america's dynamic workforce: 2008 |
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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