Are you staying competitive in the employment marketplace by offering the benefits everyone else does? Do you stand out? Can you still attract top talent even if you drop an expensive benefits program? The process of comparing your benefits programs to other employers in your field is called benchmarking, and it’s a hugely important and[…]
Sabbaticals often make big news – Fast Company and the Harvard Business Review (HBR) have both extolled the virtues of the practice – yet relatively few U.S. employers offer this as a benefit. According to SHRM’s benefits report, only 12% offer an unpaid sabbatical option, and a meager 5% of U.S. employers offer paid sabbaticals.[…]
Generational issues in benefits may be on the rise. That shouldn’t be surprising, given that 75% of the global workforce will be made up of millennials by 2025. It’s only natural that employers should begin targeting the future supermajority of their workforce with benefits that appeal directly to them, especially since an equal percentage of[…]
Health care reform has certainly seen its share of changes over the past few years, culminating in a shocking court ruling in December 2018 that found the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. That decision has been stayed pending appeals, but it raises important questions about the future of health care, especially as it affects small businesses.[…]
Over a period of six months in 2015, the city of Kirkland, WA completely revamped its health benefits for city employees, drove up engagement with the program to 70%, and cut hundreds of dollars in city costs per employee per month. “We were what you would characterize as a Cadillac tax plan,” Kirkland human resources[…]
Leadership and career development programs can be very beneficial to companies. To start, they are excellent recruiting tools. Prospective employees are always interested in career advancement, enhancing their skills, and maximizing their earning potential. That may be why nearly 16% of organizations have been increasing their professional and career development programs, per the Society for[…]
Summer weather can make people hot under the collar – and that’s as true of office workers as outdoor staff. “Savvy companies can maintain staff productivity and morale by embracing summer in the workplace,” says Sasha Truckenbrod, branch manager of Robert Half and OfficeTeam in Madison. One great way to embrace summer: relax your company’s[…]
A number of major companies have recently reduced or ended their telecommuting programs. These include IBM, Yahoo!, Bank of America, Honeywell, and other major enterprises. Is this one-time rising star of a benefit suddenly crashing back down to the earth? Maybe, but there’s more to this controversial benefit than meets the eye. Employers usually offer remote working options to[…]
In its 2016 report on employee benefits, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) took a look back at 20 years of employee benefits offerings in the U.S. (1996 to 2016). Here are some of the more interesting findings. Only a few benefits have noticeably increased. Remote working: Telecommuting has grown dramatically, tripling in popularity. In 1996, just[…]
How does outsourcing compliance and risk management help employers? Most employers are unprepared for the risks and regulations that affect their business. The New York Times reports that two out of five small business owners have no business insurance at all. This may be due to cost; it’s hard to find good coverage at rates friendly[…]
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