Employee benefits are perhaps one of the biggest draws for full-time employment opportunities. While part-time employment abounds, many people choose to keep looking for full time options, in the hopes of getting the benefits that full time employment offers. Employee benefits offer the chance for health care insurance (that may or may not include vision or dental), potentially starting a 401K, vacation and sick time, and paid leave in the case of emergencies. It may let individuals feel more stable and secure in their job and in some cases, really good benefits can even entice job hunters who were initially looking for a job with a higher salary. For the employer, keeping track of employee benefits can often be a nightmare, especially if jobs have a high turnover rate. Using a benefits administration software provider can be a godsend for jobs like this!
I Guess Benefits Are Nice, But They’re No Bigger Salary….
No, they’re not. But in some ways, they are adding some money back into your life, even though you may not physically be able to see it. If you have health insurance, the chances are good that you’ll pay significantly less money when you visit the doctor, optometrist, or dentist than you would without health insurance. Your company helps offset the cost of insurance, and in some cases, may even cover it entirely. Got a 401K plan? That’s money in your bank account for when you retire. Need to take a sick day or want to go on vacation? Your job is still paying you for that time you weren’t on the job. So while you may not be getting paid more, you are saving money in other ways.
What Does the Government Have to Say About All This?
The government even thinks employee benefits are a big deal and works to protect employees. For example, FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) dictates that workers can take twelve weeks out of a year (unpaid) if they have a child, need to care for their spouse or immediate family, or for a serious medical condition, with job protection. That means that while they take that time, their employer can’t replace them permanently — they’ll still have a job when they come back, even if they’re not being paid while they’re away. There are other laws that protect patients and the Affordable Care Act actually mandates that organizations offer health benefits to employees, if their number of employees adds up to 50 full time employees.
What’s the Deal With a Benefits Administration Software Provider?
If you’re wondering what a benefits administration software provider even is in the first place, don’t worry. It’s not as complicated as it sounds! It’s essentially human resources software that lets you manage employee benefits all in one place. It can take care of payroll, benefits, open enrollment periods, compliance, and more, depending on the type of package you get. It’s an administration system designed to make your life and that of your employees way easier. Often, employees will have access to a portal where they can see their benefits information listed and their contributions to their benefits. It’ll be easier for you to stop fielding questions about where to find relevant information and manage the whole company’s benefits in general!
Using a benefits administration software provider will also make your life easier if you have seasonal positions or jobs with high turnover rates (think entry-level). The benefits management software will help streamline that whole process and is usually pretty simple to use. And even if you should run into problems, they have plenty of experts available for you to speak with who can walk you through your issue until it’s solved! For the money you spend, you’re sure to save that in labor and time!
If you’re feeling crazed and frustrated about how much time you’ve been pouring into managing benefits, consider trying out some benefits administration software. Some software even offers trial runs so you can see how you like the program. Make your life easier and your employees happy with easy to access employee benefits on a employee benefits software program!