Effective communications and education can also help employees better use their benefits programs to manage their financial risks, many employers believe may positively impact their productivity objectives. The MetLife study found that among employees who feel that their benefits communications are effective, 60% also feel very confident in their financial decision making as opposed to 22% of those who feel that their benefits communications are not effective. This is key to note since approximately two-thirds of employers believe that employees are less productive at work when they are worried about personal financial problems, and over half (52%) believe that absenteeism increases when employees are dealing with personal financial issues. For employers that already offer financial advice and guidance programs in the workplace, it may warrant a second look on how that information is communicated to help ensure that employees who really need financial advice are aware of the programs being offered.

It is also interesting to compare how more effective communications may improve employee participation in wellness programs - a growing strategy for many employers. Providing access to health and wellness programs can be an important "win-win" for employers and employees alike as approximately eight out of ten employees say that they believe their productivity would be favorably impacted by these programs. Among employees with access to a wellness program, those that think their benefits communications are effective are nearly twice as likely to participate as employees who think the communications they receive are ineffective.

Dr. Leopold suggests that brokers and consultants discuss with their clients that enhancing benefits communications is not necessarily a question of spending more money, bur rather, more effectively leveraging tools and tactics.

"Social media and mobile access are two technological trends that are changing the communication dynamic. Employees have a growing expectation of instant, around-the-clock access to information delivered in real-time. Employers can utilize these preferences creatively to help ensure that benefits information is favorably received," says Dr. Leopold. Among his advice:

• Develop a benefits blog for the company's intranet. Blogs can provide frequent updates in layman's terms. Using it to answer frequently asked questions can be efficient and timely.
  
• Help create the correlation for employees between their benefits offerings and financial concerns. For example, create communications that illustrate how financial protection benefits are relevant in building a strong personal safety net and providing peace of mind.
  
• Communicate continually. On-going communications can help reinforce the employer's commitment to employees and strengthen employee engagement in the benefits program.
  
• Communicate through multiple channels. Recognize that a diverse workforce will want to receive information in different ways. Consider using a combination of posters/fliers around the office, e-mail communications and access to Web sites where employees can learn about benefits offerings. Employees can access these benefits Web sites from multiple locations including the convenience of their personal digital assistants (PDAs).
  
• Offer guidance. Many employees are yearning for support from their employer to help them make benefits decisions - especially when it comes to retirement planning. According to MetLife's 8^th Annual Employee Benefits Trends Study, 42% of employees are interested in their employer providing access to retirement planning seminars, yet only 35% of employers currently offer these. Many new programs offered by financial institutions can provide retirement advice at the workplace at no cost to the employer. MetLife has a retirement education program called retirewise(R) as well as an online tool to help employees understand their other benefits, called MetLife's Benefits Simplifier at metlife.com/employeebenefits.
  
• Keep it simple. Employees tend to go to only a few key places for benefits information. One common information source is the company's Web site, and another is the Summary Plan Description for benefits offered during enrollment. The key is to ensure that the materials are straightforward and easily readable, both by the employee and their family members.
  
• Keep it interesting. Communicate about benefits outside of annual enrollment periods by using events, such as life insurance awareness month (September), to help illustrate the value of core benefits. Using social media tools can help keep benefits information visible with employees, provide year-round updates, and encourage behaviors with short messages.

To obtain more communications insights and download a complimentary copy of MetLife's 8^th Annual Employee Benefits Trends Study, visit MetLife.com/Brokers.