Many employees say the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic have been the most stressful time of their careers, and this statement is not far-fetched. Job losses, pay cuts, fear of getting fired, and the general anxiety that comes with the word “COVID-19” has cast intense mental health stress upon nearly all of us. These events have renewed the conversation around building resilience in organizations and helping employees achieve mindfulness and mental wellbeing through workplace benefits.
In this episode of the Edelheit experience, Donna Fernandez, Senior Manager, Benefits Administration for Houston Independent School District shares her passion to help employees achieve physical wellness, resilience, and mental wellbeing. Donna has a track record with wellness programs and has several years of experience helping employees understand and utilize their benefits to improve their health and the quality of their lives and those of their family members.
Donna also is a member of the Mental Health First Aid Program, which brings people and resources together to further the task of mental health awareness and stomp out the stigma that is generally a barrier to mental health.
“Mental health is one area that still comes with much discrimination. People think when we talk about mental health; we talk about people being crazy; It’s not about being crazy but being mentally equipped to handle everyday stress”
“Attending the Healthcare Revolution has connected us to vendors that have given us innovative ideas we never even thought about”
“Don’t wait till something happens before seeking healthcare and paying huge medical bills and risking your quality of life, take proactive steps to take care of their health”
“We can’t always go to technology for everyone; there are some people that love technology, there are others who don’t like technology, and then there are those people who are in between. So, strictly digital solutions may not work for everybody.
[1:21] The burden of employee stress
[3:52] Building resilience and mindfulness
[11:54] Helping employees understand their health benefits
[13:28] Has employee engagement with benefits changed with the pandemic?
[20:05] Choosing the right benefits and wellness strategies for your employees
[25:04] What Donna is doing to ensure employees can easily access their benefits
[28:59] Proactive approach to health and wellness
Donna Fernandez is the Senior Manager, Benefits Administration for Houston Independent School District where she focuses her time and passion on working with employee benefits. She has a proven track record with wellness programs and getting employees back to work. Her passion is motivating employees to become better consumers of their own health and the health of their family members. Recent activities include health fairs for the employees and working with the HISD Benefits Counselors to put together a plan for campuses and departments to share benefits information via written communications, webinars, and in person meetings. We also create question and answer forums so employees have a place to call or come to get their issues resolved as well as learn about their benefits. Through setting up efficient benefits administration, employees are able to use their cell phones and computers or tablets to enroll in benefits, check their status on benefits eligibility for each of the benefits selected, and most importantly, to use their benefits. Donna also is a member of the Mental Health First Aid Program that brings people and resources together to further the task of mental health awareness and to stomp out the stigma that is generally a barrier to mental health.
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