Human Resource Development

Medical and dental insurance are very important to people right now. People can’t afford to pay for hospital stays or doctor appointments so they search for companies that offer benefits to their employees and usually when they find one, they stick with it. If you don’t offer benefits to your employees, you need to consider it so your employees are happy and willing to stay with you for the duration.

Offering benefits is not easy to start, but worth it in the long run. There are a number of ways to make this happen, but you must do your research in order for it to happen. One of the first things you need to do is make appointments with several insurance companies in town to see what they offer. You’ll want to make sure you talk to different insurance agents that work with different companies so you have different options to offer your employees. United Healthcare, Aetna, and Kaiser Permanente are just a few of the companies you’ll want to consider.

Before your appointments you’ll need to sit down and decide how much you can afford to pay each month. You don’t have to pay for any of the premiums each month, but your employees may be more willing to sign up for it if you pay for part of the monthly amount. This amount will help you in deciding which plan to go with for your employees.

You’ll also need to consider the health of your employees so you know which plan to go with. If your employees have children, you’ll need to find a plan that offers children’s health. If your employees are young, you’ll want to consider one that offers pregnancy and children’s health.

Once you decide on a plan to go with you’ll need to give your employees all the information they need to decide if they’re going to join or not. You’ll also need to make sure they know when it will start and how much money they’ll need to pay out of each check to cover the cost of the premium. You should also consider offering auto pay from their check to cover the cost of the plan.

When your employees have health insurance they’ll likely go to the doctor when something is wrong. The healthier they are the more likely they’ll be to show up every day for work and the less likely they’ll be to cheat on you with someone else.


By: Josh
http://www.coursepark.com/blog/2012/08/tips-for-offering-benefits-to-your-employees/

In many companies, work has become a place of disillusionment. Employees start with enthusiasm and creativity, but day after day they feel more and more helpless, as if they don't have any real choices anymore. Employees are overwhelmed, exhausted and bored. They feel like they have been shot down. Complaining and ridiculing others becomes the norm. The ""romance"" is gone. If this scenario sounds like your company, don't despair. Deep down, employees are begging to gain a sense of hope and enthusiasm again, but they need your help. If you make a genuine effort to follow these ten tips, you will not only notice attitude shifts, but real changes in behavior among your employees. Give it a shot, and watch the fun return!

1. WALK YOUR TALK. Instead of talking about better communication, start communicating better. By developing open two-way conversations that are energetic and contagious, your employees will feel comfortable to speak their mind. Make sure you listen to what is not being said. Include employees in meetings to get their perspective. Make your meetings interesting by surprising your employees with a new incentive or a message of appreciation. These ideas show that you are not just the leader, but one who really cares.

2. BE SUPPORTIVE. Discuss the weaknesses in the system without blaming individuals. Look at employee wish lists and follow-up with their requests. Ask them what they need from management to feel more valued. Employees need to know that their concerns are being heard. They need not only constructive feedback, they also need positive comments. When employees meet deadlines or suggest creative solutions that positively affect the bottom-line, recognize the behavior immediately. Include their names in a company newsletter, write a personal note and send it to their home, or place an advertisement in the local newspaper showing how much you appreciate your great people.

3. BE A LEADER WITH VISION. True leadership requires foresight, integrity and trust from both sides. Leadership liberates employees, by giving them direction and letting them do the job. Set up periodic reality checks to evaluate their progress, to make sure they are moving in the right direction. They need to know you are willing to hear about ideas they have - to make the company better than it already is today. Share your vision with them so they feel in the loop. Employees tell me rumors and back- biting would stop if only leaders would share future goals and visions of the company.

4. USE STRAIGHT TALK. Straight talk means being able to communicate without alienation or hurt feelings. Many managers have found straight talk to be very difficult. They cannot communicate criticism or compliments without feeling uncomfortable. Managers and employees need to learn to be direct and truthful. Encourage straight talk by thinking about what you really want to say, writing it down and practicing it. After you've practiced, how do you feel about yourself? If you feel good, try it with your employees. If you still are not sure, start from the beginning and figure out a better way to communicate your message. Make straight talk a habit. The more you use it, the more comfortable you will feel. It is important to tell others what they need to hear, not necessarily what they want to hear. I encourage leaders to tell their employees that constructive feedback is a gift. This is an area that some people still feel uncomfortable with, however, necessary in order for us to continually improve and grow.

5. BUILD SUPPORTIVE TEAMS. Build teams within departments, and throughout the entire company, to allow an open discussion of dreams and obstacles. Remove job descriptions that keep people stuck in a box. Reward employees who help others and contribute to the company as a whole. There are many exercises that can help teams to find their strengths and weaknesses. These exercises can remove barriers and blind spots and move the team forward. The ""we versus they"" attitude must be eliminated in order to make the team work. We don't need tolike each other. We do need to respect each other's differences. The most successful teams are the ones with diverse members. They bring in different ideas and a variety of strengths.

6. ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY AND LAUGH AT MISTAKES. When employees aren't afraid to take risks, their creativity will soar. Feeling ""in"" on things is still a major concern of employees. They have great ideas, yet are afraid to voice them. This is such a waste of possible solutions to key challenges of a company. Front line employees have a different perspective and must feel comfortable to share their ideas. Encourage this creativity on a regular basis. Les Wexner from The Limited has meetings called ""The Hall of Shame,"" where he tells his employees the biggest mistake he made during the week. He then asks each employee to reveal his or her biggest mistake, and encourages them to describe how the entire group can learn from that mistake. This idea works wonders when the leader begins the process. The question following this exercise is, ""What did we learn from it?"" Make sure to add some fun in order to make people feel comfortable with this idea.

7. EMPOWER EMPLOYEES TO FEEL LIBERATED. Managers and employees need time alone, time to think creatively. Intense and important work requires reflection. Companies that are obsessed with productivity usually have little patience for the quiet time essential for profound creativity. An element of fun lifts morale and increases productivity. Have each employee bring in his or her favorite dessert one day, and listen to the laughter begin. Ask them what they need to do in order to improve morale.

8. HELP EMPLOYEES FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH CHANGE. Learn how to start over and let go of ideas that may have worked in the past, but are no longer effective today. Remind your team that status quo is the kiss of death. We need to constantly look for new ways of doing business. The minute that someone says how good you are is the minute you need to improve. Companies that fail start believing in their own hype! Confront today's challenges while simultaneously probing new opportunities. Eat change for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

9. INSIST THAT EMPLOYEES ALWAYS KEEP THE CUSTOMER IN MIND. You have a lot of competition. Make sure your employees know why customers keep signing your contracts. Realize that curiosity will always lead employees down new paths. Ask employees ""How can we exceed our customers' expectations by knowing their needs, emotions and wants?"" Get employees involved with customers. This way employees feel like part of the team. They will be able to get into the customer's shoes and hear what ""keeps them up at night."" They can take the ideas back to the team and figure out how to go the extra mile to help the customer. An employee with a customer focus will naturally be creative and intuitive.

10. KEEP EMPLOYEES FOCUSED ON THEIR CHEERLEADERS AND FANS. Have your employees make a list of ten clients or co-workers that are thrilled with them and the way they conduct business. Ask your employees to figure out new ways to service their clients to help them in any way they can. Employees will shape their own future as they build relationships with their fans.

These ten tips will WOW your customers and make your competition drool. Your employees will feel like they are part of the company, as they come to work energized and full of passion. Have fun being an intuitive and creative leader. Encourage others to follow in your footsteps. Don't be surprised if YOU end up falling in love with your job again.

Source: http://www.cpsa.com/knowledgecentre/SRCArticleRead.aspx?articleID=159

There is nothing worse than having something bad happening at home and then bring it to the office to have others become involved because you’re taking it out on them. Personal problems are just that; personal and they don’t have a place in the office, so it’s important to find ways to keep them out of there.

While it’s hard to do, personal problems need to be left at home, so it’s important to find a way that works for you so you make sure this happens daily. There are several ways to handle it, but only one way will work for you. So it’s important to take a stand now and make sure you leave them at home every day.

One way to make sure your personal problems stay out of the office is to find a way to remind yourself daily to do this. You can put a reminder on your calendar or cell phone that tells you to do this. It doesn’t have to be anything long or detailed. The main thing is to word it in a way that’ll remind you of what you need to do.

Another option is to put a note somewhere that’s visible to you so you remember to leave the personal problems at home. You can put a note on the bathroom mirror, in your car, or on the computer monitor at work. The main thing here is to put it in a place where you’ll see it daily.

One last option to consider when you’re trying to leave your personal problems at home is to have a family member or friend help you to remember. This may be a bit of a struggle depending on the person you choose and what your problems are, but if you trust this person and you know how to control yourself so you don’t get upset with them, you’ll find the right way to keep them away.

Personal problems in the office can cause unwanted hate and discontent along with other things that could cause potentially hazardous work conditions for others. If you’re not focused on your job you could injure someone or you could cost the business thousands of dollars if you mess something up. It’s just not worth it when you can use these tips to help you leave them at home where they belong.