A recent MetLife survey uncovered some revealing data about how strongly companies and employees feel about business stepping up to take care of its people:

• 82% of employees believe employers have a responsibility to care for their workforce
• 88% of employers feel it's important to demonstrate care for their employees

Taking care of employees isn't only the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do. As a survey conducted by The Workforce Institute at UKG and Workplace Intelligence in 2021 reported, employees who feel cared for at work are:

• 92% more likely to feel engaged
• 65% more likely to be loyal to their employer
• 56% more likely to be productive

No wonder employers believe that demonstrating their care for employees is the number one reason they invest in benefits. And no wonder medical and health insurance was the top "must-have" benefit in the UKG survey.

But, employee care doesn't stop with simply offering core benefits. In today's competitive environment and with the continuing growth in voluntary benefits, employers who really want to demonstrate care for their employees will extend those efforts beyond the health and wellness benefits they offer. One proven strategy to deepen engagement and employee loyalty is to layer active engagement tactics into employee benefit communication plans. Tools like routine feedback can be used to improve understanding and use of benefits. With this kind of information, leaders and managers can help heighten the employee experience by responding to employee opinions in a way that shows employees' voices are being heard.