Employer Blog

Question: We would like to post photos of our employees on our social media sites. Are we required to obtain our current or former employee’s permission to use photos of them?

Do you often find yourself thinking, “What if this improbable thing happens?” Or “What if that terrible result happens?”

Using “What if…” scenarios to guide our behaviors is tricky. Sometimes it can be the safe way to go. As in, “I can’t run out into the street. What if there’s a bus coming?” But often, we let our "What if..." questions push us in the wrong directions.

Many business owners are convinced that what customers care about is price. They assume that if there are two options available, clients will choose the cheapest one. No matter what.

And because they believe in this concept wholeheartedly, they proceed to build their business models and marketing strategies around it. Which has the unfortunate effect of training their customers to behave as if this is so— whether or not it actually is.  

Do you ever feel like you “literally just can’t even” as you’re trying to figure out what employee benefits Millennials love? (If you don’t know what this means, click the link above to learn more.)

The landscape of the American workforce has shifted, and Millennials have become the majority of American workers. With no signs of this stopping, it’s imperative that employers and employee benefit consultants understand what Millennials actually value in order to properly ease their pain points.

"The competitor to be feared is the one who never bothers about you at all, but goes on making his own business better all the time." – Henry Ford

Business is all about competition, but the question you need to ask yourself is:

Who are you watching?

All too often, we feel like we’re taking a risk simply because we’re going out and spending some money to acquire new resources. And to be fair, this is partially true. Spending money on a new resource does give you the potential of delivering new value.

But that potential value will never be recognized until you step up and spend some of your leadership capital as well.

Question: Can we maintain a zero-tolerance marijuana use policy in our workplace if medical marijuana use is legal in the state?

You hire your employees for their knowledge, skills, and winning personalities. But then what?

Do you plunk them in their positions and assume they will continue to thrive indefinitely? If you’re a busy employer, HR manager, or supervisor, this may sound tempting. But today’s cutting-edge capabilities can quickly turn into yesterday’s news. Before you know it, your trailblazing new hires could be left in the dust.

Raise your hand if you love random meetings!

Okay, then, raise your hand if you love weekly team meetings. Quarterly check-in meetings? Client check-in meetings? Committee meetings?

If you’re like most people, you’re not a huge fan. And you’re probably frustrated with the lack of preparation, organization, progress, and productivity.

If you do have your hand in the air, you’re probably in the minority. Perhaps you’ve never been to a meeting. Or maybe, just maybe, you’ve learned the secret to great meetings.

There’s not an employer in the country that’s not looking for ways to reduce benefits costs. And more and more employers are frustrated with the skyrocketing cost of providing fully-insured plans.

If you’re like most businesses, you’re demanding new ideas and solutions more than ever. Maybe you’re even considering self-funded plans to get control over price increases.