COPS Fringe Benefits Survey Highlights

INSURANCE

• All firms offered some medical insurance coverage to their employees
• Most offered dental and life insurance
• A few offered vision and about a quarter who responded offered disability.
• 12% of the firms have Health Savings Accounts

Paying for employee medical insurance
• About half the firms pay 100% of the employee's insurance cost.
• The rest pay varying percentages with about 20% paying none.

Paying for employee's family medical insurance

• About 40% of firms surveyed pay up to 90% of the family's medical insurance costs.
• About a third pay none of the costs.

Paying for Dental

• About half the firms pay 100% of the employee's dental costs.
• About a quarter pay none. The rest pay varying percentages.

PAID TIME OFF

• About half the firms treat sick and vacation as the same. The other half separates them.
• Total time off ranges from 2 weeks to 5 weeks a year.
• Some firms allow carryover of vacation, others pay partially for unused sick leave.
• Several firms have maximum paid time off for each category.

• About half the firms have 401K matching plans.
• About a fifth of the firms have "simple IRA's". Five percent have no plan at all.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Most firms pay a varying percentage depending on the course or grade.
• Only 6 firms use ACSM's Certified Surveying Technician (CST) program.

SCHEDULING AND COMPENSATION

• The majority of crews starts at 7am and ends at 4pm.
• About 75% of firms pay for rain time but require employees to do something constructive.
• About 90% pay for travel time to and from local jobs.
• Almost all firms give raises on an annual basis.
• A number of firms provide compensation to individuals that receive CST or other certifications.

COMPANY VEHICLES

• Company vehicles are provided to about half of the firm owners.
• Almost all provide vehicles to crew chiefs.
• SUV's, Vans and pickups are mostly used.
• GPS is commonly used, some firms noted WiFi and Bluetooth.
• 45% allow crews to take company vehicles home.

FIELD EQUIPMENT

• 45% of the firms have laptops that go into the field.
• Firms use all different types of data collection and field equipment.

HUMAN RESOURCES

• 95% of firms check references of job applicants.
• Drug testing is done by almost every firm. Most pre-employment, several do random testing.
• Only 60% of firms have written job descriptions of all positions.
• 90% of firms have a CAD standard. 75% have an email policy. 60% have an internet use policy.

EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION

• 65% of firms recognize employee birthdays.
• 75% recognize years of service.
• 60% offer sign-on bonuses.

SAFETY MEETINGS

• 40% of the firms hold monthly safety meetings. Others hold them either annually or every 6 months.
• Over 80% pay their employees to attend these meetings.