Benefits Buzz

Incorporating DEI into hiring strategies has become increasingly more important to companies over the last few years. In fact, a  2020 survey  showed 51% of employers surveyed have formalized a DEI strategy for their company and 44% have made changes to their hiring policies. Laura Shen, chief diversity and inclusion officer here at WEX, joins us to talk about acquiring talent from a DEI perspecti...

What is an Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and why is it so important for your company? Sherry Olson, vice president of global employee experience at WEX, joins us to discuss her experience with launching a new EVP at WEX, her tips and tricks she learned along the way, and the importance of an EVP when it comes to recruiting and retaining valuable employees.

Did you know that about  half of employees don’t understand their benefits, and 80% of employees  never even open communications about benefits? Many employees often feel confused about their benefits plans options, especially if their employer is using “complicated HR jargon” in their benefits messaging. Bri Boerner, Senior Operational Writer, Global Talent Development at WEX and Hayden Goethe, S...

A potential upcoming recession means companies are looking for ways to cut costs, but employee wellness still remains top of mind for many employers. In a recent survey,  55% of businesses said they will not reduce salaries if there is a recession, and 47% said they will not reduce benefits . Ryan Filipek, lead benefits analyst here at WEX, joins us to share his advice on how to advocate for emplo...

At the end of January,  President Biden informed Congress  that he planned to end the two COVID-19 national emergencies on May 11, 2023. Recently, House Joint Resolution 7 passed the House and Senate and was delivered to President Biden on April 5, 2023, resulting in immediate termination ahead of the expected May 11th date. From an employee benefits and COBRA perspective, this means that temporar...

HSAs offer an excellent opportunity for participants to save money on healthcare expenses and for employers to support their employees’ wellness needs in a cost-efficient way. But it’s important to remember that there are HSA rules and regulations you and your employees need to follow in order to stay compliant. Join us as we talk with Jason Cook, Vice President of Healthcare Emerging Markets at W...

Now that a new benefits plan year is underway, it's time to shift participants from how to "choose" their benefits to how they "use" their benefits to ensure a positive experience. We’re opening Season 6 of our Benefits Buzz podcast with a webinar recording hosted by our new Benefits Buzz host Nathan Coverstone. Our guests share tips and best practices to help you best supp...

Inflation and a declining financial market have resulted in nearly half of Americans unable to cover a  $400 emergency medical expense . Compound that with  50% of employees leaving jobs for mental health reasons  and many HR professionals are facing a perfect employee wellness storm. As employees turn to their employers for financial, physical, and mental support, HSA Day 2022 aims...

While HSAs can be used for saving, spending, and investing, many HSA participants are simply using the accounts to save on their needs today. Valeria comes from a family full of past and current HSA users who leaned on these accounts specifically for spending to save on expenses such as copays and dentist appointments. Plus, she’ll share her experience growing up in a Spanish-speaking family and h...

ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance. And, chances are, if your company isn’t focused on ESG, it might be falling behind the competition in a variety of ways.  More than 90% of S&P 500 companies  publish ESG reports in some form. In the second episode of our two-part series, we take ESG reporting a level deeper by talking with two of our HR representatives who worked...

ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance. And, chances are, if your company isn’t focused on ESG, it might be falling behind the competition in a variety of ways.  More than 90% of S&P 500 companies  publish ESG reports in some form. What is ESG? And why is showing your ESG data externally important? In the first of a two-part series, we introduce why ESG has become such...

The tax law for VEBA has been around for nearly 100 years, but VEBA usage and popularity has evolved over time. Funded HRAs with a VEBA trust are a really popular benefit for unions and within the public sector. How well do you know VEBAs? Can they make a difference for those who depend on you? We’ll talk through the basics of VEBAs. Listen/watch to learn more, or  check out our blog post .

Benefits decision-making can be a daunting task for employees during open enrollment season. And our current inflation rates make these decisions even more important. What can HR leaders and employers do to ease some of this stress and make open enrollment a positive experience for employees? How can you prepare and educate your employees about the benefits you’re offering? We talk with Liz Hill,...

A pandemic. The Great Resignation. Flexible work arrangements. Employee wellness. The last two-plus years have increased the demand for talent acquisition and transformed what employees are looking for from their employers. What has changed? And how should you be changing your approach to hiring in today’s environment? We sit down with our global head of talent acquisition to discuss these issues...

Just because you participate in an HSA doesn’t mean you need to miss out on the savings potential of an FSA. Limited FSAs  are eligible to be paired  with HDHPs and HSAs. We chat with Mike Hagen on our sales team about his experience participating in a limited FSA. You may be surprised to learn how big of an expense his limited FSA was able to cover! Check out  our blog post  t...

Last week, we shared the story of one family that leaned on their health savings account (HSA) when surprising expenses came up. Today, as part of our open enrollment series, we asked another WEXer to join us to talk about how he takes an investment-heavy approach with his HSA funds. You’ll be amazed by the results he’s experienced by investing his HSA funds over the long haul.

Open enrollment season is here for many of you. We kick off our open enrollment series this season with the first of two episodes taking a deeper look at health savings account (HSA) participation so you can better understand their capability. Today, you’ll hear how Jessica Shawn of the WEX human resources team and her husband, Brian, leaned on their HSA when surprising expenses emerged. To learn...

What are the trending topics our partners and their audiences care about in the world of employee benefits? Chris Byrd and our panelists share their insight and perspective on a wide range of trends surrounding employee wellness, market trends, and more! This episode was recorded live from WEX SPARK 2022 in Hollywood, Fla.

With hundreds of partners and hundreds of thousands of employers using WEX benefits technology, we have a large pool of data available to support our partners, employers, and participants as they make decisions that will keep them on the cutting edge of today’s employee benefits trends. So what is trending? We break down some of the most interesting trends we’re seeing to help you stay informed on...

Our " Build Your LSA Your Way " episode was one of the most popular episodes we've recorded this season. We take the lifestyle spending account (LSA) plan design conversation a step further in this webinar recording hosted by Benefits Buzz host Eric Piela. Our guests answer some common questions and share plan design examples to help you build an LSA that meets your employees' needs.

Everyone can make an impact. That’s at the heart of creating a purpose-driven workforce. And that’s one reason diversity and inclusion are so important in the workplace, because you can’t be your best unless everyone has a voice. We’ve invited WEX’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer onto Benefits Buzz so she can share her story with us. Check out  WEX's inaugural Diversity, Equity &a...

We’re not wired to be loyal to products or services, no matter how well they perform. We’re only capable of being loyal to people and to well-managed brands that successfully humanize their presence by creating emotional resonance with us. Imagine the value to your company when you create an experience that compels loyalty. And that applies to your customers and your employees. Ken Schmidt shares...

The time is now to celebrate your employees. With so much change in how we work, where we work, and who we work for, developing an employee recognition program is vital to supporting and retaining employees. And when it comes from the top of the organization, even better! WEX Chair and CEO Melissa Smith is here to tell you about the impact reimagining employee recognition can have on your business...

With employees leaving their jobs in record numbers, HR professionals are looking for ways to stay informed on their employees’ needs so they can better support them. One way they’re learning more is through people analytics. With this data, HR leaders can make informed decisions that lead to higher employer retention rates, reduced bias in the workplace, and improved employee wellbeing. Our own M...

WEX’s Benefits Buzz podcast reached an important milestone, with over 25,000 views/listens of episodes all-time. Over the years, we’ve found new ways to reach you and brought on exciting guests, but our mission has remained the same. We wanted to share five big takeaways we’ve learned with our audience of HR professionals and benefits decision-makers.