Talent and HR News Roundup: Benefits and Family Edition

When you look at the data you have on your workforce right now, it's likely, well, just about work: employee satisfaction, engagement, how employees found out about the job. But what about your employees? We don't spend enough time getting to know who they are, what matters to them and how they spend their time outside of work. And that information is key to making sure their work lives merge with their personal lives.

Dad and Son | exaqueo news roundup

This week we've noticed a great deal of chatter about workplace benefits and living. From the living wage battle happening in Washington, DC to the effects of President Obama's healthcare plan on the workforce, it's important that you understand what's happening and consider how it will affect your organization (no matter what your politics are.)

1) Trader Joe's Takes Away Health Plan But Offers Stipend in Marketwatch

"Trader Joe’s had bucked the industry trend by offering low-cost health, dental and vision plans to its part-time workers. This new development probably will continue to set the retailer apart from its peers, however. Some companies are cutting hours and full-time positions completely in order to get under the threshold for the mandatory offering of health benefits outlined in President Obama’s health-care overhaul, formally known as the Affordable Care Act, or ACA."

2) D.C. Mayor Gray vetoes ‘living wage’ bill aimed at Wal-Mart, setting up decisive council vote in The Washington Post

"Gray’s quandary is playing out in many U.S. cities, where local leaders who generally sympathize with worker causes are also eager to lure jobs and commerce for their constituents. Retailers, most notably Wal-Mart, have placed an increasing focus on urban expansion, while unions and advocates for workers have pushed measures like the District’s "living wage” bill as a valuable hedge against the proliferation of low-paying jobs."

3) Breaking the Paternity Leave Barrier in The Huffington Post

"Ackerman was a 27-year-old math and social studies teacher at JHS 142 in Jamaica, Queens, married to another teacher, when he became a father. His wife, Rita Ackerman, left her job to stay home full-time, while he finished out the school year. That summer with his new daughter, he said, “I loved having the flexible time to take care of her, and I wanted to continue that during the year.”"

4) GE Ex-Labor Chief Switches to Defend Retirees’ Benefits in Bloomberg

"Rocheleau is a rare voice for retirees as employers curtail coverage, a step that threatens to raise costs and curb choices for Americans who have left the workforce and have little power to fight back. International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) and Time Warner Inc. (TWX) recently joined the benefits pullback with plans to move retirees to insurance exchanges."

 

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exaqueo is a workforce consultancy that helps startups and high-growth companies build their cultures, employer brands and talent strategies. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you build a workforce that’s aligned with your company culture and develop an employer brand that will allow your business to scale the right way.

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