Benefits or salary?

Let me start by being realistic. We all want to earn more money. But if that's not going to happen, we at least want some perks. I have just spent two intense months looking at benefits offered by large employers in South Florida. What I discovered is most want desperately to be called "One of the Best Places to Work" Earning that distinction doesn't always cost an employer much. It just requires some open-minded thinking.

We want perks that make our lives easier. And for the most part, companies are starting to react. Here are the four basic areas I address in my reports and the trends in those areas.

* HEALTH CARE --- Employers are desperate to find ways to cut their health care costs. That means making employees pay more of the costs, beefing up wellness and disease management programs. See article.

* RETIREMENT SAVINGS -- Traditional pension is going away. Employers here are offering 401Ks and they are generous with matching workers' contributions. See article.

* VACATION -- Don't expect employers to get more generous with vacation time. Instead they are creating Paid Time Off banks, which benefit workers who had let their sick time go unused. See article

* WORK/LIFE -- Lots of companies are piloting or considering formal flexible work arrangements. This benefit doesn't cost them any dollars and cents and creates good will. See article.

Here's a link to the charts we ran on line that shows how employers stacked up. The ability to work a flex schedule keeps me at my workplace. Let me know what benefits you think are most important.