The following appeared in the Northwest Business Monthly magazine, February 2008
Are you pained by the cost of your workers’ compensation insurance or your medical plan premiums for your workers? Ask yourself if you have done all you can in your role as owner to improve the safety performance of your company and hopefully influence the direct and indirect costs associated with safety issues. .
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(This column appeared in the Northwest Business Monthly Magazine, December 2007)
Have you ever wondered what is more effective – a $100.00 holiday bonus or an iPod – in recognizing and awarding your employees? Both cash and non-cash awards are widely used by employers, but little has been studied about how businesses can and should implement award/motivational programs and the extent to which these programs can help achieve a broad range of business objectives. A preliminary study into this field was conducted by a group of academics from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Northwestern University and presented to Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement. A summary of their findings is noted in this article. (more…)
Health Pays
(The following was published in Northwest Business Monthly Magazine, December 2006)
Is your business scrambling to cover lost productivity while your employees are absent due to health issues? Productivity losses due to employee illness have been well and frequently documented. Now several studies have confirmed and revealed the breadth of the problem. According to Partnership for Prevention, a member organization of businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies which advances policies and practices to prevent disease and improve health, these studies show that the indirect costs (absenteeism, etc) of poor health can be two to three times the direct medical costs. And, productivity losses due to personal and family health problems cost U.S. employers $1,685 per employee per year, or $225.8 billion annually. As an employer, how much did you lose?
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