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> Most benefits are unused and people prefer cash that they can spend on their own needs instead How did you come to this conclusion, and what do you mean by ‘
by melq 7y ago
> Most benefits are unused and people prefer cash that they can spend on their own needs instead
How did you come to this conclusion, and what do you mean by ‘unused’?
I‘m guessing you mean that a majority of people receiving health care benefits are healthy and thus don’t ‘use’ them enough that the amount of money spent on their health plans is larger than the amount they would spend out of pocket?
Even if that is true, that’s not really the point of insurance. Insurance exists to protect you against an eventuality that you don’t necessarily expect to occur, but would be catastrophic if it did. People don’t buy liability car insurance because they expect to cause a terrible accident and want to come out ahead financially. There is a value to being insured whether or not you have to actively take advantage of the plan.
- manigandham 7y agoJobs offer many benefits, of which healthcare is only one. Healthcare being used doesn't mean everything else is. Things like food, equipment, travel perks, gym memberships, etc. could instead be spent on bigger paychecks, especially if you're already moving towards remote work.
- melq 7y agoWhat food or equipment benefits exist for the average american remote worker? How much do you think is spent on the average worker’s ‘travel perks’ and gym memberships? The sum of the money spent on all non-healthcare benefits (aside from maybe 401k matching) is a drop in the bucket compared to healthcare premiums. I don’t think its unfair to assume that the only real benefit the average full time worker receives is their employers contribution to their health coverage. I don’t have any data to back this up, but I’m guessing the amount of people who even receive these extra benefits in the first place are a tiny minority of relatively highly paid workers.
- brewdad 7y agoOutside of the SV bubble or Fortune 500 HQ offices, these perks are basically non-existent. I don't know anyone who's employer pays for food beyond a pot of cheap coffee. We have a couple of local gyms that offer discounts to employees of certain companies but that's like $10/mo on an already overpriced gym.
- manigandham 7y agoThat's great then, there's nothing to worry about. My issue is when benefits are offered and unused, because it's a cost that the company could otherwise put towards paychecks.