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Survey finds companies are planning to reinstate some programs cut during the economic crisis

With signs that an economic recovery might be nearing, a majority of U.S. employers plan to reverse some, but not all, of the changes they've been making to their pay, benefits and other HR programs, according to the latest update to an ongoing series of surveys by Watson Wyatt.

The survey found that 62 percent of companies that have made hiring freezes and 69 percent of those that have made salary freezes plan to eliminate them within the next 12 months. Also, 48 percent that have reduced their employer 401(k)/403(b) matches plan to reinstate them in the same timeframe.

However, not all the changes made during the economic crisis will be rolled back. Although 60 percent of employers plan to reverse salary reductions (55 percent within the next year and 5 percent within 18 months), one in five employers (20 percent) will keep them in place, and another 20 percent are unsure. Nearly half (46 percent) do not plan to reverse the increases in the percentage that employees now pay for health care premiums. Watson Wyatt's latest survey was conducted in early June 2009 and includes responses from 179 employers.

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