The $200 Jordans My Parents Made Me Return: What a Benefits Leader at Universal Learned About Money, Empathy, and Taking Care of Every Single Person - Beyond the Paycheck

Topics in this episode

Benefits administration employee benefits Pay equity dailypay financial well-being

Episode notes

Summary Rising costs are squeezing employees at every level - so how do you design pay and benefits that truly meet people where they are? K Bighom, a benefits leader at Universal Destinations & Experiences with 20+ years in global benefits (US, UK, Canada, APAC), shares a pragmatic, human-first playbook. A former pre-med student turned HR pro, K frames people leaders as “healers,” responsible for financial, physical, and mental well-being. He breaks down where compensation and benefits most often fail (inequitable pay, plan design gaps), how to fix them with data and empathy, and why supporting your lowest-paid employees lifts the whole organization. K details practical tools like earned wage access (e.g., DailyPay), EAP expansion, and pay equity analysis - plus how to measure ROI quickly with utilization data and pulse surveys. He also forecasts the benefits trends to watch next: HSAs/FSAs/HRAs, parental leave, onsite childcare, wellness, and transit support. K closes with a simple 30-day savings experiment listeners can start today.