• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Compensation & Benefits

Intuit customizes work/Life benefits by location

05/02/2008
A traveling mammogram van visits software maker Intuit’s Tucson, Ariz., campus once a year, while a mobile dental office stops at the company’s Mountain View, Calif., campus every week. Each of the company’s major campuses features different perks, depending on “what’s the most meaningful for that particular population,” says Jim Grenier …

Rhubarb pie: $135. 2009 budget: $56,000 less

05/01/2008
Revelations of lavish spending by the Colorado Board of Education, including a $2,333 dinner for 28 that included $135 worth of rhubarb pie, has resulted in a little belt-tightening …

Insiders’ secrets for making the ‘Best companies’ lists

05/01/2008
Winning a spot on any of the dozens of coveted “best companies” lists can reap your organization a world of positive publicity and boost your reputation among potential recruits. But to win, you need to know how to play the game. Compensation & Benefits asked the experts to share some tips for placing well on the many “best companies to work for” lists …

7 steps to increase the use of voluntary benefits

05/01/2008
It’s possible for an organization to keep or even add employee benefits while tightening its belt and saying no to labor-intensive new products. How? Offer more voluntary benefits, which require little to no administration by HR and are paid for entirely by employees who choose to accept them …

Employee discount for some means 20% savings on rent

05/01/2008
Employees who work for Camden Property Trust and live in any Camden-operated apartment complex get a 20% discount on their rent. About half of the company’s employees take advantage of the rent break …

Carrots and sticks: 5 ways HIPAA limits wellness programs

05/01/2008
Since it is clear that better health translates into lower health care costs, employers increasingly embrace the concept of financial incentives to persuade employees to make healthier lifestyle choices. Thus the rise of wellness programs—a great idea, but one that can run afoul of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) …

AAM strike rocks GM operations across North America

05/01/2008
A strike by workers at five American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings (AAM) plants in New York and Michigan led to temporary closures at more than a dozen General Motors plants in February and March …

Excessive absences justify firing—And bar unemployment compensation

05/01/2008
Ohio employers can fire chronically absent or tardy employees without worrying that unemployment compensation will be the reward for missing work. That’s true as long as the absences weren’t covered by the FMLA or other leave laws …

Teach employees how to bargain-Shop for medicine

05/01/2008
The cost of prescription drug coverage is growing even faster than spending on health care coverage. Don’t run the risk that your workers won’t fill needed prescriptions because they can’t afford to. They’ll stay healthier and save money if you teach them how to hunt for bargains on prescribed drugs, just as they do for clothes and groceries …

Bite down on dental plan costs by managing coverage

05/01/2008
You’re already managing your organization’s ever-growing expenditures for medical and prescription drug coverage. Now it’s time to manage the cost of dental coverage. A new report from The Segal Co., an HR consulting firm, offers six ways your organization can curb spending on dental coverage …