Inclusive Benefits: Examples of Breaking Down Barriers

In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the simplest tenets of maintaining an employee benefits setup that’s inclusive to all employees, including those of diverse backgrounds. From ensuring medical benefits are available to providing quality education programs to employees and more, there are several ways your business can maintain an inclusive benefits policy that leaves equitable outcomes for all.

At Nielsen Benefits Group, we’re happy to offer a wide range of employee insurance and related solutions, including health plan analytics, compliance and HR services, health plan advisory programs and much more. In today’s part two of our series, we’ll look at some ways of breaking down barriers to inclusivity in medical benefits, using some good examples of people and groups you need to be considering within this area.

inclusive benefits breaking down barriers

Employees With Disabilities

Over 60 million Americans have some form of disability, whether visible or not. This makes up 20% of the overall population, meaning that chances are good you have employees with disabilities within your workforce right now. It’s important to remember that this isn’t just a “physical” issue – many employees cite mental and developmental conditions alongside physical conditions when they share information about their own health.

And when it comes to the kinds of healthcare benefits programs you offer, it’s important to remember that some disabilities are temporary in nature. Accidents, injuries and pregnancy can all be considered disabilities as well according to the Americans with Disabilities Act and other law enforcement bodies.

As such, it’s imperative to have qualified healthcare providers available for treating employees with disabilities. And this goes beyond just medical care – your organization should also be proactive in offering IT and other accommodations to ensure that employees with disabilities are able to work as effectively as possible.

LGBTQ Employees

Fortunately, the United States has come a long way when it comes to LGBTQ rights in recent years, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement. In fact, only about half of all states in the country have laws to protect LGBTQ employees from being discriminated against due to their sexual orientation and gender identity.

For companies looking to grow, this is a great reason to offer inclusive healthcare benefits that cover transgender people and others within the LGBTQ community. For many employees, this is an important issue of wellness – not just physical health but also mental health.

And to make sure your benefits program is truly inclusive of LGBTQ employees, it’s important to focus not just on medical benefits but also on employee perks such as leave time or bereavement policies that protect people regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation.

Mental Health Programs

In recent years, there has been a shift towards a better understanding of both mental health in general and the importance of employee wellness programs. As such, many companies today are offering mental healthcare benefits to their employees.

Yet as with any benefit related to medical care, it’s important for managers and HR professionals to make sure that these plans are truly inclusive for everyone – including those who suffer from anxiety, depression and other conditions.

For more on how to break down barriers and offer inclusive healthcare benefits to your diverse workforce, or to learn about any of our group insurance or employee benefit programs, speak to our team at Nielsen Benefits Group today.