Though employers spend a lot of money providing benefits for their employees, research shows the vast majority of them don't think their employees really understand their benefits packages. In fact, less than 19 percent of employers think their employees have a very good understanding of their benefits, Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company finds. And nearly 5 percent think their employees know nothing at all about their benefits.

But, according to latest results of Colonial Life's ongoing post-enrollment survey, virtually all employees who participate in one-to-one benefits counseling sessions during enrollment say they have a greater understanding of the benefits their employers offer.

Of those who take part in individual benefits counseling sessions, 96 percent say they better understand their benefits. Almost half (47 percent) of employees say the benefits counseling sessions significantly improved their understanding. More than 15,000 American workers were surveyed.