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News Notes: Free Manual On Evaluating Workplace Safety And Health Changes

If you’re like many employers, you continually make changes in the workplace to boost employee health and safety. But it can be difficult to measure whether the changes are effective or whether other fixes are needed. Now, the National Institute on Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has made a new manual and a companion webpage […]

Wage and Hour: Minimum Wage Going Up in California; What Employers Must Know

When Gov. Schwarzenegger signed legislation last month that will raise California’s minimum wage to $8.00 per hour from the current $6.75 per hour, he put the state on course to have the highest minimum wage in the nation when the full hike takes effect. The rate increase will take effect in two stages: minimum wage […]

HOT LIST: New York Times Bestselling Paperback Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling paperback business books as ranked by the New York Times on August 25. 1. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. How and why certain products and ideas become fads. 2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen […]

Insurers Can Offer One Choice of SHOP Coverage in 2014, HHS Allows

A health reform requirement that all insurers offer four levels of health coverage to small businesses will be delayed until 2015. Under a final rule from HHS (to be officially published June 4), many small employers will have fewer plans to choose from the Small Business Health Options (SHOP) program in 2014. Background Starting in 2014, small […]

Healthcare reform provisions move forward: preexisting condition exclusions

On November 20, the Obama administration announced it is moving forward with certain provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including banning insurance companies from discriminating against people with preexisting conditions. The administration issued the following: A proposed rule that, beginning in 2014, prohibits health insurance companies from discriminating against individuals because of a preexisting […]

Employers Can Help Improve Retirement Readiness

Plan participants’ shortfalls and worries about retirement preparedness can provide an opportunity for plan sponsors to fill the void with participant education, tools and financial advisory services. Less than half of Americans are taking basic steps to prepare for retirement, and their confidence about how much they need to put away to be financially comfortable […]

Based on Latest HHS Data, Young Adults Should Love Health Reform

Health care reform may be responsible for a rise in partisan bickering, but what is also rising is the number of young adults with health insurance — 1 million more since last year,  according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In the first quarter of 2011, the percentage of adults between […]

Employee Attitude Survey Can Get You the Inside Story–For Free

Ever wonder what your employees are thinking about their jobs, supervisors, promotion opportunities, teamwork, and other important workplace issues? Now you can find out, through the complimentary National Employee Attitude Survey. Employers can sign up to participate in the survey program that will benchmark their employees’ responses to a written questionnaire to answers from employees […]

Boomers Mean Business

By Marcia Akers Baby Boomers are now entering their retirement years while some members of “The Greatest Generation” remain in the workforce. Gen Xers and Yers are looking for advancement and rewarding entry-level positions. This first-ever phenomenon of having four generations in the workplace at the same time is creating challenges for employers, including how […]

Do your E-mails Send the Right Message?

Business is all about e-mail these days, yet many managers don’t know how to write an effective e-mail message, says Janis Fisher Chan. Her recent book, E-Mail: A Write It Well Guide, offers help. Check the Tone It’s easy to get the tone wrong in your business e-mails, says Chan. Check these three examples, which […]