Postdocs have historically voiced concerns over lack of benefits, like health care coverage, retirement savings and childcare. According to the latest US National Science Foundation figures (www.nsf.gov) in the 2008 Science and Engineering Indicators, the picture is improving. The report says that across all postdoc positions in 2006, 90 percent reported medical benefits and 49 percent had retirement benefits. However, questions exist about the quality of these programs. “It is not possible to know from the survey how extensive medical benefits may be, or how
Transferable retirement benefits are,” the report says.

I’m aware of several potential gaps in coverage. For example, adjuncts—a growing part of the US academic workforce—have substandard or no coverage (http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/2007/070208/full/nj7128-678a.html). There may also be gaps between recent crops of fellows, whose retirement savings are being bolstered by these programs, and earlier crops, which haven’t had access to retirement programs during their training (www.nature.com/naturejobs/2005/050120/full/nj7023-336a.html). The NSF report also lacks details about childcare—another important benefit to postdocs and grad students (http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/2005/050915/full/nj7057-446a.html).

I’d love to hear your reactions about the quality of your benefits in this forum. Are you satisfied with your benefits or are there major gaps? Have benefits increased or improved over the last decade? Please let us know.