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1.1: Employee Benefits - An Overview

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    118277
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    Definition: Employee Benefits

    • Employee Benefits are compensation other than hourly wage or salary

    Why Do We Have Employee Benefits?

    • Began as a form of social insurance during industrialization and the Great Depression
    • Retirement plans were the earliest benefit - begun in the late 1800s
    • Welfare practices described anything for the comfort of the employee and not required by law
    • Today, employees view benefits as entitlements.. Why do you think this is?

    Legal and Regulatory Benefits

    Legally required.png

    Legally required benefits act like a safety net for employees, providing workers and their families with retirement income and medical care. Two key laws:

    Social Security Act of 1935

    Addressed needed income for retired/older people, unemployment, and dependent children

    Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA)

    • Set minimum standard for most voluntarily established retirement and health plans in private industry
      • Provides protection for individuals in these plans
      • Learn more: ERISA website

    Discretionary benefits are voluntary benefits

    Discretionary Benefits

    Benefits provided by companies on a voluntary basis in order to attract and retain quality employees.

    Examples of discretionary benefits

    • Dental or vision care
    • Life insurance
    • Retirement programs
    • Holiday and vacation pay
    • Sick leave pay
    • Jury duty leave
    • Tuition assistance
    • Pet insurance

    Strategic Planning and Benefits

    Informations Sources to Consider in Strategic Planning

    • External Market Environment
      • Economic conditions and forecasts
      • Employer costs for compensations and benefits
        • benefits average 30% of total compensation costs
      • Government regulations of employee benefits
      • Changing demographics of the labor force
    • Internal Company Environment
      • Workforce demographics
      • Collective bargaining agreements

    NOTE: A PowerPoint is provided below for additional information


    1.1: Employee Benefits - An Overview is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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