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The
Online Newsletter for Clients of Express Services, Inc.
Record high healthcare costs are the latest buzz.
No matter the size or type of company, virtually all are paying
big bucks to cope with the expenses. Many companies are learning
that managing healthcare costs is about more than just focusing
on the bottom line. It?s about creating and maintaining a culture
that values healthy living habits on and off the job, and it is
paying off. In fact, according to the American Journal of Health
Promotion, for every dollar spent on emphasizing health and wellness,
companies save $3.48 in healthcare costs. Not only does it help
trim healthcare costs, but experts say energizing healthy principles
in the workplace results in a healthier, more productive company.
Employee health and wellness programs can be very
involved and costly. But a simpler approach can be just as effective
in creating a work environment that is health-friendly. Below
are some simple ways any company can broadcast a proactive health
message and reap the benefits of a healthy workforce.
Promoting healthy diet and exercise choices
within your company is a great way to start. Requesting healthy
alternatives from snack machine vendors is a convenient, inexpensive
way you can foster an environment that promotes health and wellness.
Ordering nutritious food when catering on site is a way to consistently
broadcast the message that your company is serious about healthy
lifestyle choices. To pump up fitness, many companies offer to
pay a portion or all of a gym membership for employees. Many companies
have successfully implemented interoffice weight loss or activity
competitions with astounding success.
Being proactive concerning medical issues is another
way to emphasize healthy behaviors. Many companies offer on-site
doctor visits including discounted vaccines and shots to keep
employees and their families well. Offering incentives to employees
who have regular check-ups or participate in medical screening
shows employees you care about their health. Recommending preventative
medical procedures when an employee shows signs of potential health
problems can also save money in the long run.
Having policies and programs in place to ensure
employees are healthy and know how to stay that way can not only
save companies money, it can also foster a happier, more productive
workforce. No matter how involved a plan you choose, emphasizing
health and wellness to your employees is a win-win situation.
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It seems each week, a new report comes
out detailing a major company?s loss of personal information of
many of its customers. So far this year, over 50 million people
have had their personal information exposed to possible identity
theft. Since the crime of identity theft began growing in the
1990s, consumers have been increasingly concerned about the security
of their personal and financial information. Government agencies
now place a high priority on ensuring consumers are protected
from possible personal information theft. As the reports of such
theft increase, the issue is now a major concern for large businesses.
However, all too often, smaller businesses tend to ignore identity
theft issues until it?s too late. This is just one reason why
experts say small to midsized businesses actually stand to lose
the most from identity theft.
Since preventing identity theft is not generally
a top priority for smaller businesses, they pay less time and
attention to preventing identity theft and educating employees
about protecting personal information. Also, since small businesses
typically operate under smaller budgets than larger companies,
they tend to spend less money on updating their computer programs
or installing security systems. This creates multiple vulnerabilities
that hackers or thieves can use to steal valuable personal information
from your company.
From customer information to employee records,
all forms of personal information that your company has are liabilities
for possible theft, no matter what size of organization or what
type of business you are involved in. Local offices of large companies
and small, locally-owned businesses are often seen as easy targets
by identity thieves, since their firewalls and computer protections
are more often out of date or nonexistent. And though poor IT
protections account for some of the threat, technology is not
the only thing to blame. Many identity thieves operate by obtaining
records from the trash, going through mail, or breaking into offices,
according to the Better Business Bureau.
The actual crime of identity theft is
difficult to define, since it exists in many forms and on multiple
levels. For example, stolen information is often sold in pieces
from information thieves or hackers to people who will use the
information to steal money and identities from consumers. As crimes
involving identity theft evolve and diversify, identity theft
is becoming more difficult to prosecute. And the kicker is, these
thieves generally do not pay for their crimes. Usually, the costs
for identity theft are passed directly to the business whose information
was stolen.
That means that not only are small businesses easy
targets for this crime, they also stand to lose money - and lots
of it - from identity theft problems. The penalties that businesses
face for loss of personal information include civil liability,
federal fines and state fines for each incident of violation,
no matter what the size or stature of the business involved. Businesses
are also liable for the cost of fraudulent purchases and fees
associated with them. In 2004, identity theft cost businesses
and financial institutions $52.6 billion, according to the Federal
Trade Commission.
These and other issues illustrate the importance
of setting standards and enforcing procedures to protect all forms
of personal information that you house at your place of business,
whether electronically or on paper. Informing your staff about
identity theft issues and creating procedures unique to your business
needs is the first step to ensuring that your business does not
go under due to identity theft problems.
Check out next month?s edition of e-Xchange, available
August 26 for tips on how to avoid potential identity theft problems
in your business.
As the job market continues to tighten, finding the
right people to fill job openings is becoming an increasingly
difficult task. Many businesses need to rethink their strategies
to successfully push past retention and recruiting problems. One
solution lies in establishing your company as the preferred place
to work. Whether your company is large or small, successful or
struggling, making that happen begins inside your company walls.
Focusing on current employees when considering recruiting
issues may seem a little out-of-place, but consider this: your
employees are one of your biggest assets. They know about your
company, what it?s like to work for you, what the atmosphere is
like, and how employees are treated. Current employees can be
one of your greatest untapped resources in the recruiting game
? unless the way you manage your business has created a workforce
of unhappy, dissatisfied workers who don?t care about the goals
and objectives of the company. In that case, watch out. The best
recruitment strategies in the world can?t overcome being known
by your employees as the worst place to work.
Essentially, what this means is that retention
and recruiting actually go hand-in-hand. Happy employees speak
positively about the company. And everyone knows someone who is
looking for a job. In fact, experts say that recognizing employees
as ambassadors for your company is an excellent way to establish
your position as the best place to work in your market.
But what can you do
to ensure your employees will see you as the preferred place to
work? A good starting point is for company leaders to focus on
gaining respect, loyalty and trust from employees on a personal
level. Start by building relationships. Smile at employees and
say ?hello? and ?good morning.? Mean what you say and when you
ask ?how are you doing?? follow up and listen to what employees
have to say. Try not to interrupt when employees respond so they
will be honest and open. Being personally in touch with employees
can help develop trust and loyalty.
Remember
that good communication is key ? whether your message is positive
or negative. Be generous with praise, paying careful attention
to how employees respond when acknowledged for good performance.
Give honest and constructive feedback to keep your employees in
the loop. When correcting people, do so in private to protect
their feelings and to maintain their respect. Remember that differences
are good and respecting diversity pays off. Tailoring your praise
and admonition styles for each employee will signal to them that
you know them and want to meet their needs.
Model good behavior for
your employees. Honor your commitments; when you say you will
do something, back it up with actions. Try to minimize monitoring
and trust your employees to do their job well. Act as if your
role is to serve rather than to be served. Demonstrating company
values and a strong work ethic will go a long way in building
respect for yourself and the company.
By
treating employees with respect and professionalism, you will
build relationships, increase rapport, gain respect, and most
importantly, begin to lay the foundation to being known as the
best place to work. It may be surprising how much this can aid
in successfully recruiting and retaining a capable and reliable
workforce.
Stay
tuned for the next issue of e-Xchange for more tips on retention
and recruiting.
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Employment
Situation Summary
United
States
Non-farm employment increased
by 146,000 jobs in June, and the unemployment rate continued to
trend down, reaching 5.0%.
Major Industry Employment
for June 2005
?� Construction: + 18,000
?� Manufacturing: - 24,000
?� Retail Trade: + 2,000
?� Professional & Business
Services: + 56,000
?� Educational & Health
Services: + 38,000
?� Leisure & Hospitality:
+19,000
?� Government: + 2,000
Canada
Employment rose by 14,000
jobs in June with the unemployment rate dropping to 6.7%. ��
� Major Industry
Employment for June 2005
?� Construction: + 21,000
?� Educational Services:
+ 11,000
? Information, Culture
& Recreation: - 15,000
? Transportation
and Warehousing: - 19,000
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