Small employers are significantly more likely to offer work flexibility to
all or most employees than employers of other sizes, but large employers are
providing more benefits that have direct costs, according to a study by the
Families and Work Institute.
The study also found that small, mid-sized and large employers have largely
maintained or increased the overall work life assistance they provide to employees,
with cutbacks primarily requiring employees to pay a larger share of disability,
healthcare or retirement-benefit costs.
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Get Your Report Now!"We are seeing a workplace in transition, shifting from models that served
the needs of the 20th century to those that serve the needs of the 21st century--and
most of these changes that make work 'work' for employers and employees appear
to be here to stay," says Ellen Galinsky, president and co-founder of Families
and Work Institute.
According to the study, small employers, defined as organizations with 50 to
99 employees, tend to offer their employees greater flexibility, such as flextime,
returning to work gradually after childbirth or adoption, taking time off for
education or training to improve skills, or phasing into retirement.
Conversely, the study also found that large companies employing more than 1,000
workers tend to offer more direct-cost benefits, including 401(k) retirement
plans, on- or near-site or backup child care and Employee Assistance Programs.