Benefits are growing in importance for state employees and capturing an increasing proportion of the total compensation package. This investigation attempts to identify factors that account for variations across the states in individual and family health insurance contributions, pension benefits, paid leave, child and elderly care, and average salary. State employee union density was found to be the most consistent and important determinant of compensation. Cost of living was also predictive of some compensation factors. These findings contribute insights into an important and underresearched area of human resource management, but improved comparativemeasures of benefits are needed to aid future research.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Belman, D., Heywood, J. S., & Lund, J. (1997). Public sector earnings and the extent of unionization. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 50(4), 600-619.
2.
Bergmann, T. J., Bergmann, M. A., & Grahn, J. L. (1994). How important are employee benefits to public sector employees?. Public Personnel Management, 23(3), 397-406.
3.
Cayer, N. J. (2003). Public employee benefits and the changing nature of the workforce. In S. W. Hays & R. C. K earney (Eds.), Public personnel management: Problems and prospects(pp. 167-179). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
4.
Costa, D. L. (1998). The evolution of retirement: An American economic history. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
5.
Council of State Governments. (2002). The book of the states(Vol. 34). Lexington, KY: Author.
6.
Daley, D. M. (1993). Health care benefits in the public sector: An examination of availability, size, and managerial effects among North Carolina municipalities. International Journal of Public Administration, 16(10), 1519-1539.
7.
DeMaris, A. (1992). Logit modeling: Practical applications. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
8.
Ellickson, M. C., & Logsdon, K. (2001). Determinants of job satisfaction of municipal government employees. State and Local Government Review, 33(3), 173-174.
9.
Employee Benefits Research Institute. (2001). EBRI data book on employee benefits. Washington, DC: Author.
10.
Gardner, A. (2001, February 18). Turnover hurts public services. The News and Observer, pp. A1-A1, A12-A12.
11.
Governing source book 2002. (2002). Washington, DC: CQ.
12.
Hays, S. W., & Kearney, R. C. (2001). Anticipated changes in human resource management: Views from the field. Public Administration Review, 61(5), 585-597.
13.
Hovey, K. A., & Hovey, H. A. (2000). State fact finder 2000. Washington, DC: CQ.
14.
Ingraham, P. W., Selden, S. C.,& Moynihan, D. P. (2000). People and performance: Challenge for the future public service—The report from theWye River Conference. Public Administration Review, 60(1), 52-58.
15.
Kearney, R. C. (2001). Labor relations in the public sector. New York: Marcel Dekker.
16.
Kearney, R. C., & Morgan, D. R. (1980). Unions and state employee compensation. State and Local Government Review, 12(3), 115-119.
17.
Landers, P. (2002, September 6). Insured workers are payingmore on health bills. TheWall Street Journal, p. B5-B5.
18.
Moulder, E. R., & Hall, R. C. (1995). Employee benefits in local government. Washington, DC: International City/County Management Association.
19.
Olson, C. A. (2002). Do workers accept lower wages in exchange for health benefits? Journal of Labor Economics, 20(2), 91-115.
20.
Perry, R. W., & Cayer, N. J. (1997). Factors affecting municipal satisfaction with health care plans. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 17(2), 5-19.
21.
Roberts, G. (2001). New Jersey local government benefits practices survey. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 21(4), 284-307.
22.
Rosen, S. (1986). The theory of equalizing differences. In O. C. Ashenfelter & R. Layard (Eds.), Handbook of labor economics(pp. 223-252). Amsterdam: North-Holland.
23.
Selden, S. C., & Moynihan, D. P. (2000). A model of voluntary turnover in state government. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 20(2), 63-74.
24.
Streib, G. (1996). Specialty health care services in municipal government: Findings from a national survey. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 16(2), 57-72.
25.
U.S. Bureau of the Census. (1999). Statistical abstract of the United States: 1999. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
26.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (1992). Employee benefits in state and local governments, 1990. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
27.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (1995). Employee benefits in state and local governments, 1994. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
Waters, M. S., Hill, R. C., Moore, W. J.,& Newman, R. J. (1994). A simultaneous-equations relationship between public sector bargaining legislation and unionization. Journal of Labor Research, 15(4), 355-372.
