Prepaid Health Benefits Cards Help Employees Be 'Smart'
February 18, 2008—You've been encouraging employees to take a more active role in their health care. You've provided an HSA, an HRA, and an FSA to make sure they have the ability to pay health-related expenses before taxes. But you've also fielded questions from employees, nearly as frustrated with the complicated new programs as they are with healthcare costs. What's a conscientious employer to do?
Want to Keep 'Silver' Talent? It's Time to Reinvent Retirement
February 11, 2008—Since they came screaming onto the scene in the years immediately following World War II, Baby Boomers have changed a lot of things. Some might even say they've changed everything. Now, as they reach that milestone commonly known as retirement, the Baby Boom generation continues its sweep across social conventions. Retirement, as our parents knew it, may soon cease to exist.
Paying Salespeople: How Much Is Too Much?
February 05, 2008—There is a school of thought that says you can't overpay a sales professional. Right away, Brian Jeffrey, CSP and president of Salesforce Assessments, Ltd., and a long-time salesman himself, spots two problems with that statement.
Performance Rewards Put Employees in Orbit
January 28, 2008—Your employees have worked hard all year, meeting goals, increasing sales, and bringing in new business. It?s time to let them know how much you appreciate their efforts. Should you hold an awards banquet, like you did last year (and the year before)? Or should you try something new?
Compensation Strategies: Is Your Company Prepared for the Tightening Labor Market?
January 21, 2008—Attracting and retaining qualified and productive employees is a challenge facing all businesses. Compensation, including employee benefits, is a key tactic in this feat, and finding the right balance between market demands and business needs is a continual process.
5 Areas of Compensation Litigation Exposure: How to Avoid Trouble
January 14, 2008—Paul R. Dorf is a qualified expert witness in matters of compensation, frequently testifying before state and federal courts after a company is sued for a breach of compensation policy. Companies, he says, make a lot of mistakes--mistakes that he would like to help you avoid.
Limited Healthcare Plan Boosts Retention Among Temps
January 03, 2008—CBS Personnel Holdings, Inc., a Cincinnati-based temporary staffing and executive search company with 145 branches in 18 states, offers a traditional medical plan to its internal staff of 850. About 5 years ago, the company also started offering a limited healthcare plan to thousands of temporary associates who work at client locations, says Suzanne Perry, vice president of human resources.
Recruiting Top Talent Requires a Top Relocation Package
December 28, 2007—With a waning housing market and increasing transportation costs, relocation packages are more important than ever. After all, the first factor a prospective employee or transferee faces when considering a job change is how he or she will afford to move. This means that companies must examine and revamp their relocation policies as a way to help seal the deal.
Predicting the Future of Retiree Health Care
December 17, 2007—Healthcare costs for active and retired populations now exceed 8% of payroll. In the 1990s, the Financial Accounting Standards (FAS) Board enacted its rule #106, formalizing the accounting for retiree medical costs and creating unfunded liabilities for employers. Before FAS 106, 66% of firms with more than 200 workers sponsored retiree health care. That figure in 2007 was 33%. So where is retiree health care headed next?
Workforce Management Systems Reduce Payroll Costs
December 10, 2007—All businesses experience variations in the workload, but none so much as retail. If you're in the retail business, you know the frustration: you prepare for a busy time by bringing in extra staff, but shoppers fail to show up. Or, you expect a slow Sunday afternoon but soon have irritated customers waiting in long lines for service because you haven't brought in enough help. Both situations affect the bottom line--you're either spending too much on payroll, or you're losing sales. What if you could avoid all that, by simply managing your workforce better?
