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PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS.
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Essay Subject:
Retirement program options, health & long-term care provisions, innovations (life-balance benefits, incentives), examples.... More...
6 Pages / 1350 Words
3 sources, 14 Citations, APA Format
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Paper Abstract:
Retirement program options, health & long-term care provisions, innovations (life-balance benefits, incentives), examples.

Paper Introduction:
Introduction Compensation and benefits are two of the major considerations that potential employees take into account when they decide whether to accept employment, or how long to stay with a particular employer. Recent years have seen considerable changes in this area, with changes in benefit structures, how benefits are implemented, and areas of concern for employees. This research considers the area of benefits for public sector employees. Benefit Trends In today's highly competitive employment environment, there are some trends which are emerging as being critical in the area of employee benefits. The first of these is increasing employee responsibility for their own retirement. As employees change jobs more frequently, they

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397-4 6. 47). (1995, September). Despite this, the availability and types ofbenefits provided are perceived by employees to be an importantconsideration with regard to accepting and staying at a particular job. 4 ). There is also a growing trend toward employees accessing their long-term benefits for consumer goods; in the private sector, this includesaccess to 4 1(k) funds, but many public sector programs also have a loanprovision. Grund, J. 43-48. Thebenefits package that a public sector employer has in place needs to becompetitive with private sector employers in the same region if the publicsector employer is going to be able to attract and retain high-qualitypersonnel. Pacific Northwest Federal Credit Union uses incentive programs, butthey are based on teamwork rather than on rewarding individuals. Theindividual approach was initially implemented, but the company found, asdid PacifiCare, that the wrong behavior was being rewarded. Working in paradise. 17-19. Outside vendors (outsourcing) is also becoming more common among bothsmall and large companies, with the result that there are increasingnumbers of specialists in the field. R. The importance ofselected benefits to employees depends on how likely those employees are totake advantage of those benefits. These benefitsinclude on-site banking and dry cleaning and flextime programs designed toenhance the quality of life for employees. 43).Employees are also being confronted with an increasing number of choiceswith regard to their benefits. J., Bergmann, M. This means that organizations and their benefitproviders need to provide better access to account information. References Bergmann, T. However, public sector organizations needto be aware of the public perception that such benefits can offer the wrongpublic perception in an era when there is increased calls for lessgovernment and increased efficiency within the government sector. 46). Benefit Trends In today's highly competitive employment environment, there are sometrends which are emerging as being critical in the area of employeebenefits. Howimportant are employee benefits to public sector employees. 18). 398). Such benefits are perceived to be short-term innature and to detract from the overall team building that the company wantsto achieve. Engen, J. Importance of Benefits to Public Employees After compensation, employee benefits are one of the primary reasonsthat employees are attracted to an organization (Bergmann, Bergmann, &Grahn, 1994, p. This can help contain costs while improving morale. This is true not only because benefits are a form ofcompensation in most cases, but also because it forms one of the reasonsthat employees are attracted to one organization over another. One of the outgrowths of offering increased choices to employees isthat those employees must be better educated before they can make gooddecisions with regard to those benefits. The result is a company which hasa high retention rate and which is recognized as a quality employer in thearea (Grund, 1994, p. 44). In some cases, employee educationtakes the form of a wellness program; in other cases, employees are offeredtraining in retirement planning (Engen, 1995, p. This oftentakes the form of 24-hour telephone access (Engen, 1995, p. These outsourcing services provideorganizations with access to highly trained personnel, including those whowork exclusively with public sector organizations (Engen, 1995, p. 47). 43). Here, the employees have agenerous benefits program that includes highly competitive salaries, butnot incentives or bonuses. While bonusprograms are not typically available to public sector employees, the lifebalance benefits that companies have implemented, including flextime, canbe offered to public servants. When designing benefits packages, personnel directors must keep inmind the benefit level and benefit structure. 44). As employees change jobs more frequently, they areincreasingly taking responsibility for their retirement through suchinstruments as 4 1(k) plans and similar programs (Engen, 1995, p. Business Journal-Portland, pp. (1994, Fall). As with Mentor Graphics, PacifiCare uses a combination of lifebalance benefits to achieve its goals, including on-site showers and a gymalong with flextime for working parents. Long-term care coverage is also becoming a popular benefit fororganizations to offer as the baby boomers age. Conclusion Putting together a comprehensive benefit program is not easy, but itis a critical task for personnel managers. Long-term care, such as anursing home, can be prohibitively expensive unless provisions are madeahead of time, and some employers are finding this an attractive way tomeet the needs of an aging population (Engen, 1995, p. While themasseuse, for example, is used by only a small number of employees, manyfind that it indicates that the company is committed to providing anenvironment where employees can (indeed, must) work hard, but where theyare respected and appreciated for doing so (Grund, 1994, p. 45).Consultants are also being called in because of the legal ramificationsassociated with benefits, including the problems that come with putting aretirement program into place. By doing so, the organization can avoid putting uselessbenefits into place, and employees can receive the full benefit of thepackage. 17). There are some costs (generallylow) associated with these benefits, but the employees have a betterfeeling toward their employer and may find that the convenience that thesebenefits offer is enough to maintain their loyalty to the organization(Engen, 1995, p. Employees at Mentorindicate that they do not stay at the company merely for the benefits, butthey feel that the benefits are indicative of the company's commitment toits employees, which is generally how benefits are interpreted. The first of these is increasing employee responsibility fortheir own retirement. L. PublicPersonnel Management, pp. Since all benefits have both direct and indirectadvantages as well as direct and indirect costs, it is critical that bothbe taken into account when a benefits package is defined. The structure is composed of the variousbenefits which can be offered at a particular cost (Bergmann, Bergmann, &Grahn, 1994, p. In this way, employees are able to selectthose benefits which have meaning to them, but which are of less value toother individuals who face different personal circumstances (Engen, 1995,p. Introduction Compensation and benefits are two of the major considerations thatpotential employees take into account when they decide whether to acceptemployment, or how long to stay with a particular employer. (1994, December 2). It is especiallyimportant that employees not have benefits taken away unless there issimply no other choice available to the organization. Inaddition, the company has umbrellas at entrances to buildings which areused by employees during the frequent rain to move from one building toanother, where they are left for other employees. Increasingly,employees are using their newfound knowledge to evaluate their own defined-contribution accounts. PacifiCare, a health maintenance organization, has a large facility inLake Oswego where its headquarters are located. It is also critical that the organization clearly explain the benefitspackages available to employees, and encourage employees to make full useof the package. Innovative Benefit Programs Mentor Graphics Corporation in Wilsonville, Oregon has an extensivebenefits program that includes traditional benefits (compensation,insurance) as well as "life-balance" benefits. 398). For example, military reserve pay ismost important to those employees who are in the military reserve, or whohave family members who are in the reserve. 1 trends in employee benefits.Corporate Report-Minnesota, pp. The level is limited by theproduct market so that costs are commensurate with other organizationsoffering the same benefits. 45). This means that employees will be less able to live in thestyle to which they would like when they do retire, placing an additionalburden on society as a whole (Engen, 1995, p. Employees also tend to overestimate the cost of benefits to employerswhen measured on a per-hour basis, but underestimate the cost when asked todo so on a per-year basis. Organizations are also turn to so-called "life balance" benefits whichare not directly related to retirement or insurance. The effect on moralecan be devastating, even for those employees who are not directly affected. The compensation packageincludes highly competitive salaries, on-site child care (used byapproximately 1 percent of the employees), health and wellness programs(including an on-site gym), extended family leave and on-site credit unionfacilities, photo finishing, hair stylist and massage therapist. A., & Grahn, J. This research considers the area of benefits for public sectoremployees. A solid program requires thatmanagers combine traditional benefits with life balance benefits to offer acompetitive and useful package to employees. Recent yearshave seen considerable changes in this area, with changes in benefitstructures, how benefits are implemented, and areas of concern foremployees. Overall, employees are acutely aware of the benefits provided by theiremployer, and the benefits to which they are entitled. Another consideration iswhether the benefit covers an expense which most households could alsoeasily cover, such as auto insurance or paid lunch hours (Bergmann,Bergmann, & Grahn, 1994, p. Having well-educated consultants availablecan help organizations avoid potential litigation down the road (Engen,1995, p.

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