Unum for Small Businesses: Scalable Benefits Without the Complexity

Offering employee benefits as a small business can feel overwhelming. You want to attract and retain great talent — but without the red tape, high costs, or administrative stress that often comes with traditional insurance carriers.

That’s where Unum comes in. Whether you have 5 or 50 employees, Unum helps small businesses offer powerful, easy-to-manage benefits like life insurance, disability coverage, and wellness support — all while staying flexible, affordable, and scalable.

In this article, we’ll show why Unum is a smart choice for small businesses looking to grow with confidence and take care of their people.

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🧩 Why Small Businesses Need Strong Benefits

Even in a tight-knit team, employees still want:

• Income protection
• Security for their families
• Mental health support
• Financial tools and planning resources
• Confidence in their employer’s commitment to well-being

💡 Offering benefits helps you compete with larger companies, increase retention, and boost workplace morale.

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✅ What Unum Offers to Small Businesses

1. Group Life Insurance

• Affordable coverage options
• Available as employer-paid or voluntary
• Supplemental life available for added protection
• Easy enrollment with no medical exam for guaranteed issue amounts

🛡️ Help your employees protect their families with just a few dollars per paycheck.

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2. Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance

• Replaces a portion of income during illness or injury
• Supports recovery without financial pressure
• Flexible elimination periods and benefit lengths
• Includes coverage for maternity, mental health, and chronic illness

💬 Even a small business can offer big-time security with Unum’s income protection tools.

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3. Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• Free, confidential access to counseling
• Legal and financial help
• Work-life balance tools
• Trauma and grief support

🎯 Included in many Unum plans — and incredibly valuable for employee mental health and resilience.

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4. Flexible Administration and Billing

• Online portal for easy plan management
• Minimal paperwork and fast setup
• Payroll deduction support
• Consolidated billing across products

🧾 No need for an internal HR department — Unum simplifies everything.

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🧠 Real-Life Example: Growth Without the HR Overhead

A 15-person marketing agency wanted to offer basic benefits but had no in-house HR. With Unum:

• They launched group life and STD coverage in under two weeks
• Employees enrolled online with minimal questions
• The owner managed billing and updates from a single dashboard
• Staff retention improved by 30% in the first year

💬 “We finally felt like a ‘real company’ — and didn’t need a huge HR team to do it.”

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🔄 Unum Grows as You Grow

Unum is designed to scale. Whether you:

• Hire 2 more people
• Add a new office location
• Switch to remote or hybrid teams
• Need different plans for different roles

…Unum’s benefits can adapt without starting over.

🧭 That makes it an ideal long-term partner for growing businesses.

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📈 Competitive Advantage for Small Teams

Feature	How Unum Helps
Budget-friendly plans	Group rates and low-cost voluntary options
Simplified administration	Self-service tools and digital dashboards
Scalable coverage	Add benefits as your business grows
Talent retention	Show employees they’re valued
Real support	Dedicated account managers and fast answers

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do we need a minimum number of employees to qualify for Unum plans?
A: In most cases, yes — but minimums can be as low as 3 to 5 employees, depending on the coverage.

Q: Can we offer Unum benefits to only certain team members?
A: Yes — plans can be designed with eligibility classes, such as full-time staff or key roles.

Q: What if we don’t have an HR team?
A: No problem — Unum’s tools and support make it easy for owners or office managers to administer plans.

Q: How fast can we launch benefits?
A: Many plans can be live within 2–4 weeks once paperwork is submitted.

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Final Thoughts

You don’t need to be a Fortune 500 company to offer quality benefits. With Unum, small businesses can:

✔️ Offer life and disability insurance with ease
✔️ Support employee well-being with built-in tools
✔️ Compete with larger companies on talent and retention
✔️ Grow confidently — without administrative stress

👉 If you’re ready to give your team real protection and support, Unum is the partner that makes it simple.