Establishing Company Benefits

[Guest humanresources101]

Good morning. I am currently working for a start up 8(a) company that is based out of Alaska. We are presently looking into putting together some type of benefits package to provide to our employees and I was wondering if anyone could provide me with some guidance in this area. Our staff consists of less than 50 employees.

This is my first experience of working with an 8(a) start up and we are trying to explore companies similar to ours to learn what may be in our area of doable. We certainly value the employees we have and want to be able to provide some type of benefit without bankrupting our efforts. We are looking for something mutually beneficial. I would also be interested in hearing some suggestions about how a couple of small companies run their HR departments and if anyone has used or is using the People Soft HR program.

Any information provided would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Lucille.

[Guest nobletorch]

Good morning.  I am currently working for a start up 8(a) company that is based out of Alaska.  We are presently looking into putting together some type of benefits package to provide to our employees and I was wondering if anyone could provide me with some guidance in this area.  Our staff consists of less than 50 employees. 

This is my first experience of working with an 8(a) start up and we are trying to explore companies similar to ours to learn what may be in our area of doable.  We certainly value the employees we have and want to be able to provide some type of benefit without bankrupting our efforts.  We are looking for something mutually beneficial.  I would also be interested in hearing some suggestions about how a couple of small companies run their HR departments and if anyone has used or is using the People Soft HR program.

Any information provided would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you, Lucille.

Hello

It sounds like an exciting time for you. The first step would be to decide what size of budget (company contributions) you have available. You would then need to estimate the amount your employees could affort ( employee contributions). The next step would be to survey the employees to get some level of understanding about their expectations.

Remember when you say benefit programs -- most folks think of medical, dental, 401(k) etc. Even if your company cannot afford alot in these areas - think about other benefits you can offer. Flexible work scheduals, specialize training program -(ie. first-aid, cpr, computer classes on site, etc)

Once you have your list - contact insurance providers, etc to get quotes and compare plans.

Have fun