Antecedents of Employee Benefit Level Satisfaction: A Test of a Model

Both employer- and employee-provided data from a sample of 122 full-time library employees were used to examine a preliminary theoretical model of the antecedents of employee benefit level satisfaction. Although the variables in the model accounted for over 50% of the variance in benefit level satisfaction, the specific form of the model was not supported; the results did not support a discrepancy model in which benefit level satisfaction was based on the difference between the perceived level of benefits that should be received and the perceived level of benefits received. The variables most highly related to benefit level satisfaction were benefit administration, benefit comparisons (perceived inputs and outcomes of referent others) and employees’ cost for the medical insurance premium (which was negatively related). Data concerning employees’ knowledge of the benefits they receive, limitations of the study, implications for the management of benefit programs, and suggestions for future research are presented.