As Benefits Change, the Need for Effective Education Grows
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
During a year when nearly half (45%) of employees experienced a change
in their workplace benefits, education about those benefits dropped off
just when it was most needed, according to a study by Harris Interactive
on behalf of Unum (NYSE: UNM).
“The past year brought a lot of upheaval for businesses, and efforts to
help employees understand their benefits apparently suffered as
companies worked day-to-day to navigate unpredictable economic
conditions,” said Bill Dalicandro, vice president for enrollment with
Unum. “But as the benefits landscape is shifting, it is more important
than ever to give employees the right tools to understand their benefits
choices and to communicate what’s available to them.”
The online
survey of 1,106 working adults shows that, across every age group, fewer
employees said they had received effective education about their
benefits compared to 2008. In 2008, 39 percent of workers gave their
benefits education positive ratings. In 2009, that number dropped to 29
percent.
And as the perception of the quality of their benefits education
declined, employees also reported lower ratings of their employers as a
place to work, and lower opinions of their employee benefits packages.
Even if employees don’t have a particularly good benefits package,
effective benefits education makes them dramatically more likely to
consider their employer a very good place to work, the research shows.
“Our research reveals a strong connection between the quality of
benefits education and employees’ perception of their workplace,”
Dalicandro said. “Quality benefits education can be a low-cost,
high-impact way to affect worker satisfaction.”
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Among full or part time employees who say they receive effective
benefits education, 90 percent say their employer values their work.
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88 percent of employees also say they are satisfied with their current
job.
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88 percent of employees also say they would recommend their employer
as a good place to work.
According to the survey results, 45 percent of employees reported they
had seen changes in their benefits packages in 2009, including 31
percent who said they are paying more for benefits, and 9 percent who
reported at least one benefit was discontinued.
About Unum
Unum (www.unum.com)
is one of the leading providers of employee benefits products and
services in the United States and the United Kingdom. Through its
subsidiaries, Unum provided $6 billion in total benefits to customers in
2009.
Harris Interactive Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris
Interactive on behalf of Unum from Dec. 9 – Dec. 11, 2009, among 2,029
adults ages 18 and older of whom 1,106 adults were employed (and not
self-employed). This online survey is not based on a probability sample
and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be
calculated.
In December 2008, Harris Interactive conducted similar research for Unum
using many of the same questions among 2,137 adults of whom 1,122 were
employed.
About Harris Interactive
Harris
Interactive is one of the world’s leading custom market research
firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform
relevant insight into actionable foresight. Serving clients in over 215
countries and territories through our North American, European, and
Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris
specializes in delivering research solutions that help us – and our
clients – stay ahead of what’s next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.
Source: Unum
Contact:
Unum
MC Guenther, 423-294-6108 or 866-750-8686