Robert Kelley

HR Benefit Consultant

NC Office of State Human Resources

Robert Kelley, PHR, CBP, CPM is an HR Benefit Consultant with the NC Office of State Human Resources, member of the administration team for the State of North Carolina Voluntary Insurance Plans and Sensible Savings Employee Financial Wellness Program. The State is one of the largest employers in NC, offering benefits to a diverse population of over 125,000 employees in State Agencies, UNC System Education Institutions, NC Community Colleges, and NC Charter Schools.

Over 25 years of experience in benefits, roles include Benefits Counselor at North Carolina State University and Benefits Analyst with the North Carolina State Retirement System at N.C. Department of State Treasurer. Education includes an associate degree in Information Systems and a bachelor’s degree in Consumer Affairs, minoring in Speech Communications.

Robert keeps abreast and involved in the Human Resources, Employee Benefits, and Public Speaking stage as Board Member of State and Local Government Benefits Association (SALGBA), holding memberships in the NC Chapter of the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (NC IPMA), Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), Raleigh Metro SHRM (RMSHRM), and the International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plans (IFEBP). Professional designations include, Professional in Human Resources (PHR), Certified Benefits Professional (CBP), and Certified Public Manager (CPM). When Robert is not traveling to speak at HR industry conferences, his wife and he enjoys traveling the Carolinas coast and mountains.

Speaker Questionnaire

What is the biggest thing you learned in 2020?

HR and Benefits staff must be flexible with employees and delivery of services.

What do you feel are the two most important benefits or areas that need to be a top priority in 2021?

Ensuring benefit packages meet not only employee wants, but employees needs. With COVID addressing feelings of social isolation and focus on mental health.

Can you share a story on an area of your healthcare program or employee benefits where you were able to create significant savings or stop costs from rising?

We have a strategy of reviewing benefit plan data loss ratios and claims history in relation to the plan design. This ensures benefits offered are in line with the market, claims and premium trends so there is no surprises.

If you could automatically receive a 10-20% reduction in costs in three areas/programs, what would your dream list be?

Benefit premiums, have better loss ratios, and reduction in cost of employee turn-over.

What is the most innovative program you will focus on in 2021 and/or 2022?

Ensuring we continue to provide employees the information they need in a virtual manner.

How are you re-imagining corporate culture & well-being?

We focus on employee benefits, plan to focus on Financial Well-being to help employees understand how to best utilize their benefits, understand finances, this should lead to employees having less stress.

What virtual care solutions did you roll out during the pandemic? How valuable were they and why?

Offered virtual benefit fairs and benefit educational sessions for employees, and virtual benefits training to HR and Benefit Dept. staff. This assisted to keep all updated on the benefits package and how to best utilize benefits.

If you look at our 3 Moonshots - Costs, Culture, and Care; In one sentence, tell us what would be something positive for us to take from 2020 and bring into this new year?

COVID reminded us to keep the focus on the employee as we worked through how to best help with virtual services that were easy to take advantage, in a cost-effective manner.

What are your top priorities for employee health and well-being in 2022?

Financial Wellness is a top priority.

What are the most innovative programs that you will focus on in 2022 and 2023?

Continuing our Financal Wellness Program to assist employees during what many are feeling as time of economic downturn in the economy. Have a focus on providing the best voluntary benefits while balancing affordable premiums for employees.

Looking at our three moonshots surrounding costs, culture, and care, which do you align with the most? What are you doing in this area?

Align with care, as employees financial stress is increasing with the current economic downturn, continue a focus on providing employee financial wellness.

If you could automatically receive a 25% reduction in costs in three areas/programs, what would your dream list be?

Dream reduction in cost would be to lower employee benefit premiums while still offering a rich benefits package that can help employees.

Is there an area where you were able to either create savings or stop costs from rising?

Keep a check on benefit premiums with a careful review of claims, loss ratio's and benefit plan design.

Are you doing anything to reimagine corporate culture and wellbeing?

More purposeful incorporation and focus of financial wellness into the employee wellness realm.

If there were two physical solutions that could be turned into virtual or remote care instead, what would those be?

Have more financial experts offer tele-financial resources, including the preparation of legal documents as wills.

If you look at our 3 Moonshots - Costs, Culture, and Care; In one sentence, tell us what would be something positive for us to take from 2020 and bring into this new year?

COVID reminded us to keep the focus on the employee as we worked through how to best help with virtual services that were easy to take advantage, in a cost-effective manner.

Sessions Speaking

[WORKSHOP] Case Study | State of North Carolina Financial Wellness Program: Sensible Saving Sessions

April 27, 2022

8:00 am

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8:50 am

The financial stress that affects employees has been further highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated economic downturn. Many employers now recognize the significance of financial wellness as part of a broader employee wellness strategy and a critical factor in recruiting and retaining talent. Learn how the North Carolina Office of State Human Resources developed and implemented a successful financial wellness program to assist employees across various financial topics.

View session details

1 Conference. 3 Moonshots.

Remember the mission to reach the moon? In 1962, President JFK set forth a vision. He initiated a movement that outlived him! Even in his death, the mission was accomplished seven years after his famous speech. Now we’re on a five-year mission, and it's not about us. This is a mission for you – the individual, the stakeholder, the employer healthcare and benefits professional. Join the mission to reduce costs, reimagine culture, and reinvent care.