The Checkup

....If we do say so ourselves! Literally. For some of us the internal furnace has been lit and it kicks on at any given moment! Stephanie Bastin-Wells joins me to talk about one of our favorite topics, menopause! Stephanie is a Human Resources leader who discovered while vacationing with girlfriends, just how little American women are talking about this life change and how challenging it is to find resources. If you were born with a uterus, this WILL happen to you, and it happens right around the time you're at the peak of earning potential and in board rooms. Then come the symptoms that are so wide ranging and while different for everyone, profoundly impactful: brain fog, anxiety, hot flashes, fatigue - just to name a few. No, we haven't lost our mojo but we may be in this stage for 10 years before menopause actually happens. With the next half of our lives in front of us and 20+ years left in the workplace, how do we shift the conversation, adapt in the workplace and create protections for women in this stage of our lives and careers? As Stephanie says so well, "women who are no longer buying tampons are running countries, leading companies and writing award winning novels!" Stephanie and I talk about just that. Even if you don't have a uterus, you know someone who does, and this conversation also should include YOU! Lastly, if you're looking for free resources, check out www.heyperry.com

Leila Starwich, Director of People Operations at Sprague Pest Solutions, has a background in education with a high ratio of creativity that runs through her veins. She's also a problem solver which has been an important trait when the candidate pool went shallow and the world as we know it changed. Leila shares commonsense and creative strategies for Human Resources but also challenges us to set aside "what we've always done". If you haven't changed it up, you're behind the ball. Take a listen and share your creative ideas with your HR community!

Brandon Steele is with Mainsail Financial and puts a lot of effort into making financial education accessible and less intimidating. He visits The Checkup to talk with us about everything from tackling your budget, bringing education to employees, how to bridge employee benefits with retirement, his weekly financial updates and inflation. It's never too late to learn!

Ty has experienced addiction, homelessness and damaged relationships. He has also experienced recovery, healing and 2nd chances. He is a Career Coach and Professional Speaker leading the way at Recovery Career Services. He coaches those reentering the workforce, but he also coaches and teaches organizations who are considering second chance employment. As numbers increase of those seeking help for substance abuse, he also tackles the important topic of a recovery friendly workplace.

Julie Casper is part of Lockton's Health Risk Solutions team. They play an integral role in our work with clients to recommend and integrate changes that impact employee's whole-being. Julie shares what she believes will be the trends this year and what employers should be looking for and considering.

Rick Abbott, co-founder and CEO of Lyn Health returns to The Checkup to share initial outcomes of the mission-driven work he and his team are doing with polychronic patients. He also introduces Lindsay Harris, President & CEO of HMA. They have forged a partnership to help employers better steward their healthcare dollars and to achieve better outcomes for some of the patients that need it most.

Wade returns to The Checkup to talk about his hopes for 2022 and the challenges he sees. Did you know a study from the 90's predicted this labor shortage during this decade and without knowing we would face a pandemic or have a gig economy! Wade's hope for 2022 rests on our ability to looks with objectivity to the future and be willing to rethink the things we know.There's a reason the rear view mirror is small, but it's STILL there.

Everside Health holds true to a value of making healthcare affordable. Join Adam Johnson and Dr. Tobias Barker as we talk about how their model is designed to deliver better health outcomes. Often channels of healthcare delivery are improved by direct primary care or on-site clinics but that hasn’t quite been effective at making healthcare more affordable and accessible for those who already have roadblocks. Everside’s mission is to change that. They work directly with employers to identify health risks and set health objectives connected to outcomes. They reach out to employees to initiate care and educate. Their model is built around accountability: to the employer and to the patient and they’re delivering better health outcomes at a consistently lower price. Learn how they’re doing it and how your company can partner with them!

In the first episode of 2022, Wendi Modarelli from HRT Northwest joins Danielle to share her predictions of what the New Year may hold for Human Resource Professionals. While we can’t predict even the near future, by looking at the past, we can make plans for our organizations in the areas of Support, Security and Safety.

Being sick in America is endlessly difficult—both from a care perspective and a financial perspective—notably for polychronic patients. What's it like to have multiple diagnosis and to be under the care of multiple physicians? Who helps these patients navigate the emotional and mental toll of illness? Meet Rick Abbott, the founder of Lyn Health. He and a team of heart-filled dreamers have built an eco-system to serve polychronic patients in new, comprehensive ways. Welcome to loving, compassionate and empathetic healthcare. Meet Lyn Health.

Did you know Lockton provides leave administration for our clients? Through our Integrated Absence Services, we do just that. And for clients who have at least 500 employees, we provide those services as long as we are the broker of record. Rob Larson joins The Checkup to explain how it all works!

Meet Scott Behrens, the person spends time in Washington DC, explaining to lawmakers how their policies impact our client’s businesses! Whether it's taxation, healthcare, or a myriad of other things - policy matters. Influencing that policy before it's written is critical. Scott shares with us the current climate in DC and talks straight about government funding, the debt limit, infrastructure and the Build Back Better Act (BBBA). Tucked in that giant spending bill are implications to the employer mandate, ACA subsidies, Rx prices, telemedicine/HSA coordination and a Federal paid leave program.

It's the first time The Well has welcomed a duo and these ladies are the perfect recruiting pair. From an unlikely professional relationship to finding common ground and then taking their gained knowledge and passion for recruiting and people a SHRM conference near you - welcome Arhonda Reyes and Teresa Simpson. They get real about what you may need to do to widen your net and share practical tips that may help your company modernize your efforts and be a place where more people want to work! Need help with your employee benefits? Visit https://www.daniellehuston.com/

Healthcare should be . . . nice! Join us in welcoming Nice Healthcare to Washington. They have partnered with Lockton to deliver this progressive approach in the Northwest. Their Direct Primary Care solution and Lockton's analytics bring together the improved patient outcomes and experiences along with measurable results. John Young and Elizabeth Chidothe of Nice Healthcare along with Eric Hirschberg and Danielle Huston of Lockton engage in a panel-like discussion of DPC, what makes Nice special and what low-barrier, lower-cost healthcare could look like.

Dale Sirek has a passion for the human part of Human Resources. He joins the Well to talk about how we can overthink the simple process of welcoming people into an organization. Offering hospitality and spending time getting to know our new and existing employees doesn't require a huge spend or special project. Dale shares practical tips and a few steps you can take now to provide a better onboarding experience.

Ben Hale, a Lockton Advisor and expert in D&O coverage shares his advice about looking at this coverage with fresh eyes. As costs have exploded in this space, the same approach simply doesn't pass the diligence test anymore. Our expertise and analytics helps our clients make smart, cost effective decisions.

Ed Fensholt, the Director of Compliance at Lockton Companies, joins The Checkup to share his advice about the year that is 2021. Ed believes this year rivals the year of Affordable Care Act. We refer to the new compliance mandates from the last year as the dirty dozen and they need to be on your radar and in your plan. Lockton can help. https://www.daniellehuston.com/

Dr. Wade Larson, CHRO, an international speaker, career coach, consultant and author comes to The Well to talk about his new book, HR Transformation! It is straight talk encouraging HR leaders to do just that. Own your seat at the table. Use your influence to guide the business. Step away from tasks and lead the function. Human Resources is coming into another era of change. Dr. Larson wants to encourage you to take bold steps to lead that Revolution!

Steve Cain, a Long Term Care expert and broker at LTCi joins Danielle to explain the fundamentals of Washington Cares, the new Act that creates a Long Term Care benefit for Washington residents. There are important things employers in particular need to understand: the requirements, the exemptions and the opportunities to educate employees. Steve and Danielle walk through it all. More at daniellehuston.com

Zach Snyder returns to update us on the wrap of the legislative session. Olympia was busy with a long session this year and a full Healthcare agenda. We tracked the Covered Lives Tax, Long Term Care and Capital Gains closely. Where did it end from the dire beginnings that were full of budget shortfall fears? You may be surprised.