BLR 2015 Survey Series MARCH Benefits: Retirement Each month BLR conducts a nationwide survey to learn about current HR policies and practices throughout the country. On average, more than 1,800 individuals participate in the surveys. The data from each survey is aggregated and then shared with participants and posted on BLR websites. Sponsor 2 Participant summary 3 Executive summary 4 Survey questions/data 10
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About this survey Survey participants A total of 1,435 individuals participated in this survey, which was conducted in February 2015. Of those who identified themselves, 50% represent privately owned companies, 10.3% are with public entities, 17% work for government, and nonprofit organizations account for 18.7%. The majority (56.7%) of our survey respondents provide HR services to a workforce of 1-250 employees. Another 13.2% provide guidance to 251-500 employees at their organizations and 9.5% have a workforce of 501-1,000 employees. Companies with more than 1,000 employees account for 20.5% of survey participants. Over half (57.7%) of the participants are in service industries; 22.9% are in agriculture, forestry, construction, manufacturing, or mining; 7.6% are in wholesale, retail, transportation, or warehousing; 5.1% are in real estate or utilities; and 6.6% are in public administration. HR/benefit managers and directors account for 51.3% of the survey participants who self-identified, other HR/ benefit professionals make up 19.3%, 8.9% are VP level or higher, and 20.4% are in other areas with HR responsibilities. 3
What retirement benefits do you offer? Do you offer defined benefit and defined contribution plans? Offering either a 401(k) or 403(b) retirement savings plan to employees is a best practice for many U.S. employers. In fact, 81.4% of the employers responding to our 2015 survey offer one of these plans. Only 36.4% (compared to 39.9% in 2014 and 33% in 2013) of those who answered the question, however, automatically enroll employees, though 3% (compared to 2.3% in 2014 and 2.5% in 2013) plan to implement auto-enrollment in the future. Employee contributions When the employee enrollment in a defined contribution plan is automatic, the percent of employee earnings initially contributed is less than 3% for 23% (compared to 23.3% in 2014 and 27% in 2013) of the employers who responded to this question in our survey. It is 3% for 40.2% and 4% of employee earnings for 10%. The employee contribution is 5% of earnings for 9.5% and 6% of earnings for 8.6% as well. More than 6% of employee earnings are contributed for 8.6%. For 26.5% (compared to 22.2% in 2014) of survey participants, the level of voluntary participation in their 401(k) or 403(b) plans is less than 30% of employees. For 35.3% (compared to 37.6% in 2014), voluntary participation is 31% to 70% of employees and for 38.2% (compared to 40.2% in 2014) voluntary participation is above 70% of employees. 4
The percentage of their earnings that employees begin with when contributing to voluntary 401(k) or 403(b) plans is less than 3% of base salary for 24.8% (compared to 23.3% in 2014) of our survey participants. It s 3% of earnings for 29.4% (29.3% in 2014) and 4% of salary for 13.2% (14.5% in 2014). s to our survey show that employees begin their contributions at a rate of 5% of their base salary for 14.8% (15.9% in 2014) of employers, at 6% of salary for 13% (12.2% in 2014), and over 6% of earnings for 4.9% (4.8% in 2014) of employers. Though 87.3% don t allow it, the practice of employees adding the cash-out for their unused vacation or sick time to their 401(k) or 403(b) plans is permitted by 7% (6.3% in 2014) of employers and 5.6% (4.1% in 2014) are considering whether to allow it. The maximum amount an employee may contribute annually to their 401(k) or 403(b) plan for 91% (95.3% in 2014) of employers is the highest amount allowed by the IRS, which was $17,500 for 2014 and $18,000 for 2015. Employer contributions Though 19.9% have never provided an employer match, the majority (74.4%) of the employers responding to our survey that offer a 401(k) or 403(b) plan to their employees also provide a matching contribution. Though 3.3% tem- 5
porarily stopped their employer match in recent years and 2.4% stopped their match but plan to reinstate it, 11.4% maintained their matching contributions throughout the recent recession. The level of employers matching contributions is as high as 6% of employee earnings for 19.6% (23.9% in 2014) of employers, up to 5% for 13.2% (14.7% in 2014), up to 4% for 14.6% (14.9% in 2014), and up to 3% for 14.8% of employers. Up to 10% is the level for 2.3% (3% in 2014) of employers and 2.4% (3.4% in 2014) of survey participants match more than 10% of employee earnings. Matching employee contributions dollar-for-dollar is the practice for 33.6% (down from 41.4% in 2014). A match rate of 75 to the dollar is the norm for 1.6%, 50 on the dollar is provided by 23.6% (down from 31.3% in 2014), and 25 per dollar of employee contribution is standard for 9.9% (9.4% in 2014) of employers. No match is provided by 31.3%. The employee service requirement for vesting of employer contributions is 5 years for 25.6% (23.8% in 2014) of employers and 15.9% (12.5% in 2014) require more than 5 years. Less than a year of service is required by 21.7% (up from 25.6% in 2014) of employers, 1 year is required by 18.9% (16.5% last year), 2 years is the rule for 5.1% (4.9% in 2014), 3 years is required by 9.7% (down from 13.3% in 2014), and 4 years is the vesting level for 3.1% (3.4% last year). Plan features 33.6% match employee contributions dollar for dollar. Less is more and more is less when it comes to the number of investment options offered in 401(k) or 403(b) plans in 2015 when compared to 6
the number offered in 2014. For example, more than 15 investment options are available to 43.1% of employers (down from 50.7% in 2014) and 11-15 options are offered by 27.7% (same as last year). Another 16.3% (13.4% in 2014) offer 6-10 investment options, and 12.9% (8.2% in 2014) of employers in our 2015 survey offer 1-5 options. Target Date/Life Cycle funds are available for 65.3% of survey participants. The in-plan Roth conversion, a feature made available by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, is available for 29.8% and 3.5% are planning to add the feature. Other retirement benefits offered Benefit type 2015 2014 Defined benefit plan 27% 23.70% Roth 401(k) 31.10% 33.20% 457 plan 13.90% 13% Profit sharing 17% 22.70% Stock options Employee stock ownership plan Union-sponsored pension plan SIMPLE or SEP 3.40% 5.60% 3.30% 4.10% 3.90% 7.20% 2.60% 4.30% Retirement benefits in 2015 are about the same as 2014 for 87.1% of survey participants and more generous for 4.5%. It s been 5 years or more since 24.9% of our survey participants conducted a comprehensive review of their retirement benefits package. A thorough review was conducted in 2014, however, by 41.7% and in 2013 by 14.1%. Benefits planning and administration When it comes to deciding which retirement benefits to offer, 34.5% work with a consultant to create plans and 29.3% evaluate benefits offered by other companies and their competitors. A survey to find out what employees have an interest in is conducted by 9% and 41.8% are guided by the cost. 7
Retirement benefits are managed in-house by 18.9% of those who responded to this question in our survey. Some of the administration of benefits is outsourced by 43.1% and all administration is outsourced by 38%. 46.5% offer employees financial planning assistance. Our survey shows that 9.7% plan to add or make changes to their 2016 retirement benefits package, 61.6% of employers have no additions or changes planned, and 28.8% are not certain at this point in time. For those who are planning to add or make changes to their retirement benefits, 13.1% are planning to add a defined contribution plan such as a 401(k), 403(b), or Roth 401(k) and 17.9% are planning to increase their employer match to their existing defined contribution plan, while 6.2% are planning to reduce the level of their employer match. Additions/changes planned for 2016 Add a defined benefit plan: traditional pension plan 6.9% Increase employer contribution to defined benefit plan 9.9% Reduce employer contribution to defined benefit plan 6.6% Eliminate current defined benefit plan 5.5% Add a defined contribution plan: 401(k), 403(b), Roth 401(k) 13.1% Increase employer match to current defined contribution plan 17.9% Reduce employer match to current defined contribution plan 6.2% Reduce employee length of service required for employer match to vest in defined contribution plan 4.4% Increase employee length of service required for employer match to vest in defined contribution plan 3.6% Eliminate current defined contribution plan 2.6% Clean up language within plan documents 36.1% Change how plan documents are distributed 19.0% An increase in the length of service required for vesting of employer contributions is planned for 3.6% and 4.4% plan to reduce their length of service requirement. Cleaning up the language in their plan documents is a priority for 36.1% and a change in how documents are distributed is planned for 19%. Current defined contribution plans will be eliminated for 2.6% (down from 3% last year) of participants who answered this question in our survey. 8
The addition of a defined benefit plan is planned for 6.9% and 9.9% expect to increase the employer contribution to their existing plan. For 6.6%, however, a reduction in their employer contribution is planned. 17.3% offer early retirement to their employees. The Other selection for the question about changes to 2016 retirement benefits accounted for 81.8% of the responses and includes: Add auto enroll employees, 2.68% Change plan options, 5.80% Add retiree insurance benefits, 1.79% Change provider/administrator, 4.02% Change employer contribution/match, 4.46% Change service/eligibility requirement, 3.57% Unsure, 23.66% No changes, 48.21% Other, 7.59% It s almost an even split when it comes to whether employers offer financial planning assistance to their employees with 46.5% offering such assistance and 48.3% not providing this service to employees. The remaining 5.2% aren t sure whether this benefit is offered. Early retirement is an option for the employees of 17.3% of our survey participants. It is not offered by 77.3%, though, and 5.5% aren t sure. Of the employers that do offer early retirement, 13.1% ask the retiring employees to sign a waiver/release of claims against the company. Surprisingly, 57% (55% in 2013) do not make signing a waiver/release a requirement and 29.9% are not sure if it s a requirement. 9
Survey Data Where is your company located? Central/Rocky Mountain/Southwest: AZ, CO, ID, KS, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV,SD, UT, WY 10.6% 150 East Central: IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, MO, OH, WI, WV 23.2% 329 Far West: AK, CA, HI, OR, WA 11.8% 167 Northeast/Mid-Atlantic: CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA, VT 22.7% 322 South: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX 25.3% 360 International 6.5% 93 1421 14 Number of employees 1-50 22.8% 325 51-100 14.8% 211 101-250 19.1% 272 251-500 13.2% 188 501-1,000 9.5% 136 1,001-2,500 7.2% 103 2,501-5,000 4.6% 66 5,001-10,000 3.2% 45 Over 10,000 5.5% 79 1425 10 10
Business type Privately owned 46.6% 662 Employee owned 1.3% 18 Public corporation 10.3% 147 City, state, or federal government 13.2% 187 Private school or college/university 2.1% 30 Public school or college/university 3.8% 54 Not-for-profit 18.7% 266 Other 4.1% 58 1422 13 Industry category Accommodation, Food Services 1.1% 16 Administrative and Support Services 2.3% 32 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting 1.3% 19 Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 1.3% 18 Construction 3.3% 47 Educational Services 9.1% 129 Finance and Insurance 9.4% 133 Health Care and Social Assistance 15.2% 216 Information (Media, Data, Telecommunication) 1.9% 27 Management of Companies and Enterprises 0.5% 7 Manufacturing 16.9% 240 Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction 1.4% 20 Other Services (except Public Administration) 9.4% 134 Professional, Scientific, Technical Services 7.5% 107 Public Administration 6.6% 93 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 1.6% 23 Retail Trade 2.4% 34 Transportation and Warehousing 3.0% 43 Utilities 3.2% 45 Waste Management/Remediation Services 0.3% 4 Wholesale Trade 2.2% 31 1418 17 11
Does your company offer a 401(k) or 403(b) retirement plan to employees? Yes 81.4% 1148 No 15.6% 220 Not sure 3.0% 43 1411 24 Do you automatically enroll employees in your organization s 401(k) or 403(b) plan? Yes 36.4% 388 No 60.6% 646 No, but we are planning to start automatic enrollment 3.0% 32 Other 4.3% 46 1066 369 If employee enrollment in your 401(k) or 403(b) plan is automatic, what is the percentage of employee earnings automatically contributed? Less than 3% of salary 23.0% 99 3% of salary 40.2% 173 4% of salary 10.0% 43 5% of salary 9.5% 41 6% of salary 8.6% 37 More than 6% of salary 8.6% 37 Other 21.2% 91 430 1005 12
When enrollment in your 401(k) or 403(b) plan is voluntary, what percentage of earnings do most employees begin their contributions with? Less than 3% of salary 24.8% 230 3% of salary 29.4% 272 4% of salary 13.2% 122 5% of salary 14.8% 137 6% of salary 13.0% 120 More than 6% of salary 4.9% 45 Other 6.8% 63 926 509 What is the maximum amount an employee may contribute annually to their 401(k) or 403(b) plan? Less than $1,000 1.5% 15 $1,001 to $2,500 1.5% 15 $2,501 to $5,000 2.0% 21 $5,001 to $10,000 1.8% 19 $10,001 to $15,000 2.2% 23 The maximum allowed by the IRS ($17,500 for 2014) 91.0% 936 Other 4.0% 41 1029 406 13
When enrollment is voluntary what percentage of employees participate in your 401(k) or 403(b) plan? Less than 10% 10.0% 95 11% to 20% 6.6% 62 21% to 30% 9.9% 94 31% to 40% 8.8% 83 41% to 50% 8.0% 76 51% to 60% 8.7% 82 61% to 70% 9.8% 93 71% to 80% 11.2% 106 81% to 90% 12.2% 115 91% to 100% 14.8% 140 Other 4.4% 42 946 489 Are employees allowed to add cash outs of unused vacation or sick time to their 401(k) or 403(b) accounts? Currently allowed 7.0% 74 Not currently allowed, but considering it 5.6% 59 Not allowed 87.3% 918 Other 3.7% 39 1051 384 14
What is the status of your employer match for your 401(k) or 403(b) plan? Never matched 19.9% 198 Stopped match then reinstated 3.3% 33 Stopped match but plan to reinstate 2.4% 24 Have match and haven't stopped 11.4% 113 Have match but plan to stop 0.3% 3 Have match and no plan to stop 62.7% 623 Other 8.9% 88 994 441 Up to what percent of an employee's earnings does your company make a matching contribution to their 401(k) or 403(b) plans? No match 21.5% 212 1% 2.2% 22 2% 3.8% 38 3% 14.8% 146 4% 14.6% 144 5% 13.2% 130 6% 19.6% 194 7% 2.1% 21 8% 2.9% 29 9% 0.5% 5 10% 2.3% 23 More than 10% 2.4% 24 988 447 15
At what rate does your company match employee 401(k) or 403(b) plan dollar contributions? (For example: will match up to 25% of employee contribution at 50 on-the-dollar.) No match 31.3% 253 25 on-the-dollar 9.9% 80 50 on-the-dollar 23.6% 191 75 on-the-dollar 1.6% 13 dollar-for-dollar 33.6% 272 Other 24.2% 196 809 626 What is the service requirement employees are required to achieve before becoming 100% vested in their 401(k) or 403(b) plan's employer contributions? Less than 1 year 21.7% 193 1 year 18.9% 168 2 years 5.1% 45 3 years 9.7% 86 4 years 3.1% 28 5 years 25.6% 228 More than 5 years 15.9% 141 Other 13.4% 119 889 546 16
What is the number of investment options your 401(k) or 403(b) plan offers? 1 to 5 options 12.9% 127 6 to 10 options 16.3% 160 11 to 15 options 27.7% 272 More than 15 options 43.1% 424 983 452 Do your 401(k) or 403(b) investment options include Target Date/Life Cycle funds? (A fund where the overall asset allocation automatically adjusts to become more conservative as the employee's expected retirement date approaches.) Yes 65.3% 646 No 17.5% 173 Not sure 17.2% 170 989 446 Have you added the in-plan Roth conversion feature that was made available by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010? Yes 29.8% 289 No 47.5% 461 No, but we are planning to add it 3.5% 34 I've never heard about the feature 19.2% 186 Other 1.6% 16 970 465 17
Please select any other retirement benefits from the list below that are offered to employees by your company. Defined benefit plan: traditional company pension 27.0% 279 Roth 401(k) 31.1% 321 457 plan 13.9% 144 Profit sharing 17.0% 176 Employer stock options 3.4% 35 Employee stock ownership plan 5.6% 58 Union-sponsored pension plan 3.3% 34 SIMPLE or SEP 4.1% 42 No retirement benefits are offered 26.0% 269 Other 9.2% 95 1033 402 How do your retirement benefits for 2015 compare with last year's? Less generous in 2014 3.9% 47 About the same 87.1% 1047 More generous in 2014 4.5% 54 Not sure 4.5% 54 1202 233 When was the last time your organization did a comprehensive evaluation of its retirement benefits package? In 2014 41.7% 458 In 2013 14.1% 155 In 2012 10.1% 111 In 2011 4.0% 44 In 2010 5.2% 57 Before 2010 24.9% 273 1098 337 18
How does your organization determine what retirement benefits it will offer to employees? Cost to company 41.8% 441 Survey employees to see what they are interested in 9.0% 95 Work with a consultant to create a plan 34.5% 364 Evaluate benefits packages offered by other companies and our competitors 29.3% 309 Not sure 20.4% 215 Other 8.7% 92 1056 379 Do you outsource the administration of any of your retirement benefits? Yes, we outsource all of it 38.0% 426 Yes, we outsource some of it 43.1% 484 No, we do it all in-house 18.9% 212 1122 313 Is your organization considering adding retirement benefits or making changes to its retirement benefits package for 2016? Yes 9.7% 113 No 61.6% 719 Not sure 28.8% 336 1168 267 19
What kind of additions or changes are you planning to make to your retirement benefits offerings for 2016? Add a defined benefit plan: traditional pension plan 6.9% 19 Increase employer contribution to defined benefit plan 9.9% 27 Reduce employer contribution to defined benefit plan 6.6% 18 Eliminate current defined benefit plan 5.5% 15 Add a defined contribution plan: 401(k), 403(b), Roth 401(k) 13.1% 36 Increase employer match to current defined contribution plan 17.9% 49 Reduce employer match to current defined contribution plan 6.2% 17 Reduce employee length of service required for employer match to vest in defined contribution plan Increase employee length of service required for employer match to vest in defined contribution plan 4.4% 12 3.6% 10 Eliminate current defined contribution plan 2.6% 7 Clean up language within plan documents 36.1% 99 Change how plan documents are distributed 19.0% 52 Other 81.8% 224 274 1161 Do you offer financial planning assistance as a benefit to your employees? Yes 46.5% 457 No 48.3% 474 Not sure 5.2% 51 Other 4.0% 39 982 453 20
Does your organization offer an early retirement option to employees? Yes 17.3% 193 No 77.3% 864 Not sure 5.5% 61 Other 3.2% 36 1118 317 If your organization offers early retirement, are retiring employees asked to sign a waiver/release of claims they have or might have against the company? Yes 13.1% 67 No 57.0% 292 Not sure 29.9% 153 Other 14.3% 73 512 923 Job title or position Benefits Coordinator/Assistant 2.8% 27 Benefits Manager 5.3% 51 Benefits Director 1.1% 11 Benefits VP or Higher 1.6% 15 HR Coordinator/Assistant 3.8% 36 HR Generalist 7.9% 76 HR Specialist 4.8% 46 HR Manager 21.9% 210 HR Director 23.0% 220 HR VP or higher 7.3% 70 Other area with HR responsibilities added 20.4% 195 957 478 21