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June 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Despite recent challenges to the economy, employers are managing to maintain a balance in employee benefits, according to the 2008 Employee Benefits Survey released today by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) at its 60th Annual Conference.

“Rising health care costs, combined with the state of the economy, are causing more employers to adjust health care and financial benefits,” said Susan R. Meisinger, SPHR, president and CEO of SHRM. “But in return, employers are offering other valuable but less costly benefits, such as telecommuting, cross-training for non-job-related skills development, and allowing employees to bring their children to the office in emergencies.”

Benefits that declined in 2008, such as health screening programs; stock options; paid family, adoption, paternity leave; and legal assistance, were balanced by benefits that have increased in popularity this year. They include allowing personal use of company-provided cell phones and communication devices; on-site vaccinations; fitness center membership reimbursement or subsidy; and Roth 401(k) savings plans.

The Employee Benefits Survey, published annually by SHRM since 1996, gathers information on the types of benefits that employers are offering in 10 benefits categories. This year’s survey, which documents 257 different benefits, reflects responses by 996 randomly selected members of SHRM.

Key findings in this year’s survey are below:

– As the modern definition of family changes, organizations are adjusting their benefits: 36 percent offer health care coverage for both same-sex partners and for dependent grandchildren. In addition, 30 percent offer health care benefits for foster children, and 15 percent give paid
adoption leave.

– Organizations recognize the importance of work/life balance. For instance, 62 percent pay for long-distance calls home during business travel; 37 percent offer a compressed work week; 24 percent offer such benefits as postal services, legal assistance, and food services or a subsidized cafeteria; and 5 percent offer concierge service.

– Organizations are helping employees improve their health. For example, 72 percent offer wellness resources and information; 40 percent offer smoking cessation programs; 31 percent offer weight-loss programs; and 21 percent offer bariatric procedure coverage.

Human resource professionals report that benefits costs to employers average 39 percent of payroll. Of those costs, 21 percent are attributed to mandatory benefits, and 18 percent to employee-selected benefits.

Colonial Life is the exclusive sponsor of the Society for Human Resource Management’s 2008 Employee Benefits Survey.

For more information please visit: http://www.shrm.org/surveys.

June 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — More than 40 percent of employees report they are very satisfied with their jobs, according to the 2008 Job Satisfaction survey report released today by the world’s largest human resources organization. Eight out of 10 employees report overall satisfaction.

The annual national survey of employees was released here at the 60th Annual Conference of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), attended by more than 13,000 HR professionals.

The percentage of very satisfied employees rose from 38 percent in 2007 to 41 percent this year. The figure has remained relatively consistent since SHRM first conducted this survey in 2002, with 30 percent responding very satisfied. The overall satisfaction score — 82 percent this year –
was 79 percent last year, and 77 percent in 2002.

In this year’s survey, female employees reported higher levels of job satisfaction than men, as did employees aged 56 and older, compared with those 35 and younger.

This year’s unstable economic climate is reflected in employees’ perceptions of job security (59 percent), where it was cited as the top aspect of satisfaction. Ranked in importance, it was followed by benefits, compensation, feeling safe in the workplace, communication between employees and senior management, and opportunities to use skills and abilities. These results were similar to last year’s findings.

“HR professionals help their organizations unleash the power of human capital,” said Susan R. Meisinger, SPHR, president and CEO of SHRM. “Therefore, as organizations prepare for a changing workforce, it’s critical that those professionals be aware of the issues that contribute to
employee motivation and satisfaction.”

One significant difference in this year’s findings was the decrease in the importance of “work/life balance” by employees, compared to 2002 and 2007. It reached its lowest average level in the history of the survey. Contrary to previous years, this aspect dropped out of the top five list for employees: 44 percent of employees reported that work/life balance is a very important aspect of job satisfaction, compared to 62 percent in 2002.

Key findings of the job satisfaction survey:

– For employees 35 and younger, compensation was the most important job satisfaction factor. For those over 35, job security was most important. And for employees 56 and older, job security was tied with feeling safe in the workplace.

– The size of the organization influences job satisfaction: employees of smaller organizations most often cited job security as very important, while those in larger companies perceived benefits as very important.

– The top-five ranking of “opportunities to use skills and abilities” reflects the higher priority that employee development must have in the near future, as organizations are facing expanding challenges in attracting, developing, motivating, and retaining top talent.

– As in past surveys, HR professionals predicted several aspects of job satisfaction to be more important to employees than was actually reported by employees. For instance, HR professionals typically place a higher priority on relational aspects, such as how an employee works with his or her immediate supervisor, and management recognition of employee job performance.

– The most common method of determining employee job satisfaction is through exit interviews, conducted when employees are leaving the organization.

The job satisfaction survey has been conducted annually by SHRM since 2002. This year’s survey results reflect the opinions of 601 employees and 685 HR professionals. A complete copy of the survey is available at http://www.shrm.org/surveys.

June 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Contrary to recent focus on the lack of workforce readiness among first-time employees, human resources professionals report that most workplace skills are of greater importance today for experienced workers than for new entrants to the workforce. However, no more than half of their organizations’ employees have participated in skills training — perhaps because they don’t think it meets their needs.

In Critical Skills Needs and Resources for the Changing Workforce, a poll released today by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in conjunction with WSJ.com/Careers, HR professionals say 20 out of 23 critical workplace skills are now more important for experienced employees than for new workers. Findings were announced here at the 60th Annual Conference of SHRM, the world’s largest human resources organization.

Workplace skills that HR professionals rated as more important on average for experienced employees than new workers include:

– Critical thinking/problem solving
– Leadership
– Professionalism/work ethic
– Teamwork/collaboration
– Adaptability/flexibility percent

On a related issue, the survey revealed a disconnect between what employers offer and what employees feel are the most effective professional development methods. Most commonly offered by employers are instructor-led workshops (83 percent), on-the-job training (82 percent) and continuing education courses (80 percent). But employees said the most effective formats were on-the-job training (69 percent) and coaching or mentoring (52 percent). University or college courses (43 percent) trailed the top three.

“Employers need to communicate with their employees to determine the most effective skills training for them,” said Susan R. Meisinger, SPHR, president and CEO of SHRM. “We need both sides to agree on the best way to remedy the current lack of competencies in the workforce, and to prepare the workplace for the upcoming labor shortage.”

Other notable study findings include:

– A school’s reputation affects HR professionals’ perception of employee skill levels. Almost two-thirds (62 percent) report that employees from the most well-regarded colleges or universities have higher skill levels than employees from other institutions.

– Only 31 percent of employees reported an increased preference for online tutorials and guided programs. In contrast, one-half of HR professionals report an increased use of online tutorials for skills training.

– Domestic employers were more likely to provide skills training to their employees (44 percent) than organizations with international locations (34 percent).

A complete copy of the survey is available at http://www.shrm.org/surveys.