Employee-Paid

More than 14,000 workers at the newly merged United and Continental airlines will start voting July 7 on whether to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union.

The United Mine Workers said Monday it has reached a tentative labor agreement with coal producers that employ thousands of its members around the country.

NFL employees have had their salaries trimmed by 12 percent since April, and seven teams have instituted pay cuts or furloughs of workers outside the huddle since the owners' lockout of players began March 12, The Associated Press has found in interviews around the league.

Stories are popping up everywhere about employers who are refusing to hire workers who smoke, or are tacking on a premium penalty, or even offering a quitting incentive, hoping to reduce health care costs and increase productivity.

When it comes to enjoying work-life flexibility, employees say a lack of time and increased workloads are the main obstacles—more than the impact to their careers or paychecks.

A round-up of the week's employee benefits news, reports and controversy from around the web