Does working for a small company mean receiving small benefits?Apparently so, according to the 2014 U.S. Worker Survey, conductedlast December on behalf of Colonial Life and Unum.

Only 44 percent of employees at very small businesses (fewer than 10 employees)have benefits at work, compared with 82 percent of all employees.Companies that are only slightly larger, with between 10 and 99employees, do much better, with 75 percent offering benefits.

Perhaps the worst news for small employers is that their workersknow they are getting the short end of the stick.

• Benefits package. Only 25 percent of employeesat very small companies who are offered benefits rate theirbenefits as excellent or very good, compared with 58 percent ofemployees at large companies.

• Benefits understanding. Sixty-two percent ofemployees at very small companies who are offered benefits report agood understanding of their benefits, well below the 80 percentreported by workers at large firms.

• Value of benefits. Fifty-five percent of verysmall business workers who are offered benefits agree they highlyvalue the insurance benefits provided by their employer, comparedto 70 percent at large firms.

The risks are obvious, with disgruntled employees looking forthe exit to find a job with better benefits. This doesn't necessarily haveto be the case, said Gil Youmans, director of small market solutions for Colonial Life.

“It might be easy to assume smaller employers can’t afford tooffer rich benefits programs and provide comprehensive educationand enrollment support, but that’s not the case at all,” he said“Small employers can gain access to most of the same benefits andsupport services as larger employers at no cost to their business.One way to do this is by partnering with a voluntary benefitsprovider that offers benefits education and enrollment support atno additional direct cost as part of its services.”

Read: HR benefits education efforts fall short

The 2014 U.S. Worker Survey compiled the opinions ofmore than 1,500 workers on a variety of workplace, benefits andfinancial topics. It is conducted annually by an independentnational research firm for Colonial Life and Unum.