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Work / Life Issues

As Same-Sex Unions Spread, So Do Job Protections

06/01/2007

New Hampshire last month voted to give same-sex couples the same legal rights as other couples, making New England the first region in which every state provides some sort of protection for the civil unions of same-sex partners …

Can a New Mom Demand Part-Time Schedule?

06/01/2007

Q. We had a full-time employee take FMLA leave to have her baby. After her 12 weeks off, she demanded a part-time schedule. We need the position to be filled full time. The shift we want her to work is the one she was working before she took FMLA leave. Do we have to let her work the schedule she wants?—E.L., Connecticut

Don’t just ban smoking on-Site; help employees quit

06/01/2007

Even if you ban smoking at work, nicotine-addicted employees will still manage to find a place to light up. And trying to hire only nonsmokers could create legal troubles. So what’s the best way to cut your high health costs related to smokers? Actively help them quit …

6 ways that smaller businesses can make wellness worth it

06/01/2007

Employers can raise deductibles and co-pays only so much before employees begin to doubt the value of their health benefits. So, organizations are looking for other ways to get meaningful savings as health costs continue to rise. Enter the employee wellness program …

Outreach center offers emergency relief for workers, cuts turnover

06/01/2007

The Family Outreach Center that’s provided to employees of Rosen Hotels does more than find day care slots and elder care resources for employees …

KPMG’s ‘Network of Women’ cuts turnover of female staff

06/01/2007

Nearly 80 percent of the female employees at New York-based KPMG think it’s a great place to work, up from 63 percent in 2004, a company survey shows. Sandra Bushby, director of women’s initiatives, says that’s because of the firm’s “Network of Women”…

Choral group’s refrain: Workers who sing together stay together

06/01/2007

For 10 years, employees at the St. Louis headquarters of the A.G. Edwards brokerage firm have put together an employee chorus to sing at the annual holiday luncheon and at a local nursing home. The chorus is a holiday stress reliever, a networking tool for employees …

Identify health problems before they become chronic

06/01/2007

Here’s more incentive to ramp up your organization’s disease-management and wellness efforts: A new study predicts that chronic conditions will account for the greatest health care cost increases over the next several decades …

Money trouble is the No. 1 stress point for employees

06/01/2007

What’s keeping your employees up at night? For most, it’s money woes and work/life balance …

Ban smoking or ban smokers? How far can you legally go?

05/15/2007

Thirty states and the District of Columbia have established “lifestyle discrimination” laws that prohibit employers from discriminating against employees or applicants based on the person’s off-duty use of tobacco or participation in other legal though controversial activities …