Benefits February 13, 2007

Health Benefits for WA State Workers Drops Slightly in 2006

February 13, 2007 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The number of state of Washington employers offering health care to their full-time employees fell by a slight 0.7% in 2006, but was in some cases offset by higher wages, according to a recent survey.

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The dip from 67.1% in 2005 to 66.4% in 2006 was the second year in a row a decline was reported, following the 2004 figure of 67.8%, according to a statement released Monday about the survey of 8,386 employers.by the Washington Department of Employment Security.

The number of employers offering health benefits to their part-time workers also dropped from 15.1% in 2004 and 2005 to 14.2% in 2006. The number of employers offering these employee benefits was higher among higher salary industries.

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Other findings of the survey include:

  • 42% of employers offered a retirement plan to full-time employees, while 25% offered that benefit to part-time employees.
  • 74% of employers gave full-time employees paid vacation, 26% offered that benefit to part-time workers;
  • 71% of employers gave paid holiday leave to full-time workers, 29% offered that benefit to part-time workers;
  • 54% of employers offered health insurance to the dependents of full-time employees, 12% offered that benefit to the dependents of part-time employees; and
  • 46% of employers offered paid sick leave to full-time employees, while 18% offered that benefit to part-time employees.

The full results of the 2006 Washington State Employee Benefits Report arehere .

Benefits February 12, 2007

Survey: Workers Embrace Alternatives to Traditional Retirement

February 12, 2007 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - One quarter of Americans believe they will have a traditional retirement and 41% say they will continue working, but will work less hours, according to a recent survey by Adecco.
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The survey of 527 workers by the workforce solutions firm also found that 18% of respondents planned on retiring from their current career and trying something different and 12% predicted they will retire early, according to a press release on the survey.

“American workers want to contribute well into their older years, which not only enables them to continue earning a salary, but also helps companies maintain a high level of seasoned talent and institutional knowledge,” said Bernadette Kenny, senior vice president of Human Resources for Adecco North America, in the press release. “Companies who tap the older workforce will have a competitive advantage as the talent war continues to unfold,” as workers begin leaving the workforce over the next 15 years.

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The survey also looked at how workers viewed their career opportunities, with 85% of American workers saying their career options are “promising.” That number rose even higher for business owners and those in management positions.

Men reported being more optimistic (88%) than women (81%) about their career opportunities.

The results are based upon telephone interviews conducted January 12-15, 2007 with a representative sample of 527 employed adults who were identified in an ORC CARAVAN survey of a nationally representative sample of 1,022 adults age 18 and over (507 of whom are men and 515 are women).

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