Unum study points to importance of employee benefits education, voluntary benefits

Based on five years of research, a new tactical guide from Unum (NYSE: UNM) – “Beyond the Usual Benefits” – can help employers and brokers start planning their approach to benefits communications in 2014.

As health care reform continues to influence the benefits decisions of thousands of companies and millions of Americans, this easy-to-use guide offers valuable insight into what employees want and respond to, and the steps brokers and employers can take to communicate benefits options clearly and effectively.

Key findings from the annual survey of working adults are included in the booklet and will direct efforts on how to:

• Implement an employee education program that will influence workforce satisfaction.
• Craft an effective “3 + 3” communications strategy that gives employees sufficient time and information to make good decisions at enrollment time.
• Increase opportunities to help your company stand out.

“Five years of research shows a strong link between benefits education and employee engagement,” said Barbara Nash, Unum’s vice president of corporate research. “Employees clearly value a quality benefits education and the employers who provide it.”

Results show providing employees with a minimum of three formats for benefits communications and at least three weeks to review them before enrollment is key to a successful benefits education.

The data also shows that employees who believe their benefits were effectively communicated are more likely to feel valued at work, more likely to recommend their employer to others and more likely to feel in step with the company’s values.

“Developing a strong benefits education program is good for the employer as well as the employee,” Nash said. “Third-party research shows that companies with happy and engaged employees perform significantly better than those without.”1

To learn more about these trends and other finding from a half decade of research, click here for a copy of Unum’s employee education research booklet “Beyond the Usual Benefits.”

About Unum

Unum is a leading provider of financial protection benefits through the workplace. The disability insurance leader in the U.S. for 37 years, Unum’s portfolio of financial protection products also includes life, accident and critical illness, which help protect millions of working people and their families in the event of an illness or injury. In 2013, Unum paid $5.5 billion in benefits to nearly 492,000 individuals and their families.

For more information visit us at www.unum.com or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

1 Gallup, State of the American Workplace: Employee Engagement Insights for U.S. Business Leaders (2013).