Don't forget: Complete the ISU benefits survey

Faculty and staff have through Oct. 21 to contribute to the campus conversation about employee benefits. All benefits-eligible employees received an Oct. 7 email invitation to complete a survey about their preferences and satisfaction with the plans and programs available to them. The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete and results will help university human resources leaders shape programs that incorporate the views and preferences presented in the survey, said vice president for human resources Kristi Darr in an Oct. 3 email to all employees.

"We want to better understand which programs our employees and their families value most -- and how those programs align with our aspiration to be a university that cultivates a welcoming and respectful environment where all students, faculty and staff flourish," Darr wrote.

Participation in the survey is vital to measuring employees' views and preferences, she said.

How to complete the online survey

The email came from ISUbenefitssurvey@mercer.com with the subject line "Iowa State University Benefits Survey." The human resources consultant Mercer is administering the survey for the university, and each employee received a unique link to it. All survey data is confidential. A Mercer team will aggregate and analyze the survey responses, and share the results with UHR leaders.

Darr said the survey will:

• Help employees across the university better understand their benefits opportunities.
• Guide future initiatives and program improvements to both attract and retain employees.
• Drive improvements to benefits education and communication with plan participants.
• Strengthen the service UHR benefits staff provide to employees.

A once-in-three-years opportunity

UHR completes a benefits survey of employees every three years. The last one, in November 2022, played a role in several changes to benefits offerings. Those include:

• A new voluntary benefits program: pet insurance, home insurance, vehicle insurance, Perkspot discount plan and payroll deduction purchasing plan, all available through the AON Everyday portal (March 2025). Next month, employees also may select from three medical supplemental plans for the first time during the open enrollment period.
• Data to support the legislative process for a State of Iowa paid parental leave law (July 2025).
• Additional parental and financial advisory support tools in Adventure2.
• Improvements to the vision plan (plan year 2025).
• Modifications to the contribution strategy for the dental plan (plan year 2026).
• A redesigned benefits website and other communication strategies to provide more benefits education materials to employees.