Insurance Insider News:Insurance Insider News: Employees Unhappy with Benefits

by Leila Morris

When asked how they like their benefits, employees gave the lowest rating in six years, according to a survey from Unum. Only 47% say their benefits are excellent or very good. Only 33% say that the benefit education their employer provides is excellent or very good, and 28% say their benefit education is fair or poor. This is a reversal to the upward trend in ratings since 2009. Only 49% say their workplace is excellent or very good. Seventy-seven percent of workers who say their benefit package is excellent or very good also say the same of their employer. In contrast, only 17% of employees who say their benefit package is fair or poor also say that their workplace is excellent or very good. And 79% who say their employer’s benefit education is excellent or very good say the same of  their employer — compared to only 30% of those who say their benefit education is fair or poor. Bill Dalicandro, vice president of the consumer solutions group at Unum said, “This research underscores the value of an effective benefit education plan because when an employee understands their benefits, they tend to value them more and…may value their employers more for providing access to them.”