Dive Brief:
- Even with the Supreme Court making gay marriage legal in June 2015, about half of LGBT employees are still unsure of the impact the court decision is having in the workplace, according to a new survey.
- Lincoln Financial Group’s most recent “M.O.O.D. of America Study” shows only about a third of Americans who identify as LGBT have made changes to their benefit plan options since the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
- Eric Reisenwitz, senior vice president and head of group benefits product and operations for Lincoln Financial, told Plan Sponsor that the series of court decisions and regulatory rules completely changed the benefits landscape for a large slice of the America workplace, but even so, change doesn't happen quickly.
Dive Insight:
Reisenwitz says in a little more than a year since this new ruling was established, Lincoln's research finds major change underway for LGBT workers, as well as plan sponsors in charge of maintaining compliant benefit offerings. Yet, many are still mulling over the new opportunities and challenges that come along with expanded benefit plan access, with relatively few people already having made changes to their benefits plans prior to the court's decision to upend state laws that banned same-sex marriage.
On the 50% employee survey response number, Reisenwitz told Plan Sponsor that complex decisions require proper planning by employees, and employers should "step up and make sure their employees are taking full advantage of the programs they are offering."
The Lincoln research shows that as with any employee demographic group enrolled in benefit plans, it so often comes down to communication and education. LGBT workers can and should be targeted with “concise, actionable communication that explains in simple terms what has changed and why there are new opportunities," according to Reisenwitz.