Voluntary benefits are seen as a palatable alternative to no employer-paid coverage or more costly policies in the individual insurance market, suggests the first in a series of research briefs based on Prudential Financial Inc.’s fifth annual study of employee benefits.
It’s no wonder this is happening between a sluggish economy and landmark health care legislation, researchers note, though the trend first took hold years earlier when employees began to shoulder greater financial responsibility for their benefits. Not surprisingly, businesses hurt most by the economy are leading this nationwide shift.
