Missouri State Employees’ Retirement System Wins The Standard’s Workplace PossibilitiesSM Champions Award

Business Wire

Program has helped boost employee retention and lower long-term disability claims with innovative stay-at-work accommodations

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Standard Insurance Company (The Standard) announced that the Missouri State Employees’ Retirement System (MOSERS) received its latest Workplace Possibilities^SM Champions award for its outstanding return-to-work and stay-at-work programs.

The award honors employers that have achieved excellence with the Workplace Possibilities program — a unique, proactive approach to help manage absence and disability in the workplace. MOSERS, a statewide system that administers benefits to most state employees, uses the Workplace Possibilities program to help reduce state employees’ absences.

Spanning 44 different employers and covering approximately 48,000 employees with more than 100 different occupation groups, MOSERS’ program has grown exponentially since its start eight years ago. Andrea Binkley, chief benefits officer at MOSERS, was one of the first employees to benefit from the Workplace Possibilities program after getting accommodations for her desk when she started experiencing knee pain. Binkley said word soon spread like wildfire as others realized the difference the program made when it came to return-to-work and stay-at-work support.

“Through this program, MOSERS has gone above and beyond in providing accommodations to employees at over 100 different locations — from correctional facilities to universities,” says Brian Kost, senior director of the Workplace Possibilities program at The Standard. “[MOSERS] has overcome numerous logistical challenges to support employees and ensure absences are handled properly.”

Binkley partners with Jessica Kuehne-Tilton, a vocational case manager for Workplace Possibilities at The Standard, to assess different state facilities and partner with local HR managers to connect with employees who may need support. Kuehne-Tilton’s travels also help increase overall awareness of the program as accommodations solutions are provided to those who need them. In 2018 alone, the MOSERS program helped 158 employees and saw a decrease in long-term disability filings.

“The Workplace Possibilities program has helped employees feel good about themselves and their work,” Binkley said. “After receiving accommodations, employees are more productive and happier at the workplace. It is a great feeling knowing that there are options to help employees stay at work and that we, as employers, get to retain knowledgeable and seasoned employees.”

The Workplace Possibilities Champions award recognizes employers that are exceeding expectations for their implementation and ongoing partnership with the Workplace Possibilities program. The winning organization is selected based on:

Initiating employee referrals to the program
Promoting the program to managers, supervisors and other staff members
Partnering with The Standard to customize accommodations for employees
Training managers, supervisors and team leaders about the program
Excelling in change management

To schedule an interview with Brian Kost from The Standard and/or Andrea Binkley from MOSERS, please contact Justin Smith at jsmith@bader-rutter.com.

About The Standard

The Standard is a marketing name for StanCorp Financial Group, Inc., and its subsidiaries. Insurance products are offered by Standard Insurance Company of 1100 SW Sixth Avenue, Portland, Oregon, in all states except New York, where insurance products are offered by The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York of 360 Hamilton Avenue, Suite 210, White Plains, New York. Product features and availability vary by state and company and are solely the responsibility of each subsidiary. Each company is solely responsible for its own financial condition. Standard Insurance Company is licensed to solicit insurance business in all states except New York. The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York is licensed to solicit insurance business in only the state of New York.

About Missouri State Employees’ Retirement System (MOSERS)

MOSERS is a public employee retirement system managing more than $8 billion in assets (as of June 30, 2018). The system administers retirement, long-term disability insurance, life insurance and deferred compensation benefits for approximately 113,000 present and former state employees and their beneficiaries. Public pension benefits have a significant and reliable positive impact on state and local economies. MOSERS paid more than $705 million in monthly benefit payments in FY18. Retirees had $15.5 million in state taxes and $75.8 million in federal taxes withheld from their payments. Nearly 90 percent of the benefits paid by MOSERS remains in Missouri.