Take-up of work-life benefits remains strong in US

WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Take-up of work-life benefits remains strong in US

One might have imagined that the startling array of work-life benefits that major US businesses were prepared to offer to seduce workers and their families would not survive the economic downturn. But new research by Hewitt Associates, a management consulting and outsourcing firm, suggests that many of these perks continued to proliferate in 2000, despite the adverse trading conditions.

The 1,020-company survey found that the more traditional benefits — most notably child care, elder care and flexitime — continued to grow. But there was a particularly rapid increase in the use of onsite personal services, education reimbursement programmes and group purchase discounts .

Work-life policies in US organisations

 

Per cent of respondents

Child care assistance

91%

Education reimbursement

78%

Flexible work options

73%

Flexitime

58%

Onsite personal services (most frequently — ATMs, banking services, travel services, dry cleaners)

57%

Elder care

49%

Part-time working

48%

Full-time casual dress

43%

Work at home

29%

Job sharing

28%

Compressed work week

21%

Sick/emergency child care

16%

Summer hours

12%


Source: Hewitt Associates

A final word

Th expansion of work-life benefits demonstrates that most companies are not viewing this ‘ dip’ in the economy as a chance to cut back on perks they offer their employees, but rather an opportunity to gain a competitive advantage in this continuing tight labour market. Employers must provide these benefits in order to attract and retain the best people. — Carol Sladek, work-life consultant, Hewitt Associates.

Want to know more?

To find out more about Hewitt Associates, jump to . . . www.hewitt.com

Take a look at a summary of the survey — see what you think . . . http://was.hewitt.com/hewitt/resource/newsroom/pressrel/2001/04-23-01.htm