Most financial analysts and advisers consider the 401(k) the key retirement planning investment vehicle. With the decline of company pension plans, the responsibility of saving for retirement is falling even harder on individuals.

An employee assistance program counsels and assists workers who are experiencing issues that may subtract from their job performance.

FSAs are one of the most popular employee benefits today. According to a study conducted by William M. Mercer, Inc., and Bright Horizons Family Solutions, 85 percent of employers offered health care FSAs in 2000, and 82 percent offered dependent-care accounts.

Dental insurance helps pay for dental care and preventive treatment. Group dental frequently comes bundled with group medical coverage. However, it is also available on a purely voluntary basis in which the premiums are fully paid by the employee.

A group health insurance policy is issued to a company, and employees of that company receive benefits according to the terms of the policy.

A group life insurance program is a convenient way for employees to obtain a basic amount of life insurance. Coverage is provided by an insurance company through a policy that covers all eligible employees of your company.

Faced with spiraling health care costs and consumer demand for greater flexibility, many organizations are now considering a move into consumer-directed health care (CDHC), including Health Savings Accoungs.

An alternative that is gaining popularity to providing employees with affordable prescription drugs, prescription drug card plans are not insurance. Companies that furnish these plans have arranged partnerships with drugstore chains to drive business to those outlets.

Vision insurance provides coverage for services rendered by eye care professionals such as ophthalmologists and optometrists. There a many forms of vision insurance offered by different insurance carriers.

Voluntary benefits are employer-sponsored benefits sold to employees of the sponsoring company. The premiums are paid for entirely by the employee, who can choose whether to participate (hence, the name "voluntary").