200-500 benefits - Zend PHP 5 Updated: 2024

Kira Poulson, Manager, Benefits
(307) 766-4220
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Cherise Laud, Benefits and Retirement Specialist, Sr.
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Dave Heath, Benefits and Leave Specialist, Sr.
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Christian Carter, Benefits Specialist
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Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Leave Without Pay

Business credit cards come with many benefits compared to other forms of financing and payment methods.

Compared to loans or equity investments, one major benefit to a business card is that applications are relatively short and straightforward and approval may come instantly. For businesses looking to add access to capital, it’s hard to find a more convenient option than a business credit card.

Another benefit to business credit cards is having the ability to easily review transactions, track expenses and document activity over time. Many cards have built-in integrations to other reporting tools to make your finances a breeze.

Lastly, business cards facilitate payments more easily than other methods. Credit cards are accepted nearly everywhere and may even earn rewards for expenses your business must cover anyway. It’s also usually easy to add employee cards if others need convenient payment options as well. Plus, compared to debit cards, business cards can include extra stop-guards for your business such as extended warranties, fraud liability or purchase protection.

A slew of employer-sponsored benefits are likely to disappear in 2024, according to a new Glassdoor workplace trends report.

The report noted benefits were starting to diminish in 2023, with the number of employees with access to 401(k) plans, dental insurance, tuition assistance, commuter assistance, gym memberships and phone discounts all declining across industries. And that is expected to only increase in the new year, the Glassdoor report said.

"There is some evidence that benefits access has started to erode, a trend that could accelerate in 2024," Glassdoor wrote.

Some industries felt the strain harder than others, like tech and finance, which have experienced economic uncertainty and mass layoffs over the past several years. But all industries are suffering under the pressure of inflation, which currently rests at 3.2 percent.

"Companies often scale back on benefits during economic downturns to cut costs," Amy Spurling, the founder and CEO of employee stipend software Compt and a 20-year human resources veteran, told Newsweek.

"We've seen this happen plenty of times before. When budgets get tight, benefits are often on the chopping block. They're seen as an area where reductions can be made without directly impacting salaries or headcount."

The sustained inflation, while coming down from 2022 highs, along with increasing healthcare costs places intense financial strain on companies across industries, but some are especially vulnerable.

"Firms with already slim profit margins in competitive industries like retail, hospitality, transportation, and construction seem especially likely to cut back on benefits expenditures," Brittany Truszkowski, a human resource specialist and chief operating officer at Gale, Angelo, Johnson & Patrick P.C, told Newsweek.

Truszkowski said retail and hospitality experienced tight profit margins along with various supply chain disruptions and unstable consumer demand. Construction companies were also more likely to reduce benefits as the industry's high injury rates makes health insurance costly.

Small- to medium-sized businesses generally have tighter margins, making it far more likely they cut down on the benefits available to employees while still offering competitive wages, the report noted.

Most professional services still offer competitive benefits packages to attract the top talent, Truszkowski said, but this could wane as economic conditions become more difficult to sustain.

What Benefits Increased?

Only a few types of benefits increased in 2023. These included initiatives like fertility assistance, adoption assistance, parental leave and mental healthcare, Glassdoor found. These issues became a prime focus of employers during 2021 and 2022, as HR discussions around parent support grew and millennials reached their prime family-building years.

"That tide could ebb–or even turn–in 2024 as labor is more available, and companies scrutinize costs and identify the benefits that are most (and least) important to their employees," Glassdoor said in its report.

In many cases, the loss in benefits was made to support a rise in wages, which is often more important to workers as they look to afford their rent and groceries. However, one thing that rarely decreases for employees–salaries–saw an unusual trend across workplaces this year.

Although wages rarely decline for those in the same job at the same company, Glassdoor's data found 10 percent of workers had this occur. That's around two percentage points higher than the average year, where Glassdoor estimates around 7 to 8 percent of workers stay in the same job and end up making less annually.

How Are Employees Affected?

Employees who see their benefits decrease in the coming year could see significant effects in their daily lives, but it isn't likely to leave the companies unharmed either.

"Without company-subsidized insurance, paid time off, retirement savings plans and other financial security supports, workers struggle affording basic healthcare, enduring income losses, and providing for themselves and families," Truszkowski said. "The combined stresses deplete mental and physical health, diminish productivity through disengagement, exhaustion, and incidents."

"As disadvantaged employees seek better compensation packages elsewhere, retention plunges while recruitment costs surge. Rebuilding loyalty and morale without reestablishing key benefit incentives poses a monumental challenge for leaders seeking to restore positive employment relationships."

Even getting rid of pandemic era benefits like flexible remote and in person office schedules could see many employees looking for better opportunities, according to HR Expert and CEO of getAbstract, Thomas Bergen.

"Employees are more likely to stay at an organization where they feel heard and valued," Bergen told Newsweek. "Companies implementing a mandatory office presence will face a severe talent shortage as employees have voiced they value the flexibility of remote work. When it comes to cutting benefits, leaders must understand the message it is communicating to their employees and be ready to see potential churn."

Over the past few years, companies have contended with a tight labor market and a nationwide phenomenon coined the "Great Resignation" as many employees quit and pursued opportunities with higher salaries, better benefits and work life balance.

In accurate months, however, job growth stalled, slowing more than expected in October. The labor department reported companies added just 150,000 jobs last month, below accurate predictions. The unemployment rate was also at a two-year high of 3.9 percent.

Still, employee satisfaction will be a top factor determining if a worker stays or goes, and companies could see some severe consequences if employees are unsatisfied with their benefits packages.

"Unhappy people quit," Spurling said. "We've known this for a long time. Companies that cut benefits risk losing talent, period, not just to competitors who offer something shiny and new."

Research proves that

Disease prevention is just one major (and serious!) advantage of regularly clocking miles. For more reasons to lace up, here are all the benefits of running you need to know about. Keep this list in mind when you feel your motivation to move waning.

7 Research-Backed Benefits of Running

1. Boosted Happiness

If you work out regularly, you know that exercise improves your mood. This feeling goes beyond just the “runner’s high”—that rush of feel-good hormones known as endocannabinoids.

Physical activity, like running, can help reduce risk of depressive symptoms, according to a small 2021 study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry. The group of researchers studied people undergoing treatment for depression, and found improvements in those who participated in a three-week exercise program.

In an interview with Runner’s World, lead researcher Karin Rosenkranz, M.D., said: “Our study shows that intensive training is not necessary to make a difference, just increasing daily physical activity is sufficient to get started.” In other words, you don’t have to be a professional runner to gain these depression-fighting benefits—it’s just a matter of getting in more exercise each day.

Other major research from 2023 backs up the benefits of running for your mental health. For example, one study that compared running to depression medication, found that 16 weeks of the sport offered similar benefits to the meds for treating depressive symptoms. (Though researchers noted that treatment of depression involves many factors, often a combo of medications and physical activity.) Similarly, a research review of more 97 studies found a link between exercise and improvement in anxiety and depression symptoms.

2. Weight Loss and Maintenance

You know that exercise burns calories while you’re working out, but there’s a big bonus for afterward, too: The burn continues after you stop. Studies have shown that regular exercise boosts “afterburn”—that is, the number of calories you burn postworkout. (Scientists call this EPOC, which stands for excess post oxygen consumption.) That’s kind of like getting a paycheck even after you retire.

And you don’t have to be sprinting at the speed of sound to get this benefit. This happens when you’re exercising at an intensity about 70 percent of your VO2 max.

3. Enhanced Eye and Bone Health

It’s common knowledge that running lowers your risk of heart disease and strengthens your muscles. But this might be a surprise: Running improves your eyesight. A study comparing 100 marathon runners to people who are sedentary revealed long-distance runners have better vision and cognition, thanks to the effect it has on the central nervous system.

Chances are you’ve also had family, friends, and strangers warn you that “running is bad for your bones.” The truth is, running has been known to support bone density. A review published in the International Journal of Research and Public Health highlighted running as one of the best forms of physical activity for preventing osteoporosis in women.

4. Sharper Cognition

Worried about “losing it” as you get older? Working out regularly will help you stay “with it.” A 2018 systematic review published in Neurology Clinical Practice found that exercising one hour a day, three times per week is associated with improved cognitive performance in older adults. Participants did all types of exercise, including aerobic, resistance training, mind-body exercises, or combinations of these.

Another small study, published in 2018, found that even just 15 minutes of running can enhance memory. As one of the study authors, Paul Loprinzi, Ph.D., previously pointed out to Runner’s World, aerobic exercise of any kind can enhance both short- and long-term memory.

What’s more: A study published in 2019, involving more than 1,100 people, found an association between higher endurance and better brain function.

5. Reduced Risk of Cancer

Running certainly can’t cure cancer, but there’s plenty of proof that the benefits of running include helping to prevent the disease and improving overall quality of life for people living with the disease.

In fact, a review of 170 epidemiological studies in the Journal of Nutrition showed that regular exercise is associated with a lower risk of certain cancers, while another study, which involved epidemiological research, found aerobic exercise could reduce cancer risk by 72 percent.

To get more granular: Another study from 2021, found that at least five hours of moderate-intensity physical activity may help to prevent cancers related to the breast, colon, stomach, kidney, bladder, and esophagus. Research from July 2023 also found a link between higher cardiorespiratory fitness (or VO2 max) and lower cancer risk, as well as lower risk of dying from cancer.

If you already have cancer, running (with your doctor’s approval) can Strengthen your quality of life while you’re undergoing chemotherapy. A 2021 Scientific Reports review found cancer patients who practiced high-intensity training experienced improvements in quality of life as well as physical, social, and cognitive behaviors, breathing, fatigue, pain and insomnia.

6. Longer Life

Even if you meet just the minimum of amount of physical activity (30 minutes, five times per week), you’ll live longer. In fact, one research review shows that by participating in regular physical activity, you can reduce your risk of all-cause mortality by up to 35 percent, compared to those who are inactive. And that can lead to a gain of up to almost seven years.

Basically, the more miles you log, the more time you’ll buy yourself—one of the best benefits of running.

7. Stress Relief

Many of the benefits of running are long-term, but even in the immediacy of your day-to-day life, running can offer pay-offs, like minimizing your stress.

A 2022 study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences found that exercise increases your resiliency to stress, which can help you better manage it. This can help you stave off the side effects of stress.

Research also shows that regular physical activity has a positive effect on how the central nervous system functions and minimizes the stress response. Even if something stressful happens, you are less likely to respond negatively or over-intensely, leaving you better equipped to stay calm.

Monique LeBrun joined the editorial staff in October 2021 as the associate health and fitness editor. She has a master’s degree in journalism and has previously worked for ABC news and Scholastic. She is an avid runner who loves spending time outside.

The family of an off-duty NYPD cop killed while trying to stop a thief in a Brooklyn robbery will get his full line-of-duty death benefits.

Police Officer Adeed Fayaz, 26, was fatally shot on Feb. 4 when he went to East New York with his brother-in-law to buy a Honda Pilot he saw on Facebook Marketplace.

Widow Madiha Sabeel, 30, said she was holding her breath over whether she and her sons Rayaan, 5, and Zayaan, 4, would get the hero benefits — or not because he was off-duty at the time of his death.

But officials determined that he was fighting crime in his last actions and therefore his family should be awarded his full $60,000 salary plus medical benefits for life. 

Without full line-of-duty status, the family would have gotten a one-time lump sum payment of about $180,000, three times his annual salary.

“The PBA didn’t deliver up on us and they stood with us,” Sabeel, who is from Pakistan, tearfully told The Post of the police union’s advocacy. “At one point, even we thought we’re probably not going to get it but the PBA stuck with us and this is now going to help the kids.” 

The New York City Police Pension Fund informed the family on Dec. 12 that it would grant Fayaz the line-of-duty death status, a union official said.

Gunman Randy Jones, whose rap sheet listed 22 busts, including for grand larceny, harassment, and strangulation, ambushed the duo after they showed up with $24,000 cash to buy the car, police said.

Fayaz returned fire but a bullet struck him in the head. His brother-in-law then grabbed the cop’s gun and shot Jones, who survived.

He was charged with murder and is in jail on Rikers Island awaiting trial.

PBA President Patrick Hendry said the union told the pension fund Fayaz was taking necessary police action to protect his brother-in-law when he fired at Jones.

“As long as we have that shield in our pocket, we’re going to help everyone who needs it on the streets, whether it’s stepping in to help a stranger or whether it’s a family member who’s in danger, and that’s what happened in this case,” Hendry said.

“Adeed saw his brother-in-law in danger,” Hendry said. “He didn’t run the other way. He took police action. He ran toward the situation putting himself at risk and unfortunately, it cost him his life.”

Sadaqat Fayaz, 47, said his son became a cop because he wanted to help people.

“Sometimes he’d work 24 hours and when he’d come home he’d never show he’s tired or anything,” said Fayaz, who owns a Queens pizza shop. “He always wanted to go back to work again. He loves being a police officer.”

Detective Rohail Khalid, president of the Pakistani American Law Enforcement Society, said Fayaz wanted to be an aviation maintenance technician in the NYPD’s Aviation Division and had an interview for the job scheduled when he was killed.

“His interview was the same week when he got shot and killed,” Khalid said of his friend, who was born in Pakistan. “He lost weight for it. He just wanted to make it to the unit.”

The officer’s mother, Riffat Perveen, 49, spoke about her dead son through tears. 

“My son was my life,” the heartbroken mother said. “I can’t believe he’s not with us anymore.”

scripting languages

ActiveState, a unit of Sophos Plc, the antispam software company, upgraded its Komodo 3.0 integrated development environment to let users work with either Perl, Tcl, Python, or PHP, the latter being the language that has passed Microsoft's Active Server Pages as most frequently found on Web sites.

Scripting languages such as Perl or Tcl frequently are what make the disparate parts of corporate Web sites work together.

Komodo 3.0 lets users browse directly through procedures in code libraries in any of the languages instead of searching through documentation on what the library contains, says Komodo user Jeff Rankin, lead Web application developer at O'Neil and Associates, creator of documentation for heavy equipment training and operation.

Komodo 3.0 also lets developers browse through the properties or characteristics of scripting language objects--the software modules that perform specific functions on a site. The tool contains a new debugger that works the same way in all the languages, instead of a different way for each, says David Ascher, ActiveState's chief technology officer. The debugger can search for glitches in a client portion of a program and in the server portion at the same time. Highlighting a bug in one area frequently explains why something is going wrong in the other, Ascher says.

The debugging changes are made possible by a new debugging protocol, DBGP, developed by ActiveState, that other tool users may adopt because it's been made open source, he says.

Rankin said he and other programmers at O'Neil liked Komodo's extensibility. His company frequently develops code to be used on Web sites that require meeting the guidelines of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Programmers at O'Neil have written extensions to Komodo that allow it to automatically convert HTML tags into tagging that meets the guidelines.

"We have lots of government clients. They require ADA compliance," he noted. The extensions, written in JavaScript--which is recognized by Komodo--save Web-site builders time by automatically translating regular HTML tags into a format that meets the guidelines.

Komodo is priced at $295 and is available immediately; a version for educational or nonprofit use is available for $29.50.

Zend Technologies, originators of the popular PHP scripting language, upgraded its Zend Studio 3.5 integrated development environment for PHP to support the latest version of the language (PHP 5.0 came out July 19). It contains code-analysis capabilities to aid PHP programmers in use of correct syntax and structure. Mistaken syntax is highlighted by the tool, much as Microsoft's Word underscores a misspelled word, says Andi Gutmans, vice president of technology.

The tool includes a new online help system that directs developers to online resources for guidance through tough development issues. It's priced at $249 and available immediately.

Zend was profitable last year, according to company president Doron Gerstel, and just received $8 million in venture-capital funding to market its integrated development environment.

For more on scripting languages, see CRN.

This story courtesy of Internetweek.

Saint Louis University is committed to providing a comprehensive and competitive benefits package. We provide a wide-range of support services, programs and resources. 

The Human Resources Division also offers recognition programs for outstanding employees.

Core Coverage

Core coverage benefits are those that Saint Louis University feels strongly that you should participate in and supports participation by helping to pay for these benefits.

Voluntary Coverage

You can enroll in voluntary benefits as they suit your needs. The employee pays the full cost of voluntary benefits.

Additional Benefits