Guardian Survey: More Than Half of Small Business Employers Who Offer Benefits Encounter Challenges During Open Enrollm...(udes cost estimators provider locations ...),Health

and plan information that can relieve the administrative burden for

employers and improve employee understanding and management of their

benefits.

-- Enrollment success plans that are designed to increase employee

participation. Participation requirements are waived and additional

underwriting concessions offered when employers commit to backing

enrollment best practices.

Guardian has also teamed up with Olympic gold medalist, Mia Hamm, to promote the importance of workplace benefits during open enrollment season. Guardian produced an educational video for employees, business owners and benefit decision makers that highlights how workplace benefits can help employees protect themselves and stay healthy. The video features Hamm, a new mom, and provides tips to help employees make the right benefit choices. The video can be viewed at http://www.guardianenrollmenttips.com.

About the Survey

A telephone survey was conducted among a sample of 500 small business executives during the period June 25-July 3, 2008. Respondents included owners and benefit decision makers of companies with fewer than 100 full-time employees. The sample is drawn from infoUSA's Small Business database. The executives were segmented into the following industry categories: manufacturing/construction, transportation and communication, wholesale/retail, financial services and professional services. The margin of error was plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

About Guardian

Founded in 1860, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY (Guardian) is one of the largest mutual life insurance companies in the United States. As of December 31, 2007, Guardian and its subsidiaries had $41.3 billion in assets (on a consolidated statutory basis). With close to 3,000 finan
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