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"In my opinion, if I ran a business, I'd drop all the freebies. If the "workers" don't like it , let them work somewhere else."

Absent from any debate or discussion about "employee benefits" is the fact that employees ALWAYS pay for 100% of their bennies. Employees also pay 100% of their Social Security tax, and any other "benefits" that may be in their agreement. Anyone who has ever done a personnel budget knows this.

The amount an individual actually earns is the total amount of that person's "line" in the personnel budget. That's the amount it costs the employer to have that person show up and contribute to the business. You may think you're making $50,000 a year, but in reality you're making closer to $64,000. Because that's how much it costs ME, your boss, to have you on the payroll. If you quit and I do your job myself, I SAVE $64,000 a year...not counting the time I devote to your old job and assuming I can continue to do mine in an interlaced fashion.

Don't believe me? Go to your boss and ask to see your line in the personnel budget. That's how much it costs the company to employ you - ergo, that's how much you're making.

Michael

Don't believe me? Go to your boss and ask to see your line in the personnel budget. That's how much it costs the company to employ you - ergo, that's how much you're making.

Michael- That is how much the BUDGET shows for the cost of having that employee----BUTTTTT- the employee only makes what gross he shows on his income tax return, and he only spends the net paycheck.
The difference is referred to as part of the "overhead" of running a business.
To use your method, then the "employee" should also be charged for the space in the parking lot for his car, the desk, chair, pens, pencils, paper, phone line, and rent space for his desk, the heat, power, etc etc etc.

Our business is the same - do you not think at the end of the year - or with the W2's employers should give each employee a comprehensive list of what all of these benefits cost? This statement of employee costs should include, Social Security, Worker's Comp (the CA killer) and health benefits.

I want to see those same type of statement for taxpayers from each public agency. What of all those nice union benefits for government workers?

Absolutely. What becomes a problem is when one or more of those pieces of the compensation package takes on a "floating" characteristic. "Salary" or "per hour" wages are known and fixed (not counting macroeconomic effects on the dollar) but things like "health care insurance" can go up, up, up without the employee ever knowing (or caring) about it. But for the employer, the compensation package for each employee goes up accordingly.

It looks like the grocery stores are simply trying to gain some control over that kind of "hidden" increase in their costs, but I think the best way to handle this is for the stores to make the appropriate adjustment in wages rather than isolating health care insurance.