Publix Employee Benefits- All About Publix

Publix Inc. 

Publix super markers Inc. or simply known as Publix is one of the most well-known names in the American supermarket industry. Publix supermarket chain is headquartered in Lakeland, Florida, and is one of the largest grocery chains in the United States. Publix runs its operations in 1,281 locations and is also the largest employee-owned organization in America. As of the year 2021, Publix employs 225,000 employees. Here, let’s know about Publix Employee Benefits.

This article elucidates the various employee benefits provided by Publix to its employees. 

Employee benefits and Job satisfaction 

The provision of employee benefits enables an organization to highly motivate its workforce and boost its morale. Job satisfaction is one of the most important elements of a successful job. Employee benefits help to lead to job satisfaction as highly motivated employees work wholeheartedly to achieve their goals and make the maximum contribution to the achievement of organizational objectives. This helps employees attain job satisfaction as they experience contentment from the work they perform successfully. Job satisfaction also leads the employees to be more involved in their work.

Role of employee benefits

The provision of employee benefits plays a prominent role in helping the business organization to achieve success. Employee benefits have assumed a greater role in today’s world. The following points explain the importance of employee benefits to the employer and the employees – 

• The provision of employee benefits such as health insurance, medical expense coverage, and retirement benefits add a sense of security and predictability to the life of the employee and their dependents as well.
• The productivity of employees who are satisfied with their job is very high as compared to those employees who are not satisfied with their work. The provision of employee benefits helps the workers to obtain job satisfaction.
• Employee motivation helps the business organization to motivate its workforce. The motivated workforce works wholeheartedly to achieve their goals. Such motivated workers are less likely to shift to other jobs. Thus employee benefits help the organization in employee retention which further helps the organization to save costs on training programs for new employees and the cost of advertising on recruiting new employees. 
• The provision of on-site employee benefits helps to create a fun and productive workplace which enables the employees to work with more focus while enjoying their work. 
• The provision of suitable employee benefits helps to attract new employees to work for the organization. So new talent can be acquired by the organization.
• The provision of employee benefits also helps the organization to establish a positive brand image in society. This enhanced brand image can help the organization attract new customers and gain more market share.

Publix Employee benefits 

Publix having employed more than 2 lac employees cares for the health and well-being of its large workforce. Publix strives to ensure that all the employees working at Publix get positive experiences throughout their tenure with the company. The various employee benefits offered by Publix are enlisted below –

• Tuition reimbursement program – Publix offers a comprehensive tuition reimbursement program to its employees. Any employee who has continuously worked for 6 months at Publix and works an average of 10 hours a week is considered eligible for this comprehensive program. This tuition reimbursement program covers graduate, undergraduate education programs and few individual courses along with online programs and technical training.
• Employee stock ownership program – The employee stock ownership program at Publix enables the employees of the organization to acquire shares of the company and participate in the managerial affairs of the organization. This program enables the organization to promote loyalty amongst its employees and provide them with satisfaction.
• Group medical plan – Publix is focused to care for the physical wellbeing of its workforce.  Publix employees are provided with a comprehensive medical plan to help the employees get access to quality medical services for covered illnesses.
• Group dental plan – Publix provides its employees with group dental plans specifically designed to fulfill the needs of the employees and their dependents. This plan provides coverage for dental expenses and dental care of employees and their dependents. 
• Retirement benefits – Publix recognizes its responsibility to help the employees to secure their future and establish a source of monetary support for their life after retirement. Employees at Publix are provided with a 401(k) plan to help them save for their future and retirement life. This plan provides a multitude of advantages including tax benefits to the employees. 
• Group vision plan – Publix provides its workforce with a comprehensive group vision plan to maintain the eye health of employees and their dependents. This plan provides coverage for several eye care services which can be availed by the employees and their family members. 
• Training opportunities – Publix provides its employees with a plethora of training opportunities to help employees to enhance and upgrade their existing skillset. Following training programs are available for the Publix employees – 

1. Structured training programs help the new associates to gain knowledge about their new job.
2. Mentoring programs are also available for new retail managers and new support staff employees.
3.  Associates can also participate in leadership programs to help them gain the necessary knowledge and skills required for successfully managing and leading work teams. 
4. Technical and operational training programs are provided to the managers to help them become more skilled in dealing with technical and operational aspects of the business.

• Employee assistance program – Publix provides its employees with an employee assistance program to help the employees in solving various work-related or personal issues. These assistance programs can be availed by an employee at the time of need. This program helps to ensure that personal and work life of the employees does not suffer due to any issues. 
•  Additional benefits – Eligible Publix employees who work full time are provided with several additional benefits. These additional benefits are enlisted below –

1. Company-paid life insurance – Publix provides its employees with life insurance plans along with accidental death and dismemberment benefits as well.
2. Bereavement pay – Employees are provided paid leaves in case they need to be with their family in case of the death of a family member or close friend. 
3. Holiday exchange benefit – In case employees are working on a holiday, they can select another day for a holiday. 
4. Long-term disability plan – Publix provides its workers with a long-term disability plan to provide for expenses in case an employee suffers a long-term disability. 

Conclusion – Publix as a large-scale employer understands its responsibility towards its workforce. The attractive array of employee benefits offered by Publix helps the employees in maintaining their physical health and well-being and performing efficiently for the organization. The provision of employee benefits has enabled Publix to maintain a motivated and dedicated workforce. The dedicated workers provide enhanced customer experience to the customers visiting Publix stores. All in all, Publix has developed itself as a great and productive place to work. Owing to these factors, Publix was ranked at number 4 in providing the best job security in the list published by indeed.com in the year 2018. So these lucrative employee benefits and job security make Publix a dream place to work.

Frequently asked questions 

Question 1. Does Publix offer part-time job opportunities to workers?

Answer 1. Yes, workers can work on a part-time basis with Publix. Part-time employees are also provided with an array of employee benefits. Job seekers can identify part-time opportunities by visiting the website of Publix. 

Question 2.  Should every organization focus on the provision of employee benefits?

Answer 2.  Employees are the major contributors to the success of a business organization, whether it is small-scale or large-scale.  The employer shall make efforts to look after the needs and well-being of their employees to develop a strong and loyal workforce. So, depending on the financial resources of the organization, every employer shall make arrangements for the provision of benefits to the employees.