Author: Gwen Cofield, Contributing Editor

Sept. 23 Is the Key Date to Know the ABCs of SBCs

In some years, Sept. 23 represents the Autumn Equinox, but in 2012 for health plan sponsors and administrators, it triggers the compliance date for a key disclosure requirement under health reform: the distribution of summaries of benefits and coverage, beginning with open enrollment periods and/or plan years that begin on or after Sept. 23. Here […]

Consistency—Authenticity Others Can See and Feel

Oswald, CEO of BLR, offered his thoughts on consistency in a recent edition of The Oswald Letter. Webster’s defines consistency this way: “steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form, etc.” Consistent leaders have a steadfast adherence to the same principles each and every day. It doesn’t matter the situation in which they finds themselves, […]

Why Employees Should Attend Wellness Training (Video)

In this video, we provide an animated skit which contains a trainer/HR professional’s inquiry with an employee as to why he didn’t attend a training session on weight management, the employee’s attempt to illustrate why he didn’t find it necessary to attend, and his realization that he could have benefited from the training. Diana: Tony, […]

Incentive Pay for Non-Exempts? Sure, But …

Cherry and Green, both of whom are principals at HR consultant Hay Group, offer the table below to show how incentives fit into the total rewards picture. They offered their remarks at a recent webinar hosted by BLR/HR Hero.   Compensation type Comment Value of being a member of the organization Benefits/ Perquisites Little flexibility, […]

Consistency—Authenticity Others Can See and Feel

        One of the traits I think is important in a leader is consistency says business and leadership blogger Dan Oswald. It’s not always easy to assess in job candidates, but it certainly shows itself (or not) over time. Oswald, CEO of BLR, offered his thoughts on consistency in a recent edition […]

Identifying High Potentials for Training and Succession

Again, we’ve turned to BLR’s newly-published Top 10 Best Practices in HR Management for 2012 for guidance. Identifying Key Positions and Skills A critical step in the process is to specifically identify the key positions that will be targeted in the succession plan. This usually includes management-level positions. It may also include highly specialized jobs […]

Sales Across the World

Mercer’s recently released its 2012 Sales Salaries Around the World report offering a sneak peak at how employers across the world approach compensation for sales and marketing employees. Here are some interesting highlights: Brazil is the highest-paying country for the head of sales position and the second highest for the head of marketing position. Sales […]

Colleague Connections: Face-to-Face Trumps Phone

Intraoffice communication is an important part of any work environment. However, while the need may be constant, the type of communication is not equally favored. There appears to be slight generational preferences on how to reach out to colleagues. Not surprisingly, slightly more workers aged 25–34 prefer e-mail/text (35 percent) than workers aged 55 and […]

At Will Disclaimer Suddenly Risky (NLRB in Action)

In yesterday’s Advisor, BLR editor and attorney Patricia Trainor SPHR clarified National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) pronouncements on confidentiality and access; today, NLRB and “at-will” statements, plus an introduction to the all-in-one HR Website, HR.BLR.com. Trainor is Managing Editor of BLR’s human resources and employment law publications. At-Will Disclaimer Now an At-Risk Disclaimer For years, […]

Guess Whose Employees are Growing a Garden!

It sounds like a trick question. Guess whose employees are growing a garden? It just couldn’t be, but it is—the workers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)! Agency employees across the country are growing gardens and distributing the harvest to food banks and shelters. “USDA created the People’s Garden Initiative 3 years ago, and […]