By Stephen D. Bruce, PHR
Editor, HR Daily Advisor
Just My E-pinion
Sixty percent of respondents say they do provide employees with an annual summary of benefit program features. As expected, this percentage showed a direct correlation with company size, as 58% of companies with fewer than 100 employees provided such a summary, rising to 79% for companies employing 1000 or more.
Although most of responding employers (68%) do not survey their employees to determine benefit satisfaction, 78% believe their employees to be either very happy or somewhat happy with their benefits.
Interestingly, 57% say the perception is that their benefits are better then their competitors’, and 32% say benefits are perceived as similar, leaving only 10 % perceiving benefits as worse. (2% don’t know.) That would suggest that benefits communication is doing its job and then some.
Nearly 1,000 readers from across the country, well-distributed by geography and industry, responded to the survey, which was conducted by BLR’s HR Daily Advisor during February and early March of 2011 Thanks to all who participated. Here are the detailed results:
Here are the detailed responses:
Does the organization provide an annual summary of benefit program features?
|
Number |
Percent |
Yes |
603 |
62% |
No |
376 |
38% |
If yes, what is the format of the benefit summary?
|
Number |
Percent |
Electronic |
82 |
14% |
Paper |
285 |
48% |
Both |
232 |
39% |
What electronic methods are used to provide employees with benefit information?
|
Number |
Percent |
Company web site or intranet |
222 |
72% |
|
266 |
86% |
Text messages |
3 |
1% |
|
2 |
1% |
|
2 |
1% |
Other |
30 |
10% |
Does the benefit summary show the cost to the company of providing each benefit?
|
Number |
Percent |
Yes |
323 |
56% |
No |
255 |
44% |
Does the company prepare more than one benefits summary to tailor it to its audience?
|
Number |
Percent |
Yes |
127 |
22% |
No |
452 |
78% |
Does the organization survey employees to determine benefit preferences?
|
Number |
Percent |
Yes |
236 |
26% |
No |
671 |
74% |
What is the frequency of benefit preference surveys?
|
Number |
Percent |
Preference surveys are not conducted |
426 |
61% |
Surveys conducted at least annually |
70 |
10% |
Surveys conducted every other year |
20 |
3% |
Surveys conducted as changes are considered |
152 |
22% |
Other |
28 |
4% |
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Does the organization survey employees to determine satisfaction with benefits?
|
Number |
Percent |
Yes |
289 |
32% |
No |
615 |
68% |
What is the frequency of benefit satisfaction surveys?
|
Number |
Percent |
Satisfaction surveyed every other year |
388 |
55% |
Satisfaction surveyed as changes are considered |
111 |
16% |
Benefit satisfaction surveys are not conducted |
47 |
7% |
Satisfaction surveyed at least annually |
128 |
18% |
Other |
30 |
4% |
Does the organization make use of outside survey data to determine benefits?
|
Number |
Percent |
Yes |
372 |
42% |
No |
524 |
58% |
What is the perception of employee satisfaction with the benefits package?
|
Number |
Percent |
Very happy |
197 |
22% |
Somewhat happy |
500 |
56% |
Indifferent |
72 |
8% |
Somewhat unhappy |
81 |
9% |
Very Unhappy |
19 |
2% |
Don’t know |
31 |
3% |
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What is the perception of the company benefit package in comparison to those of other employers in same labor market?
|
Number |
Percent |
Much better |
220 |
24% |
Somewhat better |
300 |
33% |
Similar |
288 |
32% |
Somewhat worse |
69 |
8% |
Much worse |
15 |
2% |
Don’t know |
19 |
2% |
Upcoming survey topics:
- Compensation—(Going on now. To participate click here: Complete Compensation Survey Now)
- Pay for Performance
- Cost of Benefits
Again, thanks to all who participated.
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