Professional Basketball Employee Benefits Lauren Grodsky Brad Stein
Agenda Employee Benefits Background NBA Benefits WNBA Benefits Compare and Contrast
Employee Benefits in Sports Benefits play an important role in contract negotiations Labor Unions attempt to negotiate league wide benefits which are documented in collective bargaining agreements (CBA) The NBA received pension coverage in 1965 The WNBA’s first CBA was ratified in 1999
NBA Benefits Pension ▫NBA Player’s Pension Plan ▫Vesting Requirements ▫Payout determination ▫Pre-Retirement Survivor Annuity
NBA Benefits (continued) Medical and dental insurance ▫$300 deductible/family member, max of $900/family ▫$3000 maximum co-insurance benefit Life insurance Worker’s compensation ▫Paid in accordance with state statutes Disability insurance
NBA Benefits (continued) 401(k) ▫IRC limitations ▫Team requirements ▫NBA Benefit Pool Additional Programs ▫HIV/AIDS Education Program ▫Players Association High School Basketball Camp
WNBA Benefits First Collective Bargaining Agreement in women’s professional sports Health Insurance ▫Medical ▫Dental
WNBA Benefits (continued) 401(k) ▫25% employer match ▫Additional contribution for years of service Life Insurance - $100,000 Disability due to Pregnancy complications Off-Season Benefits - $75,0o0 ▫Education, career, financial management
Compare NBA to WNBA Justification for differences ▫Revenue generated ▫Length of a season Medical and Dental seem similar
Compare NBA to WNBA (continued) WNBA lacks a Defined Benefit plan, survivor annuities, post-career medical benefits WNBA deserves Defined Benefit plan ▫Consider revenue generated NBAWNBA Annual Revenue$3.5 billion$85 million Value of DB Plan$120 million$2.89 million % Value/Revenue3.4%
Compare NBA to WNBA (continued) 401(k) Not fair match for the women NBAWNBA Employer ContributionIRC limitations applied25% match + 2-4% based on years of service
Conclusion Differences should continue to exist ▫Funding limitations ▫Popularity and revenue generation Women still deserve better benefits as professional athletes
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