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Work / Life Issues

Hot dog! Chipotle employees can bring their pets to work

12/01/2007

Ann Dowell’s two Yorkshire terriers are not just her pets; they are co-workers—sort of. Dowell, the executive HR director at Chipotle’s Denver headquarters, may bring her dogs to work as long as “they are well-behaved,” she says. The company has allowed dogs in the office since 1996 …

Friends of the Family isn’t just the company’s name

12/01/2007

A Baltimore-based firm that helps employers and communities open day care centers is working with its own employees on their family ties. The 16 employees of Friends of the Family may take off a half-day a month—with pay—to spend time with family for any reason …

Workers pitch in to help colleagues cope with crises

12/01/2007

When a Meridian Health employee lacked the money to bury a parent, she turned to the organization’s “When In Need” (WIN) employee emergency fund. Meridian Health, a group of nonprofit health care organizations in central New Jersey, created the WIN fund in 2001 …

Curb unscheduled absences with work/Life perks

12/01/2007

Good news from the annual CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey: The absenteeism rate for U.S. businesses was 2.3% in 2007, down slightly from 2.5% last year. The bad news: Two-thirds of your employees who call in sick at the last minute aren’t really sick. Instead, they’re skipping work to deal with personal or family issues …

Time, room for breast-Feeding moms (Maybe a toilet, too)

11/01/2007

An August amendment to the New York Labor Law guarantees time and space for breast-feeding mothers to express milk at work, but stops short of emancipating them from the lowly toilet stall …

Workplace chaplains boost morale, productivity

11/01/2007

Having a man or woman of the cloth around the office is a growing trend for companies keen on work/life benefits. Thousands of clergymen and clergywomen work full time or part time in corporate America as chaplains, ministering to employees’ spiritual needs and providing counseling services. If you think your organization might benefit from having a chaplain in the workplace, consider how you will structure his or her employment and the qualifications that will best serve your employees …

3 steps to creating a corporate ‘Culture of health’

11/01/2007

A culture of health is coming into its own across corporate America. Driven by increasing health care costs and an obesity epidemic that fuels chronic illnesses, corporations are examining their core cost drivers and have arrived at a workable strategy: create a culture that promotes better health across the total employee population …

Aflac helps employees buy homes with education, financing

11/01/2007

Georgia-based insurance firm Aflac is helping its employees buy their first homes through a program with a local agency. Aflac works with NeighborWorks, which teaches employees how to purchase a home and offers sessions on financial and debt management …

School system tends to new teachers’ personal needs

11/01/2007

Many of the new teachers who take jobs with the Charles County, MD, public school system need help adjusting to small-town life after they are hired. That help comes in the form of a teacher-services department staffed by a secretary, a veteran teacher and an HR specialist …

‘Hook’ employees to make your health fair a success

11/01/2007

Health fairs teach employees about your organization’s wellness programs and encourage them to practice healthier habits—but only if they show up. To get your employees interested in blood-pressure screenings and dieting information, think of a hook that will draw them in …