Taking Time by Lehigh Co. Extension Agent Rebecca Escott The Alphabet Soup of Company Benefits As my husband and I reviewed our W-2 forms and prepared our 1994 tax returns, we also had a refresher course in what deduc tions our employers make on our behalf to various programs. How well do you know your company’s resources? 401(k)s, EAPs, HMOs, PPOs —the alphabet soup of com pany benefits can be confusing. But in order to get the most from his employment, each person should be familiar with his or her company’s benefits. Be sure to include benefits available to you and also those available to family members. Things change regular ly. Several years ago tax-deferred retirement programs like 401(k)s were only available to people in very large companies. Now com Sometimes You Need A Spreader Built Like A Thnk When spreading stockpiled lime, for example. The Stoltzfus Wet Lime Spreader is likely the most powerful spreader of its kind on the market today. You see, we’ve been building them since 1945, and farmers are still using Stoltzfus Wet Lime Spreaders they’ve had for 20, even 30 years. Our special drag chain is 4 times stronger than stainless steel, and handles frozen and heavy stockpiled lime with ease. Plus, for spread ing compost, composted sludge, poultry litter • Two-ton, five-ton, eight-ton models • PTO, 540 rpm or 1,000 rpm • Two-speed conveyor chain • Leaf spring suspension • Dual 24" spinners • Spreads 40'effectively • One-sided spreading capability • Truck-mounted models available panics as small as five employees have options. According to a survey of over 1,000 major U.S. employers, the most common benefits that com panies offer employees are retire ment benefits, health-care cover age, paid time off, supportive work and family policies, and death and disability coverage. As “common” as these categories of programs may be, the individual policies in individual companies or organizations vary tremendous ly. You have a responsibility to yourself and your family to know what if any insurance coverage, stock options, pre-tax accounts, training, and other resources'are at your fingertips. In farm families, these resources may seem small, but many families have coverage Morgan Way, P.O. Box 527, Morgantown, PA 19543 and certain fertilizers, the WLS is without equal for sheer volume spreading. We call that performance. You’ll call it terrific. We hope you compare a Stoltzfus WLS with other spreaders. It makes us look even better. Price? Sure we may be a little more. But when you end up replacing cheaper units in a few short years, what have you saved? Stoltzfus quality always pays for itself many times over. Just how tough is a Stoltzfus WLS? Plenty tough. Call today. We’ll tell you where to find the dealer nearest you, and send you free literature to inspect. 1-800-843-8731 STOLTZFUS through a farmer’s association or through a spouse’s employment. Even private insurance plans should be reviewed regularly. The important task is to know what you have currently—not what you had 20 years ago. In you home records, you should have a file on health insurance that con tains the policies that your family members are covered under. Often you will receive an update on coverage. Be sure to file this. Write on the folder the phone number where you can get further assistance in understanding'"The coverage if necessary. This is also a good place to keep paperwork relative to pre-tax payroll deduc tions and insurance claims. Another folder should contain basic employment information— job description, contact, resume, handbook, and other benefits information. When did you last read your employee handbook? Does your company even print one? I think I know where mine is ...but I’m not sure. If you don’t have a copy, request one from your employer. You may have other services provided by your company that often go untapped. Does your company offer direct deposit to payroll savings plans? Does it offer a discount to employees on their own products? As an employee, are you allowed to use Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 8, 1995-B7 office meeting space for a com munity meeting during the even ing? Does your organization offer scholarships for family members? When benefits arc introduced, many of us arc unimpressed because we don’t have a need for the program. Unfortunately, at other times we may be very unpleasantly surprised because we’ve assumed a procedure is covered by insurance when it is not. It’s critical to stay informed. That’s why a regular review of information is helpful. Two other important actions for every employee to take are these: First, ask a lot of questions. Some times there are resources for an employee that may not be written Father’s Day Special Father’s Day Special is an opportunity for you to honor your father or husband by send ing in one of his favorite recipes. Write a few lines to tell us about him and why he is special to you. Please include a photo if you have one. Deadline is June 10. Send your letters, stories, photos, and pic tures to Attention: Lou Ann Good, Lancaster Farming, P.O. Box 609, Ephrata, PA 17522. I I CALL or SEND FOR FACTS: I Phone: 814-364-1349 | ALL-PLANT LIQUID PLANT FOOD, INC. 7 821 State Rd. 511 N., RFD 3, * d Ashland. 0hi044805 down in a formal way. Make notes of the answers given, the date, and the person you spoke to. If you do not receive sufficient information, ask again. Secondly, set aside a special time to share this informa tion with your partner or adult children. Would your partner know if you had a prescription drug program if you don’t use medicine on a regular basis? Would he know where the appro priate identification cards arc? You can save yourself money and gain valuable support simply by taking the time to stay informed about your employer’s resources and then tapping into them as needed. 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