The Dallas Independent School District serves 145,000 students across 230 schools, served by 22,000 professionals. As the executive director of human capital management, Diedrae Bell-Hunter feels a responsibility to each of them. 
COVID was no small hurdle for anyone in education. Bell-Hunter, who heads the district’s benefits department, put new leave policies in place throughout the pandemic to ensure that employees had access to time beyond their standard PTO. Additionally, a shared “sick-leave bank” allows workers to donate a single PTO day per year in exchange for the right to borrow up to 40 additional days as needed. 
Now, Bell-Hunter is looking to the future — and preparing for the next challenge. 
Read more: Announcing 2022’s Excellence in Benefits Award winners
With COVID moving behind us, what do you anticipate will be a priority this school year?
The mental health and wellness of our entire environment — children and staff. COVID has had an extreme impact on mental health, and one of our main benefit initiatives this year is figuring out how to get people access to service, and how to get them to participate in their mental health in a way that isn’t just reactionary. It’s my department’s responsibility to provide access to care to the adults — and their families — who work with those kids every day. 
You brought benefits in-house a few years ago. How has that changed how you serve your community? 
Our internal team is able to act like an advisory firm, and really deliver concierge service to our employees, helping them understand claims or find a specialist,  and utilize these programs. 
These are high-stakes responsibilities. How do you relieve stress? 
My team inspires me every day, and they never let me have a bad day. But good leaders need a BMW space — bitch, moan and whine. We create that space in team meetings, get stuff off our chests, and then get right into positive affirmations.
Before hitting send, give your emails a look to see if you’re using these passive aggressive phrases to communicate with coworkers.
This week’s top stories can help managers set clear boundaries around communication and productivity between managers and employees.
This year’s award winners are working tirelessly to improve the work and life experience for employees and clients.
Beginning next week the coffee company will roll out a new benefit for employees looking to put some money away for a rainy day.
This week’s top stories reveal red flags employers and employees should avoid during the recruiting and hiring process.
Some of the world’s largest and most influential companies, like Apple and Goldman Sachs Group, chose Labor Day as the latest line in the sand to call workers back to their desks, though many employees want to keep their flexibility.
Inclusivity, pay transparency and feedback will ensure that your company’s candidate experience conveys employer-of-choice status.
Alex Frommeyer, co-founder and CEO of Beam Benefits, is working to bring ancillary benefits to every employer, regardless of size.
With a small, focused team, Diedrae Bell-Hunter delivers benefits to 22,000 employees across the Dallas Independent School District.
Sixteen leaders across the HR, advising and technology spaces exemplify the future of benefits: Increased access, more innovation, better outcomes.

source