Nearly all workers receive employer-paid benefits in addition to wages and salaries. Standard employee benefits such as health, pension, and vacation and sick leave generally are not mentioned in the detailed occupational statements. Instead, the statements focus on unique benefits, if any. In addition to medical care, most employees also receive pensions, paid vacations and holidays, and life insurance. Some also receive stock options, profit sharing plans, savings plans, tuition assistance, discounts on merchandise, and expense accounts.
Benefits vary depending on where an employee works and whether they work full time or part time.
State and local government employees, for example, generally have a higher incidence of medical and dental care, life insurance, retirement plans, and different types of leave than workers in the private sector. Private sector employees, on the other hand, tend to have a higher incidence of holidays, vacations, and sickness and accident insurance. Workers employed in medium and large firms with 100 or more employees enjoy better benefits than workers in small firms with fewer than 100 workers. Medium and large firms generally provided more medical and dental, life insurance, and retirement benefits, as well as more unpaid maternity leave and long term disability insurance. Paid vacations and holidays, and medical care and life insurance were the only benefits available to the majority of workers in small firms.