Human Resources

This is a guest blog post from our HR partner CAI. CAI is a trusted resource for N.C. employers for HR, compliance and people development.

Stress is a factor that drives top talent to competitors. Research shows that many employers are unaware that their former employees left to find less demanding positions. Companies should frequently check in with their staffs to gauge stress levels and take measures to reduce them.

Untreated stress can negatively impact an employee’s job and health. Stressed out workers experience low morale and are less productive. Those who are stressed can also feel frustrated, irritable and exhausted. They can have trouble focusing and may become ill or fatigued easily. To alleviate these symptoms, try using the methods below:

There are many choices out there for continuing your professional education. Choosing to become certified in a particular field officially recognizes professional achievement and having those credentials after your name creates a visible reminder (to clients, peers and your employer) of your expertise and commitment.

In the employee benefits industry, the gold standard of professional education is the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist designation, or CEBS. Some HCW staff members have these credentials after their name and we’ve polled them to see how worthwhile they feel this education is.

Why is the program you chose special?

• Respondent 1:  I am working toward the full CEBS designation. Along the way, I have completed my Group Benefit Associates (GBA) designation. The GBA is a specialty that focuses solely on group benefits within the pursuit of the full CEBS designation. The full CEBS designation will encompass total compensation concepts, not just group benefits.
• Respondent 2:  It’s virtually the MBA of employee benefits – a recognized and respected credential throughout the benefits industry.
• Respondent 3:  I focused on CEBS because it allowed me to gain industry training when I was new to HCW. At the same time, it provided a designation that I knew was well-respected in the industry.

What made you pursue your particular designation?

This is a guest blog post from our HR partner CAI. CAI is a trusted resource for N.C. employers for HR, compliance and people development.

You have worked on teams since grade school. Some of your experiences with teams have been rewarding, leading to success, and some have been unpleasant, leading to unresolved conflicts and missed opportunities. As an HR professional, you know that there are many teams within your organization. Knowing how to shape teams to benefit the productivity of your company will help employees reach business goals more creatively, collaboratively and efficiently.

Back in grade school, there was always at least one member of the team who did not want to pull his weight. In a company setting, laziness should not be permitted. A well-engineered team can accelerate problem-solving and propel innovation to create unprecedented success for your organization. So, it is imperative for all staff members to play their part.

Implement the strategies below to bring positive team-building into play at your company:

Contributor:
Chris Tutino, Communications Specialist
Hill, Chesson & Woody

with

Theresa Lough, PHR, SPHR and Human Resources Manager
Smith Debnam Narron Drake Saintsing & Myers, LLP

Contributor:
Rob Krieg, JD, CEBS
Principal, Health & Welfare Consultant
Hill, Chesson & Woody

If a company pays employees $375 per month toward the cost of group health insurance, what do most companies do as an opt-out benefit should they already be covered under their spouse’s plan?

Employers can take a few different approaches concerning employees who waive off of their medical plan. This really comes back to the overall benefit strategy of the organization. The majority of employers we work with do not offer any financial incentives (often referred to as a waive out credit). Those that do offer the waive-out credit are really looking to offer an incentive to create a particular behavior (usually getting employees to waive off their plan in an effort to reduce costs). Here you are already experiencing this behavior for the employees waiving off your plan without having to pay them this additional incentive.

This is a guest blog post from our HR partner CAI. CAI is a trusted resource for N.C. employers for HR, compliance and people development.

Creating a positive workplace that values and motivates your workforce will help you weather any business obstacle. Employees who view their workplace positively are more likely to invest in the company, produce high-quality work and be brand ambassadors. Even in a tough economic climate, a positive culture will encourage employees to continue giving their best work because their leadership is committed to doing the same.

A positive company culture is key to business success and survival. CAI’s CEO and President, Bruce Clarke, explains that there is no silver bullet for establishing an engaging company culture in his News & Observer column, “The View from HR.”  He says that workplace culture decisions should be made with purpose and an end in mind. There are many options for creating a more positive workplace, but Bruce cautions employers from copying the culture of others and creating one based on cool behaviors or conservative options. Instead, employers should look to their employees, business vision, goals and values to develop a lasting company culture.

Contributor:
Dax Hill, Principal, Health & Welfare Consultant
Hill, Chesson & Woody

So, you’ve just gotten through your benefits open enrollment and you signed up for your company’s health savings account (HSA). You probably decided to take part because you know about the triple tax savings advantages of HSAs:

1. Your money goes in tax free
2. It grows tax free and
3. It comes out tax free (when used for qualified medical expenses)

Ultimately, most people who enroll in an HSA understand the basics:

1. An HSA is used in conjunction with a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP).
2. An HDHP is a medical plan that has a high deductible that you must pay fully before the insurance company pays its first dollar of coverage.
3. For an individual, the maximum amount you can contribute to an HSA is $3,100 for 2012.
4. For more than one covered life, the maximum HSA contribution amount is $6,250 this year.
5. The tax-free money you deposit into the HSA must be used to reimburse qualified medical expenses.

That’s pretty straightforward. But, as an HR professional, you may find yourself in one of the following situations where the basics simply aren’t enough.

Here are 3 “what if” scenarios that might not have been covered during your enrollment:

This is a guest blog post from our HR partner CAI. CAI is a trusted resource for N.C. employers for HR, compliance and people development.

The economy is still slow to recover, budgets continue to be conservative and staffs remain lean. Producing good work under stressful conditions can be challenging for many employees. The country’s high unemployment rate created a highly competitive job market, which now allows employers to be more selective in their hiring decisions. In order to continue to reach their goals, organizations realize that they need workers who can persevere through tough economic times or strenuous business situations, as well as understand the needs and feelings of their coworkers.

Surveys indicate that hiring managers place more value on candidates’ emotional intelligence than their ability to fit the job description. Emotional intelligence (EI) describes a person’s capacity for controlling his or her own emotions and recognizing and understanding the emotions of others. EI also reveals how people react to others’ emotions and how they manage their various relationships.

Contributor:
Chris Tutino, Communications Specialist
Hill, Chesson & Woody

If you made any resolutions for 2012, they were probably of a personal nature rather than business related. However, as 2012 is already off and running, there are five ways you can communicate with your employees in the New Year that can help to keep morale high, even when the news you have to deliver may be less than desirable. After all, the research shows that a lean employee benefit plan that is communicated well is perceived more favorably than a rich plan that is communicated poorly.

1. Employees want to be treated like adults. Give employees all the information you can regarding why premium increases took place, why their copays are higher or why it costs more for their family members to have coverage on your group plan this year as opposed to 2011. The final price of your medical, dental, vision and other benefits offered may be confusing to understand, but it’s important to explain the reasons behind cost increases.

Ultimately, your group’s prior-year claims experience drives higher costs the following year. Take the time to show employees any utilization data that will justify the increases. They’ll better appreciate the sacrifices that had to be made to offer the benefit, and you may even be able to communicate the importance of a wellness plan to keep costs down next year.

This is a guest blog post from our HR partner CAI. CAI is a trusted resource for N.C. employers for HR, compliance and people development.

Did your week start like this? Your biggest client got the wrong order; your CEO received a company report, which had a high-priority deadline, two-days late; and your accounting department cannot figure out how the organization is over budget for the month already.  Meanwhile, your employees are excessively chatting about their weekends, checking their friends’ Facebook statuses and taking numerous breaks.  If so, your company could be facing a problem with a lack of employee focus.

Ensuring that workers pay attention to details is critical to the success of your organization. Even small mistakes can disrupt business goals if they happen frequently. Instead of punishing your staff members for not staying on task, help them see how their efforts affect the bottom line. Motivate them to perform their best and stay on top of their work assignments with these focus-finding strategies: