There is one particular item within the report where UNUM asked their corporate clients: ‘Who influences the structure of your employee benefits package?’
The responses included competitor offerings, the board, HR and employee benefits press coverage, and employee requests.
These are indeed all powerful drivers when structuring a benefits package, but what was a little surprising is that legislation was not cited in these responses.
The reality is that legislation has done more to influence the direction of travel of employee benefits than any of the above responses in the last five years – and looks set to do so again for the term of the current government.
The challenge for employers is accepting that there is likely to be an increasing burden of legislation in the benefits space, and then balancing these requirements with producing the best possible outcomes for all the stakeholders in the process.
The bottom line is where you are required to spend the money on an offering, then the employer should try and get a great return on their investment in each and every scenario.
