Employee Benefit Survey - 2008
Executive Summary
Full-Time Employees
Benefit Survey Results
The Office
of Financial Management is pleased to present an executive summary of the 2008
Employee Benefit Survey results for all full-time benefit eligible
employees. Complete survey results are
included in addendum D.
The 2008
survey followed a similar design as past surveys by taking a tiered approach to
determining employee needs and opinions.
First, the survey collected demographic information of the participating
employees. Employee satisfaction and
importance of the benefits offered was the next tier of questions, focusing on
each individual benefit in an effort to discover specific issues that might
require attention or improvement. Then
participating employees shared opinions regarding benefit communication. Finally, employees were surveyed on future
benefits they would like to see provided by the County.
The results
allow the organization to focus its resources, both human and financial, where
they will have the greatest impact.
Please note
that throughout this document Johnson County Government or OFM- Benefits will be
referred to as “The County” for ease of reading.
Background and Demographics
Benefits are
an integral part of the overall compensation package provided by Johnson County
Government. The County strives to
provide benefits that satisfy the needs of a diverse employee population, while
offering personal choice, maximizing employer and employee contributions, and
promoting work-life balance.
The employee
survey was introduced in 2003 and is currently offered every other year, in
partnership with Lockton Companies, LLC to:
- Establish a benchmark for
employee satisfaction;
- Identify potential areas for
improvement and education;
- Provide a mechanism for on-going
data collection; and,
- Assist in forming priorities for
the organization and OFM-Benefits
At the time of this survey, the County had over 3,100 full-time active employees that were eligible to participate in it. Over 48% of the eligible employees responded to the survey which is a 17% increase from 2006. We believe that the increased participation can be attributed to the employees seeing how their past input resulted in new benefits and changes to existing benefits. A few more female employees (54%) completed the survey compared to their male counterparts (46%). For other demographic data, please see Addendum A. Based on the demographic data, we believe that the survey results provide a representative data source to aid in the County’s decision making processes.
Employee Satisfaction and Importance
Ratings
Employee
satisfaction is just as important as the benefits being offered. If the benefits that are offered are not
satisfactory, employees will not have a deep appreciation of the benefit. An important factor in evaluating benefits is
determining how important a particular benefit is to the employees. Employees were asked to rank each benefit by how
important it is to the employees and their families.
As shown on Addendum B, every one of the County’s
current benefits obtained a Level of Importance rating of 50% or above. This illustrates the significant level of
importance that employees place on the existing benefits.
As in past
surveys, employees ranked medical benefits as the highest level of importance.
Top Six Level of Importance
Benefits
|
Level of
Importance |
Benefit |
2008 Response
Percent |
|
1. |
Medical
Plan |
95.9% |
|
2. |
Vacation
Leave |
93.4% |
|
3. |
Fixed
and Personal Holidays |
93.2% |
|
4. |
Dental
Plan |
92.9% |
|
5. (tie) |
Vision
Plan |
91.7% |
|
5. (tie) |
Sick
Leave |
91.7% |
A comparison
of the top Six Level of Importance benefits from the 2006 survey to the top six
from the 2008 survey shows that employees still considered the 2006 top six to
be even more important to them in 2008. The
actual order of importance for the top six benefits from 2006 to 2008 stayed almost
the same, with the Personal Holidays and Dental Plan exchanging spots. In 2006,
the spread from the highest rated top 6 (89.2%) to the lowest rated (43.2%) was
37.8%. In 2008, the spread from the highest rated top 6 (95.9%) to the lowest
rated (91.7%) was only 4.2%. The level
of importance ratings for the holiday, sick leave, and vision benefits increased
considerably over the last two years.
Employees are now placing a much higher level of importance on these
benefits.
Overall,
employees’ level of satisfaction with the benefits offered is better today than
it was in 2006. Nine out of ten
employees ranked the County above average in benefit offerings compared to two
out of three in 2006. The top 5 benefits that employees are satisfied with are
listed below. For a complete listing of
responses and rankings and how it compares to 2006 results, please see Addendum B.
Top Five Level of Satisfaction
Benefits
|
Ranking |
Benefit |
2008 Results |
|
1. |
Sick
Leave |
88.6% |
|
2. |
Medical
Plan |
88.4% |
|
3. |
Fixed
and Personal Holidays |
88.2% |
|
4. |
Employer
Paid Term Life Insurance |
82.8% |
|
5. |
457(b)
Deferred Compensation |
80.8% |
Three of the
top Six Level of Importance benefits are ranked in the top Five Level of
Satisfaction benefits. Since 2006, the
Vision and Dental Plans both increased the same percentage (11%) in
satisfaction, but both are still ranked in the middle for employee
satisfaction. As survey results begin to
reflect that employee importance and satisfaction of benefits are almost
aligned with the top 5 of each category group, vacation leave experienced a 40%
decrease in satisfaction.
The survey
also gathered information on benefits not currently offered. This provides a measure of the level of
interest in possible future benefits.
Those with a response percentage above 50% illustrate that a large group
of employees place a significant level of importance on them. Long-term Care Insurance and Financial
Planning both received significant interest.
The 2006 survey also ranked these first and second. Please see Addendum C for a complete listing of all responses.
Employee Information and Education
Another
important area of feedback that aids the County in benefits administration is where
employees receive information about the County’s benefits. The survey indicated
that a majority of employees receive information from the open enrollment guides
and meetings. This was followed by the OFM-Benefits
website and departmental personnel/payroll representatives. The number of
employees getting their benefit information from these three sources has increased
by 21.6% compared to 2006.
In terms of how
employees like to receive their benefit information, 61.6% prefer receiving it
electronically (e.g. email, benefit webpage), while 22% prefer getting it in print.
Please see Addendum C for a complete listing of all responses.
The survey
asks employees to identify benefits they would like to know more about. The top 3 benefits that employees wanted to
increase their knowledge of were post retirement healthcare and the two
deferred compensation plans. As the County’s employee base continues to grow
older, employees develop more interest in post retirement benefits. Healthcare is one of the greatest concerns
for retirees. When the survey for the
first time posed the question about post retirement healthcare, the respondents
chose this as the number one issue that employees are looking to obtain more
knowledge. Please see Addendum C for how respondents stated
how they received benefit information.
Wellness
For the
first time, the County surveyed employees about the various wellness benefits offered
over the last three years. Based on the survey
responses, County employees appear to be making an effort to control the ever
rising cost of healthcare. Of those who
responded, 90.3% are using generic prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs
whenever possible, 81.1% are having annual check-ups, and 67.5% believe they
are living a healthy lifestyle. Survey
results indicate that a majority of employees are aware of the County’s
Wellness program.
Awareness of programs that
promote healthy living
|
Wellness Programs |
Response Percent |
|
Flu Vaccinations |
90% |
|
Wellness Fairs |
80.1% |
|
Fitness Classes |
69.7% |
|
Lab Screenings |
50.1% |
|
Nutrition Program |
48.1% |
If the
County were to offer additional wellness programs, 77% of the respondents indicated
they would be interested in participating in a weight-reduction program, 56.1%
in a stress-reduction workshop, and 15.7% in a stop smoking program.
Over 80% of
the respondents are pleased that the County is initiating wellness programs to
help improve personal health and life styles.
This is also the first benefit employees would sacrifice in return for
another or if a benefit had to be eliminated due to cost cutting measures.
Summary
The data
collected in the 2008 Employee Benefit Survey will be used by the County to
evaluate current benefit offerings and to address the desires of a diverse workforce
when making benefit decisions. The
survey communicates to employees that we are concerned about the value and
quality of services provided to our employees and that the County wishes to
maximize the investment made in employee benefits.
An analysis
of the top six benefits of importance
shows that employees are very satisfied (scores of 88% or above) with the
current medical plan, the fixed and personal holiday plan, and the sick
plan. The dental and vision plans
continue to achieve strong scores of 76% and 80% respectively. The vision plan drew the largest increase in satisfaction scores since 2006. This may be a result of enhancements to the
vision plan in recent years. Vacation leave benefits appear to be the biggest
concern for employees, in particular amongst tenured employees. Vacation leave drew a satisfaction rating of
77% in 2006, but dropped to 37% in the 2008 survey. County employees with 15 years of service or
longer would like higher vacation accrual rates and some even mentioned that
leave was a greater value to them than salary.
Many of the new hires expressed the desire to receive higher leave
accrual rates based on previous work experience or as a negotiation tool in
lieu of additional salary.
Although employees
are very satisfied with the County’s medical plans, they indicated that they
desire additional information and/or education about those plans. In particular, they want to know more about post
retirement healthcare and how to plan for and pay for this service. Additionally, employees are looking to better
understand the County’s two deferred compensation plans. This also correlates with the data showing
that a significant number of employees are looking to the County to provide
financial planning services along with long-term care alternatives. As a result, County management has, in recent
years, been promoting to employees the need to plan for and save for the
future.
Addendum A -
Survey Demographics
Survey Respondents
|
Age < 30 |
Age 31-40 |
Age 41-50 |
Age 51-60 |
Age 60 > |
Age 31-60 |
|
14.6% |
24.9% |
26.5% |
26.8% |
7.2% |
78.2% |
Participation Rates
|
2004 Participation
Rate |
2006 Participation
Rate |
2008 Participation
Rate |
|
37% |
31% |
48% |
Family Demographics
|
Married w/
dependents |
Married w/o
dependents |
Single |
Single w/
dependents |
|
40.1% |
30.3% |
22.4% |
7.3% |
Years Employed
|
Years < 1 |
Years 1- 3 |
Years 4 - 9 |
Years 10 - 15 |
Years 16 > |
|
8.8% |
19.1% |
28.3% |
19.8% |
24.1% |
Annual Salary
|
< $29,999 |
$30,000 - $39,999 |
$40,000 - $49,999 |
$50,000 - $74,499 |
$75,000 > |
|
10.0% |
27.2% |
25.6% |
26.5% |
10.8% |
Household Income
|
< $29,999 |
$30,000 - $49,999 |
$50,000 - $74,999 |
$75,000 - $99,499 |
$100,000 - $149,499 |
$150,000 > |
|
4.0% |
21.5% |
25.1% |
24.4% |
19.9% |
5.1% |
Addendum B -
Benefit Importance and Satisfaction
Employee’s Level of
Importance
|
Level of
Importance |
Benefit |
2008 Response
Percent ** |
|
1. |
Medical
Plan |
95.9% |
|
2. |
Vacation
Leave |
93.4% |
|
3. |
Fixed
Holidays and Personal Holidays |
93.2% |
|
4. |
Dental
Plan |
92.9% |
|
5. (tie) |
Vision
Plan |
91.7% |
|
5. (tie) |
Sick
Leave |
91.7% |
|
7. |
457(b)
Deferred Compensation START Retirement Plan |
89.3% |
|
8. |
Employer
Paid Term Life Insurance |
87% |
|
9. |
401(a)
Supplemental START Retirement Plan |
86.9% |
|
10. |
Bereavement
Leave |
78.4% |
|
11. |
Voluntary
Group Term Life Insurance |
71.1% |
|
12. |
Voluntary
Short Term Disability |
68.6% |
|
13. |
Flexible
Savings Account (MedBank/Dependent Care) |
56.3% |
|
14. |
Educational
Reimbursement |
52.7% |
Comparison of Top Six
Benefits by Importance (2006 – 2008)
|
2006 Survey
Results ** |
2008 Survey
Results ** |
||||
|
Level
of Importance |
Benefit |
Response
Percent |
Level
of Importance |
Benefit |
Response
Percent |
|
1. (tie) |
Medical
Plan |
89.2% |
1. |
Medical
Plan |
95.9% |
|
1. (tie) |
Vacation
Plan |
89.2% |
2. |
Vacation
Leave |
93.4% |
|
1. (tie) |
Dental
Plan |
89.2% |
3. |
|
93.2% |
|
4. |
Holidays |
59.5% |
4. |
Dental |
92.9% |
|
5. |
Sick
Leave |
51.4% |
5. (tie) |
Sick
Leave |
91.7% |
|
6. |
Vision |
43.2% |
5. (tie) |
Vision |
91.7% |
Employee’s Level of
Satisfaction (2004 – 2008)
|
|
2004 Results ** |
2006 Results ** |
2008 Results ** |
|
Sick
Leave |
59.3%3 |
77.1% |
88.6% |
|
Medical
Plan |
56% |
80% |
88.4% |
|
Fixed
Holidays and Personal Holidays |
59.3%3 |
78.5% |
88.2% |
|
Employer
Paid Term Life Insurance |
58.2% |
64.2% |
82.8% |
|
457(b)
Deferred Compensation |
53.4% |
58.4% |
80.8% |
|
Vision
Plan |
53.5% |
68.4% |
80% |
|
401(a)
Supplemental Retirement |
N/A |
57.7% |
77.2% |
|
Bereavement
Leave |
59.3%3 |
62% |
76.7% |
|
Dental
Plan |
52.7% |
65% |
76.5% |
|
Voluntary
Group Term Life Insurance |
57.9% |
59.5% |
68.2% |
|
Voluntary
Short Term Disability |
46.3% |
54% |
61.4% |
|
Flexible
Savings Account |
N/A |
64.8% |
55.6% |
|
Educational
Reimbursement |
N/A |
30.9% |
40% |
|
Vacation
Leave |
59.3%3 |
77.1% |
37% |
** 2008 survey allowed
multiple responses.
3 – Leave plans combined as
one response.
Addendum C - Other
Benefit Interests and Education
Non-offered Benefits
of Interest
|
Benefit |
Response Percent ** |
|
Long Term Care
Insurance |
55.9% |
|
Financial Planning |
55.4% |
|
Prepaid Legal |
41.1% |
|
Identity Theft
Insurance |
40.2% |
|
Onsite Child Care |
39.2% |
|
Whole Life
Insurance |
38.1% |
|
Sick Child Day
Care |
31.9% |
|
Discount
Transportation on the “JO” |
31.2% |
|
Prepared Take Home
Meals |
30.3% |
|
Dry Cleaning |
28.4% |
|
Elder Care |
23% |
|
Concierge Services |
21.8% |
|
Adoption
Assistance |
11.4% |
How Benefit
Information is Received
|
Benefit
Communication |
2006 Response Percent |
2008 Response Percent ** |
|
Open
Enrollment Guide/Meetings |
46% |
67.6% |
|
Benefit
Division Website |
13.8% |
27.4% |
|
Department
Personnel/Pay Representatives |
18% |
23% |
|
Co-workers |
12.3% |
21.7% |
|
Benefits
Division Staff |
5.9% |
12% |
|
Vendor
Communication |
3.8% |
8.9% |
Interest increasing
knowledge of specific benefits offered
|
Benefit |
2004 Response Rate |
2006 Response Rate |
2008 Response Rate
** |
|
Access to Post
Retirement Healthcare |
N/A |
N/A |
46.4% |
|
457(b) Deferred
Compensation Plan |
26.9% |
16.9% |
45.4% |
|
401(a)
Supplemental Retirement Plan |
23.3% |
16.5% |
42% |
|
Medical Plan |
13.6% |
12.7% |
30.2% |
|
Educational
Reimbursement |
12.6% |
7% |
24.1% |
|
Vision Plan |
2.3% |
8.2% |
23.4% |
|
Dental Plan |
1.1% |
8.8% |
21% |
|
Voluntary Short
Term Disability |
4.9% |
6.2% |
16.3% |
|
Employer Paid Term
Life |
1.5% |
6% |
15.6% |
|
Voluntary Group
Term Life |
1.7% |
4.8% |
12.7% |
|
Flexible Savings
Account |
8.8% |
5.4% |
12.6% |
|
Vacation Leave |
3.3%1 |
2% |
10% |
|
Sick Leave |
2.2% |
9.8% |
|
|
Bereavement Leave |
1.6% |
8.9% |
|
|
Fixed and Personal
Holidays |
1.7% |
7.5% |
** - 2008 survey allowed
multiple responses.
1 - Leave plans combined as
one response