7 Advantages to a Comprehensive Employee Benefits Program

March 7, 2022by Alex Strautman

Offering a comprehensive employee benefits program is a proven approach for attracting strong talent in a competitive market. Year after year, in survey after survey, employee benefits rank highly in what motivates employees beyond good pay.

Employee Benefits Package

In the MetLife 19th Annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study from last year, employees prioritized their top benefits in this order:

  1. Health Insurance – 85% said it is a “must have” and another 10% said it’s “nice to have”
  2. 401(k) or other retirement plan – 78% consider it a “must have” and another 17% said it’s “nice to have”
  3. Paid and unpaid leave – 71% consider it a “must have” and another 23% said it’s “nice to have”
  4. Dental Insurance – 70% consider it a “must have” and another 25% said it’s “nice to have”
  5. Vision Insurance – 67% consider it a “must have” and another 25% said it’s “nice to have”
  6. Life Insurance – 61% consider it a “must have” and another 30% said it’s “nice to have”
  7. Disability Income – 51% consider it a “must have” and another 39% said it’s “nice to have”
  8. Health Savings Account – 46% consider it a “must have” and another 39% said it’s “nice to have”
  9. Critical Illness – 44% consider it a “must have” and another 43% said it’s “nice to have”
  10. Flexible Spending Account – 42% consider it a “must have” and another 41% said it’s “nice to have”
  11. Accident Insurance – 42% consider it a “must have” and another 45% said it’s “nice to have”
  12. Financial Wellness – 38% consider it a “must have” and another 44% said it’s “nice to have”
  13. Hospital Indemnity Insurance – 38% consider it a “must have” and another 45% said it’s “nice to have”
  14. Cancer Insurance – 35% consider it a “must have” and another 47% said it’s “nice to have”
  15. Home Insurance – 32% consider it a “must have” and another 39% said it’s “nice to have”
  16. Auto Insurance – 32% consider it a “must have” and another 41% said it’s “nice to have”
  17. Legal Services – 32% consider it a “must have” and another 44% said it’s “nice to have”

BestMoneyMoves.com found similar results in 2021, with Financial Wellness Programs ranking first, followed by Flexible Work Arrangements, Health Insurance, and Paid Time Off.

Beyond helping you attract and retain workers, there are additional advantages to offering a comprehensive employee benefits package, including:

1: Higher job satisfaction for employees: Employees value benefits and tend to feel more favorable about their jobs when they have a strong package (and you as their employer, too). When employees are happier, they’re more productive and show increased company loyalty.

2: Reduced absenteeism: When you have healthy employees, they are on the job more regularly. They take less time off due to illness, are more focused and productive, and less prone to injuries.

3: It’s tax deductible: Employers can generally deduct the full cost of premiums for employees’ (and dependents’) health insurance as an ordinary business expense. That can save you money on your federal and state business taxes. Some firms may qualify for a tax credit.

4: Reduced costs/savings for workers: Group health plans are usually cheaper than individual health plans. Even if employees are contributing to the cost, their share is lower than what they might pay for coverage in the private insurance marketplace (or through a public state exchange like Covered California).

5: Reduced payroll taxes: In addition to benefits being tax-deductible for your business, you can reduce your payroll taxes when you offer your employees a Section 125 Premium Only Plan (POP). That’s because a POP lets employees pay their share of premiums with pre-tax money, increasing their after-tax income. Further savings are possible if any employees have a High Deductible Health Plan, a POP, and a qualified Health Savings Account (HSA). You can usually deduct your HSA contribution for employees from your business taxes, too.

There are additional advantages offered by CaliforniaChoice, the multi-carrier private exchange built for California small businesses:
• More choice: You and your employees can select coverage from eight leading health plans – Anthem Blue Cross, Cigna + Oscar, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente, Sharp Health Plan, Sutter Health Plus, UnitedHealthcare, and Western Health Advantage
• Plan diversity: We offer a roster of 100+ HMO, PPO, EPO, and HSA-qualified options, so it’s easy to find coverage that best suits your individual or family health care needs
• Greater cost control: Defined Contribution means you decide just how much you want to spend on your employees’ health care – and it’s locked in for 12 months
• Single source administration: It’s easy to manage your benefits through one website and toll-free number when you or your employees need assistance
• Value-added extras: In addition to great health care, you and your employees have access to Dental, Vision, Chiropractic, and Life Insurance, HR support, a Flexible Spending Account and Premium Only Plan, COBRA services, hearing services, and the ChooseHealthyTM program offering savings on health and wellness – plus discounts through Cal Perks on hearing, prescription drugs, entertainment, travel, and more

Talk with your broker about all of the ways employee benefits can help you, your business, and your employees. If you don’t already have a broker, we can help you search for one. Using a broker won’t cost you more. In fact, it may help you save more because a local broker will help you compare plans in your marketplace.

Shopping for group health insurance?

This guide compiles a list of common questions you may have before you start offering health insurance coverage.
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