Areas of Expertise (12)
Absence Management
Long-Term Disability
FMLA/ADA/Workers Comp
Workplace Issues
Aging Family Members
Behavioral Health
Mental Health
Caregiving
Paid Family Leave
Disability Insurance
Short-Term Disability
Return to Work Strategies
Biography
Michelle Jackson has a passion for helping people overcome challenges. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in social work, she initially practiced clinical social work in Virginia, helping adolescents and adults dealing with behavioral health issues. Her work at Unum has involved managing clinical and vocational resources and return to work strategies for the company’s large clients. Jackson works closely with Unum’s internal teams and clients on absence management and workforce strategies.
Jackson resides in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and teenage sons.
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Education (2)
Norfolk State University: M.S.W., Social Work 1994
Old Dominion University: B.S., Psychology 1988
Links (2)
Selected Media (2)
Unum report explores mental health challenges in U.S. workplaces
Unum online
2019-03-27
“The development, implementation, and promotion of mental health strategies has become a top priority for many of today’s employers,” said Michelle Jackson, assistant vice president of market development at Unum. “Creating a workplace culture that promotes mental health resources and encourages employees to take advantage of them helps to destigmatize mental health issues and leads to a happier, more productive workforce.”
Paid family leave ranks as most coveted work perk, Unum finds
Business Wire online
2018-08-09
Employee benefits provider Unum (NYSE: UNM) finds the majority of workers (58 percent) want paid familyleave from their employers, including nearly two-thirds (64 percent) ofmillennials. In an online poll of 1,227 working U.S. adults conductedlast month, paid family leave outranks other popular perks*, likeflexible and remote working options (55 percent), sabbatical leave (38percent), student loan repayment assistance (35 percent), pet-friendlyoffices (15 percent), and pet insurance (15 percent). “It’s not surprising that paid family leave is the most coveted workperk, even for millennials,” said Michelle Jackson, AVP of RegionalMarket Development at Unum. “Our recent CaringReport explored the strain of balancing caring and professionalresponsibilities across all generations in the workforce. Research alsosuggests that a generous leave policy can lead to higher levels ofemployee engagement and a competitive edge to recruit and retain toptalent.”
Selected Articles (2)
Five Practical Ways to Support Mental Well-being at Work
Workforce
Michelle Jackson
2018 The American Institute of Stress reports that stress is the nation’s top health problem. This makes sense, as mental capacity is highly valued in the workplace but can also be highly vulnerable. Today’s workplace, with technology, fast-paced growth and decreased resources, can contribute to increased stress...
Lifting the Taboo: How to Support Mental Health Issues in the Workplace
virgin.com
Michelle Jackson
2017 According to the World Economic Forum, one in four people globally will likely experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives. A study by the World Economic Forum/Harvard School of Public Health study suggests the global impact of mental disorders in terms of lost economic output could amount to $16.3 trillion between 2011 and 2030. While mental health and ways to manage it are slowly starting to become part of workplace conversations, there is still stigma attached to talking about it openly...
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