Though employers may offer paid time off, workers expressed concerns that taking advantage of paid leave benefits might harm their status down the road.
A year after the COVID-19 pandemic began, employees are expressing appreciation for company-sponsored benefits, but are still worried about areas such as mental health and taking time off from work.
The findings come in a new survey by The Hartford, one of the top insurers in the U.S. The Hartford's 2021 Future of Benefits Study was based on polling of U.S. workers and human resource decision-makers in February 2021, as well as earlier polls in March and June of 2020.
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The surveys found that the dramatic changes caused by the pandemic have left workers feeling more positive about their benefits options overall, but at the same time raised concerns in other areas. Among the biggest concerns was the area of paid time off—many employees said they were worried about repercussions if they took the leave that was available to them.
A year later, employees are feeling better about benefits
The survey showed that compared to the first six months of 2020—as the pandemic was creating severe health and economic hardships—employees in 2021 were feeling better about their benefits.
According to the report:
- A high number of employees (84%) said they currently value the insurance benefits their company offers to them, which is up from 73% in June 2020 and 80% in March 2020. In addition, 69% of employees said they currently trust their company is making the best decisions about the benefits they make available, which is up from 55% in June 2020 and 61% in March 2020.
- More employees (82%) also say that the benefits they are offered currently meet their needs (compared to 76% in March 2020 and 70% in June 2020).
In addition, employees are expressing more interest in supplemental benefits such as critical illness insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, and accident insurance.
A new focus on mental health
The stress of dealing with the pandemic and a struggling economy has been well-documented, and there are many signs that companies are doing more to help employees with mental health and work-life balance issues. Not surprisingly, the Hartford survey found workers were also paying attention to mental health.
When asked about their company's approach to mental health, 59% of workers said their company's culture has been more accepting of mental health challenges this past year, and 70% said they felt their mental health is just as important to their company as their physical health and well-being.
At the same time, the mental health challenges remain a concern for workers. The survey found that 27% of employees said they struggle with depression or anxiety most days or a few times a week (up from 20% in March 2020). Workers also said their productivity had been affected by a range of issues, including:
- Trouble focusing/concentrating: 61%
- Feeling irritable/angry: 46%
- Missed time (late to work, leave early, missed days, unexpected absence): 29%
- Unable to collaborate: 19%
- Missed deadlines/meetings/quotas: 18%
Paid time off—workers have reservations
The survey also revealed something of a dilemma when it comes to paid leave for employees: companies were willing to provide it, but workers had issues with trust—they expressed concerns that taking advantage of paid leave benefits might harm their status down the road.
In the survey, 75% of employers said they expanded their paid leave benefits to help workers deal with problems created by the pandemic. However, the survey data suggested a stigma remains around paid leave. A significant number of workers (31%) said they were fearful of workplace repercussions, such as getting fired/laid off, having their hours reduced, or being skipped over for a promotion/raise, if they took time off. An additional data point: 29% of workers said there is a negative perception associated with taking leave. And the survey found that feeling was stronger among younger workers.
"The COVID-19 crisis and devastating losses of the past year have crystallized the necessity to support workers who need to take time away from work to care for themselves or a family member," said Jonathan Bennett, head of Group Benefits at The Hartford. "These benefits were built to maintain work/life balance, workforce engagement and productivity, and it is encouraging to see that many employers have made changes to increase the amount of paid time off they offer. Now, the next step is to ensure employers provide their workforce with the assurance and support to take time off when they need it."
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