America's Benefit Specialist January-February 2023

PRESENTEEISM

Continued from page 17 • recognize when employees appear to be uncharacteristi cally stressed or have difficulty balancing their workload • take note of decreased interest or engagement in work, including signs of indifference or cynicism. MITIGATE THE RISKS Once your clients have identified signs of presenteeism, en courage them to proactively address it within their organiza tion by taking these steps: • Review their absence-management policies to determine if they may be a contributing factor to presenteeism. • Prioritize employee well-being and mental health, and en sure the company has strong workplace accommodations. • Offer the option of flexible work schedules. Flexible work schedules can improve employee engagement, particu larly if they are struggling with a physical or mental health condition. • Consider implementing new policies and benefits to support their employees, such as increased wellness or caregiving benefits, or an external mental health coach. • Be sure to develop feedback loops to understand the chal lenges that their employees and managers are facing so that the company can best support them. THE BOTTOM LINE According to recent Gallup research,3 productivity among highly engaged teams is 14% higher than that of teams with

the lowest engagement. And unengaged employees cost their company the equivalent of 18% of their annual salary. Companies and managers not paying attention to presentee ism and its impact on worker productivity should take note, as well as understand the significant impact they have on their employees’ engagement level. 1 www.investopedia.com/terms/p/presenteeism.asp 2 https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/ s12889-019-7138-x 3 www.gallup.com/workplace/321743/increase-productivity- lowest-possible-cost.aspx

Growing up in a small Alaskan town instilled a love of the outdoors and an independent spirit in Brenda Smith. Her tight-woven community also exposed her to the ramifica tions of job loss and disability and the toll they can take on a family. This empathy for others led her to the field of human resourc es, where she gained experience in benefits,

staffing and overall operations. Her insights into the benefits world and background in customer experience led her to work with The Standard’s Workplace Possibilities team in 2014, where she is now the director of the program. When not at work, Brenda spends time with her husband, two children and dog, tests healthy recipes or watches col lege or professional football. She and her family also volun teer their time at the Oregon Food Bank.

INDUSTRY EVENTS

FEBRUARY 5-8 YOU POWERED SYMPOSIUM Miami, FL www.epoweredbenefits.com/2023-you symposium/ FEBRUARY 6-8 ICMG ANNUAL CONFERENCE Scottsdale, AZ https://icmg.org/conference

JUNE 5-7 Q4LIVE San Diego, CA www.q4live.q4intel.com JUNE 11-14 SHRM23 ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXPO

JUNE 16-18 WOMEN OF INSURANCE ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE Nashville, TN www.womenofinsurance.org OCTOBER 22-24 LIMRA ANNUAL CONFERENCE National Harbor, MD www.limra.com

Las Vegas, NV www.shrm.org

24 ABS | benefitspecialistmagazine.com