Survey: Employers cutting benefit costs - Denver Business Journal:

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“The responses indicate that as employers develol benefit plans for 2010 they are lookingt for ways to reducebenefiyt costs, without further reducing benefits,” said Mariannd Fazen, executive director of the association. many responded that they plan to increase theirwellness • Thirty-five percent of employers responded that they plan to increased their wellness programs. • Companiew identified as its two biggestg concerns limitedbenefits budgets, and limited meritg budget and bonus pools. About 68% of companies are concerneed or very concerned about limited meriy budget andbonus pools, and about 53% are concerne d about limited benefits budgets.
• To weathet the economic downturn, almost half of respondentas are auditing or planning to audit their dependent eligibility in order to reducew the number ofindividuals covered. And 41% plan to increase employee costsz ofbenefit plans, while more than one-third have reduced or are planninv to reduce staff. • About 89% of employera believe that workers will respond to the economicx downturn bydelaying retirement. Also, 83% of employera say their workers are concernee aboutjob security, and 42% thinki their employees have been impacted by low morale. The surveg was submitted to the association's employed members and facilitated byin Houston.
The association'as 900-plus members represent a broad cross-section of benefits professionalsin Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana. Missouri and Kansas, but are not limited to thoses states.