For additional assistance on 

benefits, contact one of our 

information offices:

NATIONAL: WASHINGTON, DC

(202) 691-6199 TDD: (800) 877-8339

NCSinfo@bls.gov www.bls.gov/ebs

REGIONAL:

ATLANTA

(404) 893-4222

BOSTON

(617) 565-2327

CHICAGO

(312) 353-1880

DALLAS

(972) 850-4800

KANSAS CITY

(816) 285-7000

NEW YORK

(646) 264-3600

PHILADELPHIA

(215) 597-3282

SAN FRANCISCO

(415) 625-2270

BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

www.bls.gov/ebs 

GLOSSARY

The next Program Perspectives will feature defined-contribution 

plan types.

Access to a benefit plan. Employees are 

considered to have access to a benefit plan 

if it is available for their use. For example, 

any employee who is permitted to participate in a medical care plan offered by the 

employer is placed in a category with those 

having access to medical care, regardless of 

whether the employee chooses to participate in the plan.

Paid sick leave. Sick leave provides all 

or part of an employee’s earnings if the 

employee is unable to work because of a 

non-work-related illness or injury. Sick 

leave typically is provided on a per-year 

basis, usually expressed in days, and is 

never insured.

Short-term disability. Also known as 

sickness and accident insurance, shortterm disability plans provide full, partial, 

or a combination of full and partial pay to 

employees who are unable to work because 

of a non-work-related accident or illness. 

Short-term disability benefits usually are 

paid for a fixed number of weeks. The 

benefit payment is either a percentage of 

an employee’s earnings or a fixed dollar 

amount.

Long-term disability. Long-term disability 

(LTD) provides cash payments to disabled 

employees who are unable to work for 

an extended period due to an illness or 

accident. Payments usually begin upon 

the expiration of the employees’ paid sick 

leave or short-term disability benefits, or 

after a predetermined period of disability 

(generally 3 or 6 months). LTD payments 

are made until the end of the disability, the 

employee’s retirement age, or for a specified number of months, depending upon the 

employee’s age at the time of the disability.

Retirement plan. Either a defined-benefit 

or defined-contribution plan. A definedbenefit plan provides employees with guaranteed retirement benefits that are based on 

a benefit formula. A defined-contribution 

plan specifies the level of employer contributions and places those contributions into 

individual employee accounts. 

TABLE 2

Relationship between short-term disability, longterm disability, and retirement, civilian workers, 

March 2010, in percent

Benefit status Percent offered 

long-term disability

Percent offered 

retirement

Offered short-term disability 59 86

Not offered short-term disability 18 59

long-term disability. As with 

short-term disability, workers on 

long-term disability generally do 

not get full pay. Unlike sick leave 

and short-term disability, workers 

on long-term disability are often 

removed from the payroll. Longterm disability is generally set 

up as an insurance plan against 

serious disability, rather than an 

income replacement for a temporary absence. 

For those who get a fixed 

percent of earnings while on 

long-term disability, the rate 

is most commonly 60 percent. 

Long-term disability lasts until the employee is able to work 

again or until Social Security or 

retirement benefits are available. 

Ninety-two percent of workers 

who are offered long-term disability are also offered a retirement plan. ●
2 PROGRAM PERSPECTIVES • FEBRUARY 2011 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 

from cover page►

CHART

Disability coverage by benefit type, median time period (if available), civilian 

workers, March 2010 

6 26 From 26 weeks to Retirement

Coverage days weeks covered retirement age age

Sick leave - median

duration at 1 year of

service; additional days

may be available from

unused carryover

Retirement - may begin at

onset of permanent

disability or at a specified

age, based on plan

provisions

Sick leave Short-term disability Long-term disability Retirement

Benefits designed to provide 

income during periods of disability work together in different 

ways. For example, some workers 

may have sick leave to cover short 

absences and short-term disability 

up to 6 months; other workers may 

have only one of these benefits but 

have coverage for the same length 

of time. Thus, both the number of 

plans and the extent of coverage 

must be considered when determining an employee’s overall income 

protection.

Data in this issue are from the 

National Compensation Survey: 

Employee Benefits in the United 

States, March 2010 (on the Internet 

at www.bls.gov/ebs/benefits/2010

and www.bls.gov/news.release/

pdf/ebs2.pdf). This survey produces comprehensive data on the 

incidence and provisions of selected 

employee-benefit plans. This issue 

contains some newly published 

National Compensation Survey 

data on combinations of benefits, 

the ability of employees to carry 

over sick leave days from one year 

to the next, and the percentage of 

employees who get full pay while 

on short-term disability. Statistical 

comparison statements cannot be 

made for the newly published data 

due to unavailable standard error 

estimates. 

Benefit combinations

Looking at benefits in combination reveals interesting patterns and 

relationships. Employers sometimes 

set up a package to allow continuous coverage of benefits by having 

payments from one benefit begin as 

benefits from another benefit end. 

For example, an employer may allow workers to use sick leave during 

the waiting period for short-term 

disability. Short-term disability 

often covers the waiting period until 
2 PROGRAM PERSPECTIVES • FEBRUARY 2011 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 

from cover page►

CHART

Disability coverage by benefit type, median time period (if available), civilian 

workers, March 2010 

6 26 From 26 weeks to Retirement

Coverage days weeks covered retirement age age

Sick leave - median

duration at 1 year of

service; additional days

may be available from

unused carryover

Retirement - may begin at

onset of permanent

disability or at a specified

age, based on plan

provisions

Sick leave Short-term disability Long-term disability Retirement

Benefits designed to provide 

income during periods of disability work together in different 

ways. For example, some workers 

may have sick leave to cover short 

absences and short-term disability 

up to 6 months; other workers may 

have only one of these benefits but 

have coverage for the same length 

of time. Thus, both the number of 

plans and the extent of coverage 

must be considered when determining an employee’s overall income 

protection.

Data in this issue are from the 

National Compensation Survey: 

Employee Benefits in the United 

States, March 2010 (on the Internet 

at www.bls.gov/ebs/benefits/2010

and www.bls.gov/news.release/

pdf/ebs2.pdf). This survey produces comprehensive data on the 

incidence and provisions of selected 

employee-benefit plans. This issue 

contains some newly published 

National Compensation Survey 

data on combinations of benefits, 

the ability of employees to carry 

over sick leave days from one year 

to the next, and the percentage of 

employees who get full pay while 

on short-term disability. Statistical 

comparison statements cannot be 

made for the newly published data 

due to unavailable standard error 

estimates. 

Benefit combinations

Looking at benefits in combination reveals interesting patterns and 

relationships. Employers sometimes 

set up a package to allow continuous coverage of benefits by having 

payments from one benefit begin as 

benefits from another benefit end. 

For example, an employer may allow workers to use sick leave during 

the waiting period for short-term 

disability. Short-term disability 

often covers the waiting period until 
For additional assistance on 

benefits, contact one of our 

information offices:

NATIONAL: WASHINGTON, DC

(202) 691-6199 TDD: (800) 877-8339

NCSinfo@bls.gov www.bls.gov/ebs

REGIONAL:

ATLANTA

(404) 893-4222

BOSTON

(617) 565-2327

CHICAGO

(312) 353-1880

DALLAS

(972) 850-4800

KANSAS CITY

(816) 285-7000

NEW YORK

(646) 264-3600

PHILADELPHIA

(215) 597-3282

SAN FRANCISCO

(415) 625-2270

BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

www.bls.gov/ebs 

GLOSSARY

The next Program Perspectives will feature defined-contribution 

plan types.

Access to a benefit plan. Employees are 

considered to have access to a benefit plan 

if it is available for their use. For example, 

any employee who is permitted to participate in a medical care plan offered by the 

employer is placed in a category with those 

having access to medical care, regardless of 

whether the employee chooses to participate in the plan.

Paid sick leave. Sick leave provides all 

or part of an employee’s earnings if the 

employee is unable to work because of a 

non-work-related illness or injury. Sick 

leave typically is provided on a per-year 

basis, usually expressed in days, and is 

never insured.

Short-term disability. Also known as 

sickness and accident insurance, shortterm disability plans provide full, partial, 

or a combination of full and partial pay to 

employees who are unable to work because 

of a non-work-related accident or illness. 

Short-term disability benefits usually are 

paid for a fixed number of weeks. The 

benefit payment is either a percentage of 

an employee’s earnings or a fixed dollar 

amount.

Long-term disability. Long-term disability 

(LTD) provides cash payments to disabled 

employees who are unable to work for 

an extended period due to an illness or 

accident. Payments usually begin upon 

the expiration of the employees’ paid sick 

leave or short-term disability benefits, or 

after a predetermined period of disability 

(generally 3 or 6 months). LTD payments 

are made until the end of the disability, the 

employee’s retirement age, or for a specified number of months, depending upon the 

employee’s age at the time of the disability.

Retirement plan. Either a defined-benefit 

or defined-contribution plan. A definedbenefit plan provides employees with guaranteed retirement benefits that are based on 

a benefit formula. A defined-contribution 

plan specifies the level of employer contributions and places those contributions into 

individual employee accounts. 

TABLE 2

Relationship between short-term disability, longterm disability, and retirement, civilian workers, 

March 2010, in percent

Benefit status Percent offered 

long-term disability

Percent offered 

retirement

Offered short-term disability 59 86

Not offered short-term disability 18 59

long-term disability. As with 

short-term disability, workers on 

long-term disability generally do 

not get full pay. Unlike sick leave 

and short-term disability, workers 

on long-term disability are often 

removed from the payroll. Longterm disability is generally set 

up as an insurance plan against 

serious disability, rather than an 

income replacement for a temporary absence. 

For those who get a fixed 

percent of earnings while on 

long-term disability, the rate 

is most commonly 60 percent. 

Long-term disability lasts until the employee is able to work 

again or until Social Security or 

retirement benefits are available. 

Ninety-two percent of workers 

who are offered long-term disability are also offered a retirement plan. ●