January 2016
© 2016 Willis Towers Watson. All rights reserved.
Results from the 2015/2016 Global Benefits
Attitudes Survey
Overview of key findings
2015/2016 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey
Survey of nearly 30,000 employees in 19 countries
Americas Responses Europe Responses Asia Pacific Responses
Argentina 1,508 France 1,007 Australia 1,006
Brazil 1,004 Germany 2,281 China 2,005
Chile 1,005 Ireland 758 India 2,003
Colombia 1,001 Netherlands 1,006 Japan 2,002
Mexico 1,011 Turkey 1,031 Philippines 1,010
Canada 2,013 United Kingdom 1,895 South Korea 1,000
United States 5,083
For over a decade Willis Towers Watson has surveyed employees about health and retirement.
This survey fielded from June to August 2015 and is the second globally consistent survey. It
includes representative samples at non-governmental employers.
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Lessons learned from the survey
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Key findings
1. Financial situation improves but long-term financial worries linger
2. Employees feel vulnerable, want security and are willing to pay for it
3. Employees’ issues are multi-faceted: health, financial and engagement
issues tend to cluster
4. The business case: Health and financial issues affect business results
through drag on productivity
5. Barriers: Weak engagement on health and financial issues
is strongly linked to broader work experience
6. The role of the employer: Employees are in favor of employers taking an
active role in their health and in retirement saving, but are less certain on
financial issues. Employers need to build brand permission first.
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Lessons from the survey
1. Long-term financial worries linger
A focus on addressing financial security
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Sizeable numbers of employees concerned on the level of debt they face
Canada
67%
Latin America
76%
Europe
60%
Asia Pacific
59%
Financial security has become a more important issue for me over
the last two or three years
US
74%
Global 31%
US 36%
Canada 35%
Europe 24%
Latin
America43%
Asia
Pacific26%
I often worry about how
much debt I have
Source: 2015/2016 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey
Sample: All employees. Except US and Canada, full-time employees only.
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53
%
34
%
50
%
31
%
47
%
25
%
58
%
39
%
53
%
32
%
54
%
34
%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Lack of confidence in having sufficientretirement resources
25 years into retirement
Lack of confidence in having sufficientretirement resources
15 years into retirement
Global US Canada Europe Latin America Asia Pacific
My generation is likely to
be much worse off in
retirement than my parents’
generation are/were
Note: Percentage agree or strongly agree, not at all confident or not too confident
Source: 2015/2016 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey
Sample: All employees. Except US and Canada, full-time employees only.
The long-term outlook is pessimistic …
Half of employees are not confident of having enough resources to afford long
spells in retirement
Global 66%
US 76%
Canada 74%
Europe 76%
Latin
America70%
Asia
Pacific51%
47%
37%
46%
52%
48%
47%
27%
24%
30%
17%
20%
25%
11%
16%
7%
12%
10%
10%
15%
23%
17%
19%
22%
18%
Asia Pacific
Latin America
Europe
Canada
US
Global
Unworried Future worries Current worries Struggling
Financial worries
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We define four types of employees according to their financial worries
Source: 2015/2016 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey
Sample: All employees. Except US and Canada, full-time employees only.
Unworried Employees are not worried either for the short- or long-term
Future worries Employees experiencing long-term worries only
Current worries Employees experiencing short-term worries only
Struggling Employees worried about both, the short- and long-term
Profile of
employees
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Employees desire security and are willing to
pay for it
Lesson 2
A growing focus on retirement security
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And employees are looking to their employers for a lead
Canada
65%
Latin America
62%
Europe
52%
Asia Pacific
51%
Retirement security has become a more important issue for me over
the last two or three years
USA
70%
Source: 2015/2016 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey
Sample: Members of a retirement plan.
My retirement plan is the primary
way I save for retirement
2013 2015 Change
Global 65% 72% +7
US 74% 79% +5
Canada 55% 59% +4
Latin Am. 66% 67% +1
Europe 54% 67% +13
Asia Pac 62% 70% +8
I would be willing to pay a higher
amount out of my pay each month to
ensure I have a guaranteed
retirement benefit
2013 2015 Change
Global 58% 56% -2
US 62% 63% +1
Canada 65% 65% -1
Latin Am. 66% 69% +3
Europe 45% 53% +8
Asia Pac 56% 50% -6
What rewards do employees want?
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A focus on core pay and benefits
Nearly 3-in-10 prefer superior retirement or health benefits to pay and bonus. Almost 3-in-5 would
prefer some alternative to pay and bonus.
42%
42%
37%
44%
38%
42%
24%
23%
29%
25%
22%
23%
7%
11%
9%
3%
6%
5%
28%
24%
25%
28%
35%
30%
Global
US
Canada
Europe
Latin America
Asia Pacific
From the following list, please rank the areas you would choose if offered a choice by your employer.
Percentage top priority.
Source: 2015/2016 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey
Sample: All employees. Except US and Canada, full-time employees only.
Pay and
Bonus
Getting larger base pay increases
Getting larger bonus opportunity
Retirement
Getting a more generous contribution to a
retirement plan
Having a guaranteed retirement benefit that
does not alter with financial markets
Health More generous health care plan
Other
Getting more paid time off per year
Having greater opportunity for flexible work-
life arrangements
Having greater opportunities for future career
advancement
Having the option to purchase a wider variety
of benefits Pay and bonus Retirement Health Other
What benefits do employees want?
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A focus on ‘traditional’ benefits … but interest in broader products
Average allocation of benefits budget (%)
32%
32%
32%
37%
25%
31%
18%
29%
22%
9%
21%
13%
12%
9%
11%
13%
13%
14%
10%
7%
8%
9%
11%
12%
12%
12%
16%
12%
13%
11%
8%
5%
5%
7%
9%
9%
9%
6%
6%
11%
9%
10%
Global
US
Canada
Europe
Latin America
Asia Pacific
Source: 2015/2016 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey
Sample: All employees. Except US and Canada, full-time employees only.
Retirement
plan
Health care
plan
Life and
disability
Financial
protection
Medical
protection
Health and
well-being
Employee
discounts
Retirement and health
Lifestyle benefits
Insurance and income protection
If your employer provided you
with an allowance to spend on
a variety of benefits, where do
you think you would spend
your money?
a) Retirement plan
b) Health care plan
c) Life and disability insurance,
income protection
d) Financial protection (critical
illness insurance, other
insurance)
e) Medical protection (dental and
vision/optical plans)
f) Well-being programs (gym
discounts, healthy eating
courses, onsite services)
g) Employee discounts
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Health, financial and engagement issues
tend to cluster … and affect business results
via the drag on productivity
Lesson 3 and 4
Issues employees face tend to cluster
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Links between health, stress, and financial worries
Employees who are struggling financially report higher levels of stress.
Employees who are struggling financially tend to be in poorer health.
26%21%
24% 26%23%
30%
50%
41%
49% 47%
32%
59%54%
49%54% 53%
49%
59%
68% 66% 66%72%
50%
73%
Global US Canada Europe Latin America Asia Pacific
Unworried
Future worries
Current worries
Struggling
14%
4%7%
14%
5%
25%29%
11%13%
22%
9%
48%
13%
6%9%
17%
7%
18%
32%
20%16%
34%
15%
52%
Global US Canada Europe Latin America Asia Pacific
Unworried
Future worries
Current worries
Struggling
Financial worries
Financial worries
Source: 2015/2016 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey
Sample: All employees. Except US and Canada, full-time employees only.
% High stress
% Poor health
Why does it matter? Business Impact of poor health and stress
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Links to absence and productivity
Higher levels of workplace stress results in higher absenteeism.
2.61.9
2.8
1.5
3.8
3.02.92.4 2.6 2.4
4.4
2.8
4.1
3.3
4.1
2.6
6.2
3.8
Global US Canada Latin America Europe Asia Pacific
Workplace stress
Low
Moderate
High
Healthy employees are more engaged.
Source: 2015/2016 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey
Sample: All employees. Except US and Canada, full-time employees only.
24% 25%
40%
31%25% 23%
37% 38% 36% 39%33%
39%
50%47% 47%
57%
43%
56%
Global US Canada Latin America Europe Asia Pacific
Poor health
Good health
Very good health
Health status
FTE days lost to absence
% Highly engaged
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There is weak engagement on health issues
Lesson 5
Despite strong commitment from employers….
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Employees have not connected to employer initiatives
The initiatives offered by my employer have encouraged me to live a healthier lifestyle.
Canada
25%
Latin America
33%
Europe
19%
Asia Pacific
36%
USA
33%
Source: 2015/2016 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey
Sample: All employees. Except US and Canada, full-time employees with employer-based health care.
45%
40%
23%
28%
31%
36%
48%
49%
56%
54%
56%
52%
7%
11%
21%
18%
13%
12%
Asia Pacific
Latin America
Europe
Canada
US
Global
Attitude toward employer involvement in health and well-being
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Source: 2015/2016 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey
Sample: All employees. Except US and Canada, full-time employees with employer-based health care.
We define three employee types
On-boardSupport the role of the employer in encouraging health and their initiatives and are
comfortable with targeted messages
PersuadablePositive to some employer involvement but sceptical about the degree to which the
employer should move beyond
ResistantDo not support the role of employers in health and well-being and are very
uncomfortable with targeted messages
On-board Persuadable Resistant
On-board employees are more likely to participate in activities
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Building trust is key to developing on-board employees
Participation in well-being initiatives via employer or health plan
On-board Persuadable Resistant
Global 24% 31% 58%
US 17% 30% 60%
Canada 25% 33% 60%
Europe 29% 32% 55%
Latin America 22% 30% 49%
Asia Pacific 26% 31% 58%
I don’t trust my employer to be involved in my health.
32%29%
21%15%
31%38%
19% 17% 16%
9%
25% 24%
15%10% 12% 11%
26% 24%
Global US Canada Europe Latin America Asia Pacific
Resistant workers
are 2x as likely to
have concerns on
their employer
having a role in their
health.
% Agree / Strongly agree
Source: 2015/2016 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey
Sample: All employees. Except US and Canada, full-time employees with employer-based health care.
.
On-board Persuadable Resistant
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What is the role of the employer?
Lesson 6
Employees are on-board to employer intervention
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Positive on health and retirement but apprehensive on personal financial matters
Strongly
preferPrefer
Slightly
preferNeutral
Slightly
preferPrefer
Strongly
prefer
RetirementEmployers should actively
encourage employees to save for
retirement
Employers should provide a basic
retirement plan and let employees
do the rest
HealthEmployers should take an active
role in encouraging their
employees to live a healthy
lifestyle
It is not the role of an employer to
encourage their employees to live a
healthy lifestyle
Financial issuesEmployers should take an active
role in encouraging their
employees to better manage their
finances
It is not the role of an employer to
encourage their employees to better
manage their household finances
Targeted messagesI am comfortable if my employer
sends targeted messages to
employees with financial issues
It is not the role of an employer to
send targeted information to
employees who are not saving
enough
Americas EuropeAsia Pacific
USA Canada Europe Latin America Asia Pacific
Source: 2015/2016 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey.
Sample: All employees. Except US and Canada, full-time employees only.
Further information
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