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HR Management

Is it time to overhaul your vacation policies?

08/07/2009

Take a look around your workplace. How many of your co-workers spent all summer right there at their stations? Maybe they took a long weekend or two, but otherwise they showed up day in and day out. It might be time to make those drudges get out and go on vacation.

From reality TV to ‘wellness ambassador’ at medical lab firm

08/07/2009

Quest Diagnostics is so serious about employee health that it calls the director of its wellness programs the “wellness ambassador.” Bill Germanakos, the 2007 season winner of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” reality TV show, oversees HealthyQuest, which helps the firm’s 41,000 eligible employees change unhealthy behaviors.

New moms can bring baby to work at Pittsburgh firm

08/07/2009

New moms who work for Maya Design in Pittsburgh don’t have to worry about child care for their hard-to-place infants, at least for six months after they give birth. They can tote the tots to work. The consulting firm and technology research lab welcomes infants through its Babies in the Workplace program.

Virginia firm’s dog lovers take a cause for the paws

08/07/2009

About a third of the 15 employees who work for ClearedJobs.net in Falls Church, Va., bring their dogs to work. So it was pretty easy for Chief Marketing Officer Kathleen Smith to convince the group to pitch in when she decided to send care packages to U.S. military working dogs in Afghanistan.

From across the pond: British firm pays for ‘Botox leave’

08/07/2009

So many employees of Fox Kalomaski were taking leave for “beauty treatments” that the London-based advertising agency added an extra paid day off—and execs there call it “Botox leave.” The day off happens in December, says the managing director, who speculates employees need time to “make sure they’re looking their best for the Christmas party photos.”

Recession revisited: Is it time for cautious optimism on pay?

08/07/2009

As hard as this recession has been on everyone, it has forced organizations to look at how to spend compensation budgets more efficiently and more effectively. What has shaken out is a new system of pay raises and bonuses that rewards employees for doing top-notch work rather than for simply showing up for work. Here are five lessons compensation pros have learned during these hard times:

Use 7-point checklist to choose an employee assistance plan

08/07/2009

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, which takes effect Oct. 3, has more employers worried about rising health insurance premiums—and looking to employee assistance programs as a way to keep costs down. The law prohibits group health plans covering 50 or more employees from imposing extraordinary coverage caps on mental health and substance abuse treatment.

New health insurance rules for employees’ dependent children attending college

08/07/2009

A new federal law that takes effect Nov. 8 extends eligibility for group health insurance coverage to certain dependent children over the age of 18 who are enrolled in institutions of higher education.

Compare disciplinary records before firing

08/04/2009

Employers know they are not supposed to discriminate against employees based on protected characteristics such as race, age or sex. But HR can’t be everywhere, and in large organizations, it may be hard to monitor equal treatment. A centralized discipline-tracking system can help you check for possible hidden discrimination by comparing proposed discipline against past discipline.

Should we discontinue ‘casual Fridays’ that include beer and wine ‘happy hours’?

08/04/2009

Q. For several years, Fridays have been “casual days” for our employees. Beer and wine are served beginning around 4:30 p.m. We hate to stop this practice because our employees seem to enjoy it and there has never been a problem. Should we stop?