No Benefits, No Thanks
In the age of an ill healthcare system can small business owners survive without offering health benefits? Small businesses have been hit hard by rising healthcare benefit costs, with more and more small business owners canceling their health benefit coverage for employees because of the added costs. SurePayroll conducted a survey of small businesses recently in the Midwest which outlined the disparaging numbers of small business that can’t afford to offer health benefits to employees.
In the face of rising health benefit costs to small businesses not only do business owners have to be concerned with employee benefit management but they now need to be concerned with vacant employment positions that they can’t fill. SurePayroll’s survey showed that of the 300 surveys sent back to them 1 in 5 small businesses could not recruit new employees because of inadequate health benefit coverage. Even in the face of a job offer, prospective applicants turned down job offers because there were no health benefits with the position.
Rising health benefit costs are now another hurdle that small business owners have to navigate to maintain a requisite employee base. Seasonal small businesses are likely to be most impacted since they depend on temporary employees for short durations to make enough money to carry them through the off season. Health benefit costs and low employee pools coupled with the rise in fuel costs that the country is seeing are likely to put some businesses on the edge of closing their doors. This summer’s job pool for some tourist areas like Cape Cod, MA are already very low and have raised concerns for many business owners.
About the Author
Mike Pringle is the author of Healthcare Today where he offers commentary and insight regarding today’s healthcare issues. Additionally he provides regular commentary for Red Scrubs and editorial content for Future Healthcare. He has over 20 years of nursing experience working both domestically and internationally. Mike has a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and a Masters Degree in Public Administration with a Healthcare emphasis. He specializes in both Emergency and Critical Care Nursing. He currently works at Falmouth Hospital as a Shift Manager for the emergency department.
