Chapter 2. A Productive Workforce

Figure 2-9. Growth in access to specialized benefit programs in the private sector, 1999-2007

SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey.

NOTE: Small changes may not be statistically significant.

• Workers are gaining access to an increasingly diverse set of specialized benefit programs. Because workers are most productive when they are healthy, employers have become more conscious about keeping workers in better physical and emotional health. Between 1999 and 2007, access to wellness programs increased from 17 percent to 25 percent. These programs include smoking cessation, weight control, nutrition education, hypertension testing and stress management classes.
   
• Employee-assistance programs, which provide workers referral and counseling services in areas such as substance abuse, financial issues, legal problems, emotional problems and marital difficulties, have also grown in popularity, with access increasing from 33 percent to 42 percent. Access to employer-provided fitness centers increased from 9 percent to 13 percent during this period, while access to long-term care insurance doubled from 6 percent to 12 percent.
   
• Employers know that education pays, and nearly half of private sector employers made work-related education benefits available in 2006, up from 41 percent in 1999.

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