FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- Food distributors continue to maintain conservative salary policies, but almost half are making adjustments in their benefits programs, according to the annual compensation study commissioned by Food Distributors International here.
plans during 1997. Among the study's findings:
The base salary paid to key employees is directly related to the size of the location, both in corporate offices and in distribution centers, especially for the largest companies.
Distribution-center pay is somewhat related to location, with the highest pay in the Northeast and Southwest.
Food distributors continue to revise health care, dental and eye care programs, often shifting to managed-care plans but often offering "flex plans," in which employees who choose expensive options assume more of the costs.
Truck drivers have nearly the same compensation regardless of region. The survey included members of the National-American Wholesale Grocers' Association and the International Foodservice Distributors Association, the FDI's two component organizations.
The study analyzed base salary, bonus and salary range data for 43 positions, including 10 key salaried positions and 13 distribution-center jobs. The results were broken down by industry segment (NAWGA or IFDA) and annual sales, as well as by region.
