On U.S. workers’ wish lists for 2019: Help with caregiving, finances
14 December 2018 - 1:07AM
Business Wire
Series of 2018 polls measured workforce
sentiment on finances, caregiving, benefits
Workers are worried about their finances, their caregiving
responsibilities, and their employee benefits — and these feelings
are often strongest among women and younger workers. Those are some
of the findings in multiple polls of U.S. adults in 2018 by
employee benefits provider Unum (NYSE: UNM).
- Finances, family, and health top
stressors. In a January poll of 1,232 U.S. adults, the top
causes of stress among all age groups (18-65+) included finances
(49 percent), home life and family relationships (43 percent),
personal health (35 percent), job responsibilities (33 percent),
and the health of family members (33 percent). Working women of all
ages reported more frequent stress than working men: 54 percent of
women feel stress daily to weekly compared to 47 percent of
men.
- Financially fragile. In the same
poll, Unum found that nearly half (49 percent) of working adults
have less than $1,000 in savings. If they were unable to earn an
income, 63 percent of those polled could pay bills for only three
months or less before needing additional financial support.
Caregiving responsibilities can also contribute to worker
stress, according to “Adult Caregiving: Generational considerations
for America’s workforce,” a report released by Unum in June that
explored the prevalence of adult caregiving among America’s
workforce. This report and other consumer research revealed workers
are most interested in benefits that align with their family
caregiving needs and support flexibility.
- Caregiving impacts work performance
and mindset. Caregiving responsibilities result in missed work
or tardiness (52 percent) and lower productivity on the job (22
percent). Caring for an adult family member also leads to stress,
anxiety and/or depression (61 percent), exhaustion (49 percent) and
financial strain (44 percent).1
- Paid family leave ranks as the most
coveted work perk. Fifty-eight percent of survey respondents
wanted this benefit from their employer. Paid family leave outranks
other popular perks such as flexible and remote working options (55
percent), sabbatical leave (38 percent), student loan repayment
assistance (35 percent), pet-friendly offices (15 percent), and pet
insurance (15 percent).2
A July survey of 1,227 U.S. adults showed although employees are
highly interested in their benefits, they don’t spend much time
learning about the choices and resources available to them. Unum
found that nearly half (49 percent) of respondents spend 30 minutes
or less reviewing their benefit options before enrolling.
Survey results referenced here, along with other consumer
research and industry information, can be found on Unum’s
newsroom.
About Unum
Unum Group (www.unum.com) is a leading provider of financial
protection benefits in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Its primary businesses are Unum US, Colonial Life, and Unum UK.
Unum’s portfolio includes disability, life, accident and critical
illness, dental and vision coverage, which help protect millions of
working people and their families in the event of an illness or
injury. Unum also provides stop-loss coverage to help self-insured
employers protect against unanticipated medical costs. The company
reported revenues of $11.3 billion in 2017 and provided nearly $7
billion in benefits.
For more information, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and
LinkedIn.
_______________________________1 Unum poll of 657 U.S. adults,
self-identified as caregivers, March 2018.2 Unum poll of 1,227 U.S.
adults, July 2018.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181213005068/en/
Brad Carmony 423-294-5238Toll free:
866-850-8686Bcarmony@unum.com
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