My grandmother once told me that she would save her allowance all month to walk three miles to the soda fountain for a single milkshake. From ready-made foods at the market, to the fast-food drive by, to diet pills purporting instant and effortless weight loss, our culture today is all about instant gratification and results. The basic fact that not everything is obtained without an effort and/or wait seems to be a lost concept.

When it comes to a person changing their mindset to adopt healthy habits and rid unhealthy habits, results and gratification take time. It takes a commitment and constant effort to succeed at losing weight, exercising regularly, tobacco cessation, and other habit changes. If they’re to be successful, workplace wellness programs not only need to recognize the above, but also to understand what elements will engage employees over the long-term.

Let’s say you’ve hosted a health benefits presentation on active lifestyles and eating right. The employee turnout is high, and you had a lot of sincere interest from your employees. However, you observe a week later that very few have made any of the recommended changes. Within a few months, even most of those that made an attempt are back to their regular routines.

Tips to Motivate Your Workforce

The above is an all too common scenario that confirms the reality that most people are more well-intentioned than self-motivated. Therefore, motivation should be one of the key elements provided by your wellness initiatives. Here are a few tips to help you inject motivation into your workforce:

* Make the experience personal for employees through offering a health risk assessment that will show an employee their own unique health risks and what steps he/she can take to address each risk.

* Completion of the assessment and any resulting follow-up recommendations should be tied to the health risk assessment incentives you’re offering, such as reduced health plan premiums.

* Keeping in mind that an individual must be willing, ready, and able to make a behavior change, you might focus on those that express a desire to make positive lifestyle changes. Aside from offering incentives, you might also help employees see the risks of failing to make positive changes, such as by posting charts with comparative lifespan stats on individuals that are smokers and non-smokers; pre-hypertensive, hypertensive, and of normal blood pressure; and are overweight, obese, and of normal weight.

* Provide/encourage support system structures, such as employee-based walking clubs, sponsoring a biggest loser competition, subsidies for joining certain fitness centers, or newsletter articles featuring health-successful employees.

Change is rarely easy for any of us. Employers must be careful that they don’t get so caught up in the black and white of a wellness program that they forget to address what will make or break it – human nature.

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Many employers are using employee benefit statements to remind their employees of the various benefits they receive as part of a benefits education program. Benefit statements and total compensation statements also prove to be a highly effective means of showing employees the company-paid dollar value of their benefits in addition to their paycheck. Employees sense their personal value to the organization when they realize the amount of money invested annually in their health and welfare.

In a world where many employees have experienced salary freezes or witnessed their colleagues being laid off, it’s important for employers to invest more time in communicating benefits options with them. This makes employees feel valued. Research shows that most employees don’t feel that they are valued in the workplace, so this issue should be a top priority. In an economy with jobs in high demand, employees feel more insecure and replaceable. They may not know how expensive and detrimental it is for employers to replace them and hire new employees. They may also doubt the longevity of the companies they work for. It’s important for employers to show how much they value their employees. They should shift some of their attention from the areas in which their business is affected by the economy to finding better ways of engaging employees with benefits education.

A benefits education program that is structured properly may have a significant impact on workforce satisfaction. If employees rate their benefits education favorably, they are more likely to rate their employers as very good or excellent. The same ratings usually also apply to the workplace. However, if employees feel that their benefits education is poor, they’re more likely to give their employer and workplace poor satisfaction ratings. Employees who rate their benefits education highly also say they would be more likely to continue working for their current employer. They usually say that they would stay with the employer if they were offered identical benefits packages and pay elsewhere. Workers give life to businesses. They’re the most important elements for success in such a challenging business world. In the fluctuating economy, employers must work hard to show their employees how much they care. Neglect or care for an individual’s well-being is often what destroys or builds loyalty. If the employees experience benefits, the entire business also benefits. It’s much more difficult for a business to survive without content employees.

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The Employee Retirement Income Security Act, commonly shortened to ERISA, is a federal law enacted to set minimum standards for the majority of voluntary pension and health plans in the private industry to protect involved individuals. This federal statute went into effect on September 2, 1974. ERISA requires plan sponsors to provide participants with thorough information about features and funding. In addition to this, the statute mandates fiduciary responsibilities for managers and controllers of plan assets. The statute also requires plans to have an established grievance and appeals process that is easy for participants to use in order to get benefits from their plans. Participants who are the victims of fiduciary duty breaches have the right to sue under this statute’s provisions.

Important ERISA Changes To Be Aware Of

Over the years, there have been several amendments made to the ERISA statute. These changes were made to further the protections offered to health benefit plan participants and beneficiaries. One of the most important amendments is the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act, which is more commonly known as COBRA. This amendment provides selected workers and their families the opportunity to continue their health coverage for a specified amount of time following the loss of a job or other certain events.

Another important amendment to the ERISA statute is the Health Insurance Portability Act, which is commonly known as HIPAA. This provision created new protections for workers and their families with preexisting medical conditions. Such individuals would have likely faced discrimination in applying for health coverage prior to this act. The Mental Health Parity Act, Newborns’ & Mothers’ Health Protection Act and the Women’s Health & Cancer Rights Act are also important changes made to ERISA.

Definition Of Responsibilities
Employers who are fiduciaries need to be familiar with the amendments made to the ERISA statute. This knowledge is helpful in understanding responsibilities. All fiduciaries have an important set of responsibilities since they act on behalf of the plan participants and beneficiaries. The following are important responsibilities to memorize:

• Act in the interest of the plan participants and beneficiaries with the purpose of providing them with their benefits.

• Follow plan documents that are consistent with ERISA.

• Carry out all duties in a prudent manner.

• Hold the assets of plans in trusts.

• Only pay reasonable plan expenses.

Prudent action requires extensive expertise. This is one of the most important responsibilities employers have under ERISA. Fiduciaries lacking such expertise must hire a professional who has the proper knowledge to complete those functions. Prudence requires excellent skills in making fiduciary decisions. Every decision must be documented properly. It’s best for fiduciaries hiring service providers to interview several candidates, make comparisons and then make a decision. Following plan terms is also a vital responsibility. This includes memorizing the plan, reviewing it regularly and keeping it current.

Employer Liability Information

It’s important to know the potential liabilities that accompany employer responsibilities. Any fiduciaries who don’t follow standards of conduct face personal liability for restoration of losses to the plan. They also must restore profits that were obtained through personal misuse of plan assets. Fiduciaries have the ability to limit their liability in some circumstances. Proper documentation is an essential way to reduce the likelihood of undue liability issues arising.

Fiduciaries may also hire service providers to handle their responsibilities. In doing this, it is essential to include verbiage in the service contract that places responsibility of mismanagement of the plan on the service providers. Employers are responsible for the selection of service providers. However, they’re not liable for the decisions and actions of the providers they choose. It is important to remember that monitoring the service providers is essential. Keep documentation of all periodic monitoring to further reduce liability risks.

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MIAMISBURG, OH (September 27, 2011) – BusinessPlans, Inc. -  myBenefitStatements today announced the results of its 2010-2011 Annual Client Survey. myBenefitStatements was recognized for its high level of customization and overall design features, as well as for its commitment to personal service and smooth processes.

Of the clients that responded to the survey, 100% said that they would recommend myBenefitStatements’ services! This is no surprise to myBenefitStatements, which has been in the business of producing total compensation or benefit statements for over 25 years and often receives unprompted accolades and referrals from its clients.

myBenefitStatements asked survey participants to rate their satisfaction in a number of areas using a five-point scale ranging from “Very Dissatisfied” to “Very Satisfied”. The following is a list of the results of those respondents who are “Very Satisfied”.

• Set-Up Phone Meeting
• Customization of Statement Design
• Implementation Process
• On-time Delivery of Statements
• The Finished Project

The dedicated Project Managers myBenefitStatements assigns to clients were also graded – with over 90% of the responses being “Very Satisfied” for all areas scored. Along with graded scores, survey participants were given the opportunity to share “…anything else we should know…” about myBenefitStatements. Here’s a sampling of what a few clients had to say.

“The process was so easy with myBenefitStatements! My project manager was so easy to work with. I have never done statements before and he had great suggestions, was easy to get a hold of and delivered on what he said he could do! I don’t know that I would have done statements if the process hadn’t been this easy.” – Sr. Benefits Specialist, Denver, CO

“The process is already so easy and effective… We could not be happier with the product and project manager. The process is so simple and the statements are very cost effective that we have been 100% satisfied with it every year.” – Human Resources Specialist, Indianola, MS

“Great experience. Working with my project manager was easy, efficient, and he took the time to understand our benefits. He was easy to work with and went out of his way to meet deadlines and was always easily accessible for questions.” – HR Consultant, Portland, OR

myBenefitStatements, like all the divisions of BusinessPlans, Inc., is all about providing high-quality results and staying true to the BusinessPlans’ mission of Happy Employees, Happy Employers™ – which means the company is always looking for ways to innovate and improve services in an effort to better serve our clients. “We’ve just raised the bar,” said Craig Schrolucke, Director of Marketing and Innovation. “With the installation of a state-of-the-art printer solution, myBenefitStatements’ clients will see unparalleled results in our final products when compared to others in the industry.”

About BusinessPlans, Inc.
Located in Miamisburg, Ohio for more than 25 years, BusinessPlans, Inc. has been building relationships with companies throughout the U.S. by offering pre-tax employee benefits, COBRA administration and communication solutions through their three divisions:

myBenefitStatements – Charts, graphs and tables are just a few of the ways myBenefitStatements personalizes employee total compensation statements. However, myBenefitStatements is more than just a total compensation statement provider – it is a one-stop provider for customized employee communications! www.myBenefitStatements.com

myCafeteriaPlan® – myCafeteriaPlan professionals help to design a plan tailored to company needs. Whether a company is looking for a simple Premium Only Plan, a Flexible Spending Account, a Medical Reimbursement Plan, Retiree billing, a Health Reimbursement Arrangement, Health Savings Account or a Qualified Transportation Plan, clients and participants will receive responsive, reliable and knowledgeable administrative services.  www.myCafeteriaPlan.com

myCobraPlan – As a comprehensive COBRA Administrator, myCobraPlan provides clients and participants peace of mind about COBRA eligible benefits. myCobraPlan focuses on the administrative details, allowing clients time to focus on mission critical projects. www.myCobraPlan.com

Contact:

Craig Schrolucke

BusinessPlans, Inc.

Craigs@BusinessPlansInc.com

937.865.6501

###

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MIAMISBURG, OH (September 20, 2011) – BusinessPlans, Inc. -  myCafeteriaPlan® today announced the results of its annual online client and participant survey. myCafeteriaPlan received glowing endorsements from its participants and clients in the myCafeteriaPlan Participant and Client Satisfaction Survey – 2011. Each year, myCafeteriaPlan engages participants and clients using their pre-tax benefit platform to evaluate their account representatives, their customer service staff, their Web site, plan enrollment and their overall performance.

According to the responses from more than 3,000 survey participants, myCafeteriaPlan continues to be recognized for its commitment to outstanding customer service and as a trusted business partner.

myCafeteriaPlan asked survey participants to rate their satisfaction in a number of areas using a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being very “Unsatisfied” and 10 being “Very Satisfied.” The average scores were:

• Client Satisfaction with myCafeteriaPlan – 9.15
• Likely to Recommend myCafeteriaPlan – 9.13
• Interest in Solving Problem (Customer Service Representative) – 9.45
• Responsiveness (Customer Service Representatives) – 9.42
• Professionalism (Account Representatives) – 9.25
• Helpfulness (Account Representatives) – 9.10

Along with graded scores, survey participants were given the opportunity to share “…anything else we should know…” about myCafeteriaPlan. Here’s a sampling of what a few participants had to say.

“myCafeteriaPlan has by far the best customer service. Response time is excellent and we have never had to worry about not hearing back or receiving incorrect information.” – Deputy Finance Director, Ohio

“Seriously, you guys are the best people to work with.  Phone calls always returned, e-mails answered promptly, reliable processing of  125 checks and if a problem occurs it is taken care of immediately.“ – Accountant, Ohio

“The friendliness, knowledge and professionalism is what Customer Service should be all about.  You get it right!” – HR Assistant, Florida

“We are extremely pleased with our cafeteria plan.  Customer Service is one of the very best.  Very timely response to questions, further information to help us spend wisely.”- Office Manager, Maine

“myCafeteriaPlan is the best of the providers we use.  They are always responsive, friendly and extremely helpful.”- HR Director, Ohio

“myCafeteriaPlan stands out for their Customer Service because (1) there is always a person who answers the phone (2) I always get a prompt response when I have a request, and (3) everyone is very knowledgeable and professional.” – Plan Administrator, Tennessee

“I have always been impressed with the service our company has received from everyone we’ve come in contact with at myCafeteriaPlan.  We are a mid-sized company with low enrollment, but any time I have called your company I either get an immediate answer or if the person does not know the answer, they find the answer and get back with me.  I cannot think of one occasion where I did not receive a call back in a timely manner.” – Executive Director, Pennsylvania

Doug Griffith, President, says, “the survey results were gratifying because BusinessPlans, Inc. – myCafeteriaPlan’s vision is to provide positive experiences and unparalleled service and support.  The BusinessPlans’ mission of Happy Employees, Happy Employers™ means the company is always looking for ways to innovate and improve our services in an effort to better serve our clients.” Mr. Griffith continued; “We are excited about a number of product upgrades and service enchantments that will be announced in coming weeks – largely as a result of direct feedback  from the survey.“

About BusinessPlans, Inc.
Located in Miamisburg Ohio for more than 25 years, BusinessPlans, Inc. has been building relationships with companies throughout the U.S. by offering pre-tax employee benefits, COBRA administration and communication solutions through their three divisions:

myBenefitStatements – Charts, graphs and tables are just a few of the ways myBenefitStatements personalizes employee total compensation statements. However, myBenefitStatements is more than just a total compensation statement provider – it is a one-stop provider for customized employee communications! www.mybenefitstatements.com

myCafeteriaPlan® – myCafeteriaPlan professionals help to design a plan tailored to company needs. Whether a company is looking for a simple Premium Only Plan, a Flexible Spending Account, a Medical Reimbursement Plan, Retiree billing, a Health Reimbursement Arrangement, Health Savings Account or a Qualified Transportation Plan, clients and participants will receive responsive, reliable and knowledgeable administrative services.  www.myCafeteriaPlan.com

myCobraPlan – As a comprehensive COBRA Administrator, myCobraPlan provides clients and participants peace of mind about COBRA eligible benefits. myCobraPlan focuses on the administrative details, allowing clients time to focus on mission critical projects. www.myCobraPlan.com

Contact:

Craig Schrolucke

BusinessPlans, Inc.

Craigs@BusinessPlansInc.com

937.865.6501

###

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However, use of these services presents risks along with the potential benefits. For example:

• Employees making posts on these sites may make inaccurate statements, particularly when not all the relevant facts of a developing situation are known.
• They may inadvertently release confidential information.
• They may make statements that embarrass the company, such as negative remarks about racial or ethnic groups.
• They may make statements that violate a person’s privacy.
• Disparaging statements may provoke others to sue the company for libel. For example, if an employee of a restaurant posts on Twitter that a competitor’s stew looks and tastes like cheap dog food, the competitor may sue.
• Blog posts that offer advice may expose the employer to lawsuits if others take the advice and get undesirable results.
• Disgruntled customers, employees or competitors may post disparaging comments about the company.
• Any of these situations can harm the company’s reputation.

The company’s general liability insurance policy might not pay for the costs of defending against these claims or paying settlements. For example, the insurance will not cover losses resulting from:

• An injury caused by or at the direction of an employee when he knew that the action would violate a person’s right to privacy
• An injury caused by or at the direction of an employee when he knew that a statement was false
• Claims that the business’s products or services do not live up to statements about their quality
• Injury arising out of statements made on Internet chat rooms or bulletin boards the business owns or over which it has control
• Unauthorized use of someone’s name or product in a manner that misleads that company’s potential customers

In addition, the insurance only covers liability for certain types of injuries that are not bodily injuries. It will not cover a lawsuit filed by someone who suffered financially after relying on advice on the company’s blog.

To reduce the chance that an uninsured loss will result from the use of social media, businesses should consider:

• Written procedures for employee use of social media, including
  • Who may post on the company’s behalf
  • Definitions of acceptable and unacceptable behavior
  • Employees’ personal sites should make clear that the employees are not speaking on behalf of the company
  • When a discussion should move offline and into the company’s regular workflow (for example, when a customer has a specific complaint that should be handled out of public view)
  • The consequences of non-compliance.
• Company policies regarding employees’ ability to link to the company’s Web site on their personal social media pages. The policy should also address employees’ use of the company name, logo, or other advertising on their sites.
• Company policies on the content that employees may post on blogs, both those of the company and others blogs where the employees post on the company’s behalf.
• Purchasing special insurance to fill in gaps left by the general liability coverage

Social media offers exciting new opportunities for businesses to build relationships with customers. However, they need to approach it with care and proper planning if they want to reduce the risks.

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One recent survey discovered 60% of all adults have looked up health information online at least once. Meanwhile, another study reviewed multiple online health-related studies and concluded that online health information aimed at consumers is often biased, inaccurate, or otherwise flawed.

The Problem?

So why is it that so many health websites publish misleading and inaccurate information?

Some entities operating health-related sites have a hidden agenda behind the information they’re providing to the consumer. Drug companies often finance groups promoting awareness for previously unrecognized conditions to literally create consumer demand for their new, expensive drugs – a tactic known as disease mongering. For instance, according to Dartmouth Medical School researchers, restless leg syndrome didn’t become a diagnosed disease until a drug company first developed a drug to treat it. Furthermore, a recently published study in the American Journal of Public Health concluded that many health advocacy groups taking funding from drug companies fail to disclose this fact to consumers.

Other entities operating health-related websites might be providing misinformation because they choose to disregard scientific evidence that disputes or contradicts whatever health belief they’re promoting. For example, despite the exhaustive research that led to the U.S. Institute of Medicine’s 2004 finding that there’s not a relationship between autism and childhood vaccinations, many supposed health websites are still scaring parents into thinking autism can be caused by vaccinating their children against potentially deadly diseases. One can run into a similar situation with Morgellons disease. Despite the current scientific consensus that Morgellons isn’t some new, unexplained dermopathy, but rather a manifestation of delusional parasitosis, many health websites are still making claims that the etiology is a parasitic infection.

The Solution

It’s simply not practical or affordable for an individual to make a doctor appointment for every health question they come across. So the solution isn’t to disregard the internet for health questions or information, but rather to use it selectively. Here are two tips:

1. Before trusting a health-related website’s information, ask yourself the following questions:

* Is the information current?
* Where did the information come from?
* Who’s contributing and controlling the website’s content?

2. Only use websites that have been certified by a quality rating organization, such as the Health On the Net Foundation (HON), or that have been otherwise deemed trustworthy. HON’s search engine will only show results from websites providing objective information that’s consistent with sound scientific evidence, such as by the Healthfinder.gov website. The nonprofit website FamilyDoctor.org, which is supported by the American Academy of Family Physicians, is another reliable source of medical information for consumers.

The internet can help individuals become more informed about their health and more capable in making some decisions about their health care, such as if they should get screened for a particular cancer based on symptoms they may be experiencing or their medical history. However, one should never use the information on any health website, regardless of its reliability, to self-diagnose and/or self-treat.

Just like most employees, most businesses start to look at ways they can cut their expenses during difficult economic times. One common focal point of such is employee benefits programs, especially in the area of health benefits. Considering that health benefits are frequently the most expensive aspect of a company’s benefits program, this may seem like a reasonable, logical place for an employer to take cost-cutting measures. However, employers should carefully consider what the consequences will be from making cuts to their employee benefits programs; whether or not there are any alternative cost-cutting options available; and, if benefits cuts are a must, how they can lessen the impact.

The Consequences

Let’s say you, as an employer, decide to target your employee benefits program and make some significant cost shifts toward your employees with the idea you’ll cut costs and save money. If the cost shift involves higher deductibles and/or co-pays for employees, then they may procrastinate seeing a physician when they’re suffering symptoms of illness or injury, forgo or delay filling vital prescription medications, and do without wellness care. If the cost shift involves premium increases, then many employees, especially young and relatively healthy ones, might decide to drop coverage altogether. The exodus could leave your plan with a larger and more undesirable risk pool.

These types of cost shifts can very well cost the health plan more money over the long run. Furthermore, it can negatively impact your company’s financial bottom line when it comes to employee morale, productivity, disability costs, and absenteeism.

What’s The Alternative?

An alternative to cost shifts would be to focus your benefit dollars on the measures that will enhance employee well-being and overall health. Some ideas would include:

* Using incentives to motivate employees to participate in wellness activities, such as weight loss and fitness programs, tobacco cessation classes, and nutrition education and counseling.

* Using incentives to motivate employees to participate in activities that can screen and detect serious medical conditions, such as glucose level testing, blood pressure screenings, cholesterol testing, and completion of health risk assessments.

* Providing extensive preventive care coverage.

* Having an employee assistance program (EAP) available to your employees can be especially helpful during poor economic conditions since it can provide resources and/or referrals for things like financial counseling, crisis intervention, and stress management.

If You Must…

Despite the negative consequences, you might feel that cost-shifting is your only feasible option. If so, make sure that you do everything possible to soften the blow to your employees. Here are some ideas:

* Offer voluntary benefits to your employees. This will cost you little, if any, money. While the employee will be responsible for most to all of the cost, they’ll benefit from group rates, convenient payroll deductions for the premiums, and the ability to personalize their coverage selections to meet their own unique needs.

* Offer flexible spending accounts (FSAs), which will let employees pay for health care expenses with pre-tax dollars and get the most of their health care dollars.

* Offer employees consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs). These plans can be combined with reimbursement plans such as HRAs and HSAs for an overall savings.

All of the above options have a commonality in that they each require an employee to get more personally involved in their own health and the management of their health-related benefits. Whether the change makes the employee more vigilant in scheduling preventive care visits, participating in wellness activities, or budgeting future health care expenses, the employee is assuming more responsibility for their health care and its management. Individual responsibility on the part of the employee can be one of the best long-term cost-management tools available to an employer.

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Set the tone for your handbook by opening with a bit of history about your company, what are its goals and mission, and how employees fit in to this. Your employees, and the products they produce or services they provide, are the face of your company, and your handbook should inspire them to strive for excellence, both individually and as a team. Review the process for employee evaluation and opportunities for employee advancement.

Your handbook should summarize the benefits provided to employees. Briefly describe the health, disability, life, other insurance and retirement benefits plans your company offers, along with work/life programs, absence, vacation and leave policies, and government-mandated benefits. Only brief summaries are appropriate, as the employee handbook is not intended to provide the level of detail found in a summary plan description.

Safety in the workplace is important for all companies, regardless of industry. Guidelines ensuring workplace safety belong in an employee handbook. Rules regarding building security, drugs and alcohol, weapons, and workplace violence should be covered, along with issues specific to the line of work your company is in that impact safety, such as workplace chemicals, protective gear, etc. Also let employees know the procedures to follow in case of an emergency.

Your employee handbook should also cover workplace rules that comprise what amounts to an employee code of conduct. These include, for example, policies on harassment, discrimination, any dress code, and the like.

The handbook is also the place to inform employees of the consequences of not following company rules, whether they be regarding attendance, company property, workplace decorum or job performance. Clearly spell out grounds for firing, along with procedures for disciplinary action, including warnings, probationary periods and termination.

Advances in technology-and its availability in the workplace-have added new layers to employee handbook content. In addition to the topics covered above, today’s employee handbook needs to address appropriate uses of technology in the workplace, and what employees can and can’t do while on the job (blogging, visiting Facebook and Twitter, online shopping, etc.). Parameters of email communications also should be addressed, including transmission of chain mails and links to inappropriate Web sites.

The process of writing the handbook can be farmed out to a firm specializing in employee communications, or undertaken in house. Templates are available that can be used for this purpose; they contain the basic information common to most employee handbooks, and beyond this can be customized to your company. If using the template approach, be sure to run the finished product past your company legal counsel or human resources professional for a final review.

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The MetLife survey, its 9th Annual Study of Employee Benefit Trends, reports that upwards of one in three employees hopes to be working elsewhere in the next 12 months. The specific percentage varies from 34% to 38%, depending on company size. Given this inclination to bolt from their current employers, it’s not surprising to see that the percentage of employees who express a very strong sense of loyalty to their current employer has dipped below 50% (now 47%, compared with 59% in 2008). The percentage of employees who feel their company has a very strong sense of loyalty to them has dropped to 33% (from 41% in 2008).

Employers, understandably focused on recession-related business issues, remain unaware of this change in employee perception. From 2008 to 2010, a consistent 57% say they have a very strong sense of loyalty to their employees, and half consistently say their employees have a very strong sense of loyalty to them.

Employers need to be aware of changing employee sentiment, and act now to avoid having to face significant retention issues when the economy improves. As the economy rebounds and business picks up, companies can least afford to lose staff, particularly top performers. Consider a few of the following steps that companies can be taking today to address this:

• Identify top performers and other employees who, for various reasons, you would hate to lose.
• Make whatever tweaks you can afford to the compensation packages of these employees.
• Employee loyalty isn’t created by money alone. Nurture an “all for one and one for all” attitude, by providing access to owners and executives, fostering teamwork, and making corporate strategies and mission a shared vision to the extent possible.
• Look for non-monetary ways to compensate employees, like offering more flexible schedules where possible.
• Show employees that their company appreciates them, through individual and group recognition.
• Make the workplace a place where employees want to be, by cultivating a positive, mutually supportive corporate culture.
• Invest in employee training, giving workers the opportunity to advance and your company better and more productive performers.

As the MetLife survey states, “A loyal and satisfied workforce is part of the foundation of business growth. Widening cracks in this foundation may force employers to pay a price in reduced retention and productivity when the job market improves.” Avoid this potentially expensive price tag for your company tomorrow, by attending to issues of employee loyalty, satisfaction and morale today.

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