolytes help replace the minerals you naturally lose when sweating as well as improve brain, muscle and heart functions. As spring is a time of rebirth and regrowth, what better time to try new fruits and veggies? 

Of course you need sleep all year long but with longer days and the sun rising earlier now is the time to get your sleep schedule in order to take full advantage of warmer weather and Vitamin D (don’t forget sunblock).

Sources 

https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/infographic/healthy-spring.htmhttps://www.businessinsider.com/we-asked-an-exercise-scientist-how-many-days-a-week-you-need-to-work-out-to-actually-make-a-difference-2015-6

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.

Quiet Quitting and what it means for employers

First, employees left their jobs in droves, but the problems for employers didn’t stop there. In a more optimistic time when the American dream was still the dream and the future was bright, employees wanted to go the extra mile to move up the hierarchy for a better tomorrow. The thought process and your hard work will pay off, and you will be rewarded. However, as inflation increases and wages can’t keep up, many employees have stopped drinking the kool-aid and either want to be compensated for the extra labor or won’t do it. Thus the term quiet quitting, in which you do what’s in your job description, nothing more, no staying late or working outside your predetermined hours or taking on extra work for the good of the company. Quiet quitting isn’t necessarily a new practice. Many compare the concept to coasting. However, I think an important distinction here is that quiet quitting isn’t personal to the company but is rooted in the need for work-life balance or extra in exchange for extra. Work-life balance is more of a private matter; balance means something different depending on the industry and person. 

However, if you’re seeking an extra to exchange for effort, consider offering more incentives to employees. I’m not talking about pizza parties or casual Fridays- nobody sees those as incentives. Instead, employees want incentives to make their lives less stressful to take weights off their shoulders. One significant weight is sure to be the expense of insurance and benefits. With HealthEE by HBG, you can offer your employees more options at more possible rates at no cost to the employer. More than just the affordability aspect, HealthEE by HBG provides a sense of control and choice to employees, something they won’t find elsewhere. It’s not a stretch to consider a piece of the quiet quitting appeal: the sense of control it offers employees. Give your employees the power of choice and the possibility of affordability with the HealthEE by HBG benefit stores.