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Did you end last year’s open enrollment with a list of things you wanted to improve? One prominent item on HR’s list of open enrollment enhancements is often the use of video communication. If it’s on your list, read on. In fact, if video isn’t on your list (or even your radar), read on anyway. You may find reasons to add it before we’re through.
An employee’s health is strongly tied to his or her engagement in the workplace. Wellness initiatives, including programs and coaching, can foster a culture that will improve productivity and will help the bottom line.
Wearable devices like activity trackers have shown the potential to enhance employee participation in wellness programs, but getting the most out of a device requires more than simply asking employees to use it, a recent study found.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is seeking to discourage arrangements in which employees can obtain large wellness incentive payments in exchange for a relatively minor after-tax contribution. Contrary to their promoters’ claims, these setups cannot enable employers to finance wellness incentives solely by reducing their employment tax liability, the IRS warned.
Presenteeism refers to the situation in which employees are at work, but they are not as productive as they could be because they’re not feeling well—but they’re not feeling sick enough to take a day off, or they don’t have days off to take.
As an organization that aims to improve employee health and well-being, Ergotron, Inc. actively engages in research to recognize the impacts of sedentary computer work and educate others on creating workplace cultures of health and movement. Supporting this corporate mission, the company has released findings from its Workplace Movement Assessment, an internal survey of more […]
A federal challenge to a Wisconsin energy company’s employee wellness incentive was resolved April 5 with a $100,000 settlement. A federal court had thrown out the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) claim that the program violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but allowed the EEOC’s related ADA retaliation and interference claims to proceed.
Many wellness programs now incorporate technology to appeal to tech-savvy employees, but the human element is still a critical component in the success of wellness programs, according to recent studies.
By David Slaughter, JD Legislation introduced by a key House Republican would largely negate the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) wellness program rules, which plan sponsors have criticized for adding a duplicative layer of regulation to earlier standards set by other agencies. BLR® Senior Legal Editor David Slaughter, JD, has the facts in today’s […]
The word wellness, for most people, refers to physical health relating primarily to diet and exercise. By taking a broader view—one of well-being—we realize that physical health is only one aspect of creating a balanced lifestyle.