MetLife Employee Benefit Trends
Promoting Employee Well-Being With Benefits and Communications
Key Takeaways:
- A comprehensive approach to benefits can support employee well-being by meeting their diverse and changing needs, and ultimately help employees feel more valued by their employers.
- Employees who understand their benefits are more holistically well.
- Clear, timely communications about the value of benefits and how to use them in times of need can increase their impact, especially during COVID-19.
- Communication for the upcoming open enrollment period is critical to increase understanding of benefits and ensure employees choose those that can protect them in times of uncertainty.
Data Visualization: Explore what employees consider must-have benefits to focus your benefits strategy
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As employers think not only about addressing the pandemic, but recovering from it in the months to come, a comprehensive approach to benefits and communications can be very important to both the company and to its employees.
Benefits, perhaps now more than ever, play a pivotal role in supporting employees through times of crisis. Communications help employees see the role benefits can play in their lives and the pandemic. This will be critical in helping employees make informed choices during the next open enrollment period.
A comprehensive approach to benefits
Consider benefit offerings as a connected set of resources that work together to meet the diverse needs of employees both during the pandemic and in their broader lives.
Key highlights of a comprehensive approach:
- A comprehensive program extends beyond traditional benefits, like medical and retirement, to include voluntary and emerging benefits to support all four components of well-being.
- Because the elements of well-being are connected, a mix of benefits can help employees stay holistically healthy. Benefits are particularly helpful for financial security.
- A range of options ensures employees can choose the right benefits for them and consider different options as their priorities evolve.
It’s more important than ever to communicate how benefits can protect employees
The COVID-19 pandemic provides a clear example of how timely, specific and clear communications can inspire employees to take action to protect themselves and their families.
Communications help employees gain awareness of their benefits and understand how benefits can protect them.
To encourage greater employee awareness and understanding of benefits during the pandemic:
- Frame benefits in the context of employees’ lives, in particular when preparing for the next open enrollment season.
- Provide targeted, ongoing communications to reinforce the value of benefits in moments of need.