To help parents and families prepare for a new child, Lincoln Financial is launching new leave planning and education services with digital planning technology PERKY.
With PERKY’s digital tool, PERKY Leave, expecting, adoptive and fostering parents can receive personalized support to plan sooner and better understand their leave options.
“We understand how important it is for employers and employees to feel confident and prepared for key life events, particularly when adding a new member to the family,” said Kerry Brooks, Lincoln Financial’s Group protection head of account management. “We’re proud to offer a solution that supports employers in educating employees on leave benefits, while also ensuring their employees have a guided, hands-on experience so they can confidently plan for one of life’s biggest milestones.”
Through PERKY Leave, expecting parents can plan and manage parental and bonding leaves using the following features:
- On-demand pre-claims information: Helps employees understand what benefits are available — such as job protection and income replacement — and the value of these benefits while planning their leave.
- Self-serve planning: For employees to explore their options and map out their optimal leave plan.
- Interactive calendar: Offers customized configuration including both company-offered family bonding leave benefits and state and federal protections.
- Lincoln-specific action items for employees: Guides employees through pre-claim leave planning and claim filing.
The feature comes as more employees demand voluntary benefits including parental leave and paid time off (PTO). A recent survey by Voya found that 63% of employees would prefer better leave policies including maternity and paternity leave and paid time off (PTO) over a higher salary.
This is Lincoln Financial’s latest effort centered on family support. In August, the firm, in partnership with loss support system Empathy, announced the launch of a service aimed at providing assistance for families and loved ones experiencing loss.
Amanda Umpierrez is the Managing Editor of 401(k) Specialist magazine. She is a financial services reporter with over six years of experience and a passion for telling stories and reporting news. Amanda received her degree in journalism and government and politics at St. John’s University. She is originally from Queens, New York, but now resides in Denver, Colorado with her partner. In her free time, Amanda enjoys running, cooking, and watching the latest drama show.