It seems to me that the employer will fund it either way. Maybe I’m misremembering stories of pensions being mismanaged and lost. I think the most important thing is that the employer actually does something to fund a retirement, in my way of thinking the 401k approach puts me in control of the money so I don’t rely on someone else to not fail.
Whether it’s promised bonuses, stocks, or retirement funds, my motto is always “show me the money”, and I’ll believe it when it’s in my hands.
On that note, it makes a ton of sense to take full advantage of 401k plans. At least put it enough for the company match to max out, and preferably put more in to cap out the annual limit for it. That isn’t possible for everyone, but it’s both tax advantaged and pre-tax money, so an extra $500/mo into the 401k is NOT $500 removed from your post-tax pay.