Finding the right wellness solution for your team can be a challenge!
Wellness programs are now a key part of the modern workplace. These benefits and services should be a major consideration when it comes to compensation strategy, as they increase employee engagement. But where to start?
You can browse hundreds of wellness vendors on your own…searching the web, looking at review websites, scrutinizing HR listservs for recommendations. Or you can save time, money, and hassle by turning to an expert!
Employee benefit brokers are professional advisors who have a responsibility to look at each of their clients’ unique situations and then investigate the market to find the right wellness solutions or other benefits for them.
You may be familiar with traditional brokers who support companies selecting health and life insurance. Wellness benefit brokers are a more modern and flexible evolution of that.
“Although their basic goal, selling insurance policies, is the same, wellness brokers have an expanded role working with company leaders to encourage healthier lifestyles among employees, ultimately aiming to keep health care and insurance costs down,” writes corporate wellness consultant Guillaume Mariole.
They might present you with several options, and they can also secure discounts in some cases! Some also handle administrative needs, enrollment, or strategic planning (you may be curious to learn about how to do employee benefits planning). Not all brokers have expertise in wellness, but many of them do and can offer their input on why type of program or product is right for you, or what mix of wellness solutions will suit your goals.
When to comes to finding workplace wellness solutions, these benefit brokers are leading the industry with their expertise and guidance.
Mercer
Mercer is a global leader in the health and benefits marketplace. They deliver innovative solutions that address the health and wellness needs of clients and their employees. Whether your organization is a small business (see our ultimate guide to small business employee benefits), a domestic employer, or a large multinational firm, they can deliver a comprehensive array of health and benefits solutions.
Mercer’s health solutions help employers improve human performance, which positively impacts overall business results. With over 100 clinicians and other health management resources around the world, Mercer provides a range of consulting and other solutions to help employers optimize the health, well-being and productivity of their workforce. Some of their services around workplace wellness solutions include:
- Health and well-being strategy and stakeholder engagement including creating a culture of health
- Solution (e.g., well-being, condition/care management onsite) design, benchmarking and vendor selection/management
- Resiliency, behavioral and mental health
- Absence and disability management
- Return on Investment (ROI) and Value of Investment (VOI) measurement
Willis Towers Watson
Willis Towers Watson is a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company that helps clients around the world turn risk into a path for growth. With roots dating to 1828, Willis Towers Watson has 45,000 employees serving more than 140 countries and markets.
With deep expertise across the full spectrum of health benefits, Willis Towers Watson provides employers with strategic insights, innovative solutions and value for their business and employees. Their services address the top issues employers of all sizes are facing to better meet employees’ needs, including:
- Health benefits strategy and financial management
- Health care access, quality and affordability
- Integrated employee wellbeing
- Choice, personalization and employee experience
Gallagher Benefit Services
Gallagher is one of the leading insurance brokerage, risk management, and human capital consultant companies in the world. With significant reach internationally, our organization employs over 34,000 people and our global network provides services in more than 150 countries.
Gallagher helps their clients develop integrated wellbeing strategies that enable employees to become more engaged and thrive at work, at home and in their community. They take a strategic approach to wellbeing and go beyond traditional wellness to help organizations evaluate and create the right mix of emotional, financial, career, community, and physical wellbeing initiatives. This includes reviewing how wellness integrates with workers’ compensation and safety programs.
Lockton
Lockton is the world’s largest privately owned, independent insurance brokerage firm. Lockton brokers work like an extension of your HR team, by collaborating with your company to enhance employee benefits management, deliver data analytics and wellness services, and improve employee communication. This is all done with the goal of improving recruitment and reducing turnover.
Lockton’s employee benefits consultants help identify each client’s key issues, set measurable goals, and develop targeted strategies. By designing a tailored health and wellbeing program that demonstrates your commitment to your employees, Lockton Benefits can help employers reduce absenteeism, improve morale, and increase employee retention.
Marsh & McLennan Agency
Marsh & McLennan Agency (MMA) is specializes in serving middle market companies in the United States. They provide mid-sized public and private companies with risk management and employee benefit, and employee benefit program support that helps them flourish.
MMA have developed and implemented comprehensive employee health and wellness solutions for many employers, with a focus on saving costs while still providing high-quality benefits.
They recommend developing a multi-year wellness solutions strategy, with each year progressing in the breadth and scope of the program and use of premium contributions and benefits to differentiate those who are actively participating and/or improving their lifestyles and controllable risk factors.
HUB International
HUB International is a leading North American insurance brokerage that provides employee benefits, business, and personal insurance products and services.
HUB’s approach to wellness is built on the premise, backed by research, that employee health and company performance are inextricably linked. It’s also essential that any wellness program aligns with an organization’s goals. HUB has vast expertise with designing and implementing health and wellness programs that encompasses most industries and knows how to work with budgets of any size.
HUB brokers work closely with employers to create and integrate a health and wellness solution that fits your workforce. Their standard process includes an assessment to determine the unique needs of your workforce, strategic guidance and program design, and implementation assistance.
USI
USI has served over 500,000 clients meeting their property & casualty, employee benefit, personal risk and retirement needs nationwide.
USI has one of the broadest networks of population health managers of any major brokerage in the U.S. The background and expertise of their specialists range from clinicians, program managers from Fortune 50 employers, health promotion specialists, data analysts, nutritionists, and communication specialists.
USI’s PHM team has been able to demonstrate improvements in employee health and positively impact financial results by creating a comprehensive and effective workplace wellness culture as part of a company’s overall employee benefits strategy (check out this post on why are employee benefits important). USI’s PHM team starts by evaluating data and recommending targeted, low-cost solutions focused on improving health status and managing health related costs.
These brokerage firms all get the IncentFit stamp of approval…but what if you want to learn more about the options first?
Download our free and comprehensive guide, The Definitive Corporate Wellness Product Landscape!
It’s a vendor-agnostic view of all of the wellness solutions on the market, sorted by category, price, and company size.