Our sister publication's annual survey of employers, Benefits Selling's 2015 Employer Survey, showed a lot of interesting changes coming in the employee benefits arena, at least from the employer perspective.
For example, 63 percent of respondents said they expected their employees to pick up more of the tab for their own benefits in the coming year, considering that health care and benefits costs have risen since last year.
We heartily recommend you read the full article on the 2015 survey (and the 2014 survey article is available too).
Here, though, we've distilled the survey results into four infographics that follow.
They show how employers view benefits costs, what benefits employers are offering, how employers view brokers, and how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is affecting what they offer.
#1: Increasing costs of benefits
More than a third of employers surveyed (35 percent) said costs have increased significantly, while 40 percent said costs have increased some and 22 percent said they have stayed about the same.
Only 3 percent said that costs declined some and no one said they declined significantly.
#2: Changes in benefits offerings
Employers are continuing to cut employee benefits costs in the wake of PPACA. Strategies include implementing consumer-driven plans or self-insuring, as well as launching health savings accounts, enhancing wellness programs, and increasing voluntary benefit offerings.