Frequently Asked Questions

1. What types of benefit data do you have?
2. How will EBS be affected when it merges with the National Compensation Survey?
3. What is the difference in the various EBS surveys?
4. For what demographic detail are EBS data available?
5. How much has the cost of employer-provided benefits increased in the last 5 years?
6. What percentage of establishments offer health insurance and retirement benefits--defined benefits and defined contribution plans?
7. Can I get estimates on fringe benefits for a specific position?
8. Can you tell me who to contact regarding federal legislation for employer self-funded health insurance plans?
9. Are micro data available to the public?
10. Does BLS track sick-leave usage rates among government employees or any type of employees?
11. What percentage of the American work force is covered by benefit packages which include 'Adoption Assistance'?
12. Do you have information on mandatory fringe benefits, and when an employee has the right to receive them?
13. When will the next National Compensation Survey on benefits publications be available?

1. What types of benefit data do you have?

The Employee Benefits Survey (EBS) is an annual survey of the incidence and provisions of selected benefits provided by employers to their employees. The survey collects data from a sample of approximately 6,000 private sector and State and local government establishments. The data are presented as a percentage of employees who participate in a certain benefit, or as an average benefit provision (for example, the average number of paid holidays provided to employees per year).

The survey collects incidence and provisions of the following benefit areas: Paid holidays, paid vacations, paid personal leave, paid funeral leave, paid military leave, paid jury-duty leave, paid and unpaid family leave, paid sick leave, short-term disability insurance, long-term disability insurance, medical care, dental care, vision care, life insurance, defined benefit pension plans, defined contribution plans, flexible benefits plans, and reimbursement accounts.

Data are also collected on the incidence of the following additional benefits: Severance pay, supplemental unemployment benefits, travel accident insurance, nonproduction cash bonuses, child care, adoption assistance, long-term care insurance, subsidized commuting, flexible work place, wellness programs, fitness center benefits, job-related and non-job-related educational assistance, and employee assistance programs.

2. How will EBS be affected when it merges with the National Compensation Survey?

The National Compensation Survey is a BLS establishment survey of employee salaries, wages, and benefits. The NCS will replace 3 existing BLS surveys: Employment Cost Index (ECI), Occupational Compensation Survey Program (OCSP), and Employee Benefits Survey (EBS).

The chief reasons for developing the NCS are: 1) Expand existing compensation programs by covering more occupations, by publishing more local data, and by representing all workers; 2) Eliminate duplicate data collection and processing requirements; 3) Reduce respondent burden; 4) Develop more efficient and streamlined collection and processing techniques; 5) Improve the quality of published data; 6) Produce a variety of local and national data; 7) Address budget constraints; and 8) Produce greater breakdowns by size and industry.

Wage data will be collected from the entire sample. Benefits data will be collected from one-third of the sample.

Beginning in 1998, both wage and benefits data will be collected using the NCS sample. Establishments in the current ECI/EBS sample will remain in that sample until 1999. At that time, there will be a single sample of establishments feeding all compensation publications. Establishments will no longer be asked to participate in separate surveys.

3. What is the difference in the various EBS surveys?

The Employee Benefits Survey (EBS) of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) covers the incidence and characteristics of employee benefit plans. In even- numbered reference years, EBS data are collected for small private establishments (those employing fewer than 100 workers) and State and local governments (regardless of employment size). In odd-numbered years, data are collected for medium and large private establishments (those employing 100 workers or more).

4. For what demographic detail are EBS data available?

Data are available by broad occupational groups, full-time and part-time employment, public and private sector employees, small and medium and large private establishments, and major industry sectors.

5. How much has the cost of employer-provided benefits increased in the last 5 years?

Data on employer-provided benefits costs and their changes are available from the BLS Employment Cost Trends.

6. What percentage of establishments offer health insurance and retirement benefits--defined benefits and defined contribution plans?

At the present, EBS does not tabulate the percentage of establishments of specified types of benefits. Under the National Compensation Survey program, we are planning to ask this question in the near future.

7. Can I get estimates on fringe benefits for a specific position?

BLS does not calculated projections or estimates of fringe benefits. Try the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

8. Can you tell me who to contact regarding federal legislation for employer self-funded health insurance plans?

Contact the Employment Standards Administration (ESA) of the Department of Labor. The phone number is (202) 693-0031.

9. Are there micro data available to the public?

EBS micro data are not available to the public.

10. Does BLS track sick-leave usage rates among government employees or any type of employees?

We do not produce data on the use of such benefits. We do, however, produce data on availability of sick leave and other disability benefits as part of our Employee Benefits Survey. Go to EBS Home and choose a news release or bulletin.

11. What percentage of the American work force is covered by benefit packages which include 'Adoption Assistance'?

Our Employee Benefits Survey (EBS) provides comprehensive data on the incidence and detailed provisions of selected employee benefit plans in small private establishments, medium and large private establishments, and State and local governments. For such benefits as adoption assistance, we only have data on incidence, and not details of provisions. See Table 3 of EBS News Release for Small Private Industry Establishments, and Table 2 of the Medium and Large Private Establishments bulletin on EBS Home.

12. Do you have information on mandatory fringe benefits, and when an employee has the right to receive them?

We only have information on employee benefits provided voluntarily by employers. We suggest for obtaining information on mandatory benefits, that you visit the Department of Labor Website.

13. When will the next National Compensation Survey on benefits publications be available?

The National Compensation Survey of Employee Benefits in Private Industry in the United States, 2000 was published in early 2003. The 2001 summary of employee benefits in private industry will be available in late 2003. The 2001 bulletin will be published in early 2004.

Last Modified Date: March 19, 2003