America's Benefit Specialist October 2022

NOTEWORTHY

when employers adjusted their benefits package (73%). It seems there’s potential for even more productive working hours. Employers most often noted an improve ment in employee morale (67%) after they updated their benefits packages. Consid ering how severely tested morale has been during the pandemic years, it’s encouraging to see a path to improvement. Employees also noticed improvements in diversity levels (58%). Since going remote, 24% of employers said they started hiring employees work ing in other states. However, one-third of employers limited to where their remote employees could live. A wider applicant pool may also have occurred simply as a result of the company going remote. Instead of selecting employ ees who can commute to the office within a reasonable time frame, companies are now able to cast a wider net. That said, one-third of employers still reported limiting where their employees could live. The evidence strongly supports the positive impact of employers adapting their benefits to suit new remote work cultures. But adapting them without careful thought generally won’t cut it. Instead, employers should listen to the specific wants of their employees and engage in a positive feedback cycle. Employers who do this will likely enjoy benefits ranging from increased productivity to greater diversity and improved morale. VAST MAJORITY OF ADULTS SAY HAVING DENTAL INSURANCE PROVIDES PEACE OF MIND Dental insurance continues to support optimal health, as highlighted in the recently

released 2022 State of America’s Oral Health and Wellness Report, a nationwide anal ysis of consumer opinions and behaviors relating to oral health. Findings from the Delta Dental-commissioned research of U.S. adults and parents of children ages 12 and younger also inform how adults who have dental insurance recognize the emotional and financial benefits that come with having dental coverage. A few highlights from this year’s report: • Almost nine in 10 (89%) adults agree that having dental coverage gives them peace of mind and provides relief from worry ing about what they would do in a dental emergency. • Among those insured, nearly all adults recognize that their dental insurance saves them money (94%) and is well worth the cost (91%). • Most adults (81%) and parents (88%) hem peace of mind. In fact, adults (68%) and parents (72%) appreciated having dental insurance more than ever during the pandemic. • Due in part to the pandemic, nearly seven in 10 (69%) parents with a child not currently covered by dental insurance will secure dental coverage in 2022. concur that having dental insurance during the pandemic has provided t

efit for Gen Zers and Gen Xers, with 22% and 35% requesting one, respectively. Internet reimbursement was another ben efit commonly desired by remote workers. On average, Internet access costs anywhere from $47 to $69 per month and, with remote work, it typically isn’t optional. Over the course of the year, this can result in an almost $1,000 expense if paid out of the em ployee’s own pocket. Certain states already require employers to reimburse employees for any business-related expenses, but it seems to have popularity across the country. A third of millennials wanted this stipend, making it this generation’s top priority; however, only 21% of employers gave it top billing when asked to guess their employees’ most wanted benefits. Baby boomers’ top desire was a four-day workweek. With more free time available as a result of increased productivity and not having to commute, there’s a strong argu ment for why working five days a week may no longer be a necessary norm. Interestingly, this was also the benefit the vast majority of employers felt was their workers’ top prior ity. A four-day work week was proposed in Congress in March of 2022, proving that this idea is gaining some serious traction. The study also looks at how companies with updated benefits have been impacted. Respondents were asked to rate everything from their productivity to morale and com pany culture. There were serious perks to updating benefits—everything from employee loyalty to job satisfaction and company culture saw improvements, according to both employees and employers. A large number of employ ees noted productivity levels improving

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