“They work hard and aren’t afraid to put in extra hours, blood, sweat, and tears to accomplish their goals.” This is how many company leaders would describe their top employees. However, these extra, hard-worked hours actually become overwhelming and are…
Vacation, PTO, Sick Days & Holidays
Is Your Unlimited PTO For Real?
I’m part of the 2 percent. I work for the tiny fraction of U.S. companies that offer unlimited paid time off (PTO). That’s right, I get to watch The Price Is Right live as much as I want! Or something like that. Are you…
Indeed’s Unlimited PTO Is a Win For Everyone
When was the last time you took a vacation from work? Chances are, if you did, it wasn’t very long and it wasn’t a “real” vacation, i.e. you didn’t completely unplug from work. You are not alone. Paid time off…
What You Can Do to Help New Parents
New mothers and fathers everywhere wrestle with the issue of juggling a career and family. Traditionally, it’s an issue that has most impacted mothers. Some want to stay home, but have to work to supplement the household income. Others want…
The CEO Who Pays His Employees to Vacation
This series profiles people whose ideas have the power to transform the workplace. Several are company leaders who have put their ideas into practice. Others are thought leaders influencing the way we work. Each new part will post on Tuesdays….
Are You Ready to Make Smunday a National Holiday?
Today should be a national holiday. Call it Smunday, says Heinz, the condiments company, in recognition of the fact that Super Bowl Sunday revelry yields to call-in sick Monday. Atlanta might just have the most absent employees today, but with…
Stress Goes Down When Your Employees Don’t Bottle It Up
Every employer has their own idea of a dream team, but most will agree it would consist of employees who are passionate about their careers, put forth extreme effort, and hit their goals every month. While this deep passion creates…
How a Small Employer Gets Big Results From Its Employee Satisfaction Program
When I began working in human resources, my job was to make sure the company was in compliance. My tasks included payroll processing, recruiting and benefit administration, but in the past few years employee satisfaction has become one of our…
Work Martyrs Are Poisoning Your Culture
Work martyrs are popping up in all industries. When you’re in an industry already known to be demanding, like medical sales, these martyrs could be ruining your reputation. This could scare high quality candidates away due to a higher rate…
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Workplace Benefits
There is a fine line to walk while balancing a company’s bottom line and attracting great talent. Because the employees who work for you are the most valuable asset that your company has at its disposal, making sure they are…
What Do You Do About “Out Sick” Workers Working From Home?
Technological advancements have greatly increased connectivity for people in different locations, which makes it much easier for employees to carry out their usual job functions from the comfort of their own homes. Although telecommuting has grown in popularity, many employers…
6 Tips for Dodging the Flu in Your Open Workplace
It starts innocently enough when one employee gets the flu. Then, two more come down with it, and before you know it, it seems like everyone is sneezing and wheezing. It seems as though once the flu hits your office,…
How Do You Handle Employees With a Super Bowl Hangover Today?
By Eric B. Meyer Carolina Panthers. Denver Broncos. Meh. Doritos won the Super Bowl, am I right? But, for the 10 percent of your workforce that may be missing work today because of a Super Bowl “hangover,” you’ll have to wait until…
Super Bowl Hangover: 10% of U.S. Workforce May Miss Work on Monday
Some people will take any good reason to miss work. And, recovering from the Super Bowl is probably just as good a reason as any. According to a new survey commissioned in January by The Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated and conducted by…
Court Throws Out Pittsburgh Sick Day Ordinance, Says It is “Unenforceable”
By Mark T. Phillis In a ruling this week, a trial court judge held that the City of Pittsburgh did not have the authority under state law to enact the Paid Sick Days Ordinance that Pittsburgh’s City Council passed last…
Excuses For Missing Work: “The Universe Told Me to Take a Day Off”
By Eric B. Meyer According to a recent CareerBuilder survey, we’re fast approaching that time of year when employees call out sick the most. According to their annual survey, most employees stay home when sickness strikes hardest: December (20 percent), January…
President Obama’s Order Requires Federal Contractors to Offer Paid Sick Leave
By Eric B. Meyer Happy Tuesday to you. I hope that you had a nice mustard-covered-hot-dog-filled Labor Day. Me? I went miniature golfing with four kids. It was pretty sweet, I tell you. But, did you see the news yesterday? President Obama…
We Could Learn a Lot From How the World Handles Employee Vacations
“No, that will not work. I leave for holiday on the 8th of June and will not return till around the 15th of July.” That was the response from a Chief Learning Officer who we have been trying to get…
HR Basics: How to Reduce Chronic Employee Absenteeism
Editor’s Note: Weekly Wrap is off on assignment. It will return shortly. Employee absenteeism is more than just an inconvenience – it’s costly to employers. Of course, all employees will get sick and need time off from work occasionally. Employee…
It Makes No Sense to Have Employees Come to Work Sick
How much sense does this make: Retail and restaurant workers, who come into more direct contact with the average customer than any other job, are the least likely to have paid sick leave as a benefit. Having to choose between…