The share of employee
compensation going to health benefits has risen substantially, while the share
for wages has fallen, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a Menlo
Park-headquartered nonprofit health policy organization. Kaiser’s Health Care
Costs Snapshot report, “Wages and Benefits: A Long-Term View,” explains that health
insurance premiums rose 78 percent between 2001 and 2007, while workers’
earnings increased only 19 percent. At the same time, “employer payments or health
benefits have increased as a share of total employee compensation in each
decade”—from an average of 1.4 percent in the 1960s to 7.2 percent in 2006. The
Kaiser report concludes that healthcare expenses aren’t only a burden on people
“directly when they use medical goods and services” but also “affect families’ well-being
by slowing the increase in their paychecks.”
The HR Management & Compliance Report: How To Comply with California Wage & Hour Law, explains everything you need to know to stay in compliance with the state’s complex and ever-changing rules, laws, and regulations in this area. Coverage on bonuses, meal and rest breaks, overtime, alternative workweeks, final paychecks, and more.