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Employee benefits, beyond the paycheck

What benefits can include, what the BLS figures actually show, and how to read the fine print on your own plan.

Sal Moretti

By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter

4 min read

Employee benefits are compensation or perks provided alongside wages or salary. They can include health coverage, paid leave, retirement benefits and flexible work arrangements, according to benefits provider PeopleKeep.

A benefit listed in a job offer is only the opening line. Eligibility, employee costs, coverage rules and enrollment deadlines shape what it means in real life.

The main parts of a benefits package

Health and welfare benefits

Medical coverage is the best-known example. Employers may also offer dental, vision, life insurance and disability benefits.

Mental-health support, virtual care and wellness programs can also appear in a package. For health coverage, review premiums, deductibles, covered services and provider or network rules before choosing a plan.

Retirement benefits

Retirement benefits can include defined-contribution or defined-benefit plans. BLS tracks access to both types, while some employers also offer retirement-planning support.

Paid leave

Paid leave can include sick leave, vacation, holidays and personal leave. The labels and rules vary, so check how much time is available, who qualifies and how the employer's policy handles use of that time.

Work-life and financial supports

Optional extras may include flexible or remote work, commuter support, tuition reimbursement, student-loan assistance, employee discounts or pet insurance. Benefits-administration vendors Selerix and PeopleKeep list these among the options employers may offer.

How common are employee benefits?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics measures workers' access to and participation in employer-provided benefit plans through its National Compensation Survey. For civilian workers in 2025, BLS reported access to paid sick leave for 82%, paid holidays for 80%, paid vacation for 77% and defined-contribution retirement plans for 65%. Access to wellness programs was 48%.

Paid-leave access also differed by establishment size. At workplaces with 1 to 49 workers, BLS reported access of 36% for personal leave, 73% for sick leave, 71% for vacation and 73% for holidays. At establishments with 500 or more workers, the figures were 67%, 91%, 83% and 86%.

Access and participation are different measures

Access and participation are separate BLS measures. Access shows whether workers have a benefit available through their employer; participation records workers participating in the plan measured.

In 2025, BLS reported that 48% of civilian workers participated in medical care plans. That number is not a measure of access to every health benefit or of satisfaction with coverage.

A fast checklist before you enroll

  1. Confirm eligibility. Check your employment status, waiting period, eligible family members and the date coverage begins.
  2. Price the benefit. Identify payroll deductions, deductibles, copayments and other employee charges. For a retirement plan, read the contribution terms.
  3. Read the limits. For health coverage, review covered services, exclusions and provider or network rules. For leave, check the amount available and use rules.
  4. Mark the deadline. Find the enrollment window and the rules for changing elections later.
  5. Save the documents. Keep the plan summary, contact details and claims instructions somewhere easy to find.

If a benefit claim goes sideways

Keep the documents behind the decision and follow the plan's stated claims process. The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration provides resources on claims for health, disability and retirement benefits.

EBSA also offers information on COBRA continuation coverage after job loss, reduced hours or other qualifying events, along with resources on surprise billing, mental-health and substance-use-disorder parity, and employment-based group health plans.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between benefit access and participation?

BLS treats access and participation as separate measures in its National Compensation Survey. In 2025, it reported that 48% of civilian workers participated in medical care plans; that is not the same measure as access to a benefit.

Which employee benefits are most common in the United States?

For civilian workers in 2025, BLS reported access to paid sick leave for 82%, paid holidays for 80%, paid vacation for 77% and defined-contribution retirement plans for 65%. These are access figures, not measures of use or enrollment.

How does employer size affect access to paid leave?

BLS found different paid-leave access rates by establishment size in March 2025. At establishments with 1 to 49 workers, sick-leave access was 73% and vacation access was 71%. At establishments with 500 or more workers, the figures were 91% and 83%.

How do I file a claim for an employer benefit?

Follow the plan's claims instructions and retain the relevant plan documents and decision notices. The Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration provides resources on claims for health, disability and retirement benefits.

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