And just like that, it’s 2020! I love taking the time to reflect on the last year, and 2019 was a big one for us!

Let me start by saying that at Holmes Murphy, we are so blessed to have wonderful customer relationships. Our customers look to us for more than just placing their insurance coverage; they look to us for new solutions to help their companies and employees in many facets of their business. In fact, over the course of this past year in conversations with our customers, it became increasingly clear that many companies struggle with employee engagement and mental health for their employees.

We listened, we strategized, and I’m proud to say we answered the call! In fact, we launched two new subsidiaries who address these issues head on.

Employee Engagement Is Wellness

First, let’s talk about ethOs. This new company will be a game changer in the way we work with our customers. Simply put, engaged employees are safer employees, they get back to work faster if they’re injured, and they make a huge difference in the workplace.  By working with ethOs, our customers can learn their true demographics, where they are spending their dollars, and ultimately develop a strategy that impacts all employees.

I read a book in 2019 called “Well Being: the Five Essential Elements.” In became abundantly clear that our customers’ employees bring all five of these elements to work every day.

• Career wellbeing
• Social wellbeing
• Financial wellbeing
• Physical wellbeing
• Community wellbeing

How are you helping your employees in these areas? Our ethOs team dives right in and works on them all!

Speaking of wellbeing — let’s talk about mental health. Mental health is a big deal.

From 2000 to 2016, the U.S. suicide rate among adults ages 16 to 64 rose 34 percent, from 12.9 deaths for every 100,000 people in the population to 17.3 per 100,000, according to the study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is appalling and sad.

The highest suicide rate among men was for workers in construction and mining jobs, with 43.6 deaths for every 100,000 workers in 2012 and 53.2 deaths per 100,000 in 2015.

How can we expect to have engaged employees if they’re suffering with mental health issues?  Through our new company Joyages, Holmes Murphy is helping employees with mental health. Joyages delivers a customized experience designed to empower users to become happier in less than three minutes each day.

Through an app-based model, the app encourages positive habit formation and mindset shifting. Customized assessments are designed to alert users of mental risks. The best part is the Joyages app is a private, user-friendly digital life coach that helps users navigate life’s toughest moments and build resilience necessary to thrive.

And while I’ve focused on ethOs and Joyages, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Responder Health. This is brand new, and focuses on the mental health needs of our first responders. You’ll be hearing more about it in 2020.

All that wrapped up into your Holmes Murphy INSURANCE broker. Yes, we are an insurance broker by name but do so much more than just that. That’s why I am so proud to say Holmes Murphy is changing the way we bring our customers to their potential.

Let’s make 2020 a great year! And if you want to learn more about ethOs or Joyages, reach out. We’d love to talk with you about both.