News You Can't Use (but wish you could): Alberta to ring in new year with no health premiums

On Jan. 1, Alberta, Canada will eliminate its annual premiums for individuals and families for all of 2009. Employers who have paid their employees’ premiums can reinvest the savings in other employee benefits or compensation programs, or they can choose to hold on to the savings. The move is being taken because the province is in such good financial shape and is sharing the wealth with employers.

News You Can't Use: EBRI turns 30

The Employee Benefit Research Institute is all too modest. Not wanting to toot their own horn, we'll do it for them! This week, EBRI, dedicated to the development of sound employee benefit programs and public policy through nonpartisan research and education, celebrated its 30th anniversary.

Although you'll find only a brief mention of it on the group's Web site, EBRI celebrated in style with a Washington, D.C. reception and tribute program that featured the likes of Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), who called the group "one of the most valuable resources we have to help us understand what is happening" in employee benefits. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) said EBRI has "won respect among members on both sides of the aisle."

EBN congratulates EBRI and its president and CEO Dallas Salisbury on this milestone and wishes the organization continued success in the future.

News You Can Use: Nearly one-third of workers do holiday shopping online at work

Nearly one-third (29%) of workers do holiday shopping online during work hours, states new data from CareerBuilder.com. In addition, only half of employers will monitor Internet use of employees, potentially setting the stage for even more lost productivity in an already-crunched Q4.

"While employers are unlikely to terminate workers for online holiday shopping during the workday, employees should proactively police their personal Internet usage," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources for CareerBuilder.com. "In addition, employees need to be aware of company Internet policies, as more than a quarter of employers surveyed monitor workers' time spent online and sites visited."

Of those who plan to holiday shop online this season while at work, 43% of workers anticipate they will spend more than one hour, 23% said they will spend two hours or more and 13% will spend three hours or more.

According to the survey, workers also use the Internet for the following non-work related purposes:

Research. 61% of workers use the Internet for non-work related research and activities while they are at work. Among these workers, 37% said they spend an average of more than 30 minutes of their workday on non-work related online activities and 18% said they spend an average of an hour or more.

E-mail. 20% of workers send six or more non-work related e-mails per day. Among this group, 22% spend more than 30 minutes during the typical workday doing so.

Blogging. 9% of workers surveyed have a personal blog, and while nearly a quarter (23%) of them spend time blogging at work, only 9% of them spend 15 minutes or more blogging during the typical workday.

Social Networking. 41% of workers surveyed have a MySpace, Facebook or other social networking page. More than one-third (35%) of them spend time on their social networking page during the workday with 8% spending 30 minutes or more.

Instant Messaging: 20% of workers use instant messenger at least once a week.

More than 5,600 U.S. workers and more than 3,000 hiring managers and HR professionals participated in this survey, conducted between August and September.

News you can't use: Will lick boots to prevent getting the boot

People always say they don't know what they'd do in a desperate situation until actually placed into it. Today's economic crisis is no exception. A new survey by Randstad USA shows that almost three in four employees would go to lengths to protect their jobs.

Check it out, below:

How far employees are willing to go to impress their boss in order to create more job security

	Gen Y age 18-34	Gen X 35-44	Boomers 45-54	Matures 55+
Would do something to impress their boss	80%	72%	68%	62%
Take on additional work/responsibilities	65%	56%	50%	53%
Work overtime	51%	49%	46%	35%
Stay late/come in early to show extra face time	48%	40%	29%	22%
Socialize with my boss out of the office	28%	15%	6%	4%
Do personal favors (run errands)	17%	10%	5%	8%

While employees seem willing to go to great lengths to impress their boss, they draw the line at taking a paycut; only 4% of respondents said they would take a pay cut to ensure job security. Some were willing to take on added responsibilities; 63% of women said they would take on more work while 52% of men said they would.

News You Can't Use: E-Mail Addiction

We all know you love your CrackBerry, but there's such a thing as too much contact.

New research from Osterman and the report "Mobile Messaging Market Trends" has revealed people use their mobile devices nearly 24-7.

Consider asking your employees to turn off their phones ... because otherwise, this is what they'll do:

• 94% send e-mail or text messages on work nights or weekends
• 96% take their phones on vacation
• 41% have sent e-mail on a commercial flight while the plane is in the air
• 77% have sent message while driving a moving car
• 79% have sent messages in the bathroom
• 11% have sent messages or answered calls while engaged in "intimate acts"
  

Um, ew?

News You Can't Use: "Sick" or "Hooky"

No matter how much you like your job, there are days when huddling under the covers, playing golf, or just watching TV sounds much better than going to work. According to CareerBuilder.com's annual survey on absenteeism, one third of workers have played hooky by calling in sick when they weren't.

The majority of employers don't question worker's sick leave, but at least a third have checked up on workers who called in sick. Eighteen percent have fired a worker over missing without a legitimate excuse.

Why do your employees skip? One out of ten want to miss a meeting, buy time for a late project, or avoid the wrath of a boss or colleague. Others missed work because they just needed to relax and recharge (30%), go to a doctor's appointment (27 %), catch up on sleep (22%), run personal errands (14%t), catch up on housework (11%) or spend time with family and friends (11%). Another 34^ just didn't feel like going to work that day.

Of the 31% of employers who checked up on an employee who called in sick, 71% said they required the employee to show them a doctor's note. Fifty-six percent called the employee at home, 18% had another worker call the employee, and 17% drove by the employee's house or apartment.

Can you say ... stalker?

"It's in your best interest to be up-front with your employer and chances are you'll get the time you need," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com. "More companies today are moving toward a Paid Time Off system, giving employees more flexibility in how they categorize time away from the office. Employers are also expanding the definition of the sick day with 65 stating that they allow their team members to use sick days for mental health days."

When asked to share the most unusual excuses employees gave for missing work, employers offered the following real-life examples:

  -- Employee didn't want to lose the parking space in front of his house.
 -- Employee hit a turkey while riding a bike.
 -- Employee said he had a heart attack early that morning, but that he was
    "all better now."
 -- Employee donated too much blood.
 -- Employee's dog was stressed out after a family reunion.
 -- Employee was kicked by a deer.
 -- Employee contracted mono after kissing a mailroom intern at the company
    holiday party and suggested the company post some sort of notice to
    warn others who may have kissed him.
 -- Employee swallowed too much mouthwash.
 -- Employee's wife burned all his clothes and he had nothing to wear to
    work.
 -- Employee's toe was injured when a soda can fell out of the
    refrigerator.
 -- Employee was up all night because the police were investigating the
    death of someone discovered behind her house.
 -- Employee's psychic told her to stay home.

News You Can't Use: Say "ahh" and let the economy soothe you

Were you just a bit disgusted when you heard that AIG had sent their head honchos on a resort retreat just weeks after news of their bailout broke? Just think, they were getting rubdowns and enjoying five-course meals while you were sweating away over open enrollment business in your office.

If you live in Alabama or Florida, you can melt that stress away with a new series of economic themed spa treatments at the famed Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail resorts and spas.

"If you can afford $85 BILLION for AIG to go to the spa---You can afford this!!” said Dr. David G. Bronner, CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama.

TREATMENTS:

If your 401(k) has dwindled down to zero, consider a 401(k) facial to smooth away intended wrinkles. It includes a glycolic resurfacing treatment and complimentary admission to a quiet room, steam room, and whirlpools before and after treatment. The Wall Street Journal newspapers can be removed at your request. $100.

If watching the Nasdaq on it's roller coaster runs has left your body aching with whiplash, smooth away stress with the Economic Freefall Refresher. A mineralizing spa body treatment reduces stress and tension, leaving skin soft and smooth. A facial follows, featuring ingredients that stimulate cellular renewal leaving the skin soft, glowing and refreshed. A money manicure completes your refresher leaving money in your pocket. $200.

If you can't "beat" them, join them. Pound out the stress with the "Banker and Broker Bailout" package - an 80-minute therapeutic massage, deep cleansing facial and penetrating location for hydration. Gentlemen's haircut and nail trim will help finish your escape prior to taking on the wizards on Wall Street. Pin-stripe robes no longer available. $300.

For a quick fix in your office, you can even take home "Stress Relief" for $24. A variety of Sprayable vitamins are available in the spa shops.

We're not kidding … these treatments are actually available until December 1 at the following locations: Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Point Clear, AL; Battle House, a Renaissance Hotel, in Mobile, AL; the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center in Montgomery, AL; Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa in Hoover, AL and the Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa in Florence, AL. Not available at the FDIC or local lending institutions.

Image courtesy of Battle House spa in Mobile, Alabama

News You Can't Use: Jealous of a "work spouse"? It's true.

It wasn't until several months into my first job that I heard the term "work spouse." Are you in the dark too? Do you know the co-worker (male or female) to whom you share your day-to-day gripes with? Spend your lunch date with, and discuss your kids? Yep, he or she is your "work spouse."

And it turns out that a new CareerBuilder.com survey finds that one in ten workers feel as if they have one, and among those workers who are married, 20% of spouses and significant others feel jealous. Seventeen percent even said they had to compromise something at the office to protect their work spouse.

Wow.

Now for some lighthearted info. The same 6,000 people surveyed were asked to identify their favorite platonic TV work couples. Here are their answers:

  1. Regis and Kelly

2. David Letterman and Paul Shaffer

3. Jay Leno and Kevin Eubanks

4. Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer

5. Howard Stern and Robin Quivers

6. Judge Judy and Petri Byrd

7. Conan O'Brien and Max Weinberg

8. The Ladies of The View

9. Diane Sawyer and Chris Cuomo

10. Jimmy Kimmel and Guillermo Diaz

11. Harry Smith and Julie Chen

12. Billy Bush and Nancy O'Dell


Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive(R) on behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 6,194 employees (employed full-time; not self-employed) between August 21 and September 9, 2008. Percentages for some questions are based on a subset of responses to certain questions. With a pure probability sample of 6,194 one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.25 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

News You Can't Use: Most workers don't want their boss' job

A new OfficeTeam survey says that more than 3/4 of workers have no desire to walk in their boss or manager's shoes...but 60% say that they could do a better job than their boss.

News You Can't Use: Get political ... or not.

Unless you're in DC like we are, it's probably bad form to talk politics at work. But a new survey by Accountemps says that 53% of workers feel as if the level of office politics has increased compared to five years ago. Only 12% reported a decline.

According to 54% of respondents, it's wise to be aware of what's going on without getting involved. Mmmm hmmm ... we really believe that.

But what we do enjoy are the five types of "common political players" and Accountemps' suggestiosn for how best to interact.

• The Pundit. This person loves to talk office politics and rarely tires of speculating about what's really happening. While the Pundit may provide useful insights on occasion, it's best not to share too much information with this individual, as it could fuel the rumor mill.
  
  
• The Lobbyist. The Lobbyist is a strong advocate for his or her projects and is adept at gaining buy-in for ideas. While some Lobbyists are effective at building cross-departmental support, others may be unreceptive to outside points of view. When interacting with this person, be aware of the agenda being pushed, and be willing to stand up for your ideas.
  
  
• The Covert Operator. The Covert Operator often uses manipulation rather than hard work to get ahead. While this type of person can be charming, keep your guard up when dealing with anyone who criticizes a coworker or takes credit for other people's projects.
  
  
• The Activist. This professional likes to facilitate change within an organization and is quick to take on causes, even those that don't necessarily advance the company's big-picture goals. While the Activist can be a valuable advocate, carefully evaluate the merit of the issues when asked for support.
  
  
• The Advisor. This person often is closely aligned with a company's leadership and serves as their "eyes and ears." For example, the Advisor could be a senior aide or an executive assistant. Because the Advisor wields significant behind-the-scenes influence, develop a good rapport with him or her.
  

News You Can't Use:Improved benefits for the clergy ... for the first time in 500 years

No matter how good your benefits are, there's always room for improvement. But if you're a member of the clergy, such improvements were long in the making. For the first time ever, the Church of England has conceded that ministers are employed by the church and not by God.

Ministers for the Church of England will now be permitted legislation covering health & safety, the national minimum wage, paid holidays, 'whistle-blowing', anti-discrimination, paid holidays, family-friendly flexible working policies, the working time directive, and unlawful deduction of wages.

Reason #405723495723 we're glad to live in America ... and to work for a secular organization.

News You Can't Use: Disability and Return to Work

Did you know that small and medium businesses have the same instance of behavioral health disability claims as their bigger counterparts, but significantly lower return-to-work rates?

According to new data from Unum presented in a Tuesday session at Benefits Forum and Expo, 34% of short term disability claims were from companies with under 250 employees. A similar percentage, 39%, were from companies with over 2,000 employees. However, return to work rates among small businesses were among the lowest, due to lower incidences of in-house behavioral management programs and EAPs at small to medium businesses, says Kenneth Mitchell, VP of health and productivity for Unum.

News You Can't Use: Kondracke predicts Nov. win for Obama

Addressing attendees Sunday at EBN's 21st annual Benefits Forum & Expo, keynote speaker Morton Kondracke handicapped the 2008 presidential election.

Acknowledging that his "crystal ball has cataracts," Kondracke said that "if you put a gun to my head," Sen. Barack Obama will be victorious in November, based largely on a public appetite for new leadership.

However, Kondracke also said that the Democratic nominee still "needs to make the final sale" to the American people, and that even if he does successfully close the deal with the majority of the electorate, "there are still some voters who will not vote for a black man."

Further, he said, it remains to be seen if young, female and African American voters will truly turn out to the polls to put the Illinois senator over the top.

News You Can't Use: Who would you ask to fund your health care expenses?

New research from Guardian shows strong generational differences among respondents asked where they would find funds to cover out-of-pocket expenses not covered by medical or disability. Younger employees, true to stereotypes, are most likely to turn to friends and family, while Baby Boomers are most likely to dig in to savings.

What would you do?

Age	18 to 24	25 to 34	35 to 44	45 to 54	55 to 64	65+
Family	62%	60%	46%	34%	23%	17%
Savings	49%	63%	61%	59%	61%	63%
2nd Mortgage	4%	21%	31%	23%	14%	12%
Credit Cards	18%	27%	21%	16%	13%	9%
Friends	21%	20%	17%	13%	8%	4%
Other Sources	10%	5%	7%	8%	5%	2%

Source: Guardian Life Insurance

News You Can't Use: AARP partners with Disney

Despite assurances that Walt Disney World/Land is the "happiest place on earth," we were pretty sure it was designed to be a kid-centric place.

Apparently, we were wrong.

AARP announced yesterday a partnership with the company that would allow special discounts and promotions for members, including unique AARP experiences at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival and special merchandise at DisneyShopping.com.

Now all we need is Mickey to take up the 401(k) mantle and start preaching retirement education to kids ... after all, an early start is recommended!

News You Can't Use: Former EEOC Vice Chair heads to Proskauer Rose

Congratulations to Leslie Silverman, former EEOC vice chair, as she joins one of the nation's leading employment law firms as a partner. Silverman led EEOC's Systemic Task Force, which helped combat discrimination and specifically helped discrimination against workers with caregiving responsiblities.

She has a J.D. from American University and a Masters degree in labor and employment law from Georgetown University Law Center.

News You Can’t Use: Workers would prefer to spend day off with Obama than McCain

This Labor Day, employees would prefer to spend the extra day off with a variety of celebrities and political figures, according to a new survey from The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.

When asked about a dream day off, employees say they’d like to spend the day:
* Working on home improvement with Ty Pennington, 17%
* Cooking with Rachael Ray, 13%
* Playing golf with Tiger Woods, 12%
* Having lunch with Sen. Barack Obama, 12%

In the dream day off vote, Democratic presidential candidate Obama beat out Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain by a three-to-one margin.

The survey also found Americans have spent fewer than half of their days off this year (42%) on vacation away from home and just 9% on hobbies or enjoyable activities.

News You Can't Use (or can you?): Counting down the 'sweetest' HR jobs

Layoffs, rising costs, stagnant wages -- here's a ray of light in what has become an increasingly gloomy employment environment. Check out the five 'sweetest' HR jobs, as listed by Workforce Management. Nope, none as CHRO at Hershey -- I checked.

News You Can't Use: Congratulations Mary Power

Congratulations to Mary Power, executive director of the HR Certification Institute.

She has been chosen by by American Society of Association Executives to receive the 2008 Women Who Advance Excellence in Associations Award.

The award recognizes female executives in the Washington, D.C., region who have “set the standard of excellence in their professional lives through their leadership, mentoring, and career advancement,” and who have made a defining impact on the local association community.

“Receiving this award will mark a triple honor for me, coming on the heels of our global rebranding campaign launched in late June, and achieving 100,000 certified HR professionals by year’s end,” said Power.

Power joined the HR Certification Institute last August and is responsible for strategic planning and global expansion of certification programs. Her career includes more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry and in association volunteer leadership.

The ceremony takes place November 19 in Arlington, Va.

Have a promotion or awards submission? Send information to McLean.Robbins@sourcemedia.com for a possible blog feature!

News You Can (and Can't) Use: Encourage employees to 'go green' with vehicle rebates...plus, did you go to a green college?

We've heard ad nauseum rising gas prices, and quite frankly, we're sick of it. But enVista, an Indianapolis, In.-based company, isn't taking the situation lying down. They've introduced "enVista green," a program aimed at improving and protecting the environment.

As part of the program, employees who purchase a vehicle with an EPA fuel rating of 35 mpg or higher receive $2,000. Hybrids with a 35 mpg or lower EPA rating receive $1,000.

"The hybrid rebate program reflects enVista's continued commitment to the environment and offers our team members a way to make a difference while cutting down on their transportation costs," said Jim Barnes, President and CEO of enVista. "Just as our company helps clients eliminate waste and improve efficiencies across their enterprise, we value the importance of doing the same for our environment."

As part of the corporate-wide initiative, started earlier this year, the company also reimburses for using energy-efficient light bulbs and planting trees. Teleworking is a widely-used benefit, and break rooms are free of disposable products.

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And in (semi) related News You Can't (or maybe can) Use:

Where did enVista get the idea for such programs? We're not 100% positive, but perhaps they went to one of the top-ranked "green" schools in Kaplan's 2009 guide. They are (listed alphabetically):

• Arizona State University
• Bates College
• Berea College
• Bowdoin College
• Carleton College
• Carnegie Mellon University
• College of the Atlantic
• Dartmouth College
• Dickinson College
• Duke University
• Grand Valley State University
• Harvard University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Middlebury College
• Oberlin College
• Oregon State University
• Penn State University
• Santa Clara University
• Tufts University
• University of California
• University of New Hampshire
• University of North Carolina
• University of Vermont
• University of Washington
• Yale University, New Haven, CT

Along the same lines, if you're wondering if your career is eco-friendly, here are their top choices:

• Environmental conservation
• Environmental design
• Environmental engineering
• Environmental science
• Geothermal development
• Green interior design
• Hydrology
• Organic agriculture
• Solar energy engineering

  Transportation systems planning