Voluntary benefits provide insurance products that your workers purchase through your company using payroll deduction at a group rate significantly lower than they could get on their own. These programs can include a wide variety of benefits, insuring everything from workers’ cars and homes to their pets. However, the most popular products include life policies, health-related coverages – dental, vision, cancer, critical illness, hospital confinement, and long-term care – and disability income replacement. (Some employers also offer such non-insurance benefits as prepaid legal services and discount purchase programs).
Everybody wins with voluntary benefits. Your employees will enjoy:
- Value: As noted above, group buying power allows workers to buy products at significant discounts.
- Flexibility: Employees decide how to spend their discretionary income on the benefits of their choice – a “Chinese menu” approach.
- Simple, painless tax-free payment. Small deductions from each paycheck, often using pre-tax dollars, are easier to handle than annual or quarterly payments.
- Accessibility and convenience. Employees don’t have to shop for coverage.
- Underwriting advantages: Voluntary life and health benefits are usually available on a “guaranteed issue” basis.
Your business will benefit in a number of ways.
- Enhanced recruitment, higher employee morale and reduced turnover- from showing your workers that you care about providing them with a “safety net” that can help protect their health and their savings, while saving money.
- Low cost of providing benefits (other than minimal administrative expenses).
- Lower payroll taxes for each participating employees.
- Reduced impact of any health coverage changes that might be required by the Affordable Care Act.
For more information, get in touch with our agency at any time. We’re here to serve you.