With the downturn in the economy, it seems like most companies are shifting their focus when it comes to worker benefits and compensation. The current situation is also very stressful on benefits managers.
In times like these, it’s vital for coworkers to share their concerns, experiences suggestions. A few weeks ago, HRBenefitsAlert.com ran a special report on calming employees’ 401(k) fears.
The reader comments revealed that many benefits pros were just as afraid as workers, and people ’s frustration led to some unfortunate carping back and forth between a few readers.
The purpose of the comments section, apart from giving individuals the opportunity to react to the story, is to provide a forum for benefits managers to interact.
It’s my hope that we can generate an exchange ideas that have (and have not) been working at readers’ organizations during the current situation. Especially –
• What are you doing to manage health benefits costs as budgets are either frozen or shrink?
• Have you noticed a dip in morale or productivity with all the doom-and-gloom in the news?
• How’s your company trying to calm employees’ fears about salary freezes or layoffs, 401(k) losses, health cost shifting and other issues that get a lot of mainstream media focus?
• What are you saying to workers to deliver the news they need to know but also keep morale high?
Thank you in advance for your willingness to share your professionalise and personal experiences. Everyone benefits in the long run.
