The retention of employees is even more crucial than recruitment when it comes to employer-provided health insurance.
A recent survey reveals that:
56 percent of U.S. individuals with employer-sponsored health benefits stated their decision to remain at their present work is strongly influenced by their satisfaction with their health coverage.
46 percent of respondents claimed that their present work was either chosen as a result of, or as a result of, health insurance.
“We were surprised to see such a large percentage of American workers who indicated the importance of health coverage in choosing and maintaining their job,” said Phillip Morris, vice president of Luntz Global Partners, which polled America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a trade association for health insurers.
According to the study results, 71% of employees are happy with the insurance coverage they currently receive from their employers, but many are concerned about the high expenses.
A total of 1,000 American adults who receive health insurance through their place of employment responded between January 25 and January 28. The findings were presented in a Washington, D.C., expert panel discussion on February 6 that was organized by AHIP and the non-profit Bipartisan Policy Center.
Paula Harvey, SHRM-SCP, vice president of human resources at Schulte Building Systems, a 600-employee metal-building fabrication company in Hockley, Texas, emphasized that “you have to know your employees and what they want” from their health coverage. “Get out and talk to your staff, find out what’s working for them, and don’t simply sit in your office looking at claims data.”
Harvey is a board member of the SHRM Foundation and formerly served on the Southeast membership advisory council for the Society for Human Resource Management, which he represented on the panel.
Find creative ways to start the discussion (about health),” Harvey advised. “My staff can compete with themselves in wellness challenges,” and “I can watch their progress online.” To encourage workers to come outside and move over lunch or before and after work, “we provide walking routes.”
When they’re not working, she noted, employees have trouble using their health insurance. We all have sick days we can use, but if we’re thinking about increasing immunization rates or primary care visits, why don’t we provide individuals “healthy days” so they can access preventative care services? “, giving employees the flexibility to take advantage of their benefits.
It wasn’t difficult to convince management to support health-promoting measures at her company, Harvey said. CEOs are concerned about the health of their staff members since they are more likely to be present at work.
