Tip of the Day: Texting and Twitter may actually boost productivity

Yessss! Finally, the news I've been waiting for -- thank you, Aon!

New research from the consulting firm reported on BenefitNews.com reveals that despite employers’ belief that Web 2.0 media may detract from productivity, workers — both millennials (born between 1980 and 2000) and non-millennials — are leveraging the technology to perform their jobs.

For example, 65% of non-millennials and 72% of millennials report using their company’s intranet for their job duties, while 25% of non-millennials and 38% of millennials utilize text messaging for work purposes.

In addition, 46% of non-millennials and 48% of millennials used instant messaging as part of their job assignments, while 13% of non-millennials and 20% of millennials belong to job-related social networks. About 8% of non-millennials and 13% of millennials used blogs in a work-related context.

As such, Aon encourages employers to embrace social media for employee communications purposes. Let EBN help; join our Facebook and LinkedIn groups and follow us on Twitter.

Overheard @: President addresses health care at first-ever 'web-hall' meeting

Earlier this afternoon, I posted live Twitter updates on President Obama's first -ever online web-hall meeting. Taking a variety of questions from Internet viewers and a live White House audience, the president addressed several queries on health care.

One online questioner asked: Why can't we have a universal system based on patients' need, not finances?

Calling the employer-based system "an accident of history that works," Obama confirmed that employer-based health benefits should continue to be the foundation of the nation's system of care, but that we need to "fill gaps" in access and focus on prevention. Further, addressing critics who said his current budget proposals will swell the country's deficit, the president responded that one of keys to reducing the deficit is addressing problems in accessing and purchasing health care.

An audience member asked the president about how to amend insurance rules so that individuals with preexisting conditions still can obtain care and coverage affordably.

Referencing his mother's difficult struggle with ovarian cancer that was made even harder by "fighting on the phone with insurance companies," Obama emphasized that any reform of the health care system has to address pre-existing conditions in that insurers must be obligated to provide coverage.


Lastly in a humorous moment, the president addressed the question that won the most online votes: Is legalizing marijuana a sound strategy to aid economy? Joking about the interests/focus of the voting audience, Obama confirmed no, legalized marijuana is not an economic recovery tool. ;)

I thought the web-hall was a great way to include "regular people" in government. If President Obama hosts another web-hall meeting, what question would you most want him to answer? Comment and let me know.

Meanwhile, see EBN coverage of health experts' wish list of topics for Obama to address, and join our live discussion of all benefits topics on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ebneditor.

Yay or Nay: Is Twitter a valuable, viable benefits communications tool?

It's no secret, the world's gone a-Twitter. Whether being used to communicate with friends, colleagues or like-minded strangers, the social networking site Twitter experienced 1,382% growth between February 2008 and February 2009.

With more than 7 million registered users, no doubt you and/or many of your employees are among the twitterati. As employers continue to struggle to engage employees in benefits communication, it's hard to ignore the potential for reaching that many people at once. Stay tuned for an EBN report on one company's success in communicating via tweet.

So, does your company use Twitter (or a Twitter-esque medium) to communicate with employees? Would you consider doing so? Is Twitter just a fad -- as one of my colleagues called it, "the mortgage-backed securities of communication" -- or is it a valuable, viable communications tool with staying power? Yay or nay?

News You Can Use: Live from NY, it's the Benefits Health Care Show & Conference

I'm in the Big Apple today for the Benefits Health Care NY Show & Conference, co-hosted by EBN and Flagg Management. I'm presenting this morning in a session with Sara Collins, assistant vice president at The Commonwealth Fund. We'll be taking on the hefty topic, "What's next for health care reform?" The hour should fly by.

Also on tap for the event are sessions on:
* Dealing with the new COBRA subsidy allowed under the economic stimulus law.
* Recession-proofing your benefits package.
* Maximizing your consultant's services.

All these and more in just one day! And don't worry that you can't attend; I'll be sending live updates and overheard quotes via Twitter at twitter.com/ebneditor.

Overheard @: I tweet, therefore I am

Between EBN's Web site, podcast series, Facebook page, Twitter news feed and blog, you may think we've got the Internet blanketed. But no! I found yet another corner of the Web to stick my nose into.

Although you still can (and should!) follow EBN on Twitter to get all the news that fits 140 characters, you now also can get Twitter updates from yours truly at twitter.com/ebneditor. Sign on and get my comments on the benefits news of the day, sneak peeks on upcoming issues, current issue highlights and more. You also can post questions to me that I'll answer online. Looking forward to seeing you around the twitterverse!

News You Can Use: What sets your Gen X and Gen Y employees a-Twitter?

In collaboration with Editor in Chief Kelley Butler's article in the December issue "Leveraging BlackBerries and buzzwords," EBN conducted its own (albeit unscientific) research to figure out how your Gen X and Gen Y employees best communicate.

Following the model set forth in the original study, published by the Employee Benefits Research Institute, we asked a number of employees what terms they most did (and didn't) identify with.

Meaghan Lynch, second year medical student at Boston University

Disciplined: Very
Carefree: Not so much
Family-Oriented: Very
Hard-working: Very
Expensive Taste: Somewhat
Technologically Savvy: Not at all.
Charitable: Very
Optimistic: Very

Other words: Happy, honest, social, motivated, practical

---

Gina Anderson, researcher at Corporate Executive Board

Disciplined: Yes
Carefree: Somewhat
Family-Oriented: Not very
Hard-working: Yes
Expensive Taste: Somewhat
Technologically Savvy: Yes
Charitable: Somewhat
Optimistic: Extremely

Other words: energetic, intelligent, intellectual, organized, and conscientious

---

Alison Noelker, field sales representative at Eli Lilly & Co.

Disciplined: Very
Carefree: Not at all
Family-Oriented: Somewhat
Hard-working: Very
Expensive Taste: Somewhat
Technologically Savvy: Very
Charitable: Somewhat
Optimistic: Very

Other words: driven, energetic, determined, go-getter, empathetic, loyal

---

Molly Bernhart, associate editor at Fierce Markets

Disciplined: Somewhat
Carefree: Very
Family-Oriented: Very
Hard-working: Very
Expensive Taste: Not at all
Technologically Savvy: Somewhat
Charitable: Somewhat
Optimistic: Very

Other words: poised/tactful, creative, principled

---

Kristina Libby, U.S. Program Coordinator, Global Entrepreneurship Week

Disciplined: very
Carefree: somewehat
Family-Oriented: not yet
Hard-working: yes
Expensive Taste: relative to my income range
Technologically Savvy: Exceptionally
Charitable: yes
Optimistic: sickeningly so

Other terms: occasionally ambivalent, determined, open minded, fast paced, detail oriented, creative, knowledge hungry, bored with static nine-to-five hours, overachiever

---

In keeping with the idea that the Gen X and Gen Y audience best respond to messages distributed via Web 2.0 material, EBN has also begun distributing its own messages through social media channels like Twitter, Facebook, and a corporate blog, the Employee Benefit News Daily Diversion. If you're looking to get up to speed with your own employees, we'd suggest developing a familiarity with our own materials through these free and easy-to-use channels.

Tweet, tweet: Follow us on Twitter

24/7 updates from our new Twitter site.

So while you're checking up on the Republican Convention, your sister's new haircut, or your favorite magazine's recommendation's for dinner spots, don't forget to get your latest benefits news as well.

Follow us now: http://twitter.com/benefitnews