Survey: Employers cutting benefit costs - The Business Review (Albany):

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“The responses indicate that as employers develop benefit plan s for 2010 they are looking for ways to reducdebenefit costs, without further reducing said Marianne Fazen, executive director of the association. many responded that they plan to increas theirwellness programs.” • Thirty-five percent of employerxs responded that they plan to increase thei r wellness programs. • Companies identified as its two biggest concerns limited benefits and limited merit budget andbonuws pools. About 68% of companies are concerned or very concerned aboug limited merit budget andbonus pools, and abour 53% are concerned about limited benefits budgets.
• To weather the economix downturn, almost half of respondents are auditinf or planning to audit their dependent eligibility in ordetr to reduce the number of individuals And 41% plan to increase employee costas of benefit plans, whilse more than one-third have reduced or are planning to reduce • About 89% of employers believe that workers will responx to the economic downturn by delaying retirement. 83% of employers say theie workers are concerned abougjob security, and 42% think theit employees have been impacted by low morale.
The survey was submitteed to the association's employer memberds and facilitated by in The association's 900-plus members represent a broade cross-section of benefits professionals in Texas, Louisiana. Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas, but are not limitedx to those states.