Work / Life Issues

5 strategies to ease employees’ gas pains

05/17/2011

With gasoline prices soaring to their highest levels in almost three years, employers are looking again at ways to help employees keep their tanks filled—or at least get to work each day. Consider which of these strategies might ease the pain your employees feel at the gas pump.

Lower employee stress to raise performance

05/11/2011

Studies show that workplace stress has increased over the past several years and that productivity can drop if employers don’t address the problem. Here are just some of the issues likely stressing your staff—along with suggestions on how HR can help.

4 ways to make telework work

05/03/2011

More than 33 million Americans now work remotely at least one day per month, according to the nonprofit WorldatWork. Here’s how work-from-home arrangements operate in organizations nationwide, according to a recent survey. Plus, learn what managers must do to make the most of their teleworking staff members.

Ohio ad campaign promotes work/life balance for execs

04/05/2011

Top executives who work for Ohio-based organizations are telling the rest of the country that living and working in Ohio lets them enjoy a healthy work/life balance. In Wall Street Journal ads, the execs touted Ohio as the “state of perfect balance” and said its “small-town values,” focus on family and education, and short commutes have attracted a talented and hard-working workforce.

Has the recession changed productivity expectations?

02/04/2011

A full 86% of U.S. executives say their company demands more time and commitment from employees now than when the recession began, according to Deloitte’s 2010 Ethics & Workplace Survey.

IT employees get time to give back locally

01/06/2011

At IT organization WorkSmart in Durham, N.C., employees work on work/life balance by running in charity races and pitching in at local schools. The firm has partnered with nonprofits to raise money and offer pro bono IT services. Employees get one paid day off per year to volunteer.

11 steps help make flexible work a success

11/15/2010

The DOL’s Women’s Bureau has started what it calls “a national dialogue on workplace flexibility,” and the agency is pushing employers to focus more on the work/life benefits of flex. Here are 11 steps you can take to make flex programs more successful—making work/life balance easier for your employees and improving your overall business operations:

Mopey workers? 8 ways to snap ’em out of it

10/18/2010

The economy isn’t the only thing that’s in a slump these days. Plenty of workers are in the doldrums, too. They feel stuck in their jobs because new ones are hard to come by. They can’t afford to retire. So they’re not performing as well as employees who look at their jobs as labors of love. Here’s how HR can help get them back on track.

The 4 key factors to keep ’em happy & in their seats

10/14/2010

The “at least I have a job” feeling is starting to wear off among employed Americans. After years of taking on new duties at their old pay, many are feeling overworked, underpaid and underpromoted. Two in five of them are seeking new jobs. Here are four key things your employees will look for elsewhere if you’re not providing it:

Does your wellness program clash with new genetic bias law?

08/17/2010

Approximately 70% of employers sponsor wellness programs designed to drive down health care costs, reduce absenteeism and promote better employee health. But now, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act has muddied the wellness waters. Learn how to comply while still offering incentives for employees to participate in your wellness program.