I find it encouraging as both a marketing executive and an employee to see a new initiative focused on creating a two-way dialogue between management and their workforce to build trust and give employees more empowerment within their organization. This shift is happening at critical time when employee trust is low, and social networking is giving each individual throughout the corporate hierarchy a voice. Employers that don’t take the necessary steps to begin listening, understanding and reacting to the needs of employees will face certain vulnerability in the marketplace.
As an employee within eni who recently achieved “Best Company to Work For” status, I can breathe a sigh of relief knowing my co-workers are representing the eni brand that truly practices what we preach in work/life balance, respect and empowerment.
It is important to note that this type of culture does not occur by accident. Much thought and action goes into creating an employee experience that feeds both job satisfaction and productivity, and our results and ROI reach far beyond what others attempt with branding campaigns. At the end of the workday, it’s not the budget you put into your culture that creates a happy, healthy work environment. Those who are able to succeed in this competitive environment take the time to create a dialogue, and react to what you’re employees are saying.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Avoid confusion: Develop social media policies now
Social media can be used as a great tool to help support your growing business. It can be a means of allowing sales executives an easy way to maintain contacts with customers, as well as a professional networking tool that can be applied across global boundaries. Additionally, social media aids in the further development of your unique brand and can be a great compliment to your company’s profile.
On a personal level, it can also be a convenient way for friends and families to keep in touch. As a result, it’s hard to avoid the fact that many of your employees are probably already mixing business with pleasure via social media.
But what’s acceptable behavior to your employees may not be acceptable to you -- or vice versa. So it’s a good idea to let your colleagues know what you expect of their social media use, particularly as it pertains to their work.
That’s why it’s important to have social media guidelines and policies in place for your employees. It’s not fair to discipline employees for not meeting a standard they’re not aware of. Nor is it fair for employees to overly restrict themselves because they’re not sure what you expect.
We at eni have been drafting our own guidelines. Knowing that social media outlets have different purposes, we’ve drafted our guidelines accordingly. LinkedIn was designed with the business professional in mind, creating an environment more conducive of professional communication. Facebook was created for a younger, more casual user, and features applications and networks meant to entertain rather than do business. Twitter and MySpace have their own particular quirks and specific demographics. And nobody really knows what new service will be available or popular next year.
What’s appropriate behavior and language on one may not be appropriate for another. A customer, for example, may not be familiar with the specialized trade jargon you might use with a colleague. Some contacts may want some personal conversations; others may shun it.
Your policy needs to keep that flexibility in mind. But here are some general principles we ask our own employees to keep in mind:
Everyone can hear you. Social media outlets are meant to be public, so in general everyone can hear or see everything you say. So don’t say it unless you’re willing to let everyone know about it.
Be professional and congenial. The Internet is no place to make derogatory comments about anyone. Remember that in public, your behavior and comments reflect on both you and your employer. Just because you’re alone at your computer doesn’t mean you’re alone on the Internet.
Do not reveal proprietary information – especially about your company and your clients. Once information is released to the Internet, it cannot be retrieved. Social media does not provide for very secure communications.
Avoid profanity, vulgarity and sexual innuendo. Some outlets are formal; some are casual. But none of them are an excuse to be crass.
Similarly, avoid posting photos that compromise your public image. What you do in private is your business, but perhaps you shouldn’t tell casual acquaintances and business colleagues about it.
Consider maintaining separate accounts for professional and private use. Social media allows friends and family to communicate easily from wherever they are. But professional contacts may not want to hear the details of your private life. And many personal contacts may be annoyed by business communication.
What disciplinary procedures you enact, of course, depend on your particular company. But something to keep in mind is that social media is still somewhat new to both the professional and personal world, so there’s going to be a learning curve.
That’s why it’s important to get ahead of that policy and educate your employees as soon as possible.
On a personal level, it can also be a convenient way for friends and families to keep in touch. As a result, it’s hard to avoid the fact that many of your employees are probably already mixing business with pleasure via social media.
But what’s acceptable behavior to your employees may not be acceptable to you -- or vice versa. So it’s a good idea to let your colleagues know what you expect of their social media use, particularly as it pertains to their work.
That’s why it’s important to have social media guidelines and policies in place for your employees. It’s not fair to discipline employees for not meeting a standard they’re not aware of. Nor is it fair for employees to overly restrict themselves because they’re not sure what you expect.
We at eni have been drafting our own guidelines. Knowing that social media outlets have different purposes, we’ve drafted our guidelines accordingly. LinkedIn was designed with the business professional in mind, creating an environment more conducive of professional communication. Facebook was created for a younger, more casual user, and features applications and networks meant to entertain rather than do business. Twitter and MySpace have their own particular quirks and specific demographics. And nobody really knows what new service will be available or popular next year.
What’s appropriate behavior and language on one may not be appropriate for another. A customer, for example, may not be familiar with the specialized trade jargon you might use with a colleague. Some contacts may want some personal conversations; others may shun it.
Your policy needs to keep that flexibility in mind. But here are some general principles we ask our own employees to keep in mind:
Everyone can hear you. Social media outlets are meant to be public, so in general everyone can hear or see everything you say. So don’t say it unless you’re willing to let everyone know about it.
Be professional and congenial. The Internet is no place to make derogatory comments about anyone. Remember that in public, your behavior and comments reflect on both you and your employer. Just because you’re alone at your computer doesn’t mean you’re alone on the Internet.
Do not reveal proprietary information – especially about your company and your clients. Once information is released to the Internet, it cannot be retrieved. Social media does not provide for very secure communications.
Avoid profanity, vulgarity and sexual innuendo. Some outlets are formal; some are casual. But none of them are an excuse to be crass.
Similarly, avoid posting photos that compromise your public image. What you do in private is your business, but perhaps you shouldn’t tell casual acquaintances and business colleagues about it.
Consider maintaining separate accounts for professional and private use. Social media allows friends and family to communicate easily from wherever they are. But professional contacts may not want to hear the details of your private life. And many personal contacts may be annoyed by business communication.
What disciplinary procedures you enact, of course, depend on your particular company. But something to keep in mind is that social media is still somewhat new to both the professional and personal world, so there’s going to be a learning curve.
That’s why it’s important to get ahead of that policy and educate your employees as soon as possible.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Seizing Opportunities in the Mental Health Parity Act
Employers and health plan administrators wonder how much the Wellstone-Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 will cost once it arrives online in 2010.
Our best advice is to use an ounce of prevention.
The act requires mental health and addiction treatment benefits to be as accessible and affordable as medical and surgical benefits. It’s a tough time for companies to deal with it, given the economy, and we estimate that up to 5 percent of companies may drop mental health coverage altogether, instead.
But there’s another option. A well-coordinated EAP can actually prevent the need for more expensive treatment options.
An EAP service provider will provide mental health professionals to screen employees seeking services. They can identify issues sooner when treatment may be less expensive. And for those companies that discontinue mental health benefits, an extended work/life program – with maybe 10 sessions instead of 3 – can at least begin to address an employee’s needs.
We’ve written a whitepaper on the topic that gives you key details about the act and what it can mean to your company. And given that as many as half of all Americans will face a diagnosable mental health issue at some point, you can assume that your employees will too.
Our best advice is to use an ounce of prevention.
The act requires mental health and addiction treatment benefits to be as accessible and affordable as medical and surgical benefits. It’s a tough time for companies to deal with it, given the economy, and we estimate that up to 5 percent of companies may drop mental health coverage altogether, instead.
But there’s another option. A well-coordinated EAP can actually prevent the need for more expensive treatment options.
An EAP service provider will provide mental health professionals to screen employees seeking services. They can identify issues sooner when treatment may be less expensive. And for those companies that discontinue mental health benefits, an extended work/life program – with maybe 10 sessions instead of 3 – can at least begin to address an employee’s needs.
We’ve written a whitepaper on the topic that gives you key details about the act and what it can mean to your company. And given that as many as half of all Americans will face a diagnosable mental health issue at some point, you can assume that your employees will too.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Proven Stress Busters
Office tension eats into your productivity – and those you work with. Perhaps you find yourself easily distracted. Maybe you snap at coworkers or imagine throwing your computer through a window. It’s common. But help is here. These relaxation techniques can help relieve both the physical and mental tensions that come with your exciting and stressful career.
- Breathe deeply. Close your eyes and breathe in slowly. Let the breath out for a count of five. Do this 10 times.
- Stretch. Raise your arms above your head. Stretch left and hold for four counts. Stretch right and hold. Reach straight up and stretch your back and shoulder muscles. Gently stretch your right ear toward your right shoulder. Repeat on the other side. Open your mouth as wide as you can and yawn.
- Sit up straight in your chair, then drop your upper torso, arms and head between your knees. Exhale and then take a deep breath as you slowly roll up, beginning at the base of your spine.
- Explore as many variations of your sitting position as you can while maintaining good posture: Feet flat on the floor in front of you, lower back supported against your chair and keeping an imaginary straight line from your ears, through your shoulders to your hips.
- Exercise. Take a brisk walk or climb the stairs.
- Eat well. Snack on fresh fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods. They have lots of stress-busting B and C vitamins.
- Skip your next cup of coffee. Try a new fruit juice instead. Or maybe sip on some herbal tea or hot broth.
- Eat a tangerine. Peel it slowly, noticing the mist and the fragrance. Observe the structure of each section and savor each bite. As you eat, imagine the sunny grove where the tangerine grew.
- Laugh. Keep a good joke handy. Take a few moments to jot down the funny aspects of your present situation.
- Talk. Chat with coworkers about hobbies and activities outside of work.
- Close your eyes and picture a peaceful place: a meadow, an ocean scene or a favorite room in your house. Visualize the scene in detail, with all the sights, sounds and smells.
- Look out the window. Let your thoughts drift for five minutes.
- Visit a tree or statue during your lunch break. Enjoy its texture and its shape against the sky.
- Finish an easy task, something you've been putting off because it's "not important."
- Play. Work a crossword or other puzzle during a break.
- Give yourself a massage. Rub your left shoulder, neck and scalp with your right hand, and repeat on the right side with your left hand.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Thanks for visiting us in New Orleans, and the winners are...
eni would like to thank everyone who visited the eni booth during the 2009 SHRM Conference and Expo in New Orleans.
To celebrate eni’s commitment to work/life balance, eni had a grand prize drawing for a free $1,000 cruise gift card to use for the date and destination of their choice.
Congratulations to our grand prize winner Suzanne Ferris!
Hundreds of people took part in the eni Walk to Win New Orleans Step Challenge, proudly wearing an eni pedometer to count each step exploring the conference, the expo and New Orleans.
While so many of you logged impressive step counts, the top winners were:
1st Place Winner of an Amazon Kindle:
Joel Stringer, 61,081 steps
2nd Place Winner of an iPod Touch:
Cecilia Forbes- 44,451
Winners of an iPod Shuffle:
3rd Place: Jason Scott- 43,810
4th Place: Roshelle Campbell- 42,924
5th Place: Connie Otts- 38,864
Winners will be contacted by eni’s work/life experts, and will receive their prize via direct mail to the address provided during the expo.
eni customizes its work/life services to actively engage, educate and empower a happy, healthy, more productive work force. The integrated work/life Employee Assistance Program, and corporate wellness services are two strong benefit offerings that help both you and your work force succeed and perform at maximum potential.
To celebrate eni’s commitment to work/life balance, eni had a grand prize drawing for a free $1,000 cruise gift card to use for the date and destination of their choice.
Congratulations to our grand prize winner Suzanne Ferris!
Hundreds of people took part in the eni Walk to Win New Orleans Step Challenge, proudly wearing an eni pedometer to count each step exploring the conference, the expo and New Orleans.
While so many of you logged impressive step counts, the top winners were:
1st Place Winner of an Amazon Kindle:
Joel Stringer, 61,081 steps
2nd Place Winner of an iPod Touch:
Cecilia Forbes- 44,451
Winners of an iPod Shuffle:
3rd Place: Jason Scott- 43,810
4th Place: Roshelle Campbell- 42,924
5th Place: Connie Otts- 38,864
Winners will be contacted by eni’s work/life experts, and will receive their prize via direct mail to the address provided during the expo.
eni customizes its work/life services to actively engage, educate and empower a happy, healthy, more productive work force. The integrated work/life Employee Assistance Program, and corporate wellness services are two strong benefit offerings that help both you and your work force succeed and perform at maximum potential.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Healthy Workforce Act to Support Corporate Wellness Programs
The Healthy Workforce Act was introduced to Congress on April 2, 2009. Presented by US Senators Tom Harkin, a Democrat from Iowa, and John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, this bill seeks to provide funding in the form of a tax credit to businesses that introduce a Worksite Wellness Program. The Healthy Workforce Act is part of the Obama administration’s stimulus package, and will create approximately 40,000 new jobs. Healthcare has become a major focus of the Obama administration, and this bill would allow employers to offer the tools and materials to educate their employees on health and wellness, through effective, knowledge based onsite programs. The end-goal of this bill surely is to decrease medical costs to employers nationwide by relying on Worksite Wellness Programs to empower employees to educate themselves about their own health.
If passed in its current form, the bill would offer employers a tax credit that would cover 50% of the costs of a worksite wellness program, up to $200 per employee for the first 200 employees. For every employee beyond 200, the bill would offer a tax credit that would cover up to $100 towards the cost of the wellness program. This tax credit will allow businesses that may not have the funding for a wellness program in the current economic climate the necessary means to put such a program in place. Small and midsized businesses will benefit the most from this bill, as these types of businesses may not have had the budgetary resources to devote towards a wellness program.
This legislation also discusses components that an effective wellness program should have, such as a health risk assessment, an onsite wellness committee to keep the employees population active and engaged in the program, incentives to reward participation, and educational materials based on best practices. These tools will encourage employees to understand their health, their risks, and how those risks can be modified with diet, exercise, and proper medical care.
Lower medical costs are not the only benefit that employers will see when implementing a workplace wellness program. Encouraging employees to take a proactive approach to their health also leads to a decrease in sick time, fewer cases of disability, increased productivity in the workplace, and increased employee morale. Industry research has shown that employers can expect to see a $1:$3 Return on Investment from a workplace wellness program- for every dollar that is invested, employers will see $3 in return.
The Healthy Workforce Act has been endorsed by such businesses as the American Heart Association, Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer Inc, and the US Chamber of Commerce.
eni strongly supports the Healthy Workforce Act and has become an official endorser of this legislation, and encourage your organization to do the same by clicking here.
If passed in its current form, the bill would offer employers a tax credit that would cover 50% of the costs of a worksite wellness program, up to $200 per employee for the first 200 employees. For every employee beyond 200, the bill would offer a tax credit that would cover up to $100 towards the cost of the wellness program. This tax credit will allow businesses that may not have the funding for a wellness program in the current economic climate the necessary means to put such a program in place. Small and midsized businesses will benefit the most from this bill, as these types of businesses may not have had the budgetary resources to devote towards a wellness program.
This legislation also discusses components that an effective wellness program should have, such as a health risk assessment, an onsite wellness committee to keep the employees population active and engaged in the program, incentives to reward participation, and educational materials based on best practices. These tools will encourage employees to understand their health, their risks, and how those risks can be modified with diet, exercise, and proper medical care.
Lower medical costs are not the only benefit that employers will see when implementing a workplace wellness program. Encouraging employees to take a proactive approach to their health also leads to a decrease in sick time, fewer cases of disability, increased productivity in the workplace, and increased employee morale. Industry research has shown that employers can expect to see a $1:$3 Return on Investment from a workplace wellness program- for every dollar that is invested, employers will see $3 in return.
The Healthy Workforce Act has been endorsed by such businesses as the American Heart Association, Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer Inc, and the US Chamber of Commerce.
eni strongly supports the Healthy Workforce Act and has become an official endorser of this legislation, and encourage your organization to do the same by clicking here.
Friday, May 22, 2009
NEHRA Conference Focuses on Best Practices for Becoming an Employer of Choice in a Down Economy
The third program of the Northeast Human Resource Association (NEHRA) 2008-2009 was held yesterday in Danvers, Massachusetts, where hundreds of employers in the surrounding areas took a day out of their busy schedules to learn more about Becoming an Employer of Choice- Best Practices that Drive Bottom Line Results.
One would expect the environment to be a reflection of the pressures and negative stresses of the economic climate, but I was pleasantly surprised to find the mood to be just the opposite. Sure, most HR and benefits attendees felt tired and overburdened, understaffed and without the resources they need to meet their goals- but a new wave of optimism and hope flowed through the workshops as presenters encouraged attendees to see the opportunities that lie within these challenges.
Keynote speaker, Russell J. Campanello, Senior VP of HR at Phase Forward, emphasized HR’s critical role by referring to Jack and Suzy Welch’s point that HR matters enormously in good times… and it defines you in the bad. And while it’s still crucial to treat departing employees with respect and empathy, it is also time to begin strategizing ways to maintain engagement among the surviving workforce who are expected to do more with less. These challenges are great, but so are the opportunities to re-engage your culture, and rebound as a stronger organization both inside and out.
The day featured well-received presentations about becoming an employer of choice in a down economy, keeping employees engaged, maximizing the productivity and development of your workforce, and an emerging trend; aligning your internal and external branding initiatives to create a more transparent, sustainable culture. After all, as social networking continues to grow, so does employee power to voice opinions about their organization- both good and bad. This provides your partners, prospects and customers with a front row seat to your corporate culture.
As the conference came to a close, confidence grew among attendees who seemed eager to return work the next morning armed with new tools and techniques to begin influencing a stronger, more employee-centered culture. This is good news to all the HR professionals who have been waiting for the opportunity to drive real organizational change through what continues to be their most valuable resource- their people.
One would expect the environment to be a reflection of the pressures and negative stresses of the economic climate, but I was pleasantly surprised to find the mood to be just the opposite. Sure, most HR and benefits attendees felt tired and overburdened, understaffed and without the resources they need to meet their goals- but a new wave of optimism and hope flowed through the workshops as presenters encouraged attendees to see the opportunities that lie within these challenges.
Keynote speaker, Russell J. Campanello, Senior VP of HR at Phase Forward, emphasized HR’s critical role by referring to Jack and Suzy Welch’s point that HR matters enormously in good times… and it defines you in the bad. And while it’s still crucial to treat departing employees with respect and empathy, it is also time to begin strategizing ways to maintain engagement among the surviving workforce who are expected to do more with less. These challenges are great, but so are the opportunities to re-engage your culture, and rebound as a stronger organization both inside and out.
The day featured well-received presentations about becoming an employer of choice in a down economy, keeping employees engaged, maximizing the productivity and development of your workforce, and an emerging trend; aligning your internal and external branding initiatives to create a more transparent, sustainable culture. After all, as social networking continues to grow, so does employee power to voice opinions about their organization- both good and bad. This provides your partners, prospects and customers with a front row seat to your corporate culture.
As the conference came to a close, confidence grew among attendees who seemed eager to return work the next morning armed with new tools and techniques to begin influencing a stronger, more employee-centered culture. This is good news to all the HR professionals who have been waiting for the opportunity to drive real organizational change through what continues to be their most valuable resource- their people.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)