Employers are offering more and more voluntary benefits—and workers want these benefits. A recent study showed that nearly one third of eligible employees were signing up for voluntary offerings (that’s a higher participation rate than in earlier years). Amy Hollis is the national leader of voluntary benefits for HR consultancy Willis Towers Watson. She recently…
When February rolls around, some of us fist pump the air. “Yay! A whole month with my resolution.” Others (a larger amount, by the way) think, “Ugh. I have already failed.” Here’s the thing: February is a great time to reboot your resolution. In fact, ANY TIME is a great time. There is nothing magical…
The “Sunday Scaries” Are Real, But You Can Help Your Employees Avoid Them We all know that Friday feeling, but unfortunately, it’s followed all-too-soon by its evil twin, the Sunday Scaries. Not familiar with that term? Sunday Scaries is that general anxiety that the weekend is over—and you’re about to start another week. The truth…
Feed a cold and starve a fever? Or is it feed a fever and starve a cold? The old adage dates back to the 1500s when it was believed that feeding helped warm a body up, and therefore beat a cold; and starving deprived the body of energy, therefore helping it cool and stop a fever. It’s…
Becoming a parent is an extraordinary and, at times, stressful endeavor. Your life is about to fundamentally change. And as you plan the myriad dimensions of this new reality, you may be wondering how you’ll cover all the bills while you take time off work. Family leave is a complex issue and it requires a…
It’s a new year, a new beginning. We’re feeling refreshed after a season of holiday cheer and celebrating with family and friends. Maybe some of us ate and drank a little too much. And maybe we spent our entire year-end bonus on presents that the kids are already tired of playing with. But we all…
Is your office quiet that last week between Christmas and New Year’s? Chances are good it is; one survey found that 1/3 of U.S. workers planned to take the entire week as vacation, with nearly 70% expecting to take at least part of it. But while the rest of your office might be relaxing…
The start of a New Year—and decade!—is the perfect time to kick off or refresh HR-related programs. As company culture becomes more important than ever for employees, the payoff that comes from programs that meet their needs can be huge in terms of retention. Don’t forget that with the New Year comes resolutions—and for some…
The holidays are here. The season of giving, spending, celebration, and for many, the season of high calorie overeating. According to a 2016 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the average American gains about a pound between Thanksgiving and the beginning of January. Even though the weight gain isn’t as high as…
As we head into the busy holiday season, two forces converge—one, some workplaces get extra busy, and two, everyone is craving time off for their own personal celebrations. Here are some suggestions for helping manage employee time off so that everyone feels that they have been treated fairly—or as fairly as possible. (Remember that these…
