Empire Today

Leah Muhich

Employee Benefits Authority

For too long, benefits and leave have been viewed as transactional HR functions—important operational processes that work behind the scenes. At Empire Today, we believe that perspective no longer reflects the true impact of these programs. Benefits and leave administration are not simply administrative functions. They are critical moments in the employee experience and a tangible reflection of our organizational values.

Supporting one another is fundamental to our culture. Our benefits and leave administration model is designed to meet employees where they are, often during some of life's most significant, complex and vulnerable moments. Our objective is both simple and ambitious: to reduce friction, provide clarity and deliver support with purpose and compassion.

We approach complexity as a challenge to solve through thoughtful design. Strategy should be easy to understand. Processes should be easy to navigate. Information should be more than compliant. It should be accessible, meaningful and actionable. Our goal is to deliver a concierge-level experience that balances operational excellence with empathy, personalization and trust.

Trust is built through collaboration and through consistently demonstrating honesty, integrity and reliability in every interaction. These values are woven into the fabric of our culture and guide how we serve our business, our customers and the employees whose contributions drive our success.

“Benefits and leave administration are not simply administrative functions. They are critical moments in the employee experience and a tangible reflection of our organizational values.”

At Empire Today, we believe that taking care of our employees is essential to taking care of our business. We are committed to fostering engagement and providing meaningful support through a comprehensive benefits program that meets the evolving needs of employees and their families. By making benefits accessible, easy to understand and relevant across all stages of life, we empower employees to make informed decisions that support their health, well-being and financial security.

This commitment begins with leadership. CEO Brian Hutto and CHRO Terence Gornet champion a people-first culture that prioritizes making the benefits and leave experience simple, supportive and straightforward to navigate. Their leadership reinforces Empire Today's commitment to creating an environment where employees feel valued, supported and equipped to thrive personally and professionally.

Importantly, "Benefits Made Easy" does not mean delivering identical experiences to every employee. Equity does not require uniformity. High-performing HR organizations recognize that some situations will never fit neatly within standard policies or established processes. These moments require thoughtful, individualized solutions that balance compliance requirements with the unique needs of the employee.

Rather than viewing these situations as exceptions to manage, we view them as opportunities to demonstrate leadership, sound judgment and humanity. By combining compliance with compassion, we create employee experiences that strengthen trust, reinforce our values and reflect our commitment to putting people first.

By staying ahead of healthcare and leave trends and grounding decisions in data, the Empire Today Benefits and Leave team translates complexity into engagement. We intentionally transform technical information into intuitive experiences because employees cannot fully value benefits they do not understand.

Just as Empire Today simplifies the process of selecting beautiful flooring for our customers, we apply the same philosophy to benefits and leave administration. When done well, the complexity fades into the background, leaving employees with confidence, clarity and the assurance that they are genuinely supported. That is more than administrative excellence. It is a reflection of leadership, culture and our commitment to caring for our people.