The Great Recession of 2008 was the single biggest financial catastrophe to hit the U.S. in the Post World-War II era. Though this may seem like old news, and the country may seem well on its way to recovery, millions…
Compensation & Benefits
How One Company Is Making Independence Day an All Week Vacation For Everyone
Since the early days of Henry Ford and assembly lines that helped establish the 40 hour work week, the majority of American workers have been diligently earning their wages through the typical nine to five grind. That started to change…
5 Strategies For Getting Your Employees Excited and Smart About Open Enrollment
Communicating employee benefits is a year-round job –– making sure employees remember key dates, know how to make changes when they have a life event such as getting married, submit claims on time and so much more. But open enrollment…
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Take Your Dog to Work Day
Tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of Take Your Dog to Work Day (TYDTW), the event that really launched the era of pet-friendly workplace policies. Back in 1999, Pet Sitters International had this out-of-the-box notion: What if we created an event…
Healthcare Hiring Tips Anyone Can Use
At the beginning of 2018, the healthcare industry became the largest source of jobs in the U.S. for the first time in history. The industry surpassed manufacturing and retail, which is very significant given that these industries have led the…
4 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Smoking Cessation Program
Tobacco use is the most common substance use disorder in the U.S. Between 8% and 18% of healthcare expenditures, depending on smoking prevalence, are attributable to smoking. Most smokers want to stop, and each year about 50% of all smokers…
It’s Time to Rebrand the HDHP and Here’s How
As a marketing professional, I am highly aware that presentation is everything. In my opinion, there are several marketing hacks that the health care industry could adopt to increase plan participation and to better position certain programs in a more…
Why Does It Take You So Long to Pay Your Gig Workers?
With the rise of the gig economy and a wider swath of Americans defining work on their own terms, the assumption of slow payments isn’t as safe as it once was. Gig workers — the independent contractor crowd — are…
Instant Pay: A Trend That’s Helping with Recruitment, Retention
A startling 78% of full-time workers say they live paycheck to paycheck. It’s this trend that sets in motion a spiral into financial stress that includes overdraft fees, late bill fees, high-interest debt, and more. Which is why the ability…
4 Strategies to Help Employees Improve Their Financial Wellness
A 2016 FINRA Foundation study found a full two-thirds of Americans would fail a financial literacy test. Does that stat surprise you? It probably shouldn’t, given the deck that’s stacked against most Americans. Think about what most people are facing: Busy…
Don’t Wait For December, Pay Bonuses Year Round
If you’re like most companies, you probably already give annual bonuses to thank and reward people for their work throughout the year. Except, there’s a problem: A yearly bonus isn’t always the best way to do that. For starters, it’s…
Help Your Employees to Have a ‘Line of Sight’ to Goals
Incentives remain one of the most powerful, and yet also one of the most misapplied, management tools out there. While research has shown that group incentives can deliver significant return on investment (CARS research showed a median plan ROI of 134%…
Here’s How to Get Employees to Make Better Benefits Choices
Human resources, at its core, exists to support the organization as a whole by helping employees perform at their highest level. This support is provided through a wide range of activities: recruiting talent, helping employees make the right benefits decisions,…
Keep Your Rock Stars Without Busting the Budget
Here’s a thought bubble: Say you have a “rock star” employee, highly satisfied with his/her job, who came in young and hungry, growing into a superstar over several years with incremental raises, and one day gets woke to the fact they’re…
The Gender Pay Gap Is Also an Opportunity Gap
The current business climate has created a new focus, and even spurred new laws aimed at achieving equal pay, but not enough progress has been made. PayScale’s new research found that the gender pay gap still persists into 2018. Looking…
3 Ways Employers Can Help Grads With Their Student Debt
Congratulations Class of 2018! You have done it! Now you’re looking forward to the next chapter: beginning your career. It’s an exciting time, but in the background lurks something else – nearly $40k in student loans. At the end of…
What You Need to Know About Massachusetts’ Updated Pay Equity Law
Back in 1945, Massachusetts became the first state in the country to pass an equal pay law. But despite its efforts, the gender pay gap unfortunately persisted. According to Mass.gov, women working full time in Massachusetts earn, on average, about…
10 Best Benefits and Perks for Working Parents
We’re only nearing the halfway mark, but 2018 has already been a big year for employee benefits. Whether part of a strategic plan, byproduct of corporate tax breaks or a little bit of both, we have seen a number of…
How to Make Life Easier for Working Parents
The working parent’s employee experience is difficult, to say the least. According to Bright Horizons’ 2016 Modern Family Index, more than one in three new parents think they’re treated worse than their co-workers. Understandably, this can hurt employee well-being and…
Engage Your Employees by Being a Rebel
In this new, supercharged, super-fast, super-competitive economy, we’re sure you’d agree that we need customers to love our brands, love our products and advocate for our companies. And surely, customer love must start with employee love. But, as we say…