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“Our research shows that companies are beginning to reevaluate pandemic-era policies, which has created a growing disconnect between employers and their employees. Fortunately, employers have an opportunity to strengthen relationships with their workforce with programs and benefits that support what matters most to employees,” said Meg Shea, Vice President and Head of Strategy and Solutions, New York Life Group Benefit Solutions. “This research illuminates a path forward and is the first in a forthcoming series of strategic insights that help employers both support their people and plan for the future.”

Among the findings revealed in a new white paper, Addressing the Employer-Employee Divide in a Post-Pandemic Workplace:

• Since the start of the pandemic, employers adapted COVID-19 policies to ensure employee safety, retain talent, and maintain business productivity. Seventy-five percent of employees believe the pandemic helped bring changes to the surface and 66 percent of employees believe these changes were necessary even before the pandemic.
• Organizations are prioritizing mental health, with 72 percent of employees reporting that their company talks more openly about mental health than before the pandemic, 70 percent of employees are more likely to take a mental health day now and 64 percent of employees say they have taken a mental health day in the last year.
• However, employers are beginning to suspend pandemic-era benefits, and many underestimate the importance and value of these policies to their employees. For example, 62 percent of employees said flexible and generous paid-time-off-policies were important in being productive at work, while just 47% of employers believe this is the case.
• This disconnect is leading to a declining sentiment around appreciation at work. In fact, nearly half of employers say their employees feel appreciated, while just 30 percent of employees agree—regardless of age or gender.

Read more about what organizations can do to rebuild their relationships with employees and connect with New York Life Group Benefit Solutions here.

Survey Methodology:

New York Life Group Benefit Solutions commissioned Morning Consult to conduct an online poll between April 13 and 25, 2022 among a national sample of 1,000 employees who receive benefits at work and 500 employers (insurance benefit decision makers) at their companies. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

New York Life and its affiliates are independent of Morning Consult.

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