For a third consecutive year, The NEEBC community gathered to connect and learn about ever-developing innovations making a difference for the workforce.  NEEBC’s January 23^rd sold-out conference – Innovation in Employee Benefits: Changing the Game – provided an exciting window into the future of employee benefits, discussing cutting-edge developments in areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) in HR, leave management, and health benefits. Here’s a summary of the key topics and insights shared throughout the event.

1. AI-volution in Employee Benefits
Mike Brennan, Partner of HR Digital Transformation Services at Mercer, led an engaging discussion on the transformative impact of AI in the employee benefits space. Brennan outlined how AI can drive productivity and enhance employee value. The future of work, he suggested, will shift from routine tasks (HANDS work) to more strategic thinking (HEADS work) and eventually towards work that fosters human connection (HEARTS work).

With the availability of newer treatment options for weight management – glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) medications – metabolic health is in the news, shining a light for the public on the impact of weight on overall health.

When evaluating patient well-being, physicians are increasingly reviewing metabolic health as an indicator of future health risk. Metabolic health factors – including a patient’s cholesterol profile, waist circumference, blood pressure and blood glucose – are interconnected. Obesity is a multi-faceted medical condition that typically manifests as a result of several factors, including genetic makeup, use of certain medications, lack of physical activity, excessive calorie consumption and sleep patterns.¹ There are over 200 conditions associated with obesity, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, fatty liver disease and cancer.² It is well documented that even a 10% reduction in body weight has health benefits.