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Work / Life Issues

N.C. employers named to Fortune’s ‘Best to work for’ list

03/01/2008
Fortune magazine recently published its 2008 list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For,” and five North Carolina employers made the list …

Can you force staff to participate in wellness programs?

02/01/2008

Your organization, like many, may have embraced a wellness program to help employees quit smoking, lose weight, exercise more or participate in screenings for high blood pressure or cholesterol. You may have even thought about requiring employees to participate. But that’s a controversial practice that is likely to step on laws ranging from HIPAA to the ADA …

Message to sick employees: We want you to stay home!

02/01/2008

More than half of employees admit they show up for work when they’re sick, according to a CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey. Here are a few simple ways to help your organization reverse the trend of "presenteeism" so employees can recuperate from the flu or other illnesses and return to work focused and productive …

Tired employees can stay in hotels near work

02/01/2008

Employees at SC Johnson’s campus in Racine, WI, can stay at a local hotel for just $20 when they have to work late. Located between Chicago and Milwaukee, the campus attracts employees with long commutes …

University finds partners for low-Cost lactation rooms

02/01/2008

At the University of California, Davis, new moms express milk in the privacy of janitor closets, utility rooms and restroom lounges. At least that’s what these rooms once were. Today, 34 8-by-8 nooks around campus are equipped with hospital-grade breast pumps, comfortable chairs, literature about parenting and pumping—and lots of baby pictures …

Toy-Stocked playroom invites employees’ kids to work

02/01/2008

When babysitters cancel on parents who work for Redmond Minerals’ corporate office in Heber City, UT, moms and dads tote their preschoolers to work, where the kids have their own playroom. Rather than have employees miss work to take care of their kids when day care closes unexpectedly, Redmond created the playroom eight years ago for a few hundred dollars …

Got mental health benefits? Spread the word

02/01/2008

According to the nonprofit Partnership for Workplace Mental Health, more than 40% of employees who work for organizations with mental health benefits don’t know anything about them. Yet they’re keenly aware when workplace stress takes its toll on their productivity and happiness …

Want healthy employees? Offer a flexible workplace

02/01/2008

The advantages of a healthier work force are many—fewer sick days, higher productivity and less-painful health insurance costs. But how can employers encourage a healthier lifestyle without nagging? One surprising way: allow flexible scheduling, such as job sharing, telecommuting and compressed workweeks …

7 ways to get the most out of Millennial employees

02/01/2008
In today’s workplace, many supervisors have to manage people from four different generations, all of which respond to different kinds of carrots, sticks and management styles. The breakdown: Traditional workers: born before 1946 Baby Boomers: 1946–1964 Generation X: 1965–1979 Millennials: 1980–1995 According to anecdotal information and research (see box below), managers in U.S. organizations are […]

Family responsibilities discrimination poses complex quandary

02/01/2008

When employers make employment decisions based on sex stereotypes about caregivers or favor employees who don’t have family responsibilities, affected employees can successfully sue for family responsibilities discrimination (FRD) …