Scientific Opinion Poll: Louisiana Small Business Owners Offer Array of Benefits to Employees

Washington, DC— A scientific opinion poll released today shows a majority of Louisiana small employers offer family-friendly benefits to their employees to accommodate their responsibilities at home, and the majority offer paid vacation to their employees.

The telephone poll, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research on behalf of Small Business Majority, found a majority of Louisiana small employers offer family-friendly benefits to their employees to accommodate their responsibilities at home, including 66 percent that allow their employees to take time off from work to attend their children's school activities, such as parent-teacher conferences. Additionally, nearly three in 10 provide flexible work schedules or opportunities to work from home, and 23 percent provide information about and ways to connect with public benefits, such as SNAP or free and reduced-priced school meals for their children.

"As a business owner, offering benefits like healthcare and paid time off makes sense to me because it means that my employees know I care about them as people, not just as workers," said Wesley Watkins, owner of UDB Insurance in Alexandria. "My employees feel valued and know I'm looking out for their interests and this helps me attract top talent, encourages them to come to work motivated and encourages them to stay with my business for a long time." Fifty-three percent of small business owners provide paid vacation to their employees and 27 percent of Louisiana small employers offer health insurance benefits to employees, either through an employer-sponsored plan or by paying a portion of employees' own health insurance.

"Small business owners often think of their employees as family, and they believe in taking care of them in order to retain a happy and loyal workforce and to attract top talent," said John Arensmeyer, Founder & CEO of Small Business Majority. "They also know it's important for their employees to address their and their family's daily needs, and many have implemented family-friendly policies that allow their employees to balance their work and family responsibilities. We encourage small businesses to continue this practice and urge policymakers to pass laws that help small businesses offer additional benefits to keep their workforce happy and healthy."

Many Louisiana small business owners offer a variety of financial incentives. Nearly 4 in 10 small business owners in Louisiana offer on-the-job training or financial assistance for education and training outside the job, such as tuition reimbursement. Small business owners offer additional financial incentives to employees, including 18 percent who offer retirement benefits and 20 percent who offer financial counseling or access to financial institutions, products and services. Funding for the poll was provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

"These findings show that small businesses understand the importance of family friendly workplaces that afford working parents the flexibility they need to work and raise a family," said Loren Harris, director of family economic security at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. "At the Kellogg Foundation, we believe employers that invest in benefits like paid leave give working parents the opportunity to provide a better future for their families."

Survey respondents were predominantly Republican, with 39 percent identifying as Republican, 34 percent as Democrat and 19 percent as independent or other.

For the full poll Louisiana report, please visit: http://www.smallbusinessmajority.org/small-business-research/workforce/p...

For the national report, please visit: http://www.smallbusinessmajority.org/small-business-research/workforce/psd/