GiftCard Partners Blog

The debate over office vs. dispersed workforce is a hot topic for any industry that can support a permanent remote workforce. Many companies are deciding to keep remote workers due to the effectiveness in productivity as well as reduced costs. Others are turning to a hybrid model, mixing in-person work days (that are either mandatory or at the discretion of individuals or teams) with remote office days. While working from anywhere has benefits for both employers and employees, it also represents a huge shift in how Americans work. That shift happened in an instant at the beginning of the pandemic as a matter of necessity and now companies are more carefully considering how they want their employees to work.  

Personal finance is ranked as a leading cause of employee stress in the United States each year. Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners found that nearly 50% of U.S. employees suffer from financial stress and The American Psychological Association conducted a study that concluded 72% of Americans have stressed over money at least once in the past month.

Healthcare workers continue to face sustained pressure long after the peak of the pandemic. According to an advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General, burnout among healthcare workers reached "crisis levels" even before the COVID-19 pandemic, with 35-54% of medical professionals reporting emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and a low sense of personal accomplishment at work. 

Prior to March 2020, telemedicine was a rarely used service. It wasn’t common to video chat with your doctor or receive medical care over the phone or via email. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, more doctors are turning to telemedicine in order to stay engaged with patients and provide health care services.

As the mass vaccination effort continues to ramp up across the country, Medicare and Medicaid payers and accountable care organizations are looking for ways to ensure their members get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible. Many Medicare members fall into vulnerable populations due to age, while Medicaid members can be more susceptible to comorbidities, and more making it essential that both populations get vaccinated quickly. Member populations may also require a greater level of education around vaccination due to hesitancy of the vaccine or because they may encounter logistical obstacles as they schedule and travel to their appointments.