Worried about EFCA? 3 ways to make sure it won’t affect you
December 16, 2009 by Christian SchappelPosted in: Communication, Health care, Pay and benefits, Retention and turnover, Special Report - Benefits
Employers shouldn’t wait around to see what happens with the Employee Free Choice Act.
Even if Congress makes it easier to form unions, improving benefits communication today will help make sure your staff is satisfied with what you’re offering — and keep organizers at bay.
Here are three things worth giving to employees now to keep them happy and let them know exactly how much they’re getting from their benefits:
Total comp statements
These statements let employees know that you have much more invested in them than salaries.
Despite the effectiveness of this tool, only 43% of employers provide total comp statements, according to the 2009 Metlife Study of Employee Benefit Trends.
Key: Make sure the statements are personalized and clear to all employees. For example, break statements down into short, easy to understand sections (e.g., salary, health care and retirement).
Decision-support tools
Employees love to have tools (like Web-based calculators) to help them make decisions about their benefits.
These tools also boost employee satisfaction with their benefits.
One worth trying: MetLife’s free Employee Benefits Simplifier. It helps employees decide which benefits are right for “them” and even suggests coverage levels.
Off-season education
Outside of enrollment season, meet with employees and explain each part of your benefits package individually. Example: One month hold a meeting that explains your dental plan. The next month meet to discuss the vision benefits you offer.
This info will boost employees’ satisfaction and confidence in their enrollment decisions and increase participation when enrollment rolls around.
What are some things you do to educate employees about their benefits? Let us know in the Comments Box below.
Tags: calculators, congress, Employee Benefit Trends, Employee Free Choice Act, MetLife, total comp statements
December 17th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Benefit clarity certainly would certainly help, but it isn’t the ONLY tool to use to keep a workplace union free.
For instance, open communication regarding expectations is key. If an employer is clear on why they want people to report safety concerns and they address safety concerns promptly (either by fixing them or providing guidelines on remaining safe that are paired with updates on what they are doing to fix the safety issue) then people shouldn’t feel the need to organize for safety reasons. If folks are treated fairly, equally and held accountable to reasonable expectations and policies–they shouldn’t have a reason to feel as though they need a union because their employer is still discussing things with them.
I’m a bit disappointed this article only addressed the benefit side of the equasion when it isn’t the only factor (the lack of benefit transparency) unions use to gain an in with a company.
December 18th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
There is a decent chance that EFCA will not get through next year, although very dangerious “compromises” could be enacted. The best way politically to prevent EFCA from passing is to work hard to make sure that you vote Republican for any upcoming U.S. Senate races. If we can lower the number of Democrats to less than the magic number of 60, we can make sure that this destructive bill does not pass. The Democrats depend on labor unions for most of their campaign money and that is why they and our President are at their beck and call. Remember who has visited the White House more than anyone else– Andy Stern of the SEIU.
December 19th, 2009 at 9:27 am
I like the idea of having an off-season education. I think it would be benificial, and help new associates understand the plans of benefits.
At orientation we cover our Employee Handbook and breifly go through policies and benefits. But, often times the new associate is so overwhelmed by all of the information they are given, that they do not remember all the important details.
Recently, are payroll supervisor told me that a new associate wanted to know why enrolement of 3% was coming out of her payroll check (automatic enrollment after a year). When she was explained that we have automatic enrollment and that when the information comes to you in the mail from our 401K carrier. If you do not want coverage you simply opt out of the program. Her comment was, “Oh, I thought it was junk mail and threw it away.”