Industry News

There is a growing body of research examining the correlation between group benefits plans and worker retention, productivity, and satisfaction. As a result, a growing number of studies and surveys are coming to a similar set of conclusions: ancillary benefits are critical for employees and are frequently the deciding factor for choosing to join or stay with an employer. 

The Insurance Barometer is an annual study that tracks the perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors of U.S. adult consumers, with a particular emphasis on life insurance.

What’s the value of loyalty? Society puts a premium on it, and we collectively see it as a virtue, but it may be hard to quantify. However, when it comes to business, there is a definite dollar amount that can be directly attached to each instance of employee loyalty (aka retention): in most cases, it’s less expensive to retain an employee than train a new one.

According to the US Census Bureau, over 50% of Americans are now millennials or younger. Furthermore, the entire Millennial generation, plus the older members of Generation Z, have grown up to the point where they now have adult responsibilities and expectations. 

The disability insurance industry is expanding rapidly, according to a report by Allied Market Research. The employer segment has the highest market share. Major selling points for disability benefits are that they protect skilled employees while giving employers the edge in a tight labor market. Here are some factors that are driving the market:

Eighty-nine percent of U.S. adults say that having dental insurance brings them peace of mind, according to a Delta Dental survey. Nearly all insured adults recognize that their dental insurance saves them money and is well worth the cost. The coverage brings relief from worries about paying for a dental emergency. In fact, 68% of adults and 72% of parents say they appreciated having dental insurance more than ever during the pandemic.

“After more than two decades of near-continuous growth, the voluntary benefits market is still only half tapped, says Nick Rockwell, Eastbridge president. “Even during previous economic downturns, we’ve seen strong demand and need for the added protection that voluntary benefits provide employees.”

Cost is a top reason why employees skip the dentist, according to a survey by byte.com. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, 30% of people have not been to the dentist. On top of that, 34% do not go regularly. In rural communities, 41% go inconsistently or not at all. Here are some of the main reasons people are avoiding the dentist:

Employee financial wellbeing has been deteriorating since the start of the pandemic, according to a WTW survey. Forty-one percent of employees are living paycheck to paycheck in 2002 compared to 38% in 2019. 

Those living paycheck to paycheck include a wide range of demographics: 

Group voluntary products are continuing a decade-long trend of outpacing the sales growth of individual employee benefits products, according to a new report from Eastbridge Consulting Group.

Group products accounted for 78% of all voluntary sales last year. Group product sales increased 13% in 2021. That figure surpasses the industry's strong 11% recovery growth rate and is nearly double the 7% increase in individual sales. 

Health concerns and work pressures during the pandemic caused widespread mental health problems that will reverberate far into the future, according to a report by Unum. "The ongoing pandemic has exacerbated the mental health crisis, but it has also helped normalize the need for mental health support,” said Swapnil Prabha, vice president of Workforce Wellness Solutions for Unum Group.