MetLife's 9th Annual Employee Benefits Trends Study finds 71percent of full-time U.S. workers say they have some amount of lifeinsurance coverage. But of those with coverage who know the amount,47 percent indicate they have two times or less their annualhousehold income in coverage. This is despite the fact that morethan half of employees report being worried about unexpectedfinancial emergencies and the impact it would have on theirfamilies.

So what explains the disconnect between employees' concerns andtheir purchase patterns? One contributing factor is could be thatbenefits communications simply aren't as effective as they couldbe. So this enrollment season, consider whether your clients'communication strategy for employees is robust enough to engagethem in the group life offering.

Improving benefits communications helps both clients andemployees. After all, employees are unlikely to appreciate and makeuse of a benefits program if they aren't aware of it or understandtheir options. MetLife's study shows there is significant room forimprovement: More than half (55 percent) of all employees do notfind benefits materials to be clear and comprehensive, and only athird (36 percent) feel their benefits communications are veryeffective in helping educate them on options to best meet theirneeds.

Most employees (65 percent) who work for organizations thatimproved communications during the past year felt their employerwas loyal to them compared to 33 percent of employees overall, thesurvey finds.

Improving benefits participation levels for programs such aslife insurance can also improve employee loyalty, as workers placemuch higher values on benefits such as life and disabilityinsurance than most employers realize. For example, more than half(59 percent) of all employees say they consider non-medicalbenefits very important loyalty drivers, yet only 37 percent ofemployers recognize this.

Given both the opportunity to improve communications and theincreased need to help employees close the underinsurance gap,there are several tips to improve upcoming open enrollmentcommunications.

 Communicate the broader purpose.Emphasize the importance of life insurance as an income replacementmeans and way to ensure financial security for family.

 Use methods employees like. Employeesparticipating in the MetLife study said they would like to seetheir benefits communications improved by having access to benefitsinformation online (44 percent); information tailored to their lifeevents and life stages (39 percent); access to a person who cantell them about their benefits (36 percent); and more frequentcommunication about their benefits (34 percent).

Address employees' purchase barriers. Emphasizepoints around the affordability of obtaining coverage through theworkplace; the ease of choosing and purchasing life insurancecoverage; the financial security that it can provide for families;and the peace of mind it can provide for the purchaser.

Provide tools and guidance. Underscore thetools and education that are provided to make selecting the righttype and amount of life insurance a simple process. Only 42 percentof working men and 30 percent of working women feel very confidentin their ability to make the right financial decisions forthemselves and their families. Not surprisingly then, more thanhalf of all employees (51 percent) say they are very interested inhaving their employer provide access to online tools to help themmake decisions about their financial needs.

Include features that add value. In addition toproviding access to supplemental coverage above the core offering,items like in-person will preparation and help with estateresolution for beneficiaries are all valuable add-ons to make thegroup life insurance program more robust.

Also consider this: Employees have an interest in more voluntarybenefits. MetLife's study finds 52 percent of U.S. workers say theyare interested in a wider array of voluntary benefits that they canchoose and pay for on their own. Nearly two-thirds of employees saythat they value voluntary plans as a way to obtain benefits thatmeet their personal needs. So once your client provides access tosupplemental life insurance coverage, follow up with effectivebenefits communications to make the difference between benefitsthat are understood and valued, versus those that are overlookedand underutilized.

Stephen Pontecorvo is vice president of group life products forMetLife.