• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Work / Life Issues

First National Bank makes meals, life easier for employees

01/01/2008

Long hours at work can leave little time to prepare dinner, so First National Bank delivers frozen, home-cooked meals right to their desks …

Free fishing and weight-Loss classes among Acuity’s employee perks

01/01/2008

Fish ponds and Weight Watchers are just two of the benefits Acuity offers its employees. The insurance company’s Sheboygan, WI, headquarters has four ponds on its 115-acre campus, all stocked with bluegill, perch and bass …

Protect your work force from drug-Resistant superbugs

01/01/2008

“Medical crisis.” “New staph strain raises red flags.” “Superbug taking great toll.” These headlines, and more like them, shook up the country during the fall—and prompted HR pros to take precautions in their workplaces …

Options help Xerox staff cope with illness

01/01/2008

When illness strikes a family member, worry and stress can hurt job performance. Xerox helps employees manage complex diagnoses with a patient advocacy program. Employees who use the company’s Health Systems Management (HSM) program can get information about conditions …

Do parents get leave for school events?

01/01/2008

Q. We have several employees who have children in school and sometimes want to leave work early to attend recitals, sports events and other school activities. Are employees who are parents entitled to a leave time to attend their children’s school activities? …

Concierge services: Are they right for your organization?

12/01/2007

Between the year-end business crunch and the bustle of the holidays, December can be the most stressful month for your employees. Concierge services can take on some of your workers’ holiday planning and shopping by doing personal errands like locating hard-to-find presents, ordering gift baskets, making family dinner reservations, picking up dry cleaning and buying theater tickets …

Inject more oversight, responsibility into flex schedules

12/01/2007

Seems like many employees view flexible work arrangements as an entitlement these days—maybe because HR has pushed the idea for years as a way to accommodate work/life conflicts. Putting more structure and accountability into the process makes flexibility less of an ad hoc perk. Here are four ways to structure flexible work arrangements in a more systematic way …

Duke offers elder care for employees, community

12/01/2007

When holidays bring together young and old family members, the brightly wrapped boxes under the tree don’t hold the only surprises. In fact, says Lisa Gwyther of Duke University Medical Center’s Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, holiday visits can expose an older family member’s frailties to the rest of the clan …

Hot dog! Chipotle employees can bring their pets to work

12/01/2007

Ann Dowell’s two Yorkshire terriers are not just her pets; they are co-workers—sort of. Dowell, the executive HR director at Chipotle’s Denver headquarters, may bring her dogs to work as long as “they are well-behaved,” she says. The company has allowed dogs in the office since 1996 …

Friends of the Family isn’t just the company’s name

12/01/2007

A Baltimore-based firm that helps employers and communities open day care centers is working with its own employees on their family ties. The 16 employees of Friends of the Family may take off a half-day a month—with pay—to spend time with family for any reason …