How Will the Election Impact Benefits?
Anne Killian
October 20, 2016 - IFEBP
The yard signs and bumper stickers are up, your prime time show schedules are
getting juggled around to accommodate debate broadcasts, youfre noticing more
donkeys or elephants than ever before: Itfs election season. But one aspect you
might not have considered is how the next administration will impact employee
benefits—The results will rock our industry one way or another. Which of the
issues do employers support? We decided to take a poll of our own to find
out.
Several important employee benefit issues have been key during this yearfs
election. The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans 2016 Election: Employee Benefits Issues survey
report examines those campaign issues impacting American workplaces. Survey
results show employers support a varied mix of benefit issues being debated.
In health care, the top issues employers support are:
- More health care provider price transparency (96%)
- Tax-favored status of employer-provided health coverage for employers
(87%)
- Small business health plans (a.k.a. association health plans) that allow
small businesses and other groups to join together to offer benefits to their
workers/members (85%)
- Increased access to mental health care (84%)
- Tax-favored status of employer-provided health coverage for workers
(82%).
For other benefits-related topics, the top issues employers support
are:
- Tax-favored status of employer-provided retirement savings for
workers (91%)
- Tax-favored status of employer-provided retirement savings for employers
(88%)
- Tax exclusions for child-care expenses (75%)
- Tax credits for businesses that hire apprentices (64%)
- Consolidation of different types of retirement savings vehicles (60%)
- Living wage/increased minimum wage (59%)
- Mandated paid family leave (54%).
The world of benefits is constantly changing. Regardless of the election
outcome, employee benefits will evolve. To protect the financial future and
health of their employees, employers will need to understand and accommodate
changes to benefits. Fortunately, over the past many years, benefit
professionals have shown theyfre up to the task.
Survey responses for the 2016
Election: Employee Benefit Issues report were received from 486 human
resources and benefits professionals representing all sectors: public employers,
corporate/single employers and multiemployer plans. The surveyed organizations
represent a wide base of U.S. employers from nearly 20 different industries and
range in size from fewer than 50 to more than 10,000 employees. Respondents
answered survey questions from the perspective of their role as a plan
sponsor/fiduciary.