Colonial Life: Brokers See Higher Employee Contributions

The people who sell benefits products say employers are asking workers to pay more for their benefits.

Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company, Columbia, S.C., a unit of Unum Group Corp., Chattanooga, Tenn. (NYSE:UNM), has reported that finding in a summary of results from an informal survey of brokers who attended benefits conferences in March and April.

Some surveys of employers conducted in recent years have found that employers have resisted passing more benefits costs onto consumers, but brokers told Colonial Life they are now seeing more cost sharing.