IMPACT OF EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ON EMPLOYEE RETENTION (A CASE STUDY OF UNIVERSITY OF BENIN)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The employer should always ensure that organization is perceived as a great place to work meaning that it becomes an employer of choice i.e one for whom people want to work. There is a desire to join the organization and once there, to want to stay. Employees are committed to the organization and engaged in the work they do. To acquire a national, even a local reputation as a good employer takes time, but it’s worth the effort. The objective of employee benefits policies and practices of an organization is to provide an attractive and competitive total remuneration package that both attracts and retains high-quality employees. Turnover of key employees can have a disproportionate impact on the business and the people organizations wish to retain are probably the ones most likely to leave (Armstrong, 2006).
Turnover is an expensive organizational outcome and companies expend considerable time and resources in attempts to reduce turn over particularly dysfunctional turnover (Dalton &Todor, 1993). It is caused primarily by poor supervision, a poor work environment, and inadequate compensation (Hinkim et al, 2000). Excessive employee turnover often engenders far-reaching consequences and at the extreme may jeopardize efforts to attain organizational objectives, indicated that when an organization loses a critical employee, there is a negative impact on innovation e.g consistency in providing services to guests may be jeopardized and major delays in the delivery of services to customers may occur (Abbasi and Hollman, 2000). Employee remuneration is not just about to pay, i.e wages and salaries. It is also concerned with nonpay benefits, or benefits-in-kind. These non-pay benefits are usually known as employee benefits and sometimes as fringe benefits or perks. The former refers to the more important benefits such as pensions and includes those which are widely applied in the organization. The latter refers either to less significant benefits, such as private health insurance, or to the benefits provided primarily as privileges (Cole, 2002).
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
On average a company losses approximately $1million with every 10 managerial and professional employees who leave the organization. The combined direct and indirect costs associated with one employee ranges from a minimum of one year’s pay and benefits to a maximum of two years' pay and benefits. Thus, there is a significant economic impact when an organization losses any of its critical employees especially given the knowledge that is lost with an employee’s departure (Fitz-enz, 1997). The role occupational schemes are believed to play first is attracting and subsequently retaining staff. There are grounds for questioning the extent and significance of the link between occupational pensions and employee turnover. While it is true that staff retention in general terms remains one of the objectives employers believe accounts for continued pension provision, it is no longer a sufficient explanation for the existence of a substantial occupational sector in the UK. Moreover, claims that pensions are effective means of reducing turnover or that employers have to provide schemes if they are to retain sufficient staff of the desired caliber is unsustainable in general terms (Taylor, 2000). Many companies are making concerted efforts to control employee turnover through enhanced pay, benefits or incentive systems as well as by training the managers (Simon & Hinkin, 2001). However since benefits are touted as having the ability to attract and retain employees (Carraher, 2006b, Hart & Carraher,1995;Mobley,1982), perceived benefits inequity could result in the converse, namely dissatisfaction, higher levels of absenteeism, lower levels of performance and higher turnover rates. The extent to which this may occur is unknown (Carraher et al, 2003).
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main objective of the study is to examine the impact of employee benefit on employee retention in University of Benin, Edo state. Specific objectives of the study are:
To identify employee benefit packages available to staff of University of Benin. To examine employee turnover ratio of University of Benin. To examine the impact of employee benefits on employee retention in University of Benin.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What type of employee benefits exist in University of Benin?
2. What is the turnover ratio of staff of University of Benin?
3. How do employee benefits affect employee retention?
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
Ho: There is no significant relationship between employee benefits and employee retention.
Hi: There is a significant relationship between employee benefits and employee retention.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study is first important to the management of University of Benin, they will be able to know the effects of employee benefits on employee retention and to identify various forms of employee benefits to individual employees. This will reduce the employee turnover and hence improve the organizations image.
The study will be of great interest to the researcher and the Human Resource and Administration Division. It will improve the administration of various forms of benefits to employees and also link the employee benefit with staff retention.
The study will enable the organization to be seen as the employer of choice when it is able to retain it’s most valued and talented staff through the provision of the employee benefits which results into motivated, committed and loyal employees to the organizational goals.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study will cover employee benefit forms and packages of staff of University of Benin and how these packages affect their will to stay with the University from 2010-2015.
1.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.
1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Employee Benefit: this refers to the various types of non-wage compensation provided to employees in addition to their normal wages or salaries.
Employee Turnover: this refers to the number or percentage of workers who leave an organization and are replaced by new employees.
Employee Retention: this refers to the ability of an organization to retain its employees.
Employee Productivity: this is an assessment of the efficiency of a worker or group of workers.
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