J32 - Nonwage Labor Costs and Benefits; Retirement Plans; Private PensionsReturn

Temporary rules for indexation of old-age public pensions in the Czech Republic were introduced for the period between 2013 and 2015. The pensions are now indexed only according to the sum of a third of the wage growth and a third of price inflation. This is by two thirds of price inflation lower than in 2012. This article empirically evaluates impact of this change on expected values of pensions and compares it with seven alternative proposals. The analysis estimates that pensions will be by 5% lower by 2015 in comparison to the earlier rules for indexation. The implemented change is the third lowest indexation out of the eight evaluated proposals. One of the main findings is that temporary changes can have an important impact beyond the short run. The temporary lower growth of pensions during the three years is naturally reflected in lower expected values of pensions and in lower public expenditures in the subsequent years.

The paper discusses the standard, common employee benefit provided in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, analysing their popularity with employees and employers and stating which benefits were withdrawn within last years. The aim of the paper is to compare benefits that are provided in Czech Republic and Slovak Republic and at the same time confront the information gained from primary and secondary research in reference period of 2009 - 2011. In addition, the paper analyses the data obtained from primary research, which was carried out in 2012, allowing to generate a reference pool of 146 companies throughout the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Based on the primary and secondary research, the article contributes to understanding the commercial activities of businesses in terms of employee benefits.

The article focuses on the issue of remuneration of employees in enterprises with an emphasis on social policy of rewarding and benefit remuneration. The article points out the importance of linking employee appraisal and remuneration processes in enterprises, and that not only in relation to benefit remuneration and effective and efficient social policy which are a prerequisite for creating a favourable working environment, higher commitment and loyalty of employees. In the article, which is based on the doctoral thesis and the conducted survey (the method of questioning - the questionnaire technique), there is accented the need of providing benefits to non-routine and suitability to draw some benefits conditional upon specified criteria that take into account worker's attitude to work. Positive opinion about the benefits of the modified approach has arisen also from the results of the pilot survey.

The article analyzes and highlights the importance of drawing up a transparent and clear system of benefit remuneration that is applicable in practice. In its essence, the article deals with the draft of a sub-concept of the system of benefit remuneration of employees based on the principles of cafeteria system. The concept was created on the basis of research done in a particular manufacturing company and it is based on individual specific benefit blocks. Each of them then reflects a certain degree of employee attitude to the work process and his/her approach to other defined parameters. The concept also refers to the attitude of the employer to the employee, expressed in the total value of benefits for each employee in a certain period of time. This benefit system is an important tool for achieving greater efficiency in the company.