Most important workplace benefits

What benefits do employees consider most important? The Glassdoor Quarterly Employment Confidence Survey recently ranked what workplace benefits are the most important to employees. The majority of respondents (76 percent) said medical coverage was the most imporant employee benefit. Meanwhile, about 1 in 5 employees (21 percent) said office perks (such as free food and drink, casual dress, or a pet-friendly office) are important workplace benefits. “In today’s environment of greater workplace transparency – combined with employees’ growing sense of confidence about the state of the job market – job seekers will be looking for companies that communicate clearly about the future of the business, the path for career advancement, and their benefit needs,’’ said Rusty Rueff, Glassdoor career and workplace expert, who ran the global HR departments at Electronic Arts and PepsiCo before co-authoring “Talent Force: A New Manifesto for the Human Side of Business.’’ “We are living in a new normal in this post-recession era in which employees and job seekers no longer hope to get better information about career opportunities, they rightfully expect it to be available.’’Glassdoor also found:● 1 in 3 (31 percent) employees do not believe their benefits are better than those offered at competitor companies. ● 28 percent do not agree their company does a good job explaining benefits● Prior to the US government’s decision to postpone the employer mandate, a key provision of the Affordable Care Act, until 2015, only 30% of employees reported their company had done a good job explaining how the health care law could affect their benefits

Medical plan/Coverage

Importance to survey respondents: 76 %Prior to the US government’s decision to postpone the employer mandate, a key provision of the Affordable Care Act, until 2015, only 30% of employees reported their company had done a good job explaining how the health care law could affect their benefits

Vacation/holidays/sick time

Importance to survey respondents: 72 %

401(k)/retirement/pension

Importance to survey respondents: 62 %

Dental plan/coverage

Importance to survey respondents: 60 %

Employee development/training

Importance to survey respondents: 27 %

Wellness programs

Importance to survey respondents: 26 %

Employee discounts

Importance to survey respondents: 26 %

Tuition reimbursement

Importance to survey respondents: 23 %

Office perks (including free food & drink, casual dress, and a pet-friendly office)

Importance to survey respondents: 21 %