Meaning & use
employment benefits
Last updated
Meanings
nounplural
Extra things of value that an employer gives workers on top of their regular pay.
Grammar: Always plural in this meaning; the singular 'employment benefit' is rare and mainly used in legal or formal writing.
Patterns
- offer employment benefits
- receive employment benefits
- employment benefits include something
The company offers good employment benefits, including health insurance and a pension.
Part-time workers often do not receive the same employment benefits as full-time staff.
She asked about employment benefits during the job interview.
nounpluralBritish
Government payments made to people who are unemployed or unable to work.
Grammar: In this sense, it usually refers to state support and is often used with 'claim' or 'receive'.
Patterns
- claim employment benefits
- be on employment benefits
- employment benefits system
After losing his job, he had to claim employment benefits for six months.
The government is cutting spending on employment benefits.
Many families rely on employment benefits to make ends meet.
Common combinations
- offer employment benefits
- Many tech companies offer employment benefits like free meals and gym memberships.
- receive employment benefits
- You will receive employment benefits after a three-month probation period.
- employment benefits package
- The employment benefits package includes dental care and life insurance.
- claim employment benefits
- He had to claim employment benefits when the factory closed.
- statutory employment benefits
- All employers must provide statutory employment benefits such as paid holiday.
Synonyms and how they differ
- perks
- Informal; refers to extra advantages like a company car or free coffee, but not usually to formal things like health insurance.
- compensation
- A formal word that includes both salary and benefits; it is broader and more legal in tone.
- welfare
- In American English, this means government support for poor people, not extras from an employer.
Word family
- benefit noun
- A single advantage or payment; the base word of the phrase.
- beneficial adjective
- Having a good effect; not used for employment payments.
- beneficiary noun
- A person who receives money or advantages from something, such as an insurance policy.
Commonly confused: employment benefits or benefits?
employment benefits vs benefits
'Benefits' alone often means the same as 'employment benefits', especially in job advertisements. 'Employment benefits' is more specific and formal.
Practice
In the UK, if you lose your job and have no income, you might need to ______ employment benefits.
Choose one answer.
'Claim' is the correct verb for asking for government payments you are entitled to. 'Take' and 'make' do not collocate with 'benefits' in this context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “employment benefits”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.