Tag: employees

401K

401(k) Hardship Withdrawal Rules Explained

To ease employees’ concerns about access to their elective deferrals in the event of a financial emergency, an employer may provide for hardship withdrawals in its plan. This can provide some peace of mind during difficult times.

wellness

Community Gardens Grow Employee Well-Being

Giving back to the community can reap multiple benefits for employers, not the least of which is warm feelings from employees. In a recent Boston Globe article, Sara Salinas writes that research shows employees value companies that give back to the community. One increasingly popular way to do so—community gardens—also helps employees’ own well-being.

productivity

Common Employee Excuses—and How You Should Respond

Mistakes happen, acknowledges Justin Gray, founder and CEO of LeadMD on Inc.com. But if you’re receiving certain excuses on a regular basis, you could have bigger problems. He identifies three worrisome excuses he’s heard and explains how to keep your organization focused on the solution, rather than the problem:

5 Ways to Ease Open Enrollment Stress for Employees

We’re right in the middle of open enrollment season, which can be a confusing and stressful time for your employees as they make their selections for the coming year. Arm them with the right knowledge and tools for a successful open enrollment period and they’ll thank you for it— after all, healthy employees are happy […]

Survey Uncovers Workers’ #1 Gripe About Bosses

With the job market as tight as it is, “bad bosses” can cause more damage than ever before. Quality employees, after all, need not just grin and bear it—they can usually find new jobs with little effort. To nip this type of exodus in the bud, it would help to know the kind of manager […]

Corporate

The Route to the Top of the Corporate Ladder Is Not Always Vertical

When employees are happy in the workplace, they almost always want to climb the ladder to positions of greater responsibility. While this hasn’t changed, workers are no longer thinking in terms of making a linear ascent to the top of a hierarchical organization.

Mandatory Vacation Might Juice Your Employee Productivity

The past several years have seen employers of all kinds dabbling in nontraditional types of paid leave. One of the more notable offerings has been unlimited vacation time, but research has found that such leave is actually counterproductive—peer pressure prevents most employees from actually taking advantage of it.

trends

Popular New Benefits Reflect Changing Workforce

In the ongoing battle for benefits supremacy, employers are increasingly offering perks that probably never would have even crossed their minds just a decade ago. As with so many changes in the workplace these days, the shift has been prompted by Millennials, who are drawn by more than the bottom-line salary.

Holiday party

‘Tis the Season: Survey Reveals Cities with the Best and Worst Office Holiday Parties

When it comes to office holiday celebrations, not all parties are created equal. In a recent survey by staffing firm OfficeTeam, workers from 27 major U.S. cities were asked to describe their company holiday parties and rate them on several factors. While 36% of overall respondents describe these celebrations as fun, the results show that […]

training

State-of-the-Art Simulation Training Gives Employees Hands-On Experience

Many organizations are turning to virtual simulators to create realistic training scenarios and, in the process, help employees refine their skills and learn best practices. From computerized flight simulators for pilots to simulators that give healthcare professionals opportunities to practice lifesaving skills, the technology is proving to be a great benefit for a wide range […]