U.S. Steel Enhances Benefits to Move Up the Talent Curve

The steel industry is competing for workers from a much smaller labor pool as well for younger professionals who are health conscious and want to spend more time with family. Attracting employees and retaining them requires a more flexible attitude toward family needs and changing demographics.

“In the past, we always tried to be right at median — we tried to be competitive, but didn’t want to pay too much,” Mike Williams, general manager for compensation and benefits, told the Washington Post. “Part of our strategic initiative is to move up the talent curve,” he said. “We want to go after a larger group of individuals that are diverse in thought and diverse in background and make this a better place for working mothers.”

Williams added that just as the company invests in its plant assets, it wants to do the same for its human assets.

“These benefits reflect our commitment to fostering a culture of caring at U.S. Steel, where every employee must feel supported,” said Barry Melnkovic, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer.

The new and enhanced benefits will be available to the 3,200 non-represented employees at U.S. Steel beginning April 1 and include:

• Parental leave: Up to eight weeks paid time off for either parent following the birth of a child, the birth of a child of a domestic partner or the placement of a child for foster care or adoption. For birth mothers, this new parental leave is in addition to the available short-term disability period of six or eight weeks depending on the type of delivery.
• Infertility coverage: Additional medical coverage for infertility treatments and medications.
• Dependent care flexible spending account (FSA) match: The company will match employee contributions up to 50 percent of the applicable IRS limit.
• Bereavement leave has been extended for up to 15 days for immediate family.
• Vacation purchase program allows employees to purchase a certain number of additional vacation days to be used within the calendar year.
• Adoption assistance: The company will reimburse up to $4,000 for eligible expenses related to the adoption of a child.
• Domestic partner coverage: The allowance of eligible domestic partners and eligible children to receive coverage under U.S. Steel’s health and welfare programs.
• Healthcare continuation for work-related or military service fatalities: Healthcare continuation for surviving eligible family members of employees who are fatally injured at work or in the line of duty while on military leave.
• Gender reassignment procedure coverage: Additional medical coverage for treatments and medications associated with gender reassignment.