Benefit strategies

The current high rate of unemployment in the United States is primarily due to cyclical factors, not structural changes in the economy, according to researchers at the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank.

Despite a nascent economic recovery, the momentum to reduce employee benefits isn’t waning, according to a new poll by the Society for Human Resource Management.

A gauge of small business optimism edged up in February, reflecting stronger hiring plans but also pointing to a growing ability to make price increases stick, the National Federation of Independent Business said on Tuesday.

Employers in the private sector are just as confident in the U.S. economy as they were prior to the recession, according to PwC U.S.’s Private Company Trendsetter Barometer survey.

NEW YORK | Tue Feb 22, 2011 3:54pm EST - Althea Norwood Roberts gives employers three months to turn her temporary job into a permanent one. Then she looks elsewhere.

Small-business managers are expecting hiring activity within their organizations to improve in 2011, according to a new survey. However, they say it will likely be hindered by continued challenges related to accessing credit, government regulations and health insurance costs.

To take advantage of the economic upswing, employers will have to become smarter about strategies on talent management and succession planning, according to a survey by Towers Watson.

Hungary reduces social security sick pay benefits, Korean employers to provide paid paternity leave

For some workers, it’s hard to get back in the swing of things after the highs and lows of the last two weeks of 2010. But the good news for employers is that there are inexpensive ways to ensure the post-holiday blues don’t interfere with employees’ engagement.

Employee benefits make up nearly 30% of compensation packages in the private sector, with insurance benefits comprising 8% of that total, according to 2010 research by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Once the C-suite realizes the term "company culture" isn't just cliche corporate-speak, executives likely will start to ask what they can do to improve engagement levels. Then, HR/benefit professionals have an opening to move the culture discussion from intangible to tangible.

U.S. employees frequently are transferred to foreign affiliates to obtain experience and to bring home local knowledge from foreign countries. Conversely, employees are transferred from foreign affiliates to U.S. headquarters for similar reasons.

A survey, which was conducted in May and June of 2010, indicated that 72% of new employees said the retirement program is an important reason they will stay with their employer, up from 51% in 2009.

There are many moving parts to reducing health care costs, but one expert believes employers should focus on five benefits strategies for 2011.

For employers, managing talent has never been more important. Organizations, particularly ones who've suffered massive layoffs over the past two years, are leaner and meaner.

According to a survey on workers' perception of employee benefits, both high- and low-wage earners say benefits are vital to their health and financial security.

Feedback from 750 senior-level HR professionals on the state of performance-evaluation programs reveals that employers can do a better job of aligning the process to business objectives, finds a study by WorldatWork and Sibson Consulting.

Attitudes toward the economy have improved over the past month among both small and midsized businesses, according to a new survey.

Although voluntary turnover has dipped significantly this year, a new PwC Saratoga study says employers are giving more attention to career development and performance management in anticipation of increased turnover as the economy improves.

New survey results from Mercer show that, although most likely unintentionally, the most serious compliance issue noted by almost two-thirds (61%) of respondents involved tax return revisions caused by improper reporting of worldwide income by expatriates.