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Work / Life Issues

Ban smoking or ban smokers? How far can you legally go?

05/15/2007

Thirty states and the District of Columbia have established “lifestyle discrimination” laws that prohibit employers from discriminating against employees or applicants based on the person’s off-duty use of tobacco or participation in other legal though controversial activities …

Detailed wage records can prevent back-Pay complaints

05/01/2007

Zablocki Industries, which operates Aunt Heddy’s Bakery in Brooklyn, has agreed to pay $25,687 in back wages and interest to six employees to settle a U.S. Labor Department lawsuit …

On-Site Clinics Make a Comeback. Are They Right for You?

05/01/2007

On-site clinics are less common than they were a few decades ago, when the company doctor was as much a fixture as the school nurse. But the high cost of health care—and the trend toward focusing on prevention and wellness as ways to lower those costs—is bringing them back into vogue …

Low-Cost, Compassionate Perk: Living Wills for Employees

05/01/2007

Employees have always looked to HR for help as they prepare for the changes that come with life’s big events, like childbirth and retirement. Get ready for more of them to start asking for your advice about how to prepare for death …

Send working mothers to Mom-Camp to recharge, relax

05/01/2007

Think sending an employee to a fashion show or a workshop about how to organize her home is an odd use of employee benefit dollars? Employers like Minneapolis-based Landscape Structures and BankCherokee paid for some of their employees to do just such things, and welcomed them back rejuvenated and ready to work …

Break-Time Massages Ease Stress, Boost Productivity for $1 a Minute

05/01/2007

It costs the California-based digital marketing company Organic $1 a minute to boost its employees’ productivity. How? Through 20-minute massages that employees can take advantage of at the office …

Grants for outdoor journeys garner pride, encourage service

05/01/2007

Washington-based outdoor retailer REI helps its customers and its employees reach their personal outdoor goals. The company offers grants of up to $300 worth of REI gear and apparel to employees embarking on outdoor athletic challenges and outdoor conservation or service projects …

Wellness rewards and ‘Biggest Loser’ contest help trim costs

05/01/2007

Employees at the pet products company PetSafe in Knoxville, Tenn., really like their wellness program. In fact, they created it …

8 ways to help employees cut their own health care costs

05/01/2007

Shifting some health care costs to employees can help control an organization’s ballooning expenses, but it doesn’t make employees healthier or reduce their need for services. Help your organization progress down the path toward employee engagement by using these eight tips …

Tell managers: Keep unsolicited dietary advice to yourself

05/01/2007

Michigan has one of the toughest weight discrimination laws in the country—a law that can trip up supervisors who innocently offer diet tips. It’s crucial to train management staff to recognize that discussion concerning an employee’s weight is off-limits …