MMHR conference focuses on employee benefits, well-being

The Massachusetts Municipal Human Resources Fall Conference on Sept. 17 and 18 in Falmouth focused on various aspects of employee benefits work, from open enrollment for health insurance to benefits audits and beyond, as well as mental health and wellness strategies for employees and municipal HR professionals.

Alicia Davis, a professional coach and owner of Transformative Leadership Strategies, kicked off the conference with a session on caring for one’s own mental and emotional health. Davis offered practical tools for bolstering one’s own wellness and mental health, including mindfulness, breathwork, and self-compassion and positive self-talk, as well as other evidence-based techniques. (Audience suggestions included positive reframing of situations, praying, and watching puppy videos.)

Adopting these self-care techniques will help HR professionals cultivate resilience, manage stress, and create healthier and more sustainable workplace cultures, Davis said. Using a common metaphor involving oxygen masks on airplanes, Davis said HR professionals need to care for themselves before they can effectively take care of everyone else.

“You are taking care of people’s benefits, right?” Davis said. “You are solving payroll problems. You are listening to someone who is going through a really tough divorce or loss in their family, right? You are hearing a lot of things and are responsible for a lot of things throughout your day. Is that true? Yes. So you have to put your own oxygen mask on.”

A panel discussion on deferred compensation plans featured: Laura Rooney, director of operational compliance and strategic communications for the Office of the State Treasurer; Michelle Vibert, human resources director in Littleton; Deanna Liritzis, director of participant engagement for Empower; and Robert Young, relationship manager for the Massachusetts SMART Plan.

Given the complexity of deferred compensation plans, Vibert told attendees, “You can’t be that HR expert in everything.” She urged them to identify resources to help them understand these processes, so they can help their employees.

“Reach out to your regional networks, see what they’re doing, see what other communities are doing,” Vibert said. “Really get other information from others. You’re not alone in this.”

Attendees learned about benefits auditing from the Springfield Human Services Department. Caitlyn Julius, the assistant HR director and benefits administrator, and Cameo Restrepo, the city’s benefits manager, discussed their use of audits to ensure compliance and data accuracy. Topics included monitoring premium collections, retiree benefits, new hire enrollments, open enrollments, payroll invoices, and benefits terminations.

With more than 8,000 people enrolled in Springfield’s health insurance plans and nearly 3,000 changes made each year, Julius and Restrepo emphasized the importance of auditing that work.

“We’re all humans, we all make errors,” Restrepo said, adding that it’s important to extend grace when mistakes occur. “Audits are not about finding someone to blame. It’s about finding out what needs to be fixed before it becomes a problem.”

Nick Hawes, benefits coordinator in Shrewsbury, kicked off the conference’s second day by examining strategies and considerations for Medicare and healthcare planning. He covered Medicare basics and key enrollment timelines, explained how coverage integrates with existing employer plans, and offered best practices for managing the retiree experience.

A panel discussion on employee wellness initiatives offered insights from North Attleborough Human Resources Director Cheryl Butts, Westwood Human Resources Generalist Veronica Biederman, and MIIA Wellness Manager Courtney Hernandez.

The panel, including moderator Michael Taylor, the human resources director in Pittsfield, highlighted initiatives ranging from therapy dog visits to step challenges, hydration tracking, book groups, and cooking workshops. Panelists identified key factors of a program’s success, emphasizing the value of gathering employee survey feedback on scheduling and program types, offering small prizes and incentives, and ensuring accessibility for shift-based personnel.

In the final session, Cassandra Vaughan from the Employers Association of the NorthEast discussed improvements to employee open enrollment for health insurance. Presenting survey metrics, Vaughan emphasized the confusion that arises for employees when navigating open enrollment, an experience exacerbated by jargon, tight timelines, limited communication channels, and a lack of real-world context. Attendees left with actionable communication tools, performance indicators, and a 90-day action plan to improve the enrollment process and experience.

The conference also featured a legislative update from MMA Legislative Director Dave Koffman and a regional networking session that allowed attendees to make connections with other HR professionals in their area and discuss common issues and challenges.