Photo by thamyrissalgueiro from Getty Images
Life insurance is one of the most common employer-provided benefits. In this post, we are going to cover the basics you should know, from types of coverage to promoting it to your employees.
Types of Life Insurance
Life insurance is divided into two categories: term and permanent. Term life insurance has a specified coverage period (term), but can usually be renewed or converted into a permanent policy at the end of a term. Premiums are generally affordable initially, but can increase substantially when renewed.
Life insurance is divided into two categories: term and permanent. Term life insurance has a specified coverage period (term), but can usually be renewed or converted into a permanent policy at the end of a term. Premiums are generally affordable initially, but can increase substantially when renewed.
Employer-sponsored Coverage
Employer-sponsored coverage can be offered in a variety of ways. Employers may offer a term policy, permanent coverage or both. Cost-sharing also varies, as some employers cover the full cost, some require employees to pay the full premium and others split the cost with employees.
A common scenario is an employer offering a group-term policy at no cost to the employee, with a coverage amount that is a multiple of annual salary (usually one to five times annual pay). Group-term policies often end when an employee leaves the organization, but employees may be able to convert it to a permanent policy or renew it upon leaving. This is generally an affordable plan for employers to offer, though it does not offer as much long-term value to employees as a permanent plan.
Many employers who offer such a group-term policy also offer additional voluntary coverage options. Additional coverages offered may include:
Tax Treatment
Premiums for life insurance offered by the employer are generally deductible as ordinary and necessary business expenses. In addition, the cost of group-term life insurance is excludable from the employees’ gross income. The plan must meet special nondiscrimination rules, however, or key employees may not be eligible to exclude the cost of their coverage from their gross income.
Benefits for Employees
Though life insurance is an important asset for future financial security, many employees don’t realize its importance. Educating employees about the value of life insurance may increase loyalty to the company as they better appreciate this benefit.
If the employee is the primary household income, how will the family support themselves? If the employee dies and leaves behind a mortgage or substantial medical bills, who will have the burden of paying that debt? Many employees do not realize the financial benefits of a life insurance policy until they think through these issues.
Emphasize to employees that buying life insurance on their own is costly; even if your group coverage is employee-paid, you are still offering significant advantages:
- Lower rates through a group policy than buying individual coverage
- Generally no medical review is required for group policies, as opposed to individual policies where an unfavorable medical exam could disqualify the individual or trigger extremely high premiums
- Convenience of payroll deductions for premiums
Educating employees on the benefits of life insurance in general and the advantages of purchasing through your group plan can help increase awareness and participation, boost loyalty, and support hiring and retention initiatives.
Factors to Consider
When deciding to offer life insurance as an employee benefit, there are a number of factors to consider:
- What type of coverage will you offer?
- Will you offer term insurance, permanent or both?
- Who will be covered (employees only, retirees, spouses, dependents)?
- When is coverage effective? Will there be a waiting period?
- What amount of insurance will be available?
- Who will pay premiums?
- Will there be a minimum amount employees are required to elect? What is the maximum coverage amount allowed?
Life insurance is a very valuable benefit to offer your employees. There are many factors to consider when choosing the right policy for your organization. Refer back to this blog post to help you make the best choice.
