How Employers Can Address Social Determinants of Health
August 25, 2022
How Employers Can Address Social Determinants of Health

Efforts to improve health outcomes have traditionally focused on expanding access to the health care system. Recently, there has been an increased focus on improving health outcomes by taking a broader approach due to the challenges of affordability and access in the health care system. This more holistic approach to health and well-being includes examining and addressing the social factors, such as income, access to food and neighborhood location, that may well be linked to an individual’s health and well-being. These factors are known as social determinants of health (SDoH) or social drivers of health.


SDoH can often impact employees without their employers’ knowledge. Understanding SDoH and how they affect employees’ health and well-being can help employers take steps to better address their employees’ needs, improve health outcomes and build a reputation as a people-first organization.


What Are Social Determinants of Health?

SDoH are the conditions in which people are born, live and work that can impact their health, well-being and quality of life. The main SDoH are economic stability, education access and quality, health care access and quality, neighborhood and environment, and social and community context, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.


Some examples of SDoH may include:


  • Income and job opportunities
  • Education
  • Housing, transportation and neighborhoods
  • Access to nutritious food
  • Opportunity for physical activity
  • Quality of air and water


SDoH tend to affect the health outcomes of individuals with lower incomes and from historically marginalized groups. Additionally, communities with poor SDoH tend to experience worse health outcomes and increased inequities. For example, experts have linked lower income and social disadvantage to:


  • Higher probabilities of obesity, heart disease and diabetes
  • Lower life expectancy
  • Higher occurrences of preventable disease
  • Delayed recognition and treatment of disease
  • Difficulty navigating the health care system and following self-care routines
  • Increased likelihood of receiving medical treatment in more expensive, less effective settings


Understanding the broader barriers to health and well-being can help employers identify the social conditions that may be impacting their workforce’s health, well-being and quality of life. Considering SDoH can allow employers to more effectively and holistically improve employee health outcomes, which may lead to a more productive and loyal workforce.


How Do SDoH Impact Employers?

SDoH have recently become an important area of focus for employers. Many employers are starting to reconsider their approaches to employee health and well-being by understanding the nonmedical factors influencing their employees’ health outcomes. A recent survey from Willis Towers Watson found that approximately 67% of employers believe SDoH are increasingly important to their health and well-being strategies.


Industry experts have observed that low-income workers tend to approach health care similarly to uninsured individuals, according to research from Aetna; they delay needed medical treatment and often grapple with medical bills and debt. When these employees receive treatment, they tend to select more expensive options, such as visiting the ER, instead of cost-effective alternatives. These employees may do this because they lack transportation, child care resources or flexible work schedules. Additionally, the vast majority of employees tend to lack knowledge of their health plan and the health care system generally. Employees who resort to high-cost, out-of-network or unnecessary medical treatment tend to increase overall medical plan expenses.


By understanding how their employees interact with the health care system, employers can better understand how SDoH impacts their employees. With this information, employers can identify areas where they can reduce overall health care expenses and provide benefits employees need and can utilize. This may improve the health and well-being of their employees and increase health equity among their workers.


How Some Employers Are Addressing SDoH

With the knowledge of how SDoH can affect employees, employers can determine if their employees are receiving suitable health benefits. Employers can collect data to find SDoH affecting their employees so they can identify gaps in their current benefits offerings. Potential sources of SDoH information include:


  • Health risk assessment tools
  • Anonymous employee surveys
  • Payroll or HR information systems data
  • Health claims data from insurers and third-party administrators


By assessing their health benefits designs with SDoH in mind, employers can determine which core and ancillary benefits best align with their employees’ needs and desires. This may include nontraditional benefits aimed at increasing their employees’ knowledge or access to health care resources. Such benefits may include health care benefits education, financial counseling, tuition reimbursement, flexible work schedules and caregiving resources.


Conclusion

Employers are uniquely positioned to aid their employees in being healthier by making health care more accessible; they can do this by taking a holistic approach to the health and well-being of their workforce. Considering the potential social factors that may be affecting their employees may enable employers to not only improve their employees’ health outcomes but also lower overall health care expenses.


For more information on health care resources, contact SimcoHR today.

Sign up for our newsletter.

How Employers Can Support Working Parents This Summer

June 2, 2025
When school lets out, many working parents face a new set of challenges: piecing together childcare, coordinating summer camps, adjusting work schedules, and simply trying to maintain a sense of balance. For employers, this season presents a valuable opportunity to demonstrate empathy and build stronger connections with your workforce—especially your working parents. By offering the right policies, benefits, and workplace flexibility, your company can help parents manage the summer shuffle—while keeping productivity and morale strong. Here are a few impactful ways to make that happen. 1. Offer Flexible Scheduling Options Summer schedules are rarely predictable, especially for parents with younger children or teens involved in day camps, sports, or part-time jobs. Allowing employees to shift their working hours or compress their workweeks can be a game-changer. Early start and end times, four-day workweeks, or staggered hours give parents the flexibility to handle family logistics without sacrificing their jobs. What you can do: Encourage managers to have open conversations with team members about their summer availability. Promote cross-training so employees can support each other during flexible hours or time off. Formalize a “Summer Flex Hours” program to show company-wide support. This kind of trust-driven flexibility not only improves work-life balance but also boosts engagement and retention. 2. Revisit Your Remote or Hybrid Work Policy For companies that support remote work, summer is an ideal time to offer extra flexibility. Parents may need to be closer to home for child supervision or to avoid time-consuming commutes during camp drop-offs and pickups. Even one or two remote days per week can ease the mental load on parents—helping them stay focused and productive during working hours. And it signals a deeper commitment to employee wellbeing. Ways to implement: Offer a seasonal “summer remote work option” if your company is traditionally office-based. Empower department heads to tailor remote work flexibility to their team’s needs. Reinforce accountability and results-based performance to support this model. Tip: Simco is happy to help you review your remote work policy for both compliance and employee satisfaction! 3. Promote and Educate on Dependent Care Benefits Many organizations offer dependent care support, but employees often forget—or aren’t aware—of what’s available. Summer is a perfect time to highlight programs like: Dependent Care FSAs (tax-free childcare reimbursements) Childcare subsidies or stipends Backup care assistance Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) with parenting or caregiver resources Tip: Create a simple “Summer Benefits Guide” or a quick email campaign highlighting available benefits. If your team uses a digital portal or app, make sure this information is easily accessible and up to date. 4. Plan Ahead for PTO and Team Coverage Summer means vacations—and for working parents, this might be the only chance they get to spend extended time with their families. That’s why it’s crucial to encourage early vacation planning and transparent communication among teams. Strategies to support summer PTO:  Ask employees to submit summer PTO requests as early as possible. Use shared calendars and collaborative tools to coordinate team coverage. Train back-up team members ahead of time to avoid last-minute stress. Consider adding a floating summer holiday or mental health day to give employees a breather. When employees feel supported in taking time off, they’re more likely to return refreshed and ready to re-engage. 5. Build a Family-Friendly Workplace Culture Supporting working parents isn’t just about policies—it’s about creating a culture of empathy and understanding. That starts with leadership modeling flexibility, and continues with teams who respect boundaries and accommodate personal obligations. Ideas to build culture: Create a parent resource group or Slack channel to exchange ideas and support. Share local summer camp or childcare resources in your company newsletter. Avoid scheduling late afternoon meetings that may interfere with family commitments. Celebrate family milestones or kid-friendly moments in a light-hearted way. These small cultural cues can go a long way in helping working parents feel seen, supported, and valued—especially during a season that’s often more stressful than relaxing. Final Thoughts Supporting working parents through summer break isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s a smart business strategy. Offering flexibility, benefits education, and an understanding culture helps companies retain top talent, foster loyalty, and create a healthier workplace for all. Need Guidance? At Simco, we specialize in helping businesses implement people-first policies and scalable benefit solutions. If you’re looking to enhance your workplace support for parents (or all employees), our specialists are here to guide you! Let’s talk about how we can help your workforce thrive—this summer and beyond.

The Leader’s Guide to Running Impactful Mid-Year Performance Reviews

May 30, 2025
Let’s be honest—mid-year reviews often don’t get the attention they deserve. They sneak up between vacations, project deadlines, and Q3 planning. But when done right, these check-ins can be one of the most valuable tools you have for keeping employees engaged, aligned, and growing. They’re not just about checking a box or filling out a form. Mid-year reviews are a chance to reconnect, recalibrate, and reenergize your team—and they can have a big impact on retention and performance. So, how do you make these conversations count? Let’s break it down. Why Mid-Year Reviews Actually Matter Think of the mid-year review as a strategic pit stop. You’ve made it halfway through the year—now’s the time to assess what’s working, what needs adjusting, and where your people want to grow. And here’s why that matters: Companies that implement regular performance feedback see 14.9% lower turnover rates than those that don’t, according to Gallup Employees who receive consistent feedback perform better and are more engaged overall, according to studies conducted by the Harvard Business Review Employees are far more likely to stay when they know their growth is supported The takeaway? People want feedback. But more importantly, they want useful feedback—along with the tools to take the next step forward. What to Ask: High-Impact Questions Performance reviews should feel like conversations, not interrogations. Open-ended, thoughtful questions help create space for honest dialogue. Below are a few ideas to keep the conversation flowing—and meaningful. Goals & Achievements What’s been your proudest accomplishment this year? What challenges have you worked through—and what did you learn? Are we on track with the goals we set earlier this year? Strengths & Value What are you most confident about in your role? Where do you feel you're making the biggest impact? Growth Opportunities Are there any skills you’re itching to develop? Where could we offer more support or resources? Looking Ahead Where do you see yourself a year from now? What kind of training or experiences would help you get there? This isn’t just about reviewing the past—it’s about setting the tone for the future. Turning Feedback into Development: Exploring the Role of Learning Management Systems Identifying growth opportunities during a performance review is just the first step—real transformation happens when you take action on that feedback. One effective way to support employee development is by leveraging a Learning Management System (LMS) . An LMS provides a structured and scalable way to turn feedback into forward momentum—whether you're preparing someone for a promotion or helping them build confidence in new skills. Key LMS features that support performance development include: Personalized learning paths aligned with individual or team goals Access to broad training libraries, including compliance and skill-building content Tools to track progress and measure learning impact Engaging elements like AI assistance, gamification, and peer learning These tools transform performance feedback into growth, helping businesses create a continuous learning culture. Look No Further At Simco , we support our clients through every stage of the performance management journey — from crafting the right review questions to delivering personalized, scalable learning opportunities. Our integrated HCM technology includes the isolved Learn & Grow Module, which features: 89,000+ courses including SCORM and state-compliant training Custom curriculums for individuals and teams AI-driven search and chatbot support Dashboards, reporting, gamification, and more Final Thoughts: Mid-Year Reviews Are a Strategic Lever Mid-year reviews are more than a checkpoint — they’re a chance to re-engage your team, show appreciation, and chart a clear path forward. When you treat them as an opportunity for dialogue, reflection, and action, the benefits ripple across retention, morale, and performance. Want to make your next round of reviews truly impactful? Let’s talk about how Simco can help streamline your process and empower your people.

Burn Ban Lifted in New York: Here’s How to Stay Safe and Protected

May 15, 2025
Each spring, New York State enforces a residential burn ban from March 16 through May 14 to help prevent wildfires. As of yesterday, the ban has officially been lifted , but fire safety should remain top of mind. While the Finger Lakes has seen steady rain this week, the risk of fire can still escalate quickly with a few dry, breezy days. If you’re planning to burn brush, enjoy a backyard fire pit, or take part in spring clean-up, it’s important to do so with caution. Why Does the Burn Ban Exist? The annual burn ban is in place to reduce the threat of wildfires during one of the most vulnerable times of the year. In early spring, before trees and vegetation fully green up, dead grass, leaves, and branches are dry and highly flammable. Combined with seasonal winds and low humidity, even small outdoor fires can spark large, fast-moving wildfires—especially in rural areas. This proactive ban has proven to significantly lower the number of wildfires across the state each year, protecting homes, farmland, and natural habitats. What Homeowners Should Do Now With the ban lifted, it’s a good time to: Review your homeowners insurance to ensure you're protected against fire-related damages. Practice safe outdoor burning , such as keeping fires a safe distance from structures and never leaving them unattended. Consider additional coverage for properties with wooded acreage or high-risk features. At Simco , we’re here to help you navigate risks like these—before they become problems. Whether you need a policy review or simply want to make sure your coverage keeps pace with your lifestyle, we’re just a call or click away .

Have a question? Get in touch.