Group disability insurance
We all know that life happens. A cancer diagnosis, an unfortunate accident — or we decide to bring a baby into the world, or finally get our knee replaced. Whether sudden or expected, such events often require time away from work. Employees deserve financial stability that gives them space to plan, solve, and then journey back to a state of well-being.
We’re prepared to provide powerful disability benefits that not only help replace income, but also support well-being. This way, we can help employees access optimal support during their absences, and return to work feeling their best— mind, body, and wallet.®
Nearly half of Americans (48%) could not cover a $400 emergency medical expense without resorting to credit cards, loans, or selling possessions.1
Whether employees expect it or not, many will need disability insurance during their careers
Disability insurance provides income protection. But when offered as an employee benefit, disability insurance also supports the physical and mental well-being of employees through sickness, injury, and more. By showing up for your workforce during life’s most significant moments, you can help your employees return to their best possible levels of health and productivity.
Paid leave benefit rider option
Guardian understands that taking care of your employees also means ensuring they can care for their loved ones. Our optional Paid leave benefit rider on short-term disability (STD) insurance provides your employees with paid family leave to bond with a child after birth or adoption, care for a sick family member, and more. With simplified access through our streamlined STD claims administration process, you’ll be able to provide paid family leave to more employees across the country.
Caregiving support services
Millions of people in the US are trying to balance work and caring for a loved one, which can impact their own physical, mental, and emotional well-being. In fact, employees who are also caregivers in their family are two times more likely to experience their own disability-related leave of absence.2 That’s why Guardian is the first benefits carrier to embed caregiving support services into our short-term disability (STD) and long-term disability (LTD) offerings — so your people have the support they need to handle any task, while also maintaining their own well-being.
Cancer support services
Cancer cases in the US continue to rise and remain a leading cause of employee LTD leaves. These diagnoses can be difficult to navigate alone. That’s why we’ve partnered with Osara Health to embed cancer support services within our LTD offering. So employees facing cancer can access personalized, empathetic support while focusing on their holistic well-being, tracking their symptoms, and more in a unique 6-to-12-week program.
Nearly half of all workers who experienced a disability leave in the past 10 years did not have disability insurance and received no paycheck while out of work — and they’re 50% more likely to say their leave had a major or devastating financial impact on their household.³
Coordinating coverage for comprehensive support
Your employees deserve to receive every support available to them before, during, and after a leave. When you trust Guardian with employee benefits, we ensure that our disability insurance works in lockstep with each employee’s leave requirements and other Guardian benefits — without a lot of work from the employee, or you.
Disability insurance and Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) plans
Disability insurance can complement PFML plans, which offer a set number of weeks of leave per year. But PFML is not offered in every state and it does not replace disability insurance where it is offered. STD insurance policies can offer additional services, such as rehabilitation and survivor benefits, and can seamlessly integrate with LTD when needed.
Disability insurance and supplemental health benefits
Guardian's supplemental health benefits are an excellent complement to our STD insurance, because they help support financial well-being in situations that often accompany the need for short-term leave.
Disability insurance and mental wellness benefits
When you offer both mental wellness and disability benefits through Guardian, you provide employees and their families with personalized support. So, when employees need to take leave or use their disability insurance, the best possible outcome is the goal.
Versatile disability insurance options to meet the needs of you and your employees
We offer a wide variety of traditional and voluntary STD and LTD plans to help meet your company’s unique needs and offer employees more choices. This includes the maternity “elimination period” rider which is optional on STD plans. With this rider, employers can choose to remove the “benefit waiting period” (also known as the elimination period) on maternity claims, providing new mothers with access to their STD benefits from the first day after childbirth.4 This can help to provide families with added financial security while as they navigate this milestone.
To learn more about our group disability insurance, contact your broker or Guardian representative.