As open enrollment shifts into high gear, new data could provide a much-needed reality check for HR executives: There’s a significant gap between what employers and workers think about their benefits.

Some 68% of US employers believe their benefit communications are effective, an opinion only shared by 38% of workers, an October Prudential study found.

And while 75% of employers don’t see value in the tools supplied by insurance brokers and carriers to help individuals select plans, nearly 70% of workers want the personalized advice those programs can provide. The report also said that 66% of employers think their employees are satisfied with their benefits, but only 51% of workers agree.

Of course, it’s too late to change benefit offerings, but there’s still time to adjust communication plans—and think about improving the process for next year.

Keep reading here.—TA

The benefit that employees want most after a good salary is the one many companies are eliminating.

Workplace flexibility in hours and location topped employees’ list of most desired benefits after a good salary, with 65% of workers surveyed by the Conference Board rating it in their top five desired perks. The data was released Tuesday at the organization’s People 2030: Our Talent, Our in Future conference.

Incentive pay, such as bonuses and commissions, was second, with 64% of the roughly 1,500 respondents selecting it. Generous paid time off, retirement plans, and flexible, affordable health plans rounded out the top five.

The study comes after Amazon’s blockbuster announcement last month that it was ending its hybrid work policy and ordering employees back to the office five days a week starting next year. The decree sparked outrage among some employees and discussions about whether other strict corporate mandates would follow.

Keep reading here.—TA

Anti-Muslim sentiment is on the rise in workplaces throughout the Europen Union, a new report from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights found.

The report, titled Being Muslim in the EU, surveyed 9,604 Muslims between 2021 and 2022, and found that 47% have faced discrimination, a 12% increase from the last time the survey was conducted in 2016. Muslims are “the second-largest religious group in the EU” and make up at least 5% of the population.

Researchers noted that the survey predates the conflict in Gaza, but other research suggests that Islamophobia has increased since October 2023.

Muslims are facing discrimination at work and school in particular. Some 39% of respondents said they have been discriminated against during the job application process, and 35% experience discrimination at work, an eight-point and 12% rise, respectively. This has led to higher rates of Muslims living in poverty and more than a quarter (28%) having temporary work contracts.

Keep reading here.—KP