Wellness: It’s more than health screenings and smoking-cessation programs

by Amanda Abrom

When you think of employee benefits, health care often comes to mind. But there’s so much more to overall employee well-being than just physical health.  

As an employer, what else can you offer besides health insurance to improve employee wellness? Here are three areas where employees could be struggling and what you can do to help, courtesy of our friends at BenefitsPro:

1) Financial health. Some employees spend more time stressing over their financial problems than their personal health. A high majority of employees are financially stressed, feeling like they have low pay and high work-loads. These employees don’t have financial plans and don’t know how to manage their money.
Solution: Try offering financial wellness programs to alleviate employee stress. Seminars on building emergency funds, meeting financial goals and saving for retirement will be a huge help.

2) Social health. This is another component of employee well-being. If employees don’t feel like they’re connected at work, their motivation and productivity will decrease.

Click here for entire article.

2 words that make employees embrace new challenges

by Christian Schappel

There are a lot of employees who are stuck in a mindset that makes it hard — or nearly impossible — for them to accept new challenges. And that, as you know, is bad for running a business. 

It’s not all their fault; genetics plays a big role. But research has shown there are two words that can shake them from this mindset:

“Good effort.”

Let us explain.

Pope Ward, senior VP at Melcrum, a business communication consultancy, recently stumbled upon some interesting research conducted by Standford professor Carol Dweck.

Dweck is a renown researcher in the field of social psychology, and has said people fall into one of three “mindset” categories:

• 40% have a fixed mindset — meaning they get a thrill from doing what they already know how to do, and they view mistakes as judgments of their intellect. They back down from challenges.
• 40% have a growth mindset — meaning they enjoy stretching themselves, and they view mistakes as learning opportunities. They embrace challenges.
• 20% fall somewhere in between — meaning they’re somewhat apprehensive to take on new challenges.

Click here for entire article.

Dental benefits can prevent major — and costly — health problems

by Amanda Abrom

Dental benefits can increase employee satisfaction and loyalty, but how much do they actually impact employees’ overall health? A lot, at least according to a recent study in the Health Affairs Journal.

The study found that individuals without dental benefits take more trips to the emergency room (ER) for dental problems. And insured individuals have a smaller chance of ER visits.

How was the study done?

Researchers analyzed what would happen if they removed adult dental benefits from California’s Medicaid program. They made two conclusions:

• Without dental benefits, emergency room visits for dental problems would increase by 33%, which adds up to around 1,800 visits a year, and
• The cost of emergency room visits for dental problems would increase by 68%.

And the researchers only removed Medicaid. So chances are these numbers would be even higher with no private dental insurers in the picture.

These findings are troubling for a number of reasons. On top of the high cost of emergent care, ER’s aren’t staffed with actual dentists, all patients usually get in terms of care is painkillers and medicine for infected gums.

This approach leads to long-term problems and recurring ER visits.

Click here for entire article. 

Tip Tuesday! Another annual performance review program bites the dust: Is yours next?

by Tim Gould

A 330,000-employee corporation just decided to scrap yearly performance reviews. Think it might be time for your organization to do the same?  

Pierre Nanterme, CEO of consulting giant Accenture, recently told the Washington Post, “We’re going to get rid of [annual reviews]. Not 100 percent, but we’re going to get rid of probably 90% of what we did in the past. It’s not what we need. We are not sure that spending all that time on performance management has been yielding a great outcome.”

The problem with the old process? “Performance is an ongoing activity,” Nanterme said. “It’s every day, after any client interaction or business interaction or corporate interaction. It’s much more fluid.

“People want to know on an ongoing basis, am I doing right? Am I moving in the right direction? Do you think I’m progressing? Nobody’s going to wait for an annual cycle to get that feedback. Now it’s all about instant performance management.”


He said that “[F]or the millennium generation, it’s not the way they want to be recognized, the way they want to be measured. If you put this new generation in the box of the performance management we’ve used the last 30 years, you lose them.”

Click here for entire article.

Is another OT rule whammy on its way from DOL?

by Christian Schapp

It’s possible employers could be in for more than just a whopping increase to the overtime exemption salary threshold. 

From the questions it asked employers in its proposed changes to the FLSA’s overtime exemption rules, the DOL is considering changes to the “white-collar” duties tests.

The DOL hasn’t proposed any changes yet, and it has provided little in the way of clues as to what changes it’s considering — other than the indication that it’s mulling the adoption of a California-style rule requiring more than 50% of an employee’s time be spent exclusively on exempt duties for the person to be classified as exempt.

But employers are still fearful significant changes to the duties tests could force the reclassification of a great deal of employees — beyond the number of employees who’ll have to be reclassified as a result of the proposed increase in the salary threshold from $23,660 per year to $50,440.

Click here for entire article.

Someone better start working on a vaccine against workplace rudeness

by Tim Gould

It’s worse than we thought. Workplace rudeness isn’t just corrosive — it’s catching.  

Alisson Clark, writing on the University of Florida website, reports that a recent U of F study indicates that encountering rude behavior at work makes people more likely to perceive rudeness in later interactions.

The perception makes them more likely to be impolite in return, spreading rudeness like a virus, she says.

“When you experience rudeness, it makes rudeness more noticeable,” Clark quotes lead author Trevor Foulk, a doctoral student in management at UF’s Warrington College of Business Administration. “You’ll see more rudeness even if it’s not there.”

The study findings were recently published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. The researchers say they’re the first  hard evidence that everyday impoliteness spreads in the workplace.

The study tracked 90 graduate students practicing negotiation with classmates. Those who rated their initial negotiation partner as rude were more likely to be rated as rude by a subsequent partner, showing that they passed along the first partner’s rudeness. The effect continued even when a week elapsed between the first and second negotiations.

Click here for entire article. 

‘You can’t fire me, I’m on FMLA': Was mistake-prone worker correct?

by Christian Schappel

As you know, taking FMLA leave can’t completely shield an employee from termination, especially when the person’s performance warrants him or her being fired. But the FMLA very much complicates the matter. So what do you need to be able to safely let under-performing FMLA-takers go? 

Answer: Documented evidence that the employer isn’t meeting performance standards.

A recent lawsuit in which the employer’s decision to terminate an employee on intermittent FMLA leave was upheld by a federal appeals court provides a good example of when it’s permissible — and what it takes — to safely let these kinds of workers go.

Multiple stints of FMLA

Elizabeth Burciaga sued her employer, Ravago Americas LLC for FMLA retaliation after she was terminated following several FMLA-related absences.


Burciaga was a customer service representative, who was responsible for contacting sales representatives and customers, receiving and processing orders, scheduling shipments, and resolving customer issues.

Click here for entire article.

Tip Tuesday! Why DOL’s new OT rules may not increase pay

by Christian Schappel

The DOL has said it expects its new overtime exemption rule changes to make roughly 4.6 million workers eligible for OT, resulting in bigger paychecks. But is that really what’s going to happen? 

Talk to just about anyone who’s not in the Obama Administration, and the answer you’ll get is “no.”

While the rule changes, which President Obama ordered the DOL to make, may sound good to members of the voting public who’d like to make more for working above and beyond the standard 40-hour workweek, it’s unlikely employers will take the changes lying down.

Attorneys and consultants nationwide have been quick to point out that the vast majority of employers won’t just hand over the $1.5 billion in extra wages the DOL estimated could be generated from the rule changes.

Click here for entire article.

Attention, HR pros — the C-suite is depending on you

by Tim Gould

Take a deep breath, HR professionals. You’re stepping up to the plate with the game on the line.  

In a complex post-recession job market with a growing talent gap, top executives are looking to HR leaders for innovative business strategies grounded in data, according to a recent CareerBuilder study.

A majority of CEOs (65%) agree that post-recession, HR opinions carry greater weight with senior management; nearly three fourths (73%) say that their HR leader has provided data that they have incorporated into their business strategy.

Shaping this new era is a post-recession landscape defined by increased competition for skilled talent in the face of shrinking labor pools and demands for higher salaries. Sixty percent of CEOs reported their companies have not been able to reach their full potential because they cannot find enough qualified candidates, and almost one fourth (23%) say the pressure to raise wages is among the issues that keep them up at night.

HR’s new mission

And nearly half of CEOs (48%) say their companies have lost money due to inefficient recruiting.

Click here for entire article.

Same-sex marriage legalized everywhere: What employers have to do now

by Christian Schappel

The same-sex marriage argument has finally been settled in the U.S — at least from a legal standpoint. Every state is now required to allow and acknowledge same-sex marriages. This has significant implications for employers. Here’s a breakdown of what they are. 

As complicated and as sensitive of an issue as this is, the fallout from the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges is actually quite simple: Same-sex married couples will — in most cases — need to be treated exactly the same as opposite-sex married couples (one exception may be in self-insured health plans; it’s still unclear how the ruling will apply to these plans).

The good thing about this ruling — at least from an employer standpoint: It streamlines the benefits administration process significantly. In a nutshell, if a benefit is offered to employees’ opposite-sex spouses, it should also be offered to employees’ same-sex spouses.

In instances were federal and state law doesn’t specifically carve out protections for same-sex spouses (again, like in self-insured plans), employers would run the risk of violating anti-discrimination laws if they end up treating same-sex spouses differently than opposite-sex spouses.

As a result, the best — and certainly the safest — move is to treat everyone equally.

Click here for entire article.

Telemedicine: Can this tool help keep health plan costs under control?

by Jared Bilski



It’s getting more and more difficult to dismiss telemedicine as a healthcare fad that won’t catch among employers.

But things have changed, and firms are starting to warm up to this option.

For starters, there are fewer barriers in place. One of the greatest obstacles to telemedicine usage has been insurers’ refusal to cover this option.

Now, however, Washington recently became the 24th state that required health plans to reimburse providers for telemedicine services – and others are likely to follow suit.

Plus, prominent insurers – such as Aetna, United Healthcare and Wellpoint/Anthem – are convinced telemedicine is here to stay and are planning accordingly.
$6 billion reasons

Telemedicine generally involves a patient speaking to a physician via a video stream (e.g., Skype) or over the phone for a diagnosis or treatment.

Click here for entire article.

Tip Tuesday! Free time! 7 ways to savor it

You need your R & R — here's how to truly renew and recharge 













You work hard. So how are you at relaxing? It should be easy, right? When we're busy, it can be tough to unwind. We'd like to and hope to ... when we get around to it. 

Relaxation and recreation are more than wants — or wishes. They're essentials for your well-being. 

When you enjoy your downtime — free from work or duties — it offers an emotional lift that gives you energy and confidence to tackle everyday challenges. Losing yourself in leisure may even decrease harmful stress-related hormones and strengthen your immune system. 

The bottom line: You can be happier, healthier and more productive when you take time for leisure.

A new kind of to-do list
Day-to-day life can get full and hectic. And when free time is limited, it's that much more precious. So make the most of yours by pursuing activities that soothe your mind, spark your creativity or otherwise give you a boost. 

Do you need a little inspiration? Here are seven quick ideas to get you started renewing and recharging: 

1. Put "me time" on the calendar. Treat it like an important appointment — because it is. 

Click here for entire article.

7 warning signs a great employee’s about to quit

by Christian Schappel

We all want to hold onto our best, brightest employees. And sometimes, a key component of that retention effort is being able to recognize when they’re trying to locate greener pastures and finding ways to increase their loyalty.


But what you need to know first are the red flags that indicate an employee is conducting such a search.

Training software company Mindflash recently compiled a list of the red flags employers should be on the lookout for:

1. Sloppy work habits

Chances are your best employees consistently complete top-quality work on deadline. So it should be easy to spot when their work starts to slip.

Click here for entire article.

Do’s and don’ts to make performance reviews actually mean something

by Tim Gould

Everybody hates performance reviews. That’s a given. But there are ways to move them out of the “dreaded chore” category into the file titled “engagement tools.”


Performance reviews are often badly done and serve to de-motivate employees — or worse, give them a weapon to sue the company.

What’s wrong with this process? Here are the three most common mistakes managers make that limit the value of employee assessments:

1. Process vs. progress

Too often, the process of employee reviews becomes more important than the actual result. What do employees want out of their reviews? Aside from a raise, the main thing employees want to know is what career path they’re on — what they have to look forward to in terms of job growth and development.

Click here for entire article.

Supreme Court upholds Obamacare again … but why?

by Jared Bilski

Once again the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — and upheld a component that’s become an essential part of the law. So now HR pros can start worrying about the upcoming Obamacare compliance challenges without any major distractions.

The Supreme Court case, King v. Burwell, is an appeal of a July ruling from the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld the law’s subsidies.

Had the subsidies been struck down by the High Court, millions of Americans could’ve lost the tax subsidies that allowed them purchase affordable coverage under the health reform law.

In fact,  USA TODAY reported that more than 5 million Americans would be affected if the subsidies are struck down.

How affected? Those subsidies have reduced monthly insurance premiums by 76% (the average monthly premium dropped from $346 to just $82) for those who qualify, according to federal officials.

Click here for entire article.

Tip Tuesday! Top 5 things talented millennials want from you [infographic]

by Christian Schappel

Are you ready for the run on millennial talent? 

Job openings are hitting record highs, and twenty/thirtysomethings are at the top of employers’ wish lists.

Is your company offering what it takes to attract these in-demand workers — or keep the ones you already have on staff from job hopping?

Our friends at intHRactive can help you figure that out.

Recently, the HR experts at intHRactive dove into numerous studies to find out exactly what it is Millennials are looking for versus what they’re actually getting from employers.

Click here for entire article.

Landmark Obamacare suit filed: Does cutting workers’ hours violate ERISA?

by Jared Bilski

If they’re going to force us to offer health care to all full-time employees, then we’ll just cut workers’ hours. That’s an Obamacare strategy many firms have threatened to carry out, and one that has resulted in a class-action lawsuit for a restaurant chain that actually did.

Dave & Buster’s (D&B) is now facing a class-action lawsuit claiming the company reduced its full-time employees’ hours as a direct result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Here’s some background on the lawsuit: D&B employee Maria De Lourdes Parra Marrin — on behalf of herself and all other affected employees — claims that the restaurant involuntarily cut workers hours starting in 2013 up until the present.

As a result of the reduction, employees either lost their coverage under the company’s health plan — or were moved into inferior coverage.

Marin claims her weekly hours were cut from 30 to 45 to just 10 to 25.

Click here for entire article.

Avoid legal pitfalls: 8 quick performance review do’s and don’ts

by Julian Lopez

“It’s the best time of the year — time for performance reviews!” said no one, ever.
Both managers and employees get anxious when annual reviews come around. But managers may have it worse. 

Performance reviews can win or lose a lawsuit if an employee sues for wrongful termination, so the pressure’s on managers to get them right.

That also puts the onus on employers to create an effective and legally defensible review process.

Reviews: The good and the bad

To help, attorneys Susan DiMickele, Tara Aschenbrand, Jill Kirila, Meghan Hill and Traci Martinez of the law office Squire Patton Boggs compiled a quick-hitting checklist of best practices when it comes to creating defensible evaluations.

Some things they recommend employers do:

Click here for entire article.