Be Connected: Stories from our employees in health benefits and insurance

Each week, we will share updates, quotes, and photos of the inspiring work that our employees are doing in service to our City.

This week’s story is from the Health Benefits and Insurance team.

With healthcare expenses steadily climbing over the past decade, people around the world are increasingly looking to employers to provide health benefits and insurance for peace of mind should they find themselves ill or injured. And in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, that peace of mind is even harder to come by. The City of Boston’s Health Benefits and Insurance team has been working tirelessly to protect and support the health and wellbeing of our workforce, so they can remain active and productive well beyond this global health crisis.

During Annual Enrollment and the Opt-Out program, the yearly period when employees and retirees can enroll in, make changes to, or cancel their health insurance plans, the HBI team was busy ensuring options were clearly communicated and providing support to employees and retirees who needed help understanding benefits or selecting the right plan. And with fear and uncertainty at an all-time high this year, the volume of calls, emails, and inquiries for the HBI team sky-rocketed to over 200 per day. This ultimately resulted in the team processing over 750 transactions and 350 opt-out submissions!

“The HBI team didn’t miss a beat,” said HR Transformation Director, Joanne Wisniewski. “They quickly adapted their engagement approach to virtual, devised a staff rotation plan for tasks to be completed in and out of the office, and put in many long hours to ensure our employees and retirees have the support they need through this difficult time.”

“When employees feel supported—especially when they are in the middle of a crisis—they appreciate the value of their health benefits plan. Understanding how and when to use benefits can help them feel confident about using them,” said Director of Health & Benefits, Marianna Gil. “The Health Benefits and Insurance staff deserve enormous gratitude for their efforts to ensure our employees, retirees, and their dependents are equipped to thrive.”

Thank you to the Health Benefits and Insurance team for your hard work, and for sharing your employee story with us. Share your employee story with us for next week!