Studies Show Health Insurance Is The Most Important Benefit To Employees, And You Should Be Really Happy About That

Employees who have a good health insurance program are more productive, more engaged, and more attached to their company. This is the findings of many studies and surveys done over the years.

While this may seem self-evident, there are still many companies who view health insurance as a required burden. Sure it's a financial burden, but it can also be the catalyst for long-lasting, engaged employees. It could even be a big help of your recruiting and retention strategies.

How? Well, a good health insurance program also improves job satisfaction. People who are satisfied with their positions and company are far more likely to recommend their company to fellow professionals and peers.

If you are a business owner, this is great news. Recommendations are the most powerful recruiting tool available, so if you can use existing benefits to sell your company, you are better off.

Your Health Insurance Is Foundational
The reason you should be happy about the impact of health insurance is that it provides a solution for how to keep your employees engaged. It isn't the only solution, but clearly it's important and impactful.

At this point, you might be saying, "Great, my most expensive benefit is helpful. (in a very sarcastic tone.)" However, there are other facets of your company culture that also drive employee engagement.

Health insurance is simply the foundation.

The Impact of Other Benefits
According to the Glassdoor study, the other benefits that employees appreciate are:

• A matching 401-k plan
• Paid leave, including sick days
• Family leave, this includes paternity leave
• Employee discounts

Obviously, these benefits are an extra cost. However, the cost is minimal when compared to recruiting.

Besides, if you want a strong sense of belonging and purpose in your company, then a comprehensive benefits package is a must.

The Other Less Costly Benefits Your Employees Want
Besides health insurance, there are other steps you can take to improve employee engagement.

• Give your employees the freedom to do their jobs their way. In some cases, especially manufacturing, this may not be possible. However, in management and administrative tasks your employees might develop a workflow that is productive and different from the way 'it's always been done.'
• Employees like constructive feedback that is both encouraging and helpful. Few people are absolutely terrible at their jobs, so when you are advising somebody, make sure to acknowledge the good work they are doing.
• Make sure nobody is in a dead end job. Every position, or person, should have an avenue for some type of advancement or education. Education and advancement are always powerful motivators.
• Allow your employees to flex their schedules. A flexible schedule not only helps employees with their personal lives, but it also opens them up to different aspects of your company's operations. They meet people they may never see during their normal working hours and get to see a different aspect of your company since it could be a weekend or later hours. Additionally, allow telecommuting of some positions, with today's technology it's cheap and achievable.

Culture Insurance is a premier insurance and benefits brokerage located in San Diego County. We help companies build affordable and attractive benefits plans for current and potential employees.

If you have any questions about health insurance, benefits planning, or risk management we encourage you to call us. We would be pleased to sit down with you and discuss your situation.