Small businesses are constantly challenged to figure out how to affordably attract employees while retaining the ones they have – and do so with fewer resources than their larger competitors.
Offering competitive employee benefits packages – including popular voluntary benefits – is a key strategy small employers can use to achieve this important goal. And because small business owners are typically not benefits experts, they place a high value on expert guidance from agents and advisors who can provide a wide range of benefits solutions tailored to the wants and needs of their employees.
A new resource recently became available with the launch this fall of MetLife Simply Smartsm Bundles, which provide brokers and small business owners with employee benefits that enhance their ability to compete in their local markets.
Designed specifically for businesses with 10-99 employees, Simply Smart Bundles include a combination of dental and vision insurance. They will also provide the opportunity to add on an employee-paid group legal services plan to give employees access to a nationwide network of qualified lawyers on a prepaid basis – the first time the carrier is making this benefit available to small businesses.
The Bundles are designed to meet the benefits needs of small businesses in different local markets. Through extensive data mining of dental and vision plans quoted and sold across the country, MetLife created pre-built, tiered plan options to match the coverage and pricing needs of small employers in each geographical area.
“Every local market has factors as unique as its businesses. Drawing on MetLife’s 60-plus years of experience in small business benefits, our experts have mined local data to craft plans that have the pricing and coverage that small business owners require to be competitive. To help them stabilize their budgets, we lock in pricing for 24 months across products – a two-year rate guarantee,” said James Reid, executive vice president, regional & small markets at MetLife. “Plus, our tiered local options give them the flexibility to select the right plan with confidence. We like to say they are ‘simple, smart, local,’” he added.
“Based on our knowledge of the current and emerging benefits needs of small businesses, we are expanding our offerings – starting with MetLaw, a prepaid legal services plan,” said Jessica Moser, vice president, regional & small business strategy at MetLife. “It’s the same plan that we have previously only offered to larger employers, but now will be available as an exclusive, voluntary option with MetLife Simply Smart Bundles, with no minimum participation requirements.”
MetLife Simply Smart Bundles include Dental and Vision coverage – among employees’ most-desired and “must have” benefits after health insurance, as reported in the 14th Annual MetLife U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study. They are easy to set up for both brokers and employers. Online quote submission capabilities for brokers makes it simple for them to look up the bundle options for their local market and submit a quote request by providing some basic information online. MetLife also provides, at no additional cost, an interactive decision-making video to help employees make their choices so employers can increase engagement and participation.
MetLaw is exclusively available to groups with 10-99 employees as part of the bundle, and participating employees get convenient, full-service access to local attorneys at a competitive monthly rate. MetLaw is provided by Hyatt Legal Plans, Inc., a MetLife company, and became available as an optional part of a MetLife Simply Smart Bundle for groups with effective dates of 12/1/16 or later.
Brokers can see what Bundle options are available in their markets in one step at MetLife.com/SimplySmartBundles.
Like most group benefits programs, benefit programs offered by MetLife contain certain exclusions, exceptions, waiting periods, reductions, limitations and terms for keeping them in force. MetLife group representatives can provide costs and complete details.
About MetLife: MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates (“MetLife”), is one of the largest life insurance companies in the world. Founded in 1868, MetLife is a global provider of life insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management. Serving approximately 100 million customers, MetLife has operations in nearly 50 countries and holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information visit www.metlife.com.
