More Workers Have Life Benefits: Feds

Policymakers have created a natural experiment in connection with paid leave: They are adopting paid sick leave mandates in many communities. They are not adopting paid vacation or paid holiday leave mandates.

The new BLS survey results suggest that access to paid sick leave may be increasing both because of the mandates and because of the strength of the job market.

Here’s what happened to access to paid leave benefits:

• Paid sick leave: Rose  to 74% in March, up from 72% a year earlier, and up from 68% two years earlier.
• Paid vacation days: Rose to 75%, up from 74% a year earlier, and up from 73% two years earlier.

Survey Background

The BLS is part of the U.S. Department of Labor.

The BLS survey reports do not distinguish clearly between employer-paid life insurance benefits and individual life insurance policies purchased through payroll deduction programs at the worksite. The life coverage figures may include some people covered through worksite programs and exclude others.

The BLS reports that come out in the summer are shorter versions of the survey reports that come out in the fall.

The new report includes data on health insurance benefits, life insurance benefits and paid leave, but not on some other benefits often included in the fall survey reports, such as long-term care insurance benefits.

In the past, the BLS has included retirement benefits figures in its summer reports. This year, BLS officials say, they will put the retirement benefits figures in a report that will come out Sept. 21.

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