As a business owner, you naturally want to be able to justify every dollar that goes out the door. It’s a competitive market out there for your product or service, and every little advantage helps.
Most successful entrepreneurs, however, are keenly aware that the market for talented employees is also keenly competitive – and there’s a big difference in productivity between experienced, knowledgeable employees who have been with your company for years on one hand, and the new hire off the street, on the other hand.
If you want to keep your best talent, you need to be competitive with the market, of course. But you also want to protect your own best interests at the same time. In today’s market, providing quality protection against the threat of disability makes good sense not just for your employees, but for any business that cares to retain the best, most talented and productive workers.
Los trabajadores consideran que los beneficios son importantes
Muchas encuestas han demostrado que los empleados dan mucha importancia a los beneficios. Por ejemplo, según la encuesta Glassdoor Employment Confidence Survey, el 76 por ciento de los empleados considera que su cobertura de seguro médico general es el beneficio más importante, superando incluso a los planes de jubilación en importancia.
In addition, according to the Society for Human Resource Managements’ 2013 Employee Benefits report, more and more employers are offering long and short-term disability plans as part of their employment package. As of last year, 77 percent of employers provided long-term disability protection, while 68 percent provided full-time workers with short-term disability protection.
Perspectiva
The momentum is clear: Group disability protection is rapidly becoming a standard offering for full-time employees. Meanwhile, as the Affordable Care Act takes hold, health insurance is going to become less and less of a marketplace differentiator for employers. Workers with pre-existing conditions don’t rely on their group plans to be able to get any kind of coverage at all, thanks to the prohibition on underwriting based on pre-existing conditions. And as the employer mandate kicks in, all employers except the very smallest will be forced to provide major medical, or pay big fines.
Eso deja a otros beneficios de seguros, como la discapacidad, en el tope de la lista de diferenciadores no salariales que hacen que los solicitantes sigan llegando y que los talentos se vayan.
Beneficios de la incapacidad colectiva para el empleador
Los párrafos iniciales, que aparecen más arriba, defienden la necesidad de un sólido paquete de prestaciones en general. ¿Por qué es vital la discapacidad? Por varias razones:
First, almost every worker who’s been around a few years knows someone who has been affected by an injury or illness that prevents them or a loved one from earning a living. In some cases, you can make the case with people in your firm – former employees who have had their lives disrupted by accidents or illnesses, and who have had to leave their jobs.
It’s therefore easy to “sell” the value of these benefits to your workforce, because workers can very easily see themselves in need of important income protection.
En segundo lugar, ofrecer un plan de discapacidad puede ayudar a garantizar que sus empleados sean más productivos cuando trabajan a su costa. Los trabajadores con acceso a un buen plan de discapacidad a corto plazo tienen menos probabilidades de presentarse a trabajar ya lesionados o de intentar trabajar a pesar de las lesiones porque necesitan el dinero. Los empleados que trabajan enfermos o lesionados corren el riesgo de lesionarse aún más y, en algunos casos, de poner en peligro a otros empleados.
For example: If a worker has no disability insurance, they may feel they have no choice but to show up to work – even if they are taking powerful medications such as codeine or oxycontin, both strong prescription painkillers – for an injury or illness they sustained off the job, and therefore not covered by workers compensation.
Sin embargo, si tienen un accidente en el trabajo, ponen en peligro a usted, a sus otros empleados y a ellos mismos, y ciertamente corren el riesgo de hacer subir sus primas de seguro.
Si usted ofrece un buen plan de incapacidad a corto plazo, ese trabajador que toma analgésicos narcóticos tiene la opción de quedarse en casa y recuperarse, sin poner en peligro a nadie más.
Apoyos adicionales
Most people think of disability insurance as just a policy that replaces part of a workers income if he or she is injured or sick and can’t work. And that’s true, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Disability insurance companies routinely provide case managers and assistance to get an injured worker back on the job as quickly as possible. By coordinating therapies and advising both the worker and employer on adaptive technologies and reasonable accommodations, a disability insurance provider can be a valuable partner with a business in getting a productive, invaluable employee back on the job as quickly as possible.
In some cases, your case manager can help you design a solution so that an injured employee can work at home – minimizing time lost. This can also be important to protect a worker whose immune system has been compromised by chemotherapy, for example.
Incapacidad vs. Compensación al trabajador
Remember, disability insurance and workers compensation insurance are different things. Workers compensation covers injuries incurred on the job, or as a direct result of work. Anything else is not protected by workers compensation. Your employees are vulnerable to all manner of illnesses and injuries on their own time – and small businesses frequently suffer when these workers do get hurt.
Mejores prácticas
Compre Calidad. Los programas de seguro por discapacidad más exitosos han sido sólidos. Invierta en beneficios de calidad para desarrollar y mantener la moral de los empleados. Una vez que un empleado se beneficia, los demás en el lugar de trabajo se enterarán. Obtenga los mejores beneficios que pueda pagar.
Educar a los trabajadores. Employees can’t value what they don’t know they have. Make a disability presentation part of your company orientation. And go over their benefits in regular training sessions and reviews.
Modelo de vida saludable. You can’t control what employees do in their off time. But you can point them in the right direction. Get good, healthy options in vending machines. Make healthy lunch options available. Have leadership model good eating habits. Provide access to one or more wellness programs, such as a gym membership.
Proporcionar incentivos para alcanzar objetivos de vida saludable. Un día libre remunerado por alcanzar un objetivo de pérdida de peso, por ejemplo, o tarjetas de regalo. Ofrezca una bonificación a los empleados que mantengan su estatus libre de tabaco y drogas, o que mantengan un peso saludable. Esto puede ayudarle a controlar sus primas generales de seguro médico.
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