Series of 2018 polls measured workforce sentiment on finances,
caregiving, benefits
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Workers are worried about their finances, their caregiving
responsibilities, and their employee benefits — and these feelings are
often strongest among women and younger workers. Those are some of the
findings in multiple polls of U.S. adults in 2018 by employee benefits
provider Unum (NYSE: UNM).
- Finances, family, and health top stressors. In a January poll
of 1,232 U.S. adults, the top causes of stress among all age groups
(18-65+) included finances (49 percent), home life and family
relationships (43 percent), personal health (35 percent), job
responsibilities (33 percent), and the health of family members (33
percent). Working women of all ages reported more frequent stress than
working men: 54 percent of women feel stress daily to weekly compared
to 47 percent of men.
- Financially fragile. In the same poll, Unum found that nearly
half (49 percent) of working adults have less than $1,000 in savings.
If they were unable to earn an income, 63 percent of those polled
could pay bills for only three months or less before needing
additional financial support.
Caregiving responsibilities can also contribute to worker stress,
according to “Adult
Caregiving: Generational considerations for America’s workforce,” a
report released by Unum in June that explored the prevalence of adult
caregiving among America’s workforce. This report and other consumer
research revealed workers are most interested in benefits that align
with their family caregiving needs and support flexibility.
- Caregiving impacts work performance and mindset. Caregiving
responsibilities result in missed work or tardiness (52 percent) and
lower productivity on the job (22 percent). Caring for an adult family
member also leads to stress, anxiety and/or depression (61 percent),
exhaustion (49 percent) and financial strain (44 percent).1
- Paid family leave ranks as the most coveted work perk.
Fifty-eight percent of survey respondents wanted this benefit from
their employer. Paid family leave outranks other popular perks such as
flexible and remote working options (55 percent), sabbatical leave (38
percent), student loan repayment assistance (35 percent), pet-friendly
offices (15 percent), and pet insurance (15 percent).2
A July survey of 1,227 U.S. adults showed although employees are highly
interested in their benefits, they don’t spend much time learning about
the choices and resources available to them. Unum found that nearly half
(49 percent) of respondents spend 30 minutes or less reviewing their
benefit options before enrolling.
Survey results referenced here, along with other consumer research and
industry information, can be found on Unum’s
newsroom.
About Unum
Unum Group (www.unum.com)
is a leading provider of financial protection benefits in the United
States and the United Kingdom. Its primary businesses are Unum US,
Colonial Life, and Unum UK. Unum’s portfolio includes disability, life,
accident and critical illness, dental and vision coverage, which help
protect millions of working people and their families in the event of an
illness or injury. Unum also provides stop-loss coverage to help
self-insured employers protect against unanticipated medical costs. The
company reported revenues of $11.3 billion in 2017 and provided nearly
$7 billion in benefits.
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and LinkedIn.
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1 Unum poll of 657 U.S.
adults, self-identified as caregivers, March 2018.
2
Unum poll of 1,227 U.S. adults, July 2018.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181213005068/en/
Brad Carmony 423-294-5238
Toll free: 866-850-8686
Bcarmony@unum.com
Source: Unum Group