Survey Reveals Shrinking Benefits for HR Workers

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey report has revealed some curious findings.  The organization surveyed 600 HR professionals to determine how the economy impacted their benefits.  The survey uncovered that seventy-seven percent of surveyed HR professionals said in 2011 that the economy weakened their benefits.

Among the benefits that have diminished since 2007 are some family-friendly benefits.  Workers looking for support in expanding their families through adoption or foster care are confronted by less aid from their employers.  They also find less resources to help them with elder care referral services.  HR professionals who need to bring their children to work are mostly out of luck.  These workers are six times as likely to be able to bring their pets to work.

HR professionals who want to move can no longer expect much help from their workplaces.  During the past five years, housing and relocation benefits experienced significant declines, including temporary relocation benefits (25 percent in 2011 vs. 42 percent in 2007) and location visit assistance (18 percent in 2011 compared with 40 percent in 2007).

With so many cuts in benefits, there is one thing that employers are willing to invest in.  Up from 16 percent in 2007, now 36 percent of HR workers can expect to have bariatric coverage for weight loss.