Survey: Low Unemployment Means Better Benefits

The tight labor market has increased the percentage of companies that offer a variety of benefits designed to help employees better balance their work and personal lives. A survey released earlier this month by Hewitt Associates LLC, Lincolnshire, Ill., found, for example, that 31% of companies now offer adoption benefits compared with just 21% six years ago. In addition, the percentage of employers who offer elder-care assistance has virtually doubled from 24% to 47% in that same time frame. Almost three-quarters of surveyed employers (74%) now offer some form of flexible scheduling compared with 66% in 1994. In addition to traditional benefits, 52% of companies now offer on-site personal services such as ATM and banking services, travel services, dry cleaning, purchasing discounts, and concierge services.