News release: “The economic crisis has created a significant shift in employers’ benefits objectives. Controlling benefits costs is now the top benefits objective for employers, edging out employee retention for the first time since 2006. And while improving employee productivity remains the third most important benefits objective, employers have renewed focus on this area due to the economy — 84% of employers now report that this is a very important benefits objective, up from 79% in 2008. At the same time, however, economic pressures confronting employees may negatively impact productivity. According to MetLife’s 8th annual Employee Benefits Trends Study, released April 12, 2010, 68% of employees said that over the last 12 months they were affected by increased feelings of job insecurity, a decrease in the quality of their work, an increase in their workload or being distracted at work because of financial worries.”