Chumly wrote:fishin wrote:Chumly wrote: To say that benefits are part of a tradition does not answer the germane query that being: what's the inherent logic behind employment benefits?
Do you really need that spelled out for you?
I think yes! Particularly within the context of my posted experience, but also as an argument of logic.....in its essence.
At one point in time (you could go back to the 1930s or so...) most people didn't have insurance - health or otherwise. If something happened you paid for it out of your own pocket. In North America there were no government health care systems either. You either paid it yourself or found some private charity to do so. And, of course, there was usually only one family member that was actually working so if they couldn't work the family went under...
These were the sorts of things those unions fought for back in their heyday. Initally they stared with things like a reasonable length to the work day, clean facilities, lunch breaks, etc... Then they moved on to the typical benefits package that most people have today.
Post-WWII when the economy picked up and employers were having a difficult time retaining employees they increased benefits packages to retain their better employees. In many cases employers offered the benefits as an incentive to their employees so that they wouldn't unionize. In the end pretty much every employer ended up offering benefits of some sort. (The bitch against unions here is that they have held up any changes to many of these even though it would benefit their own members to do so.)
As an element of logic it's pretty simple - you go looking for a job and you look at employer A, B and C. All 3 are interested in hiring you and they all offer you $15/hr to work for them with identical working conditions.
Employer A offers no benefits.
Employer B offers you medical, dental and vision insurance for you.
Employer C offers you medical, dental and vision insurance for you and any family members as well and short and long term disability insurance, reduced rate loans on home mortages and reimbursement for any college classes you take related to your job.
Which one would the average person go with?