Category: Benefits and Compensation

This topic provides guidance on how to handle compensation issues in a way that attracts and retains the best talent and advances the strategic goals of your business. You get news and tips on what’s going on nationally and in the states, and updates on changes in regulations, possible governmental action, and emerging compensation trends.

Relocation Package Defrays Costs for New Hires, Transferring Employees

Amway (www.amway.com), which manufactures, markets, and distributes over 450 consumer products worldwide, offers a “robust” relocation package to new hires, transferring employees, and college interns who live a certain distance away from—and who agree to move within a 25-mile radius of—headquarters in Ada, Michigan, or the company’s other main facility in California. According to Marc […]

Health System Says ‘Simple Is Better,’ Even When Plans Are Complex

If you specialize in employee benefits, it’s a given that you find the topic to be interesting, at least to some degree. It’s equally certain that most of the employees who participate in the plans do not share your enthusiasm. Ever seen that glazed-over look in someone’s eyes when you explain the finer points of […]

Leverage Social Tendencies to Encourage Wellness

“Corporate culture” is a term tossed around a lot. It’s easy to see why a particular corporate culture may be desirable. After all, it is often cited as the reason for low turnover and high participation in certain types of benefits and programs. You know what corporate culture means, even if you may be unable […]

Family-Friendly Workplace Provides A ‘Kid’s Room’ and ‘Rocket Day’

Employees of Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI) have always been encouraged to bring their children to work. In the past, that meant children stayed at their parents’ desks or in a workout room equipped with a television. But when the Exton, Pennsylvania-based company built a new facility about 5 years ago, it set aside a special […]

HR.BLR.com Wins 2010 CODiE Award

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) has selected HR.BLR.com® an on-demand compliance portal produced by BLR® as Best Online Government Information Service in the Association’s 25th Annual CODiE Awards. The SIIA CODiE Awards recognize outstanding achievement and vision in the software, digital information, and education technology industries. The content category of Best Online Government […]

Eldercare Remains Silent Problem (But It Shouldn’t)

 Imagine an auditorium full of HR reps and managers, assembled to hear the latest about employee benefits. A hush falls over the crowd as Chuck Bongiovanni, founder and president of CarePatrol, takes the stage. He looks around the room, waits a moment, then asks the audience a pointed question: Can anyone in the room guarantee […]

Flexible Work Options Challenge Traditional Consulting Industry Model

Many employers track employees’ time to make sure they are working enough hours. At Censeo Consulting Group, the focus is on making sure that employees aren’t burning themselves out by working too many hours. Many Employees Work at Home When Censeo (www.censeoconsulting .com) was founded nearly 7 years ago, one of management’s goals was to […]

Going Global? What to Do About Benefits

Taking an optimistic view of the future may mean expansion. If you’re considering expanding offshore to one—or several—other countries, there are many details you’ll need to work out about how best to reward employees. We spoke with an expert on global benefits, Gregory Glashan, a principal and consulting actuary at Buck Consultants (www.buckconsultants.com), to learn […]

Dental Plans—A Little Long In the Tooth

In the 1950s, life may have been simpler—but dental care certainly wasn’t. Some people saw it as a luxury that they couldn’t afford. Most people suffered from tooth decay, and dentures became common. Then employers started to offer a new benefit, the dental insurance plan, to help employees take care of their teeth. Five decades […]

Initiative, Incentives for Preventive Healthcare Seen as Remedy for Costly Medical Claims

The Orange County Library System (OCLS) may not be able to single-handedly curb rising healthcare costs, but it can have a pronounced impact on employees’ health and wellness and take steps to lower costly medical claims over the long term. Employee Awareness OCLS, which consists of a main library and 14 branches throughout Orange County, […]