Hartford, Conn. - Skyrocketing gasoline prices, the ever-changing competitive business environment, soaring health care costs--those are just a few of the high-pressure issues facing today's employers. The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. understands that business owners often don't have the resources--or expertise--to track and analyze the health and disability trends of their employees.That's why the company provides its group disability customers with free annual analyses, tracking health, absence and productivity trends, such as frequency and type of disability claims. After the review, the insurer provides extensive reporting to update employers on trends impacting their business, as well as recommended strategies to help keep employees healthy and productive.
In order to provide employers with a comprehensive profile of its benefit program, The Hartford recently joined the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI) benchmarking data consortium, a national repository of short- and long-term disability, and family and medical leave data from hundreds of U.S. mid- and large-sized employers.
"We believe the IBI's data consortium will offer a greatly expanded resource, helping us provide our customers with important information to grow their business and keep their employees healthy and happy," says Carol Harnett, The Hartford's national disability and life practices leader.
Harnett heads up a team in The Hartford's group benefits division dedicated to analytic and consultative services, as well as research targeted around health, absence and workplace productivity trends. Harnett's national disability and life practices team offers benefits news and solutions through the Center for Ability, a Web-based resource center designed for employers and benefits managers.
The benefits checkups offered by this team are an effective tool in promoting positive trends or preventing negative trends, says Harnett, a clinical physiologist. "Often employers have one disability insurance carrier, but several medical insurance carriers. The health insurance carriers are only seeing a slice of the employee population, while we're able to review disability and absence data for all employees," she says. "We have a clear picture of the health of the business' greatest asset--its people--and offer powerful strategies to assist employees, as well as help employers control benefits costs."
Source: The Hartford
