Looking for a job that offers health insurance? Go work for a woman-led business

MIAMI – In 2014, when the law requires many businesses to provide health insurance to their employees , women-led businesses in Florida already will be far ahead of the game, according to The Woman-Led Businesses report conducted by Florida International University’s Center for Leadership.

The center surveyed leaders from across the state and found that nearly 70 percent of the respondents who will be affected by healthcare reform already provide health insurance to their employees, compared to a national average of 60 percent.

In its fifth year, the survey is developed and managed by the Center for Leadership at FIU’s College of Business Administration in collaboration with The Commonwealth Institute of South Florida.

“The focus of the study has always been to highlight the successes and challenges of the women who lead some of Florida’s most successful organizations,” said Mayra Beers, director of operations for the center. “Survey results allow us to identify best practices and help inform the center’s executive leadership programs that will contribute to the development of future business leaders.”

The full results of the survey will be presented on June 3^rd, 2010 at 12:30 p.m. at a luncheon hosted at Jungle Island by The Commonwealth Institute of South Florida to honor the top 50 women leaders. The survey included responses from more than 300 women leaders, of which 25 head non-profit organizations.

“Our latest findings underscore what this survey has found over the last few years,” said Joyce Elam, executive dean of the College of Business Administration. “Women are savvy, compassionate leaders who understand the need for work/life balance while maintaining a competitive streak.”

Some of the respondents say they took the initiative to offer health insurance benefits because, for their employees, having a sense of security at home is important to having a sense of accomplishment at work. Others say it’s just good business sense.

Even among smaller companies led by women, health insurance benefits are commonplace, with 69 percent of companies with between three and nine employees offering it. Nationally, 46 percent of companies that size offer benefits.

“We were growing and it was a good way to find great talent,” said Laura Singer, who operates Fort Lauderdale-based Random Access with 12 employees. “We were hiring, it was a good thing to have, and it was nice to be able to offer it. It was a good benefit.”

Although no law required Singer to provide health insurance, and providing benefits to so few employees is costly, Singer said the decision was an easy one to make: “It gave us a leg up.”

Added Jodi Cross, executive director of The Commonwealth Institute of South Florida:

 “Women CEO’s want to attract the best talent and understand that in order to do that they need to be competitive.”

More than half of the respondents (56 percent) said they were satisfied with the balance they had created between work and home, where many have children. The vast majority (87 percent) also indicated that knowing their families were well taken care of allows them to be more positive about their work.

“This is most likely an important reason why the overwhelming majority of women-led businesses voluntarily choose to provide healthcare to their employees,” Elam said. “They realize, through their own experience, that a happy and healthy employee is great for business.”

Among the surveys other findings:

• 88 percent of women-led non-profit organizations offer healthcare benefits
• 75 percent of women anticipate their firms to grow financially over the next two years
• 73 percent of women leaders take stressful things at work in stride

To purchase tickets for the event, please call 305-799-6547. To view the report, click here.

Media Contact:  Jean-Paul Renaud at 305-348-2716.