Employee Benefits

Employee benefits are a tool used by businesses to attract potential applicants, improve employee satisfaction, reduce turnover and maintain competition. Benefits that most employers offer include, but are not limited to, medical and dental coverage, time away from work, retirement, and additional assistance during life changing events. The majority of employers in the United States offer benefits to their employees and include an annual enrollment yearly to select benefits and make any needed changes.

Most view medical and dental coverage as the most important option within their benefits package. Medical coverage usually includes doctors visits, prescriptions, dental and eye care. Medical coverage allows an employee to visit a doctor covered under their health care package at an extremely discounted rate. A regular doctor's visit usually is around fifteen dollars and a specialist is slightly more ranging from twenty-five to thirty dollars under the plan. Employees also have a set rate for prescriptions included in the plan as well, prescription prices can range based on the type of drug and decreasing in price if a generic version is offered. Dental coverage consists of discounted trips to the dentist and a price tag amount for additional issues such as braces and more extensive procedures. Coverage for eye care varies for most companies; it usually covers one eye exam a year along with a credit for lenses and frames once a year. An employee will select a health care plan that fit their needs and cover what they believe will be needed for the upcoming year. (Sprint 2005)

Time away from work can be grouped into several cat...

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... with other issues as they arise. Benefit options increase employee satisfaction in the workplace and contribute to a happy work environment. The majority of businesses offer some type of a benefit package, hopefully employee benefits will continue to improve and change along with the times.

Bohlander, G and Snell, S. (2004). Managing Human Resourses pgs 462-492. Mason, . . OH: Thomson South-Western.

Sprint/Nextel Annual Enrollment Packet for 2006 (2005) Annual Enrollment. Kansas . . City, MO. Sprint

Personnel Policy Services, Inc.(2005) Ppspublishers.com. Navigating the FMLA and . . Workers' Compensation Maze: A guide for Employers.

Kennon, Joshua. (2005) Beginersinvest.com. Investing for Beginners: Begin providing . . . for your future. New York Times Company