Dive Brief:

• Mental health coverage and telemedicine or telehealth services are among the most important benefits employers feel they can offer employees in 2022, according to the Society for Human Resource Management’s annual benefits survey released June 12. The survey was conducted in January and February and sent to U.S.-based SHRM members representing a variety of industries and sectors that range in size from two to more than 25,000 employees.
• Of the survey’s 3,129 responses, 93% said they offered telemedicine or telehealth, a 20% jump from 2019, when the category was last recorded. Similarly, respondents offering mental health coverage hit a new high of 91%, up from prior to the pandemic. “The strong prevalence of these benefits, even after businesses have returned to more normal conditions following the COVID-19 vaccine rollout,” indicates they’re likely to become “permanent fixtures,” the executive summary noted.
• Retirement savings and planning benefits were next, with 82% of employers saying they were important to offer, up from 55% in 2020/21. Most employers offered some type of retirement plan; 94% offered a traditional 401(k), 68% offered a Roth 401(k). Many employers also provided some type of employer match. Just over half (51%) said they automatically enroll new or existing employees in their company’s retirement plan, a figure that’s held steady since the pandemic’s onset.

Dive Insight:

As reflected in the survey, employer priorities continue to adapt to...

Read Full Story: https://www.hrdive.com/news/shrm-mental-health-telehealth-benefits-are-post-p...