Below is a listing of recent articles by Unum business leaders, interviews including comments from Unum executives, and reports on research by Unum officials discussing topics of relevance to employers.
Neiciee Durrence, vice president of Voluntary Benefits at Unum, discusses the value of critical illness insurance and how it can fill in gaps of coverage that medical insurance does not address, giving families peace of mind at a time when they need it most.
Benefits Selling (September 2011): This article features Unum's research into how employees make benefits decisions and how employers and benefits providers can support them in that process.
Forbes (August 2011): New research from Unum and Charles River Associates is highlighted in this article on the role of workplace benefits in protecting millions of Americans from poverty.
CNBC Squawk Box (July 25, 2011): President and CEO Tom Watjen discusses the financial fragility of working Americans and the role the benefits industry can play as part of the solution.
HR Executive Online (July 2011): With more people living and working longer, and medical treatments becoming ever more effective, a growing number of cancer patients are returning to work after long-term-disability leave.
Chattanooga Times Free Press (June 2011) Unum's financial leaders explain the company's successful investment strategy in an article that contrasts Unum's stable financial performance to losses by a competitor because of its exposure to Greek and Portuguese debt.
Best's Review (June 2011): Against the Odds. Jake Jacob, a director in Unum's National Client Group, discusses the effects of the recession on disability claims trends.
Employee Benefit Advisor (May 2011): Work with the CLASS Act to boost LTC sales. Guy Bertsch, vice president of Long Term Care for Unum discusses the CLASS Act and how it has given much-needed attention to the issue of long-term care and reinforces the need to plan for the costs of that care.
Benefits Selling (April 2011): Great Expectations. More employers and highly compensated employees recognize the need for individual disability insurance. While brokers and employers agree on a number of key carrier attributes, there can be a disconnect when it comes to something else that's important. Unum'
Employee Benefit News (March 2011): Back into the fold. A Unum customer who successfully returned to work after a disability is profiled in this article about helping workers re-join the workforce following a disability.
Insurance & Technology (November 2010): Managing through change: En route to becoming Unum's Global CIO, Kathy Owen has overseen game-changing technology improvements through several M&As. Named one of the industry's "Elite 8" for 2010, Kathy Owen's career and the evolution she has seen in
Business Insurance (October 2010): Best Places to Work. For the second year in a row, Unum is named the Best Place to Work in Insurance among large insurers by Business Insurance magazine.
Best's Review (September 2010): Redefined Benefits: Economic realities have changed the essentials of company-sponsored benefits plans. Unum Senior Vice President Mike Simonds writes about broad shifts in employee benefit plan designs, including the rise of voluntary products and benefits integration, which can be
Health Insurance Underwriter (September 2010): Behind the scenes of a disability claim: Fair, accurate decisions require a steady focus on people, process and protection. Unum's senior vice president of Disability Benefits writes about the ingredients that make Unum's long term disability claims process
Health Insurance Underwriter (August 2010): An increasing number of benefits brokers offering voluntary benefits. Unum's vice president of broker development shows how a challenging economy, a diverse workforce and the value-added benefits of voluntary products have made this type of coverage an appealing
Employee Benefit News (June 2010): Reaching out. With a Hispanic working population that's expected to double in the next 20 years, Unum's Bilda Acuña highlights the company's efforts to target and serve the growing market.
Health Insurance Underwriter (June 2010): Is the Income of Highly Compensated Employees Sufficiently Protected by Your Group Plans? Unum's Branden Pierson discusses how individual disability insurance provides better compensation protection and closes the income replacement gap.
Best's Review (May 2010): A Helping Hand. Unum's role in supporting employers and employees as they chart the course through cancer treatment and the return to work is featured in this article.
Best's Review (March 2010): Getting Together. The Simply Unum benefits platform is featured in this article on the trend toward benefits integration as a way to cut complexity and offer more cost control.
Rough Notes (February 2010): Big Benefits for Smaller Employers. The Simply Unum benefits platform is featured in this article on new ways brokers can deliver simplified benefits solutions to small to mid-sized businesses.
Benefits Selling (December 2009): The Three E's of Enrollment. Research from Unum on the importance of educating employees on their benefits needs and options is featured in this article on improving the benefits enrollment experience.
Best's Review (December 2009): It's a small world. The Simply Unum benefits platform is featured in this article on how the employee benefits industry is working to meet the needs of small to mid-sized businesses.
CDHC Solutions (November/December 2009): Worksite Wellness: Building a Culture of Health at Unum. This overview of Unum's efforts to help employees maintain and improve their health includes the story of an employee who turned her health around with support from colleagues and the company.
Chattanooga Times Free Press (November 2009): Unum among the best. Accolades for Unum in 2009 include recognition by Newsweek as one of the Greenest Companies in America; a Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles award; Best Large Employer in Maine; and Best Place to Work in Insurance.
Best's Review (November 2009): Passing Storm. The Simply Unum benefits platform and Unum's research on the importance of benefits education are featured in this article on the ways a tough economy has affected the benefits landscape.
Business Insurance (October 2009): Best Places to Work. Unum is named the Best Place to Work in Insurance among large insurers by Business Insurance magazine.
Insurance & Financial Advisor (September 2009): Fearing financial ruin, workers more eager to add voluntary benefits. Unum research shows that most workers do not think they have adequate benefits to cover them financially in case of injury, illness or maternity leave, and nearly 60 percent would consider purchasing more benefits if offered
Employee Benefits News (August 2009): Poll links benefits to higher morale. A survey by Unum of more than 1,100 employed adults reveals that employees who understand their benefits are more engaged at work.
Chattanooga Times Free Press (August 2009): Unum disciplined, cautious. Unum CEO Tom Watjen offers insights on the strong performance of the company despite a difficult economy, and discusses plans for Unum's future.
Wall Street Journal (July 2009): Insurers Offer Benefits Bundles. Unum's Mike Simonds discusses how Simply Unum is changing the benefits landscape for small to mid-sized employers by offering an integrated, cost-effective approach to employee benefits.
CNBC Squawk Box (Nov. 12, 2008): Managing Risk. CEO Thomas Watjen discusses current market dynamics.
CDHC Solutions (October 2008): Insurance for Long Lives. Unum's Scott Brown explains the advantages of group critical illness coverage.
Leader's Edge (October 2008): Wheel of Fortune. Profile of CEO Thomas Watjen and his successful transformation of Unum.
InformationWeek (Sept. 15, 2008): Pleasing Customers Made Simpler, with SOA. Unum's Simply Unum platform ranks No. 5 on the 2008 InformationWeek 500.
City Scope (June 2008): Tom Watjen and Unum: A Future Filled with Great Purpose. CEO Tom Watjen shares his perspective on Unum and describes the company's focus of achieving an ever-higher standard of excellence.
Insurance & Technology (June 2008): IT Helps Strike Balance. CEO Tom Watjen describes how the success of the Simply Unum initiative is driving further IT/business alignment.
California Broker (June 2008): Employee Assistance Programs Beyond the Disease: Seeking a Quality of Work Life for Cancer Survivors. Ken Mitchell discusses research conducted by Unum in consultation with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and James Cancer Center at Ohio State University. The
LTC Close-Up (May 2008): Testing Group Long-Term Care. John Noble, director of long term care products, discusses the enormous opportunity in employer-funded group long-term care plans.
Best's Review (April 2008): Communicating the Benefits Message. Mike Simonds, senior vice president of product development and marketing, discusses how proper benefits communication and education will lead to more satisfied employees.
Life & Health Advisor (April 2008): DI: Selling the Need. Branden Pierson, national sales leader, executive benefits, discusses the need and opportunity in the disability market.
Chattanooga Times Free Press (December 23, 2007): New Look at Unum. Interview with CEO Tom Watjen about the impressive turnaround of Unum Group and insights into the year ahead.
Employee Benefit News (November 2007): Falling Leaves. A story about LL Bean's strategic partnership with Unum to manage employee absences under the Family Medical Leave Act and other state leave laws.
Insurance & Technology (October 2007): Keeping IT Simple. Interview with Chief Information Officer Kathy Owen about the new technology solutions behind Simply Unum.
Health Insurance Underwriter (August 2007): Supplemental Disability Insurance: Simply Put, It's Just Good Financial Planning. Article by Branden Pierson, national sales leader for executive benefits, discusses disability insurance as a valuable component of a strong financial plan.
Best's Review (August 2007): Custom Tailors - As workforce demographics shift, more employers are allowing employees to choose their own benefits and coverage amounts. Article written by Christina Wakefield, vice president of disability product development.
Health Insurance Underwriter (June 2007): New Study: Supplemental Employee Benefits Are the Coming Trend. Article by Mike Simonds, senior vice president of product development and marketing, on Unum's research on employee benefit trends and buying patterns.
Insurance & Technology (June 2007): Eye on the (Customer) Prize. Interview with Unum CEO Tom Watjen as featured in I&T's annual salute to Tech Savvy CEOs
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