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Benefits, Safety, and Health Summary

Patricia Miller

University of Phoenix

HRM 425

Benefits, Safety, and Health

Instructor: Bonnie G. Siebenaler, PHR

January 31, 2007

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Benefits are indirect financial payments given to employees. It includes health and life

insurance, leave, superannuation, education plans and discounts on companys products. At least

some benefits are offered by all companies to their employees. Some common types of leave

entitlements available to employees are; - annual and public holidays, sick leave, parental leave,

jury service leave, leave for defense and force service. Many companies provide service benefits to

their employees which include legal services, counseling, and social and recreational opportunities.

All these services improve the quality of employees worklife and life outside work (Human

Resource Management, by Dessler, Griffiths, Lloyd-Walker, Williams, p.615-21 2006). All these

benefits and services motivate the work force to improve productivity and thus strive willing for

the goals of the organization.

Organizational health and safety involves injury and disease caused by work, or by

combinations of work and non-work activity, or involves the effects on injury and disease not

caused by work having implications for the work place. Human resource management emphasis on

the hazards rather then ruling fine lines between the consequences of those hazards. Therefore by

concentrating on health and safety it ensures a better work environment which helps employees fell

safe and perform better which helps the organization to prosper.

There are different types of insurance benefits. Retirement and Savings Plans Life

Insurance and Death Benefits Medical Coverage Paid Vacations and Holidays Sick Leave

Personnel Time/Flex Time Parental Leave Discounts Child care Employee Assistance Programs

Most companies have some type of retirement plan set up. It could be in the form of a savings

plan, 401k, pension plan or whatever they call it.

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There are two category types of pension plans. They are 1) contributions from the

employer and 2) amount of pension benefits to be paid. Under these different types there are four

different types of plans. They are: Contributory Plan- A pension plan where contributions are made

jointly by employees and employers Noncontributory Plan- A pension plan where contributions are

made solely by the employer Defined-Benefit Plan- A pension plan in which the amount on

employee is to receive upon retirement is specifically set forth Defined-Contribution Plan- A

pension plan that establishes the basis on which an employer will contribute to the pension fund2.

A spinoff of the pension plan is the 401k plan, which is named after the section in the Internal

Revenue Code (2006).

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA has implemented a

guideline for hearing protection in workplace environments. The OSHA guideline 1910.95 (2006)

states in short that, employers are required to administer a continuing, effective hearing

conservation program whenever the employee noise exposures equal or exceed an 8 hour time

weighted average sound level of 85 decibels, and the employer must notify each employee that

they are exposed.

In order to comply with OSHA 1910.95, (2006) employers should develop an effective

hearing conservation program; and, in doing so there are several elements that need to be included

in a comprehensive hearing conservation program. For example, pre-placement hearing threshold

tests should be taken by all employees, not just those that work in noisy areas. This establishes a

baseline hearing threshold for each employee for future comparison. Pre-placement hearing tests

are essential if a company wants to protect itself from liability for preexisting hearing loss that may

have occurred elsewhere.

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Corporations are beginning to turn to the use of creative benefits to help them retain their

valued employees and having these benefits will keep the employees focused on their jobs. While

there are no magic formulas to retain your employees and keep them productive, there are some

specific approaches, cost effective resources, and very simple things you can do to improve things

in your company, such as Concierge Services, Back-up Child Care Services, College Admission

Support, Assisted Care for Pets, Make it Fun, Wellness Programs, and Flexibility.

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References

Human Resource Management, by Dessler, Griffiths, Lloyd-Walker, Williams, p.615-21 2006.

Retrieved January 28, 2007 from http://www.cbia.com/hr

IRS. Retrieved January 28, 2007 from http://www.irs.gov

http://www.cbia.com/hrhttp://www.irs.gov/http://www.cbia.com/hrhttp://www.irs.gov/