As the new year begins, continuing economic pressures have enhanced the attractiveness of voluntary benefits for both employers and employees.

For human resource and benefits departments nationwide that are charged with creating an attractive benefits package while controlling costs, voluntary benefits provide an easy way to expand the array of benefits provided through the workplace. According to MetLife's 9th Annual Employee Benefits Trends Study, 61 percent of employees say they value voluntary benefits as a way to obtain benefits that meet their personal needs. Employees acknowledge that they save time and money when they can obtain these products through the workplace.

What is particularly noteworthy is that employers may still be underestimating the importance of voluntary benefits to their employees. The MetLife study found that 43 percent of employers do not think their employees are interested in a wider array of voluntary benefits, yet more than half of employees say they do want more of these benefits that they can choose and pay for on their own. Helping employers understand the objectives that can be realized within a well-designed voluntary benefits strategy is a tremendous opportunity for brokers and consultants in 2012.

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Voluntary Benefits