More companies are offering part-time workers benefits

It’s long been recognized that part-time jobs can offer older workers an attractive combination of free time and income. But recently, this type of work is featuring another appealing perk:

benefits. The nation’s low unemployment rate is leading some companies to provide their hourly workers with health insurance, paid sick leave and other attractive benefits, experts say.

“Employers certainly are doing anything they can to attract and retain skilled workers that fit the jobs that they have,” says Julie Stich, who follows benefit trends for the International

Foundation of Employee Benefits Plans (IFEBP), a nonprofit organization. The IFEBP found that nearly half of the 391 companies it surveyed were offering full- and part-time employees the

same health insurance coverage, along with other benefits. “There are more and more types of benefits that are being offered to part-time workers as well, outside of the health care realm,

things like leave or educational assistance or life insurance, disability insurance and the like,” says Stich. For example, once part-time employees at Starbucks have accumulated at least

240 hours of work over three months, they’re eligible for the company’s “Special Blend” of benefits. In addition to health insurance (medical, dental and vision), part-time employees also

can take advantage of college tuition reimbursement, which covers courses taken online through Arizona State University. Part-time employees also can buy company stock at a discounted rate

through automatic payroll deductions, a benefit it has offered since 1991, when it became the first privately held company in the nation to offer this option to both full-time and part-time

employees, according to research from Aon Hewitt. In some cases, the new benefits are adding to an already appealing workplace. For example, in addition to health insurance benefits for

employees who work at least 20 hours per week, Whole Foods Market offers workers a valuable in-store discount. At Costco, part-time employees can get health insurance with dental and vision

coverage, and because most of Costco’s locations have a pharmacy on-site, they can pick up their prescriptions while they’re at work.  Other national companies that provide benefits to

part-time employees include UPS, Best Buy, Walmart and Lowe’s Home Improvement. Job applicants should look for such perks when reviewing job postings, and if the benefits aren’t listed

there, they should ask potential employers about what might be available.