Dive Brief:

• A report from Benefits Pro highlights the need for additional benefits education to help American workers understand how to utilize their group benefits. 
• The Guardian’s 4th Annual Workplace Benefits Study indicates that many workers are not aware of the benefits that are being offered to them or how to use them, although 80% of them say they do.
• When presented with a survey of 10 questions pertaining to their benefits, one in five employees scored an 'F'. Terminology, how to use supplemental benefits and the percentage of income covered by disability insurance were the top 3 subject areas that employees struggle with.

Dive Insight:                                                    

Employers should be focused on properly communicating benefits packages to employees, especially in light of state marketplaces that enable employees to choose plans outside of group employer offerings. When employees understand the value of the health, financial, educational and other benefits that their employer provides, some at no cost to them, they can make more informed decisions about what to enroll in.

Benefits education needs to happen year-round, with ongoing human resource support and access to 24/7 health benefits information and live nurse advice. Many employees overestimate their own benefits knowledge, and younger employees often depend on employee-provided resources to make sense of such packages. Employers can help employees by choosing plans that have a strong educational component and resources that support this goal.