Results of the 8th annual MetLife Employee Benefits Trend Study indicate that employers that communicate effectively about the benefits they provide are more likely to have loyal employees who are satisfied with their jobs.
The survey results suggest that employee satisfaction with benefits has increased during the current economic downturn. Bill Raczko, senior vice president of marketing of U.S. business at MetLife, says, “Employees have increasingly come to value their benefits, and we have seen benefits satisfaction rise over the past few years.” The MetLife report indicates that 37 percent of the employees surveyed feel that they worry less about unexpected health and financial issues because of the benefits they receive at work. Two thirds of the workers who responded to the survey reported they were satisfied with their employee benefits.
While all of this is good news, employees are unlikely to recognize what they have if they don’t understand the value of the benefits that are available to them, both in terms of monetary value and support of work-life balance. In that sense, districts and private employers share a communication problem: only one-third of the employees surveyed by MetLife thought that their benefits coverage was effectively communicated.
One opportunity to spread the good news about benefits is through the use of total compensation statements that illustrate district contributions to employee benefits. When the district contributes to health insurance, Social Security, TRS, and other benefits on behalf of its employees, it certainly knows the value of those contributions. Employees often do not. School leaders who publish total compensation statements provide employees with a clear picture of what their district’s benefit contributions are worth. Such statements may help to cement loyalty and commitment to a district. A sample statement that can be adapted to meet district needs is available in the HR Library 
(myTASB login required). The best time to send this statement is shortly after the start of the new school year.
Developing a comprehensive benefits communication plan is a strategy that can pay off in the long run. For example, some employers differentiate benefit presentations based on the life stages of their employees to more effectively get their message across. Different age groups of employees have different priorities. While “nesting” employees may be focusing on benefits related to having and caring for their children, the baby boomers are planning for retirement.
Another communication strategy is using technology to familiarize employees with their benefits. A benefits blog can create a forum for employees to ask questions about what is most important to them. As with any employee communication, answers should be expressed clearly and in general terms. HR can provide more detailed help to individuals as needs arise.
—“Survey takes a post-recession snapshot of benefits trends,” by Lydell C. Bridgeford, Employee Benefit News, June 15, 2010.
— “MetLife’s latest annual trends study show effective benefit communications pay multiple dividends,” by Bruce Shutan, Employee Benefit News, June 2010.
