Benefits Articles

You can’t click on a human resources web site or open a newsletter these days without confronting a significant issue in our line of work: employee morale isn’t where we’d like it to be. Sure, with the recent economic volatility it would be odd if sentiment was at an all time high. However, many surveys are indicating that if employers don’t do a better job of improving morale there will be a lot of employees hopping jobs once the market opens up again.

You may remember a few years ago when news outlets began reporting on companies that were refusing to hire smokers. The concept was simple. Smokers were higher health risks and higher health risks increased a company’s insurance premiums. It may sound extreme, but in multiple states the employers’ decisions were upheld by the Supreme Court.

Benefits communication and administration is a time consuming and costly duty most HR departments dislike. There seems to be little reward in providing round after round of training for employees during open enrollment and processing the resulting stacks of paperwork. That’s one reason Employee Self Service (ESS) portals are such a popular choice. Especially with the shift toward CDHPs and portability, it makes sense for individual workers to take more responsibility for handling their own benefits.

If an employee is terminally ill, this can mean more than one thing. Sometimes, this prognosis simply means they aren’t going to get any better. Frequently, it means their health is going to deteriorate. Worst case scenario, they have been given less than 6 months to live.

Besides salary and medical insurance, vacation time is one of the most valuable incentives you can offer job candidates. There isn’t any legal requirement for you to give employees paid time off, but most workers consider this a basic necessity for any job. A generous time off policy does more than just show your commitment to promoting good work/life balance. It gives your employees time to recharge and return to work with a high level of productivity.

Over the past few years many companies have gone from having separate sick and vacation policies to having just one, consolidated paid time off (PTO) program. While the flexibility of these programs can be attractive to employees and companies alike, there are also some serious consequences that can arise from a poorly planned PTO program. If you haven’t recently reviewed the potential legal impact of your current PTO system, here are a few topics to consider.

Well 2009 is officially behind us and it’s time to get into the swing of the New Year. Every year at this time companies are looking for ways to re-engage their workforce after the lengthy holiday break and get their team revved up to start the year with a bang. What better way to welcome your staff back and get things rolling positively than by giving them an added benefit for working for you: tax-free transportation.

As an employer, you already spend a significant portion of your budget on total compensation for your workforce. Can you afford to invest in continuing education as well? If you do it right, the answer is probably yes. Many employees value tuition reimbursement programs. This type of benefit offers a way for workers to improve themselves and advance their careers. It also makes them feel that their employer believes in their abilities. However, you need to plan your program carefully to maximize your ROI.

Open enrollment for many human resources departments is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, technology advancements that allow an employee force to manage, select and enroll in their own benefit programs significantly cuts down on the red tape for HR managers. On the flip side, benefits are complicated and making sure you’ve informed and educated your staff to get through your open enrollment period without too many issues is a difficult task.

Human Resources professionals are used to handling all kinds of uncomfortable employee relations situations. They may be called in to deal with inappropriate workplace behavior, break up fights, or cope with the occasional “total meltdown”. However, even a seasoned HR manager and benefits specialist can find it challenging to handle one delicate situation: an employee who is dying - and still wants to work.