August 17, 2011 at 6:03 am
Surprised to be the first to respond. THought this one would generate a lot of replies.
Where I work, the health care plan keeps getting modified - never seems to change much. But you get the feeling that they are nibbling at your benefits.
What has happened is a loss of some of the little things I used to take for granted - we have to empty our own garbage from our cubes - no more night janitor. And we're making money with more business than we can handle.
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August 17, 2011 at 6:23 am
It was bound to happen, when things are tight, the squeeze is passed down, the folks at the top of the food chain are going to look out for their best interests (and the interest of their share holders, sort of). Just like fully funded retirement benefits, health benefits will go the way of the dinosaur. When the pool of workers is high, the incentive to pay well is nonexistent. So look for worse working conditions, more hours, less pay, and soon no benefits. I see it in my job, my wifes's, and my children (who just graduated college, which I doubt was worth the cost). With the full out onslaught against unions they will soon have no power either, then you will see a return to the early 1900's with a very few people having all the wealth and everyone else working in sweat shops. In the US the middle class is on life support and slowly slipping into poverty while most of the social safety nets are disappearing.
Oops, sorry, slipped into politics there at the end, and before I get flamed, let me say I'm disgusted with both political parties in the US, the democrats are Wimps and Winers who won't step up and lead for fear of offending someone, and the republicans are holier than though hypocrites who want the government out of their lives, but really like to tell the rest of us how to live ours.
August 17, 2011 at 6:42 am
You're 100% correct Steve. I saw my 2% raise get swallowed up by the increase in health care...and the kicker is my net pay is now less than what I made last year. I've been working full time since 1980 in high tech and this is the first time in my life I'm actually making less than the year before! (psst! Should I be looking for another job.)
August 17, 2011 at 6:43 am
-=JLK=- (8/17/2011)
It was bound to happen, when things are tight, the squeeze is passed down, the folks at the top of the food chain are going to look out for their best interests (and the interest of their share holders, sort of). Just like fully funded retirement benefits, health benefits will go the way of the dinosaur. When the pool of workers is high, the incentive to pay well is nonexistent. So look for worse working conditions, more hours, less pay, and soon no benefits. I see it in my job, my wifes's, and my children (who just graduated college, which I doubt was worth the cost). With the full out onslaught against unions they will soon have no power either, then you will see a return to the early 1900's with a very few people having all the wealth and everyone else working in sweat shops. In the US the middle class is on life support and slowly slipping into poverty while most of the social safety nets are disappearing.Oops, sorry, slipped into politics there at the end, and before I get flamed, let me say I'm disgusted with both political parties in the US, the democrats are Wimps and Winers who won't step up and lead for fear of offending someone, and the republicans are holier than though hypocrites who want the government out of their lives, but really like to tell the rest of us how to live ours.
FWIW, "no benefits" will not be an option for employers if the Affordable Care Act lives to see it's implementation. (well, ok, small employers can still opt out, but not the majority)
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"stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."
August 17, 2011 at 6:49 am
Interesting editorial and certainly something we all need to consider. I honestly don't care that much about getting health care benefits from my employer anymore, which is good since I don't, as it really doesn't save you that much money anymore. I'd just assume get a little more salary and have to totally finance my own healthcare. An HDHP + HSA isn't a bad deal right now.
The benefits I'm concerned with are:
Generous vacation/sick time
Training
Disability Insurance
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August 17, 2011 at 7:41 am
The way I look at it, I would rather have bennies trimmed then my job. I can only demand what the market will bear.
August 17, 2011 at 8:43 am
Good topic! And like Thomas, I'm surprised this hasn't generated more response. It is certainly true of my situation. Of course the healthcare costs at the university where I work have gone up, as they have for most people. That doesn't surprise me. What has me really concerned is the rest of the benefits. Back when I accepted this position I understood that I would make less than someone in the private sector, but it was the other benefits which sold me on the job all those years ago. However, the last couple of years all of my fellow staff members and I have seen important benefits revoked or reduced. I wish I could say more, but I had better not.
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August 17, 2011 at 9:08 am
With the comments about health care in the US it makes me glad that in the UK we still have a largely free health care system.
Here too in the UK in many organisations 'benefits' are being squeezed as companies look at the overall costs. Though sometimes this is common sense - take the use of phones and petrol / travel allowances. These benefits have often been abused in the 'good' times so it is perhaps good that these are challenged. I would rather have a 'secure' job with reduced benefits than have lots of benefits and an increased risk of being forced to seek work due to redundancy. Might have felt different when I was younger - however a mortgage and three kids has given me a different perspective.
August 17, 2011 at 9:09 am
Considering how much worse healthcare benefits have gotten at my job, I would rather have them cut than my salary. Then if I needed to purchase my own healthcare, at least I could afford it (maybe?...hopefully...).
August 17, 2011 at 9:17 am
Steve missed one other important trend - conversion of Vacation and Sick Leave to PTO (Paid Time Off) with a "use-it-or-lose-it" clause. Then the company doesn't want you to take time off because of the work load. So you end up losing the benefit unless you put your foot down and take it anyway (uh, I mean you negotiate your leave time with the employer). This type of policy helps the company's bottom line, since they're not carrying excess employee time off (which most companies have to pay you for if you leave, so it's a negative on the books).
At least with that one, you have some options - like taking your vacation! It does motivate you to use it...:w00t:
As for casual dress and telecommuting, the first costs NOTHING to the company, and saves the employee money. The second SAVES the company money (if set up properly) and saves the employee money. Any company doing away with the former is foolish in my opinion. A company doing away with the latter is either foolish, or has poorly performing managers - most employees are personally motivated to work hard, and in my company the ones who know they'd be distracted at home choose not to telecommute, so don't try to blame it on lazy employees! (Full Disclosure: I'm a highly motivated telecommuter who dresses casual :cool:)
Health care is expensive, as we all know. Many other "intangible" benefits are not - things like saying "great job", or having a summer bar-b-que in the parking lot, or planning a potluck lunch to raise money for a local charity. These are a lot less costly than having to train new employees, not to mention losing loads of business knowledge, when your employees start looking for something better - and find it. There are so many free or inexpensive "benefits" such as these that I'm always amazed to hear there are employers out there who seem oblivious to them.
Steph Brown
August 17, 2011 at 9:29 am
Apparently, corporations are sitting on a hoard of trillions of dollars that they are afraid to spend (or don't know how to spend).
And yet they still cut back, lay people off.
August 17, 2011 at 9:31 am
I haven't had a raise in 4 years. Our company is just hitting break-even now, so I don't mind, but I was hoping for more stock options.
That said, my salary is good, and my benefits are great, so I'm pretty happy.
August 17, 2011 at 9:50 am
Kenneth Wymore (8/17/2011)
Considering how much worse healthcare benefits have gotten at my job, I would rather have them cut than my salary. Then if I needed to purchase my own healthcare, at least I could afford it (maybe?...hopefully...).
I totally disagree. Employers have much more purchasing power, get better rates and pay a larger portion of employee benefits than do individual employees.
Cutting salaries hurts more immediately, cutting benefits is more costly.
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"stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."
August 17, 2011 at 9:55 am
This is what I have experienced in the last 3 years –
Paid holidays reduced from 10 to 6.
Medical plan reduced from a ‘Cadillac’ plan to a ‘Ford’ plan.
401K match reduced to 0%.
Note the theme here: reduce, reduce, reduce. And they wonder why employee morale is reducing as well.
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