Recognizing that high housing costs have "bottom-line" consequences, more employers are addressing this problem by offering employer-assisted housing benefit programs, and they are finding help available from the public sector.
We asked Lynne C. Lancaster, co-founder of BridgeWorks, a consulting firm specializing in generational issues, to brief us on the benefits programs likely to appeal to the various generations in the workforce.
Because of the steady increases in those costs that we've all experienced
in the last few years, savvy human resources professionals are always on the
lookout for something that will help them squeeze every last drop of employee
loyalty and goodwill out of their benefits dime.
The problem of identity theft continues to grow in severity, both in terms of frequency and associated costs. With the workplace ranking as the number one source of identity theft, and with new laws that expose companies to fines and lawsuits for such thefts, employers should consider offering identity theft protection as an employee benefit.
Skyrocketing healthcare costs are forcing some employers to make unpopular health benefit decisions, such as shifting more costs to employees, reducing coverage. Such "takeaway" tactics may ultimately shave a few more dollars off your health premium, but at what cost to employee morale, productivity, loyalty, and retention?
If you've read Fortune magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For and wondered what really sets them apart, there is a one-word answer: trust.
Just as companies have mission statements, so should benefits plan administrators, Naomi Judd told attendees at the 51st Annual Employee Benefits Conference of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP) held last month in Hawaii.
Once again, the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Repeated requests from employers
across the country have resulted in a new report from the International Foundation
of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP).
"The whole reason for having tuition aid," says Faith Ivery, President of EASI, "is to keep an educated workforce. It is about succession planning, talent development, and employee retention. Unfortunately, many companies leave the policy design and strategic use of tuition aid in the hands of administrators, rather than development experts."
Eastman Chemical was facing some heavy pressure in the late 1990s, but the pressure was not necessarily from economic or market forces. Rather, the pressure Eastman felt was coming from inside their walls. Employees wanted to be able to service their own needs around employee benefits.
