Quality of life benefits

Access to employer-provided benefits was greater in medium and large private industry establishments than in small establishments in March 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Think most employees can truly stay away from the office while on summer vacation?

A “selected list” of pending and resolved lawsuits involving racial harassment allegations offers a teachable moment about the need for sensitivity training, as well as what’s offensive, harassing and illegal.

Life insurance coverage calculators earned low marks in a recent analysis by the Customer Respect Group, which suggests that more can be done to help consumers determine adequate coverage levels.

As doubts re-emerge about the strength of economic recovery in the U.S., a new global workforce study by Towers Watson reveals that 63% of U.S. employees are not fully engaged in their work and struggling to cope when sufficient support is not provided.

Mindful of the way mobile technology has revolutionized the way people live and work, most global employers don’t mind when employees show up late for work and are more supportive of a flexible workforce than most employees realize.

For more than a decade, AARP has recognized employers with progressive policies toward recruiting and retaining older employees. Now, the nonprofit has teamed up with the Society for Human Resource Management to cosponsor the AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50 awards as applications are accepted for the 2013 search.

Email, instant messaging, laptops, digital teleconferencing and flexible schedules have dramatically changed the way people live and work, as well as how their personal and professional lives intersect. But a recent national poll of 570 working Americans concludes that, despite breathtaking advances in technology and greater workplace flexibility, work-life balance is still very much a work in progress.

The first day of summer presents a good opportunity to reflect on whether employees are taking enough vacation time and, as such, recharging their batteries to a point where they are on track for becoming healthier, happier and more productive. It’s also worth revisiting a familiar U.S. public-policy debate on the link between paid time off and worker engagement, productivity and performance relative to other nations, especially during austere times when stress is heightened.

Although employers should proactively strive to create and maintain a safe work environment, no amount of preparation is guaranteed to prevent conflicts. In the unfortunate event that a credible threat of violence arises, established protocols and awareness can help address the issues promptly in an effort to protect everyone's safety. …

As a (very) busy mom and wife, I sometimes find myself regarding circus performers with unadulterated scorn, thinking to myself, "Look at him, juggling his knives like it's hard or something. Pfft! Try juggling a full-time job, a husband, two (almost three) kids, one dog, four schedules, a house, and bills - and then ask me how tough juggling just plain knives is!"

A National Partnership for Women & Families report released for Father’s Day, “Dads Expect Better: Top States for New Dads,” includes an analysis of state laws and regulations governing paid leave and workplace rights for new fathers in the United States.

Workplace flexibility practices are a business imperative that help employees meet their work and life responsibilities and help employers respond to the competitive global marketplace, the Society for Human Resource Management president told Congress today.

Jean Coyle, 67, has a new kind of ministry. The former professor had just begun a career as a Presbyterian minister in Virginia when the economic downturn forced her church to let her go in 2007. After that, she found only temporary work.

The word "easy" is rarely used to describe motherhood, especially given the challenges working moms face juggling careers and children.

Annabel Adams has seen a lot in her life: 9/11, the dot-com bust, the housing collapse, the financial crisis, the Great Recession.

Employees who feel valued at work are more likely to report better physical and mental health, as well as higher levels of engagement, satisfaction and motivation, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association.

The economy is causing employees, particularly younger generations, to turn with greater interest to employers for help with establishing financial security. According to a new survey, nearly half of all employees say that because of the economy they are counting on employers’ benefits programs to help with their financial protection needs, and that percentage climbs to 55% for Gen X workers and 66% for Gen Y.

Employees who feel valued at work are more likely to report better physical and mental health, as well as higher levels of engagement, satisfaction and motivation, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association.

Katie Griffith is in many ways the walking example of statistics of a working mom today. She is 32, pregnant with her second child and has just been promoted to director in the advisory practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers.