2019 trends: Crafting an enticing employee benefits plan

As the U.S. closed out 2018 with a nearly 50-year-low jobless rate of 3.9 percent, we can expect to see companies enhancing their employee benefit offerings to ensure they are recruiting and retaining top-performing talent. That means businesses are constantly coming up with new perks to add to their lists of employee benefits as a way to distinguish themselves from other employers. They would be wise to do so, considering 55 percent of workers say they would be at least somewhat likely to accept a job with lower compensation but a more robust benefits package, according to the 2018 Aflac WorkForces report.

As you take advantage of this opportunity to touch base with clients and help them refresh their benefits game plan, keep the following trends in mind. 

1. Technology is key.

As more and more technology options become available in 2019, helping clients identify and leverage appropriate tools will be more of an expectation than a “nice-to-have.” In fact, 90 percent of employers say they are interested in at least one enrollment or educational tool for their workers, including benefit enrollment websites (59 percent), spending tools (46 percent) and educational videos (32 percent), according to the WorkForces report. Technology platforms enable employees to get access to benefits resources around the clock, view easy side-by-side comparisons of coverage options and receive enrollment reminders to help ensure they never miss a beat. Leveraging such a platform can increase benefits utilization and decrease stress.