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Are 'Unequal' Benefits Justifiable?

It's important to look at the whole picture when making benefit comparisons between married and single employees in the workforce, benefits advisors noted.

"On the surface, it is easy to point out that employers contribute more to a married employee's medical plan," said Misty Guinn, director of benefits and wellness at Benefitfocus, a cloud-based benefits management platform firm. "However, the average premium for a family high-deductible health plan or preferred provider organization plan is almost three times the cost of an individual plan, our research shows, and the deductible is doubled for family plans. With a few exceptions, dependents are not a huge contributor to overall health care spending, so families are paying higher premiums while not always being the culprit in claims expenses."

Dan Maass, principal and senior client executive at OneDigital Pacific, an HR technology and services provider, agreed that "although employers may be providing additional funding to support the family's premium, those with single coverage overall have a lower financial cost with payroll deductions and plan costs."

Nevertheless, the shift to offer more inclusive benefits that are not determined by marital status but driven by different life phases, "to offer all employees support during the moments that matter," is a positive development, Guinn said.

To make sure that both married and single employees find value in their benefits packages, she advised allowing employees to choose from among a variety of offerings. "Strive to provide the best fit, not an equal fit," she said.

With regard to caregiver benefits, for example, "give everyone the opportunity to access support teams and tools to ensure that caring for a loved one, whether it's a child or an elderly parent, is less stressful and less disruptive to everyday life." Voluntary benefits can "better serve a multigenerational workforce in all different stages of life."

Maass said he sees more employers are providing elder care support, home support for employees with a short-term illness or injury, and financial wellness tools and advise.

PTO variety, from paid caregiver leave and "paw-ternity" (paid leave for a new puppy or kitten), to paid volunteer time, "can boost a company's culture to give it a leg up on the competition," Guinn said.

Maass noted that "singles or married-with-no-kids employees are seeking similar time off" as parents receive. "Offering sabbaticals may become more prevalent in smaller companies [along with] more unique leave options for these employees," he predicted. To stay competitive, "the disparity of leave benefits is something employers will need to address."