How utilized are your employee benefits? Chances are that employee use falls short — and that should be a big concern, given the heavy investment in benefits made by most employers.
Somewhere between 30% and 40% of an employee’s base compensation goes toward benefits; that’s roughly $13.58 for every hour worked. Yet studies shows that 77% of employees don’t fully utilize their benefits, and 13% of them forget they’re even available.
For carriers and fleet operators already running on thin margins, that means wasted premium costs.
But the cost of the utilization gap goes even further in the long term. It can result in larger medical claims when drivers skip preventive care and pass on wellness programs. Health issues may lead to missed days behind the wheel and productivity that tanks.
And when drivers don’t see value in what you’re offering, they leave for the company down the road that seems like it cares more or slightly higher wage.
By uncovering a better understanding of employees and the forces influencing their lives, organizations will be better able to deliver benefits that matter, are better utilized and, ultimately, improve employee engagement.
Understanding Benefits
Part of the problem is that benefits packages keep growing without anyone making sure drivers understand what’s in them. Companies add programs to respond to real needs, which is the right instinct.
But the follow-through on actually explaining things falls flat.
Look at Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): According to the Employee Assistance Professional Association, more than half of American workers have access to mental health support through an EAP, yet utilization rates it at just 5% to 7%. For drivers dealing with the isolation of long hauls, irregular sleep and the stress of deadlines, that gap is a serious problem.
There’s a trust issue in the mix as well.
A survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute found that fewer than half of employees trust that their employer’s benefits are genuinely meant to help them rather than just cut costs somewhere else. That skepticism can keep people from engaging.
Understanding Employees
The starting point is knowing your workforce. Not just knowing that you have a mix of younger and older drivers, but understanding what their lives actually look like and what pressures they’re facing outside the cab.
A newer driver in their late twenties might need help navigating a mental health or substance abuse issue, or finding childcare while they’re on the road.
A long-haul veteran pushing 55 might be dealing with back problems or a spouse going through a serious health issue.
Lower-wage drivers are often one blown tire away from financial instability, which makes transportation costs, housing and food security real factors in whether they even show up healthy and focused.
Once you understand those specifics, you can shape a benefits strategy that addresses them. And you can communicate it in a way that lands. Use the channels your drivers pay attention to — short videos, safety meeting handouts, text messages, something that comes through on the dispatch board or in the breakroom.
If a safety director or terminal manager actively talks up the benefits and shares how they’ve personally used them, drivers pay attention. That kind of endorsement from someone they already respect goes a long way toward closing the trust gap.
Tying It Together
Most of the data you need is already sitting in your HR system. The question is whether you’re using it.
A 28-year-old driver who just had their first child and a 55-year-old dealing with a back ailment need completely different conversations. If you’re sending them the same benefits email, you’ve already lost them.
The carriers that figure this out won’t just see better utilization numbers; they’ll see fewer surprise claims, lower turnover and drivers who actually believe their employer is in their corner. In trucking, that last one is rarer than it should be.
Fran Scott is the practice leader for health and performance at global insurance brokerage Hub International. She helps clients navigate the intersection of the science of lifestyle medicine, industry best practice and strategy, progressing their wellbeing initiatives from infancy to full maturity. Additionally, she contributes to the health and performance practice’s evolution toward a cohesive, evidence-based catalytic powerhouse.
Fran is a veteran of the health and wellness space, having impacted individuals, organizations and cultures in a career spanning 20 years. After finishing her collegiate basketball career at the University of Virginia, she went on to earn a master’s degree in health and physical education, spending the first half of her career in corporate fitness before transitioning to employee wellness. Prior to joining HUB, Fran managed several award-winning programs for Fortune 500 companies. Fran views wellbeing programs as a way that employers can substantially enrich the value proposition to their employees and communities. Her overarching philosophy is that lasting engagement is built on the bedrock of relationships and compassion (culture) and then grows with the execution of a well-designed, strategic plan.
Fran’s personal health and performance journey has brought her to the Final Four and the Ironman, and today continues with a Blue Zones® lifestyle of walking (no car), cycling, plant-based eating, win, community and a supportive “tribe.”
