Press & Interviews

By Arrow advisors Rosario Avila & Andrew McNeil, North Bay Business Journal Columnists

There’s no escaping it, in today’s market, workers expect employers to offer a strong health insurance program. It creates stability for individuals and families by covering at least a portion of medical care costs and provides financial protection in the event of unexpected illnesses or injuries.

Read entire article here…

Photo credit: Monster Ztudio / Shutterstock

North Bay Business Journal – May 2023

By Rosario Avila & Andrew McNeil
When meeting with HR leaders to discuss employee benefits programs, one of the first questions we ask is, “Aside from you, is there anyone else involved making decisions about your program?” It’s an important question because there is usually someone else involved — and they frequently have quite a different agenda.

Read entire article here…

Photo credit: EamesBot / Shutterstock

North Bay Business Journal – April 2023

By Arrow advisors Rosario Avila & Andrew McNeil, North Bay Business Journal Columnists
For most workers, benefits are an expected part of their total compensation package and are a key factor in attracting and retaining talent. Benefits provide financial and personal value to employees and are a key factor in attracting and retaining talent. But should an employer stop there with their benefits program? Once a program is in place, is it set it and forget it?

The short answer is, no!

Read entire article here…

North Bay Business Journal – March 2023

By Mariah Shields

Fielding useful employee feedback can help you stay connected to your team. Throughout my career, employers have consistently voiced a similar concern—the struggle to recruit and retain employees. Today, this issue is more prevalent than ever. How do you compete with other employers to attract and retain a skilled workforce in a tight labor market?

Read the entire article here…

NorthBayBiz Magazine – March 2023

by Matthew Sohn

It’s difficult to predict when and even how a person might end up in the hospital. However, you can take steps to plan so that your health insurance policy takes care of the bills, and your focus can be on recovery.

Read the entire article here…

NorthBayBiz Magazine – February 2023

By ABG advisors Rosario Avila & Andrew McNeil, North Bay Business Journal Columnists
“Compliance” and “audits” — two words that strike fear in most business leaders.
In addition to the more well-known rules surrounding financial disclosures and human resources practices, employers have compliance requirements related to their employee benefits programs as well. Being non-compliant can cost you significant pain financially and cause you and your team the major inconvenience of spending precious time and resources to meet requirements after-the-fact.

Read entire article here…

North Bay Business Journal – February 2023

Where employer-sponsored benefits plans are headed in 2023
From Rosario Avila & Andrew McNeil, North Bay Business Journal Columnists
As the costs of offering benefits to employees continues to outpace inflation, many employers often have these questions: Why are we offering these to employees? Why are we expected to pick up the tab, when employees can buy things like health insurance on their own? Why do we need to offer benefits when governments around the world take care of it and leave the employer out of it?
All valid questions.

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“A Night in Tuscany” and the North Coast Wine Industry Expo Gallery

“A Night in Tuscany,” hosted by Arrow Benefits Group at its 33rd annual event in November for the North Bay Children’s Center, raised more than $420,000. About 160 guests visited the Jacuzzi Family Vineyards in Sonoma to enjoy fine wines and tasty treats. Senator Mike McGuire served as emcee and auctioneer. [Photos by Stuart Lirette]

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How employers can build a worker-centric business — and why they must
By Rosario Avila & Andrew McNeil
Normal best practices is a thing of the past. To survive our new reality, a company must make intentional efforts to exceed what its competition is doing. Employees are harder to retain and nearly impossible to hire. What’s equally as troubling is that traditional benefits and compensation programs seem to have less of an impact on an employee’s decision to remain at a company or accept a new job.

Read entire article here…

Image credit: (BearFotos / Shutterstock)

Why employee mental health is your concern
By Andrew McNeil and Rosario Avila
According to Glassdoor, “More than four in 10 working adults (44%) say their current job has an impact on their overall health, and 43% report their job has a negative impact on their levels of stress” — and that was in 2018, before COVID-19!

Read entire article here…

Image credit: (Ines Nepo / Shutterstock)