Why Disability Coverage Is Necessary To Employee Benefits

Disability is common in the workplace, with one in four adults expected to become disabled before reaching retirement age. Without being able to predict the type or extent of disability that a person may face, it can be difficult to be financially prepared. Financial challenges are a significant stressor for many people these days, with 80% of U.S. workers reporting some level of financial stress interfering with their daily life.

Disability insurance and overarching well-being resources can help in several ways. First, they help protect income, giving employees peace of mind and the space and support to prioritize their health. Second, by offering the right support to manage difficult situations, employers can provide an employee benefits package that shields their teams from life’s unexpected challenges. 

Let’s look at a few ways employers can help their workers handle a disability.

• View the full picture of whole health. Physical, mental, emotional, and even financial health are all interconnected, so it’s essential to create a supportive workplace encouraging employees to improve their whole health. This includes clearly communicating how to access health and well-being support, while also providing the right resources, education, and tools to handle a disability.

 

• Offer financial support for life events. Life events that may qualify as a disability might surprise you — and be more common than you think. Common workplace disabilities can include mental health issues like anxiety and depression, chronic illnesses like asthma or diabetes, and even pregnancy and maternity leave. Employees need support during these life events, and financial experts note that it’s harder for Americans to save money for emergencies or retirement. By offering disability benefits, organizations can offset these challenges and provide a safety net to help pay bills, protect income, and access helpful resources. 

 

• Integrate health and disability benefits. Simplify access to whole-health care by offering employees both health and disability coverage. Connecting medical and disability plans leads to more coordinated care management and higher collaboration between case managers, care providers, and health professionals, driving earlier interventions and reducing workplace absences. Employers benefit from simpler administration, enhanced reporting, and potentially lower costs.

 

• Consider both employees and their families. To effectively help employees, you must consider the people closest to them. Programs like Total Health Connections provide dedicated Family Advocates who get to know each person’s health journey and their circumstances, so they can offer the right support and resources to make a positive impact.

 

• Show how employee benefits work together. If an employee is faced with a disability, it’s not just disability coverage that can help. Benefits like an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can provide vital services, from counseling to financial planning. This can bridge care gaps and help employees stay on the right track to unlock their personal best.

 

• Support a full range of behavioral health needs. Each person handles and manages a disability differently and needs varying levels of ongoing support. There is no one-size-fits-all strategy that works for every component of mental and behavioral health, which is why it’s important to offer services that cover a wide range of needs.

Providing employees with options for financial support — along with physical, mental, and emotional care — is essential to reduce absenteeism and help employees be their personal best. Disability benefits are a key part of this holistic approach to health and well-being, giving employees simpler access to care and more affordable support at the times they need it most.