Morning Briefing: This influences employee enrolment in health plans more than cash

This influences employee enrollment in health plans more than cash… Zurich North America moves to new greener HQ… AXA commended for gender diversity…

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This influences employee enrolment in health plans more than cash
Financial incentives are not the biggest influence on employees when it comes to enrolment in health plans.

A new report from Wells Fargo Insurance reveals that workers are influenced more by healthy behavior from company leaders than by contributions to their Health Savings Accounts.

"Many of the findings shatter traditional industry narratives that we have been following for the last 10 years, about cash and cash-equivalent incentives with employee benefit plans," said Nick Allen, national practice leader for customer analytics with Wells Fargo Insurance's Employee Benefits National Practice. "As it turns out, many employees do not view HSA contributions from their employers as an incentive when choosing plans."

Employers are better off demonstrating a healthy culture throughout the business including showing support for wellness. This is particularly effective when evident at an executive level.

“We’ve seen senior leaders encourage their employees to leave work early to exercise or to attend their annual physical appointment. That type of encouragement from management sends a strong message, not only boosting employee morale, but having a positive financial impact,” added Dan Gowen, national practice leader with Wells Fargo Insurance’s Employee Benefits National Practice.
 
Zurich North America moves to new greener HQ
Zurich North America has moved to its new headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois and unveiled its green credentials. The 784,000 square foot building will be home to 3,000 insurance professionals who were asked to submit their ideas for the perfect workplace.

The result is a building focused on communication, collaboration and wellness; with environmental awareness taking center place having been awarded the highest rating from the US Green Building Council.

“This building is a showcase of all we are at Zurich: its excellence in design, its focus on sustainability, and its reflection of our employees,” said Mike Foley, chief executive officer for Zurich North America.
Four employees killed in the September 11th terrorist attacks - John Keohane, Peggy Alario, Kathy Moran and Lud Picarro -  are honored in the building’s memorial garden.

“Our new headquarters building embodies a new chapter for our organization and our recommitment to the North American market as part of our broader, global business plan.  We see a bright future for our customers, shareholders and employees,” Foley added.

A number of the employee ideas incorporated into the new building are also now being implemented in other Zurich offices around the country.
 
AXA commended for gender diversity
AXA Insurance has been awarded Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE) certification for its global commitment to achieving gender diversity and equality in the workplace.

The certification applies to the insurer’s global headquarters in Paris, its French business, and its global technology services locations including the US and Canada.

At the end of 2015, women made up 53 per cent of the firm’s global workforce of 166,000 and 42 per cent of its management team including 25 per cent of senior leadership roles.
 

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