Retirement Plans Give Workers a Sense of Financial Security
However, this is not always the case for lower-income workers.
Fifty-eight percent of middle-income workers, those with household incomes of between $35,000 and $150,000, say they feel more financially secure because of workplace benefits, according to the MassMutual Workplace Benefits Study, based on a survey of 1,010 working Americans conducted by Greenwald & Associates.
Among those in households with incomes between $70,000 and $150,000, 65% say they feel more secure because of workplace benefits, but this is only true for 42% of those with incomes of less than $45,000. MassMutual says this may indicate a need for more financial education in the workplace.
“MassMutual’s study indicates that there may be a knowledge gap in the understanding and use of employee benefits among certain employee populations,” says Jon Shuman, leader of MassMutual’s voluntary benefits unit. “More lower- and middle-income workers are likely to say that they wish their employer did more to help them set financial priorities than upper-middle-income workers.”
MassMutual also learned that only 25% of employees are offered financial education, yet 50% would welcome it. In addition, 51% said they would like their employer to provide more education about saving for retirement.
The MassMutual Workplace Benefits Study can be downloaded here.