Woodworking Business

You are not logged in. [ Login ] Why log in
(NOTE: Login is not required to post)

Employee Benifits

1/1/18       
Wood Dust

Happy New Year everyone . I hope it’s prosperous for all.

I searched the database on here but didn’t really find a good thread discussing what employees in our field are receiving for benifits.

I know this will vary greatly by the size of a given shop . But I am curious what you all give to your guys and gals. In my case , were a relatively small shop. 8 full time employees . If I could afford to give them the same benifits as the corporate world gets I would . But it’s simply not feasible for me.

What I do offer is

-401k with profit share (we do not match )
- A good health plan where we cover 50% of the employee
-4 paid holidays
- Vacation days that cap out at 10 days
- Year end bonuses
- Also overtime pay for any travel time (while sitting in the van )

What do you offer your employees to keep the balance of keeping them happy and the business profitable ?

As you can imagine , this question is being raised because we have some asking for more vacation time and sick time .

Thank you everyone , happy new year !

1/1/18       #2: Employee Benifits ...
Alan F.

20 employees
401k, we match max % (this puts money in the owners pockets too so makes sense)
health we pay 100% of employee.
seed HSA plan every year, employee pays for better plans if they want.
disability that pays 65%
6 paid holidays, up to 2 weeks paid vacation based on length of employment.
year end gifts.
OT over 8hrs, or over 40hrs.
safety awards

1/2/18       #3: Employee Benifits ...
james e mcgrew Member

Website: mcgrewwoodwork.com

I want to hear more as well, Had a fellow come thru recently, he had overstated his qualifications a bit and at one month walked in and quit, said other shop had certain benefits and he needed to move on,, in his initial interview he did not need insurance as his wife had both covered, so i asked him to consider some differences in shop policies and check it out over the weekend, he came in monday and and done his homework and found he wanted to stay with Us, we let him go as he had initially quit without giving Us a chance, not sure what he was wanting but another good Vet walked in needing a good job.

1/2/18       #4: Employee Benifits ...
Alex

Be Careful.
Overtime pay and travel pay is not a benefit if it is required by law. It is compensation due.
Travel pay is sometimes required by law if it is not "commute".
(but Professionals already know this) :o)

1/2/18       #5: Employee Benifits ...
Rich Kuban Member

Website: http://closetexperts.com

Not an answer to the original question, but an idea that may prove useful. Employees generally think solely in terms of take home or hourly pay.

I used to provide an annual recap sheet to employees of total compensation and employee cost to the company. Included would be all benefits as well as employer contributions/profitsharing to 401Ks, employer paid FICA/Medicare, and worker's compensation. This is usually a real eyeopener for employees. You can also use it in comparison to revenues per employee.

My wife and I just discussed her 2017 job compensation by adding in employer 401K match and profit sharing and converting it to gross hourly compensation per actual hour worked. As a result, when also factoring dress code and travel time, she will bite her tongue and continue to be a good employee in 2018.

1/10/18       #6: Employee Benifits ...
David Waldmann Member

Website: vermonthardwoods.com

We start off by paying what I feel is a very good wage. That seems to be the "benefit" most employees appreciate the most. In addition:

For 12 employees:
- 2 paid sick days per year. These do not expire.
- 8 paid holidays per year.
- 1 week of vacation during the first and second year.
- 2 weeks vacation after 2 years.
- 3 weeks vacation after 10 years.
- 4 weeks vacation after 20 years.
(up to 5 days vacation can roll over to next year, all other unused expires)
- 2 days bereavement for immediate family members.
- Fixed contribution towards health insurance premiums, $310-928/month depending 1-2 person or family.
- SIMPLE IRA retirement plan - we match up to 3%.
- Safety shoe reimbursement, up to $125 per year.
- Shirts/sweatshirts, plus personalized jacket after 10 years.
- 20% discount off wholesale material prices (what we charge wholesale customers, not what we pay).
- Use of shop equipment for personal projects.
- Year end party, gifts, monthly lunch provided at staff meeting.
- Safe work environment and a great boss!

We also have a report that we generate at the end of the year that shows total compensation versus actual hours "worked" (not including those two fifteen minute breaks a day). That number is often an eye opener.


Post a Response
  • Notify me of responses to this thread
  • Subscribe to email updates on this Forum
  • To receive email notification of additions to this forum thread,
    enter your name and email address, and then click the
    "Keep Me Posted" button below.

    Please Note: If you have posted a message or response,
    do not submit this request ... you are already signed up
    to receive notification!

    Your Name:
    E-Mail Address:
    Enter the correct numbers into the field below:
     

    Date of your Birth:



    Return to top of page

    Buy & Sell Exchanges | Forums | Galleries | Site Map

    FORUM GUIDELINES: Please review the guidelines below before posting at WOODWEB's Interactive Message Boards (return to top)

  • WOODWEB is a professional industrial woodworking site. Hobbyist and homeowner woodworking questions are inappropriate.
  • Messages should be kept reasonably short and on topic, relating to the focus of the forum. Responses should relate to the original question.
  • A valid email return address must be included with each message.
  • Advertising is inappropriate. The only exceptions are the Classified Ads Exchange, Machinery Exchange, Lumber Exchange, and Job Opportunities and Services Exchange. When posting listings in these areas, review the posting instructions carefully.
  • Subject lines may be edited for length and clarity.
  • "Cross posting" is not permitted. Choose the best forum for your question, and post your question at one forum only.
  • Messages requesting private responses will be removed - Forums are designed to provide information and assistance for all of our visitors. Private response requests are appropriate at WOODWEB's Exchanges and Job Opportunities and Services.
  • Messages that accuse businesses or individuals of alleged negative actions or behavior are inappropriate since WOODWEB is unable to verify or substantiate the claims.
  • Posts with the intent of soliciting answers to surveys are not appropriate. Contact WOODWEB for more information on initiating a survey.
  • Excessive forum participation by an individual upsets the balance of a healthy forum atmosphere. Individuals who excessively post responses containing marginal content will be considered repeat forum abusers.
  • Responses that initiate or support inappropriate and off-topic discussion of general politics detract from the professional woodworking focus of WOODWEB, and will be removed.
  • Participants are encouraged to use their real name when posting. Intentionally using another persons name is prohibited, and posts of this nature will be removed at WOODWEB's discretion.
  • Comments, questions, or criticisms regarding Forum policies should be directed to WOODWEB's Systems Administrator
    (return to top).

    Carefully review your message before clicking on the "Send Message" button - you will not be able to revise the message once it has been sent.

    You will be notified of responses to the message(s) you posted via email. Be sure to enter your email address correctly.

    WOODWEB's forums are a highly regarded resource for professional woodworkers. Messages and responses that are crafted in a professional and civil manner strengthen this resource. Messages that do not reflect a professional tone reduce the value of our forums.

    Messages are inappropriate when their content: is deemed libelous in nature or is based on rumor, fails to meet basic standards of decorum, contains blatant advertising or inappropriate emphasis on self promotion (return to top).

    Libel:   Posts which defame an individual or organization, or employ a tone which can be viewed as malicious in nature. Words, pictures, or cartoons which expose a person or organization to public hatred, shame, disgrace, or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person or organization, are libelous.

    Improper Decorum:   Posts which are profane, inciting, disrespectful or uncivil in tone, or maliciously worded. This also includes the venting of unsubstantiated opinions. Such messages do little to illuminate a given topic, and often have the opposite effect. Constructive criticism is acceptable (return to top).

    Advertising:   The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not an advertising venue. Companies participating in a Forum discussion should provide specific answers to posted questions. WOODWEB suggests that businesses include an appropriately crafted signature in order to identify their company. A well meaning post that seems to be on-topic but contains a product reference may do your business more harm than good in the Forum environment. Forum users may perceive your references to specific products as unsolicited advertising (spam) and consciously avoid your web site or services. A well-crafted signature is an appropriate way to advertise your services that will not offend potential customers. Signatures should be limited to 4-6 lines, and may contain information that identifies the type of business you're in, your URL and email address (return to top).

    Repeated Forum Abuse: Forum participants who repeatedly fail to follow WOODWEB's Forum Guidelines may encounter difficulty when attempting to post messages.

    There are often situations when the original message asks for opinions: "What is the best widget for my type of shop?". To a certain extent, the person posting the message is responsible for including specific questions within the message. An open ended question (like the one above) invites responses that may read as sales pitches. WOODWEB suggests that companies responding to such a question provide detailed and substantive replies rather than responses that read as a one-sided product promotion. It has been WOODWEB's experience that substantive responses are held in higher regard by our readers (return to top).

    The staff of WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at WOODWEB's Message Boards. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB's Message Boards after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages it deems inappropriate. (return to top)


  • Forum Posting Help
    Your Name The name you enter in this field will be the name that appears with your post or response (return to form).
    Your Website Personal or business website links must point to the author's website. Inappropriate links will be removed without notice, and at WOODWEB's sole discretion. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    E-Mail Address Your e-mail address will not be publicly viewable. Forum participants will be able to contact you using a contact link (included with your post) that is substituted for your actual address. You must include a valid email address in this field. (return to form)
    Subject Subject may be edited for length and clarity. Subject lines should provide an indication of the content of your post. (return to form)
    Thread Related Link and Image Guidelines Thread Related Links posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should point to locations that provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    Thread Related File Uploads Thread Related Files posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. Video Files: acceptable video formats are: .MOV .AVI .WMV .MPEG .MPG .MP4 (Image Upload Tips)   If you encounter any difficulty when uploading video files, E-mail WOODWEB for assistance. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related File that contains inappropriate content will be removed, and uploaded files that are not directly related to the message thread will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links, files, or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)