2016 California Employee Benefits

Every two years, SHRM examines employee benefits prevalence in the state of California. These research spotlights cover 10 benefits categories, highlighting overall results for California, as well as making comparisons with benefits prevalence in the United States. Key findings include:

• ​​California organizations were more likely than U.S. organizations overall to offer health insurance coverage through a health maintenance organization (HMO) (70% versus 32%), whereas a similar proportion offered a preferred provider organization (PPO) plan (87% versus 84%).
• Domestic partners were more likely to receive benefits other than health care from organizations in California than in the U.S. overall. One-third (34%) provided these benefits to opposite-sex partners and 38% to same-sex partners in California compared with one-quarter for both groups in U.S. organizations overall.
• U.S. organizations overall were more likely to offer certain types of wellness benefits than California organizations: annual health risk assessment (42% versus 27%), rewards or bonuses for completing certain health and wellness programs (41% versus 29%), smoking cessation programs (41% versus 26%) and onsite health screening programs (31% versus 18%). However, more organizations in California (44%) offered the option of a standing desk than in the U.S. overall (33%).