About Guardian’s Workplace Study methodology

Methodology and sample characteristics

The Guardian 12th Annual Workplace Benefits Study was fielded in January and February of 2023 and consisted of two online surveys: one among benefits decision-makers (employers) and another among working Americans (employees). Survey data collection and tabulation were managed for Guardian by Zeldis Research, an independent market research firm located in Ewing, NJ. Unless otherwise noted, all information contained in this report is from the 12th Annual Guardian Workplace Benefits Study, 2023, or from the 11th Annual Guardian Workplace Benefits Study, 2022.  

Employer survey

Employer results are based on a national online survey of 1,900 employee benefits decision-makers. Respondents include business executives, business owners, human resources professionals, and financial management professionals. The survey covers all industries and is nationally representative of US businesses with at least five full-time employees. For the purposes of this report, small businesses were defined as having fewer than 100 employees. 

Data shown in this report have been weighted to reflect the actual proportion of US businesses by company size, based on data from the US Census Bureau. The margin of error at the 95% confidence level is +/- 2.2%.
Employee survey

Employee results are based on a survey conducted among 2,000 employees age 22 or older, who work full time or part time for a company with at least five employees. The survey sample is nationally representative of US workers at companies of at least five employees.

Data shown in this report have been collected in a way to reflect the actual proportion of US workers by gender, region, race, ethnicity, education level, household income, age, and employer-size, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau. The margin of error is +/- 2.1% at the 95% confidence level. 

Guardian’s Workforce Well-Being Index™ (WWBI) measures consumer attitudes in three core areas: financial wellness, physical wellness, and emotional wellness, and ranks them on a 10-point scale.

(AL, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, MA, MD, NJ, NV, NY, OR, PA, TN, TX, VA, WA)