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Workers Have the Benefits Blues

A new report finds that fewer workers say they value their benefits more than they did five years ago, and fewer feel their benefits are generous relative to those of their peers.

Nor is there optimism for the future: Only 1 in 10 anticipates their benefits package will be more generous in the next few years, according to the fourth annual Guardian Workplace Benefits Study.

That said, more than half depend on their insurance and retirement benefits for a large share of their financial preparedness (56%) and believe they would face financial hardship without their workplace benefits (55%). Moreover, two-thirds of workers surveyed remain highly satisfied with their benefits package overall, and nearly as many (59%) say their benefits positively contribute to their overall financial security (59%).

The research also reveals that more American businesses are offering their employees high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), but consumers require more support and education in the workplace to understand their options and to mitigate longer-term health risks.

The report notes that one in three employees with an HDHP state that because of the high out-of-pocket costs they did at least one of the following in the past year:


  • Skipped a doctor visit

  • Delayed a recommended procedure/surgery

  • Failed to fill a prescription

  • Avoided a blood test or x-rays


The fourth annual Guardian Workplace Benefits Study was fielded in the spring of 2016 and consisted of two online surveys: one among 1,204 benefits decision-makers (employers) and another among 1,700 working Americans.

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