Although access to employer-provided health benefits has grown in many workplaces, depending on establishment size and other factors, some workers still are left out, according to new reports.

The percentage of workers eligible for health benefits has been trending upward over the past decade, according to data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute. In 2022, the EBRI noted, almost 81% of people who worked for private-sector employers were eligible for health benefits. 

Ninety-nine percent of larger companies — those with more than 1,000 employees — tend to offer health benefits, the data show, and 90% of employers with 100 to 999 employees offered health benefits in 2022.

In smaller companies, however, the data show that health benefits appear to be more random, according to EBRI.

The percent of employees offered health benefits by companies with fewer than 10 employees declined from 28% in 2013 to 22.3% 2020, with a slight bump to 24.9% in 2022. The offer rate among companies with 10 to 24 employees increased from 48.9% to 53.6% between 2015 and 2022. And among employers with 25 to 99 employees, offer rates increased from 73.5% in 2015 to 80.1% in 2022.

Meanwhile, in another report, the Economic Policy Institute said that since 2010, access to paid sick days has increased from 63% to 78% for all private-sector workers in the United States. Lack of paid sick days, however, “is still a real problem for many workers — especially low-wage workers,” EPI said, noting that access to paid sick leave “remains highly unequal.”

Ninety-nine percent high wage earners have access to paid sick leave, EPI said. At the other end, lower paid workers have an 39% access rate.

“Low-wage workers are the least likely to have paid sick days and the least likely to have room in their budget to take unpaid sick time. We shouldn’t make workers choose between going to work sick or going without pay. Expanding access to paid sick days will mean stronger, healthier families and communities,” said Elise Gould, EPI senior economist and co-author of that organization’s report.

Meanwhile, business owners are stepping up efforts to help employees save for retirement, according to a survey from Los Angeles-based Capital Group.

“Our findings reveal that the passing of the SECURE 2.0 Act in late December 2022 marked a significant stride towards enabling more small business owners and employees to pursue retirement stability, though barriers remain,” Renee Grimm, senior vice president of retirement plans at Capital Group, said in a statement. “We’re seeing forward momentum, but something is holding small business owners back.”

Almost 40% of small-business owners that responded to the survey said they believe that their company isn’t big or stable enough to offer a retirement plan.

“Offering a retirement plan to one’s employees can be a critical asset for a business owner who wants to retain and attract new talent, but concerns about cost and a lack of sufficient guidance are holding many of them back,” Grimm previously stated. “With the passing of the SECURE 2.0 ACT Act earlier this year, now may be a great time for small business owners to set up a retirement plan,” she added.

SECURE 2.0 is meant to take the Secure Act, signed into law in December 2019, a step further in helping working Americans save for retirement.

There’s been a 7% uptick in interest among small business owners in offering a retirement plan post-SECURE 2.0 Act, according to Capital Group; 74% of small business owners surveyed indicated they’re “likely” to implement one in the next two years.

In addition to apprehension that their organization is too small to offer a retirement plan, 35% of the respondents said that limited administrative resources are holding them back, and 32% of additional small-business owners said they do not know where to begin in rooting out retirement plans for their employees.