DEI is often thought of in the narrow sense of employment and recruitment.
But in recent years, companies have expanded the scope of their DEI programs and placed greater emphasis on improving the experience for all employees. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, one aspect of his experience came into sharp focus: health equity, or ensuring all employees have equal access to health care. Now it looks like this.
“We might not have seen this interest five years ago,” says Vicki Walton, health equity leader at HR consulting firm Mercer. “But since COVID-19, many employers and leaders have started saying, ‘We need to do something different.'”
Workers now expect their employers to offer better benefits, including health insurance.and given almost 55% Walton said that by 2022, the percentage of Americans with employer-sponsored health insurance will increase. Companies will need to focus on health equity if they want to attract and retain high-quality talent. It is said that it is wise to put
But she also said that despite growing interest in health equity, employers “don’t necessarily understand what it means and what solutions there are.” Warning. She recommends that employers take the following steps to understand the barriers and differences that exist within their organizations and improve health equity for workers.
Capture and analyze data about your employees and health insurance. Human resources teams need to review data on the company’s employee demographics, medical claims, prescription usage, and employee satisfaction with medical services. Many organizations have already begun this step. Currently, approximately 38% of large U.S. employers with 20,000 or more workers collect employee demographic data to identify members of specific groups, and 35% collect employee demographic data for health plans. We want health equity reporting. according to Mercer’s 2023 Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits.
Conduct a medical insurance gap analysis. Employers should review their benefits programs and identify which benefits are not included for marginalized employees. Next, we need to consider what new services can better support these workers. For example, people who belong to racial or ethnic minorities or LGBTQ workers often better experience By providing access to medical professionals with similar backgrounds, employers can work with insurance companies to diversify their network of covered providers and improve the employee experience.
Target employee populations most at risk for poor health or in need of better health care. One example is fertility and reproductive benefits.Maternal mortality rate in the United States almost doubled Black and Indigenous women’s experiences from 2018 to 2021 higher price Rates of pregnancy-related deaths are higher than for white women. In recent years, many employers have expanded Maternity benefits cover services such as doulas and midwives. Improve Effects on the health of pregnant people.
Additionally, companies need to engage with the internal and external communities these employees belong to. This includes working with employee resource groups and meeting with local community leaders. Walton says there is a need to educate employers about the social causes of health and explain how the environment in which employees live outside of work can influence health outcomes.
“I know this may be a bit unprofessional for benefits managers, but if you can understand the communities in which your employees live and the support that is available to some of these people. , it’s certainly an area they should consider as well,” she says.
Paige McGloughlin
[email protected]
@payment
Today’s issue was edited by Emma Burley.
around the table
A roundup of the most important HR headlines.
– A job seeker went viral on TikTok after sharing how he wasn’t selected for a job because the hiring manager told him he didn’t put enough effort into his appearance. business insider
– United Airlines has asked its pilots to take voluntary unpaid leave next month, citing delays in deliveries of Boeing planes. CNBC
– Tesla grew its Texas workforce by 86% last year, solidifying its position as Austin’s largest private employer, with Musk now having 26,000 workers in the state. bloomberg
water cooler
Everything you need to know luck.
Soft launch. A certain company is Implemented “Soft Friday” on a trial basis, When employees can decide whether to work or not, increasing productivity and flexibility. —Michaela Cohen, HR Brew, Morning Brew
Paid the exit fee. McKinsey offers managers nine months of paid labor look for work elsewhere. This is when it makes sense to make such a deal. —emma burley
Improbable conditioning. More white men are bullied more likely to admit discrimination In the workplace, we become aware of bias when we face harassment. —Jane Tie
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