People Compare Salaries Because Nothing Else Is Shown to Them
An employee weighing a job elsewhere sees two wage figures. What they do not see is that you cover a substantially larger share of the family premium, or fund a savings account, or carry income protection they would otherwise buy themselves. None of that appears in the comparison, so none of it counts. Benefits work best when they are planned as part of a broader total rewards strategy alongside pay.
A total compensation statement fixes this by putting a dollar value beside every element, once a year, per employee. It is not a morale exercise. It is the only way the money you already spend actually reaches the decision the employee is making.
What Belongs on the Statement
The Employer Share of Medical
dental and vision premium, stated per year rather than per pay period
Any Contribution to a Savings Or
Any contribution to a savings or reimbursement account
The Cost of Life
accidental death and income protection cover carried on the employee’s behalf
Employer Payroll Taxes
which employees consistently underestimate
Paid Time Off, Valued at The
Paid time off, valued at the employee’s own rate
The Number Usually Surprises Both Sides
Employers are routinely startled by the total, which is a useful thing to know before the next renewal. Employees are startled more often. In a market where a competitor down the road may be offering slightly more in wages and considerably less underneath, the statement is frequently the difference between a resignation and a conversation.
Getting the Plan Right Before Advertising It
Contribution levels that make the employee-only tier realistically affordable
since a plan nobody takes recruits nobody
Dental and Vision Chosen on The
Dental and vision chosen on the provider networks people here actually use
A Savings-Account Contribution
which reads as real money in a way a deductible reduction does not
Voluntary Lines Offered Clearly at Enrollment
Voluntary lines offered clearly at enrollment rather than buried in a folder
Questions From Barry County Employers
Is a compensation statement worth the effort for thirty employees?
Usually yes, and at thirty people it is an afternoon of work rather than a project. The information already exists in your payroll and billing records.
Will it invite requests for more?
Occasionally. Far more often it stops people assuming they are underpaid relative to an offer that is actually worse.
A County Seat of Hospital and Factory Jobs
Hastings is the county seat of Barry County and the county’s only city, with 7,514 residents in the 2020 census. Corewell Health Pennock Hospital anchors local healthcare, Kellogg Community College runs a regional campus here, and county government adds public-sector jobs. Manufacturing carries real weight: Flexfab, a silicone hose maker, employs about 400 people in Hastings, and Bradford White’s water heater plant in nearby Middleville employs about 900. Bridge Michigan reports that roughly a quarter of Barry County workers commute to Kent County, and the area also sends workers to Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Lansing. For employers, that mix of plant floors, long-tenured staff and out-of-county commuters shapes which networks, disability coverage and contribution levels actually work.
Check Networks From Pennock to Grand Rapids
Many Hastings households live near Pennock but work or seek specialty care in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo or Battle Creek. We check that a plan’s network covers Corewell Health Pennock locally and the larger systems your employees actually drive to, so a commuter’s family is not stuck with out-of-network bills for routine referrals.
Protect Paychecks on the Plant Floor
Hose, fitting and component work is physical, and an off-the-job injury or surgery can keep a machine operator out for weeks. We compare short-term and long-term disability options, benefit waiting periods and group life multiples so production employees have income protection that fits how they actually earn their living.
Reward Long Tenure Without Overspending
Hastings shops often keep employees for decades, which means an older average age and higher claims over time. We explain how age mix drives small-group renewals, model contribution tiers, and show when a level-funded plan with stop-loss could return unused claims dollars to a stable, long-tenured group.
Consider ICHRA for Small Main Street Firms
Retailers, restaurants and professional offices downtown may have only a handful of staff spread across different home counties. We compare a small group plan with an individual coverage HRA, which lets each employee choose an individual Marketplace plan that fits where they live while the employer sets a fixed monthly allowance.
Barry County and Thornapple Valley Neighbors
- Employee benefits in Kentwood
- Employee benefits in Ionia
- Employee benefits in East Grand Rapids
- Employee benefits in Wyoming
All West Michigan cities we serve · Every Michigan city we serve
Let Us Build the Numbers
Send us the renewal letter, plan summary, contribution by tier and enrollment by tier, plus two more documents at fifty or above, and we will explain the increase and help price your compensation statement. 248.370.8853 or info@cfhic.com.
Start the Review Email info@cfhic.com Call 248.370.8853
An independent employee benefits consulting firm. We look at the entire benefits program — cost, plan performance, risk and administration.
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304
248.370.8853
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719.425.2649
Houston, TX 77084
281.404.5670
Losing people over pay when your benefits are worth more than they know? See how a switch to CFH works.
See also: Improving Health. Controlling Costs. Delivering Results., our approach for employers who want cost to move between renewals.
