Brace yourselves, winter is coming: Tips to survive an ICE I-9 compliance audit
Originally posted October 15, 2013 by Holly Jones on https://hr.blr.com
Despite months of legislative inactivity on a stalled federal immigration reform bill, federal immigration enforcement activities have not slowed. Just before Labor Day, 1,000 businesses across the U.S. were notified by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that they would need to prepare documents for I-9 compliance and worksite enforcement audits. This is the largest round of these inspections, known as "silent raids," since 2009.
The newest round of audits hit restaurants, food processing, high-tech manufacturing, agriculture, and other industries, but no industry is insulated from the possibility of I-9 audit. In the last 4 years, the government has audited at least 10,000 employers and imposed more than $100 million in administrative and criminal fines, and this enforcement push is unlikely to slow.
So, what can you do to ensure that you are prepared for a visit from ICE?
What to expect during an ICE audit
The first step of an administrative inspection is receipt of a "Notice of Inspection" (NOI), which requires the employer to produce all Forms I-9 within 3 business days. In some cases, supporting documentation such as payroll records, employee lists, and licenses may be required.
After thorough examination of these documents, ICE will issue any of several notices, depending on its findings. The "Notice of Suspect Documents" and "Notice of Discrepancies" are issued when employees are either determined to be unauthorized to work or when a determination cannot be made. Employers will be given the opportunity to present additional documentation to establish employment eligibility—otherwise, employers will be advised to terminate the work relationship.
If errors in the Forms I-9 are found, a "Notice of Technical or Procedural Failures" will be issued, and employers will have 10 business days to correct these errors (otherwise they will become substantive violations.) When the review is complete, a Notice of Intent to Fine will be issued, upon which the employer may negotiate a settlement or request an administrative hearing within 30 days. If no further action is taken, a Final Order will be issued and the employer will be liable for all penalties assessed.
Fines for knowingly hiring or continuing to employ unauthorized workers can reach as much as $16,000 per violation, while substantive and uncorrected technical violations can be as much as $1,100 per violation. What’s more, certain "enhancements" can be added to fines based on business size, history of violation, and seriousness of the violation.
It’s not all about immigration
It is important to note that, while civil and criminal fines for employing undocumented workers can be quite extensive, the possibility of a hefty ICE fine is not limited to those who hire unauthorized labor. The fines for technical I-9 violations can also add up quickly. Further, though the new revision of Form I-9, as released in March, 2013, includes anextensive instruction handbook to walk employers through the documentation process, there is significant room for error on this seemingly innocuous form, whether in storage methods, documents accepted, or even proper correction of previous errors.
So, what can employers do to avoid I-9 violations and the subsequent fines? Find out now in part 2 of this article.
Holly K. Jones, J.D., is a Legal Editor for BLR’s human resources and employment law publications. She understands the existing and emerging needs and challenges of human resources professionals thanks to several years of experience managing, writing, and editing key legal and compliance publications for BLR. Prior to joining BLR, Ms. Jones worked for the Tennessee Legislature's Office of Legal Services.
She graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in English Rhetoric and Writing, Political Science, and Psychology from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she also received a 2001 Citation for Extraordinary Academic Achievement. She received her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School and is licensed to practice law in Tennessee.
HR align benefits with business objectives
Originally posted September 24, 2013 by Jennifer Paterson on https://www.employeebenefits.co.uk
Reward and HR professionals are taking steps to ensure that the benefits they offer support the objectives of their organisation, according to research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
Its Aligning strategy and benefits survey, which is based on responses from 444 organisations, found there is also a strong correlation between workplace outcomes and transparency in employee benefits.
Organizations that prefer to be more transparent about their benefits schemes are more likely to have good employee relations, increased productivity rates, lower absenteeism, good employee retention and low pay discontent.
The research also found that, where respondents’ workforce comprised mostly graduates, there is a higher level of membership in defined contribution pension plans.
Charles Cotton (pictured), reward adviser at the CIPD, said: “HR professionals continually have to ensure that the reward provisions they offer in the workplace are in keeping with the shifting nature of work, and are aligned to both the needs of business and employees and integrated with other aspects of people management strategy.
“Failure to do so will result in inappropriate achievements, skills and behaviours being rewarded and recognised.
“What our research helps to illustrate is that HR [professionals] are not adopting benefits for the sake of it, but are choosing those that match what the firm is trying to achieve. It also shows the impact that employee benefits can have in the workplace in terms of employee retention, absence, productivity and relations.”
7 Ways To Keep Your Employees Happy (And Working Really Hard)
Originally posted September 8, 2013 by Karsten Strauss on https://www.forbes.com
It doesn’t matter what you build, invent or sell; your organization can’t move forward without people. CEOs, company founders and managers all over the world know that keeping the teams beneath them moving forward together in harmony means the difference between winning and dying.
Prof. Leonard J. Glick, Professor of management and organizational development at Boston’s Northeastern University, teaches the art of motivating employees for a living. He let FORBES in on a few tips for entrepreneurs and managers looking to keep their people smiling and producing.
Build Ownership Among Your Crew
You’ve got to get employees to feel that they own the place, not just work there. “One of the principles of self-managed teams is to organize around a whole service or product,” Glick explained. In other words, make sure company personnel feel responsible for what the customer is buying.
One way to inspire that feeling is to have each member of a team become familiar with what other team members are doing, allowing them to bring their ideas for improvement to the table and have input in the whole process. If the roles are not too specialized, have your people rotate responsibilities from time to time. “It all contributes to a feeling of ‘it’s mine,’ and most people, when it’s theirs, don’t want to fail, don’t want to build poor quality and don’t want to dissatisfy the customer,” said Glick.
Trust Employees To Leave Their Comfort Zones
Few employees want to do one specific task over and over again until they quit or retire or die. Don’t be afraid to grant them new responsibilities—it will allow them to grow and become more confident in their abilities while making them feel more valuable to the organization.
Though managers might feel allowing their people to try new things presents a risk to productivity or places workers outside of their established place, it heads off other issues. “To me the bigger risk is having people get burnt out or bored,” explained Glick.
Keep Your Team Informed
Business leaders have a clearer perspective on the bigger picture than their employees do. It pays to tell those under you what’s going on. “Things that managers take for common knowledge about how things are going or what challenges are down the road or what new products are coming… they often don’t take the time to share that with their employees,” Glick said. Spreading the intel lets everyone in on the lay of theland and at the same time strengthens the feeling among workers that they are an important part of the organization.
Your Employees Are Adults—Treat Them Like It
In any business there is going to be bad news. Whether it’s to do with the company as a whole or an individual within the organization, employees need to be dealt with in a straightforward and respectable manner. “They can handle it, usually,” said Glick. If you choose to keep your people in the dark about trying times or issues, the fallout could be a serious pain in the neck. “The rumors are typically worse than reality. In the absence of knowledge people make things up.”
You’re The Boss. You May Have To Act Like It Sometimes (but be consistent)
Though this issue is affected by an organization’s overall culture, there are going to be times when you have to make a decision as a leader, despite whatever efforts you may have made to put yourself on equal footing with your personnel. “Ideally they have an open relationship but not necessarily are peers,” Glick said of the manager-employee relationship. “I think the worst thing is to pretend you’re peer… it’s the inconsistency, I think, which is the bigger problem.”
Money Matters (But Not As Much As You Think)
Compensation packages are a big deal when employees are hired, but once a deal has been struck the source of motivation tends to shift. “The motivation comes from the things I’ve been talking about—the challenge of the work, the purpose of the work, the opportunity to learn, the opportunity to contribute,” Glick explained.
When it comes to finding a salary that will allow your employees to feel they’re being paid fairly, don’t bend over backwards to lowball them. If you do, they will eventually find out and not be happy. “If the salary were open, is it defensible?”
Perks Matter (But Not As Much As You Think)
Some companies (we’re looking at you Google GOOG +0.96%) have received attention for offering lavish perks to their personnel – massages, free gourmet lunches, ping pong tables, childcare facilities – but, like money, these things tend to be less powerful motivators for workers than in-job challenges and the feeling of being a valuable part of a quality team that will recognize their contribution. A manager needs to understand that though those perks are great and release burdens from employees’ shoulders, they are not a substitute for prime sources of professional inspiration.
“I don’t think people work harder, work better because of those things,” said Glick. “It may make it easier for them to come to work, I understand that.”
The Check is NOT in the Mail
Source: https://analytics.ubabenefits.comBy Lesa Caputo, Benefit Advisor
The Reality of Health Care Budgeting Shortfalls and the Impact on Employers Now and in the Future
I can’t remember the last time that I went out to my mailbox to check for new mail on a Saturday afternoon but, nonetheless, I was shocked when I heard it announced on the morning news recently that Saturday mail delivery would be ending in order to help the U.S. Postal Service find some relief to its serious budgetary issues. However, my shock was not that the good old “snail mail” service was struggling or even that it needed the $2 billion it estimates it will save annually by ceasing Saturday mail delivery.1 My shock was that this new “savings” would not achieve even 50 percent of the pennies in the couch needing to be found to pay the $5.6 billion annual retiree health care fund that the USPS was unable to pay in 2012, despite federal law that they fund this benefit in advance for future retirees.2 So aside from the “benefits” of a tan and the great calf muscles received from many years of mail delivery, does this mean that those who have devoted their entire careers to a government entity with the expectation of certain other benefits (namely that their health care benefits will be paid as promised upon retirement and until death) just isn’t going to happen? The envelope please...
What will happen to the burgeoning population of retirees in future decades who find not only their retirement underfunded but also their health care? And what will the impact of the difficult decisions that these generations will have to make be on Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care costs and the commercial health care insurance industry that already does a fair amount of subsidization for shortfalls that already exist in these programs now? Read on about the real date-sensitive material enclosed…
As America ages, U.S. employers face an emerging business challenge due to the impacts to both corporate health care costs and employee productivity resulting from the eldercare and caregiving crises. A recent study shows that eldercare costs U.S. businesses more than $33 billion in lost productivity annually through absenteeism, distraction, replacement, reduced hours and more. 1
The business disruption breaks down like this -- 12 percent take leaves of absences, 36 percent miss workdays and 40 percent rearrange their schedule. 2 And millions more fall into the category of presenteeism -- physically at work but mentally dealing with distractions that impair productivity. Employees who’ve faced caregiving issues are increasingly concerned about their own long-term care. With the average cost for a skilled nursing facility topping $79,935 per year, skyrocketing care costs are the No. 1 risk to a secure retirement for baby boomers.3 Not only is long-term care more costly than most people realize, but also (contrary to popular belief) health insurance, disability plans, even Medicare and Medicaid, don’t cover many of the care options most people would choose.
So what can employers do today to address these issues and reduce the amount of junk mail invading their employees mental inboxes? There are several solutions:
- Health and Wellness Initiatives: Whether your organization already embraces the investment in a truly integrated wellness program that rewards and incentivizes healthy behaviors or you are in the initial stages of investigating the true return on investment (ROI) in such a program, make sure that your wellness program includes mechanisms to help identify, address and provide resources for employees suffering the negative effects of stress -- including being a member of the “sandwich generation.
- Core Long-Term Care Benefits with “Buy Up” option: Although there has been a significant exodus of carriers from the long-term care insurance industry of late, there are still a couple of well-established carriers offering “true group” coverage, whereby the employer can purchase a basic group long-term care program to fund for their employees and allow employees to “buy up” to a higher level of benefits at their own cost on a voluntary basis. No matter how long-term care benefits are offered to employees, it is essential that caregiving awareness and education be coupled with the introduction, enrollment and implementation of a successful long-term care plan.
- Group Retiree Health Plans: More and more employers are finding that their current provider of medical benefits for their active employees and retirees under age 65 is not interested in insuring their retiree population of those age 65+ in coordination with Medicare. In response to this need, UBA’s Strategic Allies such as The Hartford are offering stand-alone group policies to employers that may be funded by the employer or paid by the retiree to fill the gaps in their Medicare medical and pharmacy benefits. Large employers that are self-funding their medical benefits may especially want to inquire with a UBA Partner advisor about the potential reduction to their claims liability from implementing an insured group retiree health plan.
- FMLA Absence Management: There is no doubt that larger employers experiencing a high volume of FMLA-related leaves of absence appreciate the peace of mind and convenience of outsourcing this labor-intensive and very complicated HR responsibility. But convenience aside, there is also a very quantifiable potential cost saving reason for employers to consider investing in a FMLA absence management program. When maternity is excluded, caregiving accounts for 40 percent of all FMLA leaves and those who are on FMLA leave for caregiving are four times as likely to file an LTD claim. LTD claims are typically coupled with high medical costs. And so thecirculation continues until the final notice arrives C.O.D.
The Megro Benefits Company has access to discounted premiums, fees and administration for all of these solutions and more. Contact us to discuss these ideas in more detail.
Employers who make it a priority to deliver a well-intentioned employee benefits package to ensure their employees peace of mind about their futures will find the return on their investment in the form of first-class employees reporting for work every day of the week -- and maybe even on Saturdays!
References:
- Washington Post: Mandate Pushed Postal Service into the red for first quarter, February 2013
- The MetLife Caregiving Cost Study: Productivity Losses to U.S. Business, June 2006
- The MetLife Market Survey of Nursing Home & Home Care Costs, September 2009
- Caregiving in the United States, National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, 2004
Extended absences put small, mid-size companies at risk
Source: https://eba.benefitnews.com
By Tristan Lejeune
Disability insurance experts with the Guardian Life Insurance Company are in the final stages of developing an index for measuring and predicting the success of companies’ absence management programs in conjunction with their short-term and long-term disability. Guardian’s Andrew Hutchison, assistant vice president of group life and disability products, and Judy Buczek, manager of group disability products, are taking the opportunity to encourage small and mid-size employers who haven’t yet implemented absence management to do so.
“Absence management is not new, but it’s really kind of a large-case concept," Buczek says. "Larger employers understand the importance of managing absenteeism, but it’s just as important for mid-size and smaller employers. And actually, they’re usually the folks who don’t have access to the type of tools they need to manage a program. ... We're trying to help employers recognize the need for absence management programs, and also to help bring some of those programs downstream to the smaller employers."
Hutchison recommends that every company explore their absence management options, especially those without enough human resources personnel to dedicate exclusively to the cause. “To outsource” a coordinated, umbrella approach to reining in absenteeism and long-term disability, he says, may seem like a big expense, but it “really becomes a cost-saving measure, and it takes away a lot of the worry.” Small companies, he says, are particularly vulnerable to extended absences.
“These days, everyone is asked to do two jobs,” Hutchison says. “So having a person out, really, really has an impact on the organization today. Getting people back to work sooner … really does impact the bottom line.”
To that end, Buczek says, Guardian is planning a spring release for its Absence Management Activity Index Report and Tool.
“It’s an employer tool that they can use to find out the effectiveness of what they have in place,” she says. “We’ve done some research on our existing plan holders, both large and small, and we’ve looked at what type of programs they have in place, from wellness to a seamless FMLA program to an STD/LTD program and we said, ‘OK, what programs work the best and what are most effective at managing absences?’ It’s geared toward making sure that the appropriate tools are put in place.”
Training Trends
HR professionals can expect some new training trends to emerge in the new year, according to AMA Enterprise. The group expects executives to demand more transparency from training programs and predicts a higher demand for basic-skills training. Also, companies will turn to training to help boost employee loyalty and morale, the group said.
Gadgets Stir Security Worries for HR
While advances in technology can spawn increased productivity and lower costs for a company, security concerns about the use of mobile devices and social media remain a hot-button issue for employers and HR professionals.
A recent poll by My Sammy and Holos Research found that security concerns rank as the top reason that employers block employee access to social media sites in the office, according to a report by Human Resource Executive Online. Of the respondents whose companies blocked access, 77 percent cited security as the primary reason, followed by productivity concerns at 67 percent.
Facebook and Twitter aren't the only tech trends that keep HR leaders up at night. The hardware that employees use to access these and other Internet sites can open the door to serious security breaches, as well, a report by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) noted.
As the sophistication of mobile devices has advanced in the last few years, so have malware, viruses and other threats that specifically target these devices. "The bad guys are getting better at making their apps look legitimate," Bob Hansmann, senior product marketing manager for Websense Security Labs, said in the SHRM report.
Bad apps can steal passwords and credit card numbers and can track website visits and text messages, said Robert Siciliano of antivirus software firm McAfee.
The problem is compounded when employees use their personal tablets and phones for work purposes.
Employers need to keep their policies and technologies sharp to avoid these security threats, experts say. For instance, employers can limit the amount and types of information that employees can access on these devices, Hansmann suggests.
Siciliano recommends that employees be educated about the risks and be encouraged to be vigilant when shopping for mobile apps -- whether they be for personal or professional use. The company, however, should always take the lead when enforcing security policies, he said.
"Lock, locate and wipe is fundamental to any bring-your-own-device policy," Siciliano said in the SHRM report. "Not having some control over that device . . . is irresponsible today."
Politics in the Workplace: HR's Guide to the Election Season
Source: Hireology
Introduction
There’s no question that the closer we get to the election, the more difficult it becomes for a worker to distance themselves from politics. Whether they’re listening to the news on their way to work or standing in the office kitchen waiting for their leftovers to heat up, political talk seems to permeate upon every part of our day.
But should we really be talking politics at the office? What if an employee requests time off to go vote? Do you have to let them? Don’t worry, Hireology has you covered.
Hireology’s Do’s & Don’ts of Politics in the Workplace
What is proper etiquette when it comes to discussing politics in the office? We’re the experts, and as a rule of thumb, tread lightly; you don’t want to cause any tension amongst co-workers. By following these do’s and don’ts, your company and your company culture will resist the conflicts of election season.
Do:
Make sure employees are aware of any guidelines that prohibit bringing campaign materials into the office. If that includes restrictions on wearing political clothing, setting your desktop screen to a picture of your preferred candidate or sending out emails in support of a candidate, make sure they know that as well. Send out a reminder email about theses guidelines and recommend that all employees err on the side of caution when it comes to deciding what to bring to the office.
Do:
If political talk does arise, encourage everyone to play nice and not take any politically charged comments personally. It’s best to avoid conflict and think of the discussion (or debate) as just a conversation. By keeping political conversations friendly, the office culture will not suffer.
When conversations do turn heated, encourage employees to walk away. There’s nothing wrong with using a little white lie such as “I have to run an errand” or “I have to make a phone call” as long as it gets you out of a tense situation. But as Lynze Wardle Lenio shares in her blog post on the Daily Muse, agreeing to disagree is the best solution. By doing so, no one walks away with hard (or hurt) feelings.
Do:
Allow your employees to leave the office to vote on Election Day. Not only is it a common courtesy, in many places it’s the law to give employees paid time off in order to vote. Business Management Daily has a list of voting laws by state. If you’re unsure of the law in your state, check the list at the following link just to be safe. https://hr.blr.com/state-comparison-charts/Does-My-State-have-Voting-Laws-Map
Don’t:
Even if you’re not at work, it’s still important to think before you speak. Don’t rant on Facebook about why you hate candidate X if you’re Facebook friends with your co-workers. Chances are good that not everyone feels the same as you, and you don’t want anyone walking up to you the next day calling you out for your political beliefs.
Don’t:
Discussing any heated issues at the office, even with co-workers who have the same views, is a bad idea and should be avoided at all costs. You don’t want others overhearing your conversation and then complaining to HR (unless you are HR, then things get messy...). Views on heated topics typically stem from religious or moral beliefs and bringing up such topics can easily strike a nerve with people. Plus, you can get into serious legal trouble if someone feels that they were attacked for their religious beliefs.
Don’t:
It can be hard be avoid discussing politics in the workplace, but it’s imperative to refrain from bringing up politics in an interview. Not only can it hurt the candidate experience; but if that candidate takes to the Internet to share their horror story of your political talk during the interview, it could cause major damage to your company image.
Discussing Politics in the Office
The Wall Street Journal found that employers typically take one of three approaches to dealing with political discus- sions in the office: Ignoring, discouraging or embracing. The approach you implement within the company should be based on the best interest of the entire team, not just a handful of director-level employees.
Ignoring
Are there just a handful of employees who make it their life’s goal to sway others into believing their values and beliefs are superior? Perhaps it would be best to simply ignore them anytime politics are brought up.
Discovery
Do you have a relatively confrontational team who are so set in their ways that they refuse to accept any beliefs or ideas other than their own? Send out a friendly reminder that talking politics should be done outside of working hours (and even then it’s iffy).
Embracing
What if you have an office full of open-minded people who enjoy working alongside each other? Make like Boston-based clothing company Karmaloop and embrace it! A friendly discussion never hurt anyone; plus, it’s a great way to nurture company culture!
By looking at the team as a whole, you can make the best decision as to whether or not any guidelines need to be put in place. Just remember to not let your own political beliefs get in the way when setting guidelines about political talk in the office.
Illegal Interview Questions - The “Election Season” Edition
Everyone knows not to talk about the “Big Three” at work (money, politics, and religion) but what about when the only thing the media are talking about 24/7 is politics? Does that make it OK inside a job interview? Maybe it’s just an accident and it slips out, or maybe hiring managers around the country are taking advan- tage of the political season by casually inquiring about a job candidate’s views during an interview.
Either way, it’s totally illegal and unethical. Need to check yourself? Here are the most common sneaky political and totally illegal interview questions asked in an job interview:
1. “So, are you voting next week?”
Ahh... a sneaky starting question that usually leads to a heated political discussion. What a way to con your candidates into blurting out something they will instantly regret so you can mentally ding* them on the spot. It’s definitely not OK to move them on to the next interviewing phase if their views reflect your own. (Just because they support a certain candidate doesn’t mean they are going to make a great Sales Manager.)
*ding or dinging is a word used by Hireologists to describe the action of turning down a candidate or physically pressing the thumbs down button in Hireology to take an unqualified candidate out of the running.
2. “Are you involved in any political organizations?”
Ooh tricky one! The candidate could think that you want to hear their involvement and participation in extra curricular activities and give you the full run down of their campaign work. But really, you just want to hear what political party they represent so you can choose to hire them or not. To avoid a potential lawsuit or the candidate making a stink on social media, don’t ask anything about political affiliations.
3. “How do you feel about Obamacare?”
This is one of the hottest issues of the election. It’s also a much debated and heated topic in health care. If you are hiring for a health care position, the candidate might not find this question sketchy and give you their full honest answer. Don’t be an unethical hiring manager and avoid any election issues in interviews.
4. “Will your religious beliefs affect your vote?”
Ouch. This is a double “Big Three” fail. There is no possible way this question can turn out to be legal and it’s down-right wrong for you to ask. Avoid any questions relating to religion in a job interview, no matter what.
5. “Who do you think won the debate last night?”
This question is pretty innocent. The candidate doesn’t have to choose a side and they can be pretty unbiased here. However this kind of small talk question usually leads to a full blown discussion where a candidate can reveal their political side. Not something you want to dive into. Avoid any questions about debates, they get people way too heated.
Talking politics in interviews is just a lawsuit waiting to happen. Don’t risk your job or your company trying to figure out if your candidate wants to, “Believe in America” or move “Forward.” Instead, focus on what traits will make them the right person for the job, even after November 6. As Tammy Gooler Loeb, a career and executive coach in the Boston area said in The Ladder’s blog, “when it comes to your personal politics, it’s best to save that for the voting booth.”We couldn’t agree more.
Does Your State Have Voting Leave Laws?
It’s a well-known fact that federal law protects citizens’ right to vote; however, there is no federal law that mandates employers give employees a specific amount of time off to do so. Many states have taken care of this and instated their own laws. Some states require employees to give reasonable notice of absence to the employer. Also, many state laws require employees to use their available time outside of work hours to cast their votes if there is sufficient time before or after work to get to local polls.
Does your state have time off for voting laws? Find out if you get time off at https://hr.blr.com/state-comparison-charts/Does-My-State-have-Voting-Laws-Map/
Conclusion
Keeping a calm office during the election is going to be hard work but don’t let that affect the culture and environment you have worked hard to create. Speaking of politics and elections, keep this quote by President John F. Kennedy in mind throughout the election:
“I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit.”
About Hireology
Hireology’s award-winning Selection Management System helps companies organize their hiring process and leverage data to make better hiring decisions. Franchise systems, banks and financial institutions, healthcare systems, dealer networks, and other multi-site operators use Hireology’s web-based Selection ManagerTM to deliver consistent and repeatable hiring decisions in the field-leading to better hiring decisions, lower turnover, and increased profitability per location. For more information, please visit www.Hireology.com.
Balancing Benefits Communication
Source: https://www.hreonline.com
By Mark McGraw
Recent research shows a majority of companies struggle with communicating benefits information to employees on a year-round basis. Experts urge HR leaders to incorporate the technology and tools at their disposal to make communication strategies more successful, and to document their efforts to ensure consistency.
HR professionals know that a healthy workforce generally equates to a more productive workforce. And, HR professionals know they need to consistently encourage healthy behaviors among employees. Actually driving this important message home on a regular basis, however, seems easier said than done.
A recent Benz Communication survey of 298 benefits professionals finds less than one-third of employers communicating with employees throughout the year about benefits program information, despite nearly 80 percent of respondents citing "getting employees engaged year-round" as one of their biggest challenges.
Economics and antiquated approaches are two of the biggest culprits behind breakdowns in benefits communication, says Jennifer Benz, founder and CEO of Benz Communications, headquartered in San Francisco.
"Part of the issue is bandwidth and capacity. Benefits teams have been trimmed back while their responsibilities get bigger and bigger," she says. "You have large organizations with small teams responsible for all aspects of benefits -- regulatory, compliance and communication.
"You also have a lot of companies still using old tools that make it expensive and more difficult to manage communication," Benz continues. "This kind of connects to the bandwidth issue, and makes communicating year-round impossible. But if organizations transition to new tools like social media, blogs and websites, they could better manage ongoing communication."
For example, many organizations still rely on print newsletters and/or brochures to relay benefits-related information to employees, she says. "Some companies still feel that individuals can't rely on online channels if they don't have computer access during the day. But that's just not true. Print newsletters are expensive and take time to put together. And, the same can be said of brochures and employee meetings as well. Trying to orchestrate them takes a lot of time. These channels are viable, and can be used to complement more modern methods, but they require a lot more resources."
Creating a website outside the company's firewall that includes video and other multimedia resources is just one relatively simple example of how embracing technology can aid benefits communication, Benz continues.
"These tools just make the message easier to understand and more accessible. Benefits managers have been focusing on communication, but there's still a big gap between the way benefits communication works and the rest of the world communicates."
But, however successful your efforts in getting employees to read benefits materials -- in print and/or online ? may be the challenge of getting employees engaged in health benefits programs remains, says Helen Darling, president and CEO of the Washington-based National Business Group on Health.
"People have always done very little related to their benefits until a problem arises or when they are required to actively enroll in plans," says Darling. "Inertia tends to be one of the most powerful forces in health benefits."
To spur employees into action, employers "have to do a number of things," she says, "such as . . . paying employees through reduced premiums or money into accounts to encourage engagement.
"And, more effective, targeted and clever communication can help ensure more success. HR can evaluate what they've done in the past, segment their populations, target communications to them, use diverse approaches and track which methods and messages are most effective."
The study does suggest some movement on this front, with 56 percent of participants reporting the effectiveness of their benefits-communication efforts has improved during the last three years.
"While it may not always feel like it, we're at a very exciting time for HR and benefits communication," says Jim Hoff, principal at Aon Hewitt's communication practice in Chicago.
"The role of effective communication is more important than ever, as organizations need to get their people healthy and productive, and need to show an increasing return on the investments they're making in people and benefits programs," says Hoff. "Plus, there are more and better tools and tactics at our disposal to truly market benefits programs and drive new behaviors."
Despite making strides, however, nearly half (45 percent) of survey respondents indicate they still aren't satisfied with their current communication strategies, with another 28 percent describing themselves as "ambivalent" about their approach.
First and foremost, successful benefits-communication strategies should be comprehensive, and not just a calendar of benefits-related activities, says Hoff.
"HR leaders and benefits communicators can ask questions like, 'What are the goals of the business and HR overall, and how can communication efforts drive behaviors that will achieve those goals? How can we best segment and target our audience to ensure we're delivering the right messages to the right people via the right channel at the right time? And how can we best use the channels and technologies available in a multichannel approach -- traditional web and email, mobile sites, text messaging and very targeted use of print?' "
Beyond using the technology and tools at HR's disposal, communication plans should start with understanding the three-to-five year strategic priorities of the business -- healthcare cost management, growth by acquisition, improving productivity and customer service, and attracting and retaining talent, for example, says Hoff.
"Associated with each of these priorities are one- to two-year HR outcomes," he continues, "with a focus on measurable return and a few outcomes that are aggressive but achievable. From there, a communication strategy can be tied to those outcomes.
Within each of these focus areas, the strategy should address the key messages for each critical audience as well as stakeholders and opinion leaders within the organization, says Hoff. An effective approach should also include what he describes as a "multi-channel blend of push and pull communication, so that busy employees get the information -- and motivation -- they need while having access to additional information when they want it. And, on top of all this should be a relentless focus on making it easy and relevant."
The entire strategy should be documented as well, in order to track and measure consistency and progress throughout the year, adds Benz.
"Without having some sort of documented strategy, you can't tell if what you're doing is effective," she says. "I think HR leaders can make this a priority within their organizations, and can elevate the role of benefits to something that's critical to business, rather than just being thought of as a necessary administrative function."
Helping Employees Deal with Everyday Annoyances
Source: Benefitspro.com
When workplace annoyances hit, it makes the life of employees much harder, and often employees find themselves struggling to complete their work, says Carol Fitzgibbons, an HR expert at BPI Group, a global management and human resources consulting firm in Chicago.
Some of these workplace annoyances include slow decision-making decisions, unproductive processes and an endless stream of inefficient emails. While these annoyances might seem minor to an employer, they can build up overtime and cause employees begin to feel disengaged, Fitzgibbons says.
“The amount of effort an employee puts in and the amount they can actually get done because of these annoyances starts to get out of balance,” Fitzgibbons says. “The annoyances that exist in the organization just become bigger, and it starts to affect the employees’ desire to want to be there and be excited about things happening in the organization.”
Millennials are especially susceptible to workplace annoyances, Fitzgibbons says. In today’s workplace, millennials are looking to make an immediate impact on their organizations, but when these annoyances get in the way, it becomes much more difficult to stay on top of the more meaningful tasks.
“When you have so much coming at you that you can’t think or when it’s just so hard to get tasks done in an organizations, it’s very hard as an individual to feel like you’re having an impact and your work is making a difference,” Fitzgibbons says. “You have so much coming at you that you just can’t prioritize and don’t have time for any of your own personal development.”
Many millennials are also frustrated by workplace annoyances because they are new to the environment, Fitzgibbons says. For millennials, they haven’t been around long enough to understand that there is often a long corporate history of certain policies, processes and procedures, and changing these can be timely and costly.
“Millennials look at the processes and say that it shouldn’t be this hard,” Fitzgibbons says. “It’s hard to understand and appreciate that when you’re newer to the environment.”
However, a manager can take a millennial’s annoyance as a chance to examine the company’s situation with a fresh set of eyes, Fitzgibbons says. While fixing some annoyances might be out of the budget, such as implementing a new, more efficient IT system, a manager can look at ways to improve how various departments work together or what can be done to better the decision-making process.
“Managers need to set up an environment that allows employees to get their work done,” Fitzgibbons says. “They need to make sure that they’re providing employees with the information they need to be able to get their jobs done effectively and have an impact. It might be hard for the new person to come in and influence the processes, but managers can help them figure out how to manage these.”