Question: Employee benefits
A growing proportion of the compensation employees receive is not provided in the paycheck. Rather, it is paid in the form of benefits that employers increasingly must offer to compete in the labor market or to satisfy union demands or legal requirements. In order to emphasize that these benefits constitute a significant part of the compensation employees are paid; employers increasingly are using the term "total compensation." Different types of employee benefits entail different problems and costs.
Safety and health
Safety and health programs have continued to receive employer attention since the passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). For several reasons discussed in the text, employers have intensified their efforts to create safe work environments. Similarly, they have developed programs to reduce health hazards on the job. Many employees have instituted programs for building better health and for providing assistance to employees. They have developed stress-management programs to teach employees how to minimize the negative effects of job-related stress.
Question: Many organizations are concerned about the rising cost of employee benefits and question their value to the organization and to employees.
In your opinion, what benefits are of the greatest value to employees? To the organization? Why?
What can management do to increase the value to the organization of the benefits provided to employees?