Using Your Benefits to Benefit You
When looking for a job, finding companies that offer good employee benefits is always at the top of the list.Half of all employees surveyed stated that part of the reason they stay with their current company is because of the benefits that they offer. We know we need health insurance, dental care and other obvious benefits. However, what about the less important such as paid sick time? Or bereavement leave? The last thing you want to be worried about when you are sick or grieving a lost loved one, is how you will pay your bills. Using the company’s benefits administration systems can help you find the answers the questions you may have regarding this.
Full time employees usually seem to get the better end of the deal when it comes to benefits. About 99% of full time workers have medical insurance available to them and 98% are eligible for sick leave. What about companies that offer benefits for part time employees? Did you know such a thing existed? It does! You just have to use the benefits administration system through the particular company’s HR department to find out.
As for taking leave, FMLA which stands for the Family and Medical Leave Act states that eligible employees must be allowed to take up to 12 weeks of job-protected, unpaid leave during any 12-month period in the event of the birth of a child, care of an immediate family member or spouse, or care for yourself for a serious medical condition. This is not something you sign up for your insurance etc in the employee benefits enrollment software but it is still a benefit you are entitled to, if you are eligible per the FMLA guidelines.
Most businesses, even small businesses have an HR that handles things such as the small business employee benefits packages. Yes, even small businesses are sometimes able to offer benefits. In fact, if the organization reaches over 50 employees not only are they able to offer benefits but they are required to by law, even if some of the employees are only part time.
Knowing what benefits are available to you is very important; whether you are a full time employee, part time, new or tenured employee. Know your rights and know your benefits so when the time comes, you can use the benefits administration system to your advantage to help you and benefit the company.
Now that you are better informed and thinking about this, what are some other ways you can be fully informed and knowledgeable about the benefits that you have access to? What can you do to ensure you have the benefits you need when you need them?
