Most Americans see the benefits a company offers—especially health insurance—as an important consideration when they accept or reject a job, but not all employees are satisfied with the benefits they get from their current company.
That is according to the 2013 Health and Voluntary Workplace Benefits Survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) in Washington, D.C.
The survey shows that more than three-quarters of employees see the benefits package an employer offers as extremely (33%) or very (45%) important when deciding whether to say yes or no to a job offer. However, 31% are only somewhat satisfied with the benefits offered by their current employer, and 26% are dissatisfied.
Workers identify lower cost (compared to purchasing benefits on their own) and choice as strong advantages of voluntary benefits. However, they are split with respect to how comfortable they are in having their employer choose their benefits provider, and they see the possibility that they may have to pay the full cost of any voluntary benefits as a disadvantage.
The study also shows that 88% of workers see employer-provided health insurance as extremely or very important, far more than for any other workplace benefit.
“Employers that offer a strong employee benefits package should find themselves with a competitive advantage over other companies when it comes to attracting and retaining desirable employees,” says Paul Fronstin, director of EBRI’s health research and education program.
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