War Moves: Fewer Employers Pay Their Guard and Reserve Employees Full Salary While on Military Leave – Compensation.BLR.com Reports
An unintended consequence of extended active duty tours in Iraq and Afghanistan is severely affecting employers – and the nation’s citizen soldiers. That's a key finding from Compensation.BLR.com's annual Survey of Employee Benefits, conducted in late 2004. The Business & Legal Reports salary data website surveyed more than 3,000 U.S. employers on benefit practices such as military leave and floating holidays.
Old Saybrook, CT (PRWEB) February 10, 2005 -- Employers’ military leave pay
policies for their National Guard or Reserve employees on active duty has
changed for the worse, at least as far as their employees are concerned. “The
changes in salary payments to active duty reservists and guard members represent
a landmark shift,” commented Susan Schoenfeld, BLR’s senior compensation editor.
“This unintended consequence of extended active duty tours in Iraq and
Afghanistan is severely affecting employers – and the nation’s citizen
soldiers.”
Compensation.BLR.com, where compensation professionals go for
reliable compensation data, conducted its annual Survey of Employee Benefits in
late 2004. The Business & Legal Reports salary data website surveyed more
than 3,000 U.S. employers on benefit practices such as military leave and
floating holidays.
In 2003, 33% of employers paid exempt employees their
full salary while on military leave; this is anticipated to drop to 15% in 2005.
Meanwhile, the number of employers who pay nothing to their active duty
employees has increased — from 31% in 2003 to an anticipated 50% in 2005. Many
companies are still willing to make up the difference between what employees
earn during military service and their normal wages (36% in 2003, declining
slightly to an estimated 34% in 2005).
Companies obviously feel that they
cannot continue their formerly generous policies and have had to cut back. But
Schoenfeld points out a consideration that savvy employers seem to be keeping in
mind. “As the employment market tightens, retaining these soldiers when they
return home will become increasingly important,” she said. “Smart employers will
improve retention by continuing to pay the difference between their military and
civilian salaries.”
Floating Holidays Starting to Sink
Only a few
years ago it seemed like floating holidays were going to replace
company-designated holidays. But BLR’s Employee Benefits Survey found that the
percentage of employers not offering floating holidays to their employees
increased from 51% in 2003 to an anticipated in 66% in 2005.
Executive
Summary
Employers may obtain a valuable Executive Summary of BLR’s 2005
Employee Benefits Survey at http://www.blr.com/82008500/WBP1267
Old Saybrook,
Conn.-based Business & Legal Reports, Inc. has published plain-English HR
and compensation compliance and training materials since 1977. Contact BLR:
800-727-5257 or e-mail protected from spam bots.
Contacts:
BLR: Susan Schoenfeld
e-mail
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860-510-0100 Ext 2182
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/2/prweb206539.htm