The Beneficial Workplace
Explore Mercer’s survey data to understand key events, trends and policies affecting today’s organizations.
The Beneficial Workplace features data-driven conversations about employee health and well-being.
Host Emily Ferreira sits down with Mercer experts to discuss our latest survey research and what it tells us about how employers are designing their benefit programs and the trends we’re seeing ahead.
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Latest episodes
Episode 17: Behind the numbers: Understanding the rising health benefit cost trend
Emily Ferreira sits down with Chief Actuary Sunit Patel to discuss the preliminary cost increase data from the 2024 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans.
Episode 16: Trends in time off: New survey results
Listen in as Emily Ferreira and Rich Fuerstenberg dive into the results of Mercer’s new Absence and Disability Management Survey and discuss how employers are expanding leave programs and making vacation benefits more flexible.
Episode 15: Voluntary benefits: The next frontier in flexibility
Listen as host Emily Ferreira speaks with Jen Daker of Mercer's Voluntary Benefit Practice about recent trends in voluntary benefits.
Episode 14: Creating a workplace that supports mental health
Listen as Emily Ferreira and guest Mary Beth Ryan discuss how employers can support their employees' mental health in the workplace, including through using EAPs, telemedicine and creating psychologically safe environments at work.
Episode 13: Longevity and the impact of an aging workforce
Listen as Kate Brown and Dr. Charlotte Yeh discuss longevity and how employers can prepare for its impact on their employees and benefits. For the full webcast, click here.
Episode 12: Women's health: Now essential to an inclusive benefits program
Host Emily Ferreira speaks with inclusive benefits specialist Lindsay Bower on Mercer survey data in the area of women’s health and how employers are addressing their needs today, where gaps remain and what we see for future offerings.
Episode 11: Latest trends on prescription drug costs and GLP-1s
Emily Ferreira speaks with Senior Pharmacist Raymond Brown to discuss the most recent trends in prescription drug costs, pharmacy benefits and GLP-1s.
Episode 10: Not just foosball and free food: Benefit shifts in the tech industry
Listen as Emily Ferreira and her guests Parshva Shah and Serafina Miller break down findings from Mercer’s Tech Total Rewards Survey.
Episode 9: Bills, benefits and burnout: Top-of-mind issues for employees
Emily Ferreira and Megan Connolly discuss new survey findings about what is keeping employees up at night and how employers can provide a more supportive work environment.
Episode 8: Health benefit cost increases for 2024 and beyond
Emily Ferreira delves into the preliminary cost increase data from the 2023 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans and speaks with Chief Actuary Sunit Patel on his thoughts on what's behind those increases and what we can expect looking forward.
Episode 7: The future of PTO and leave
Emily Ferreira and Shauna Bryngelson discuss the state of paid time off programs and address what’s on the horizon for flexibility in workplace leave programs.
Episode 6: Beyond the salary: addressing healthcare affordability for employees
Emily Ferreira and Mendy Stein talk affordability strategies in employer health plans ranging from traditional cost-sharing to value-based offerings in response to employee demand.
Episode 5: Taking pride in your LGBTQ+ Benefits
Emily Ferreira and Eliza Hilfer draw on recent research from family-building support to gender affirmation care trends in benefits that matter to LGBTQ+ employees.
Episode 4: Mental health beyond the benefits department
Emily Ferreira and Dr. Mary Kay O’Neill discuss stats on workforce mental health post-pandemic and how employers can create a supportive environment.
Episode 3: Beyond the 50th percentile: Benefits for the modern workforce
Emily Ferreira and Amy Laverock discuss key takeaways from a new survey of 17,000+ workers worldwide on Gen Z, digital healthcare, health equity and more.
Episode 2: Embracing equity in women’s health and benefits
Emily Ferreira and Julie Campbell discuss gender gaps in health benefits and ways employers are thinking holistically about women’s health to close those gaps.
Episode 1: Better benefits in the era of rising costs
In this first episode, Emily and fellow researcher Beth Umland discuss the implications of shifting trends emerging from latest National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans.
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