DIVERSITY IN WORKPLACE CAUSES RISE IN UNIQUE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS AND CHANGES IN CAFETERIA PLANS

Journal of Management and Marketing Research, Volume Two - May, 2009.

AUTHOR:
Gayle White

ABSTRACT:

Factors such as the rising numbers of immigrants, mergers or joint ventures with companies in other countries, the rising use of temps and contract workers, and the increasing globalization of business are a few of the forces making our workforce more diverse daily. With this growing diversity, companies must be constantly adjusting their cafeteria-style benefits programs if they are to motivate this variable group. Some of the groups to be targeted are employees from other cultures, same-sex couples, singles and unmarried, the older worker, and female executives. Other groups to be targeted are the health-conscious worker, the generation X’er, and the worker with family responsibilities. The array of benefits would range from ESL classes to employee sponsored schools. Job sharing, telecommuting, flexible scheduling, child-care flex spending accounts, EAP’s, paid family leave, on-site childcare, and numerous others would be included. This paper covers these diverse groups and the newer benefits being designed to recruit, retain, and motivate such employees. Cafeteria plans must be constantly modified if they are to be effective.

Keywords: workforce diversity, flexible benefits, flexible scheduling, globalization, contract workers.

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