By Joanne Sammer

As employers look for new ways to hire and keep skilled employees, some have begun to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to more precisely compensate workers. They want pay offers and salary adjustments to reflect the value of an employee's skills rather than the compensation level of a specific job, particularly when those skills are in high demand and critical to the organization's success.

By using AI, employers can gain "new opportunities by rethinking the value that compensation programs deliver to the business and employees," said George Zarkadakis, digital lead at consultancy Willis Towers Watson in London. AI could help develop compensation metrics that reward employee efforts to advance an organization's goals. It can also analyze great swaths of labor market data to provide localized and up-to-the-minute competitive pay rates.

Shifting from Jobs to Skills

IBM has been using AI in its compensation systems for several years as it has shifted performance management to focus on ongoing feedback rather than a single periodic performance rating, while also tying salary increases more closely to employee skills. As a result, pay decisions more accurately reflect what the market is paying for certain skills as demand for those competencies ebbs and flows.

"Certain new skills are scarce and high in value, while other skills have become commoditized," said Joanna Daly, the company's Vice President of Compensation, Benefits and Corporate Health and Safety, based in Armonk, N.Y. In this environment, "managers must make more complex compensation decisions, so they need to have an understanding of the supply and demand for specific skills."

IBM managers use the in-house system to make better decisions during compensation discussions, including machine-learning that gives them salary increase recommendations ranging from high to average to no increase.

Managers can also leverage this information to explain how pay decisions are linked to employees' skill levels. "It gives employees an incentive to keep their skills competitive," said Daly, who noted that the AI system allows IBM to react immediately to changes in the market for specific skills.

Although the AI tool makes salary increase recommendations, the final decision is still up to the individual manager. However, "less than 5 percent of managers have disagreed with these recommendations," Daly said. Managers who follow AI compensation recommendations have cut their attrition rates by 50 percent.

Creating Nimble Systems

Employers can leverage AI not only for current compensation needs but also to model how skills might change over the next few years and how much it will cost to acquire and retain those skills in the workforce.

To price skills, employers can use AI to:

• Harvest datasets from both internal and external sources.
• Separate out the skills various roles require now and are likely to require in the future.
• Determine pay for those skills based on geography.

Employers that are not ready to develop these systems themselves can rely on vendors to do it for them. For example, PayScale, which provides online data about compensation and benefits, relies on AI to help employers price jobs based on small differences among employees' skills and local labor market conditions.

That's become such an important element of compensation planning that PayScale updates its compensation database of skill differentials every two weeks, compared to quarterly updates for geographic differences.

AI Challenges

Using AI in this way is not without challenges and risk. If not managed and monitored appropriately, AI-based compensation tools could start out with ingrained biases or become further biased over time.

"The risk is in the variables in connection with the data in AI," said Peter Cassat, a partner with law firm Culhane Meadows Haughian & Walsh PLLC in Washington, D.C.

Research on AI outcomes by The Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, shows generally that if biased data feed the algorithm, results may be biased. For example, if some employees are being paid less than others despite having the same job, experience and skill levels, simply inputting that data into an AI-based pay system could perpetuate that bias.

"Bias in algorithms can emanate from unrepresentative or incomplete training data or the reliance on flawed information that reflects historical inequalities," the Brookings report stated. If left unchecked, biased algorithms can perpetuate biases against certain groups of people "even without the programmer's intention to discriminate."

Employers should be mindful of how AI tools are functioning and what data they are collecting. "It is important to make sure this does not favor some groups over others based on factors like gender," Cassat said.

Avoiding these problems begins with due diligence before choosing AI tools. Over time, it is also important to remain alert for any unintended consequences, not only in the recommendations the system outputs but also in how managers use the results.

"Don't just implement and forget," Cassat said. "Look at the results and whether and how they differ following implementation."

Rigorous data governance for AI also is important to ensure AI-supported compensation decisions are fair and unbiased. "AI systems that are not ethically governed can promote exclusion and feel too intrusive—and even threatening—to those impacted by their decisions," Zarkadakis said.

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** 

Source: HR People + Strategy

https://blog.hrps.org/blogpost/Bringing-Artificial-Intelligence-into-Pay-Decisions

By Derrick Bryson Taylor | Published Jan. 10, 2020 | Updated Jan. 11, 2020

Current manager salaries for the restaurant range from $50,000 to $80,000, the company said, while one retail analyst said raising pay is a “necessary move” in the current labor market.

============    

Taco Bell will soon begin testing a $100,000 annual salary for general managers in select locations in an attempt to attract and retain talent, the company said Thursday in a statement about its 2020 plans.

“As we grow the Taco Bell business, we’re really focused on managers,” Ferril Onyett, senior director of global training and international human resources at Taco Bell, said on Friday. “They have a huge impact on restaurant performance. We hope through this test we can evaluate the effect on not only restaurant performance but team morale, customer experience and recruitment and retention.”

Taco Bell, which is owned by Yum! Brands, also announced that it would give employees at least 24 hours paid sick time per year and that it would make consumer packaging recyclable by 2025.

Salaries for general managers at company-owned stores range from $50,000 to $80,000, depending on time in the role, location and experience, Ms. Onyett said, adding that the corporation cannot mandate salaries for restaurants owned by franchisees.

It’s still unclear how long the test will run or which of the company’s more than 6,600 locations will be selected, but Ms. Onyett said the test will take place “later this year” and that the company is still in “planning phases.”

Taco Bell’s planned test demonstrates the company is prepared to put more money into its staff and into company-owned stores in an effort to boost performance, Neil Saunders, managing director of retail at GlobalData, said on Friday. “It obviously feels confident enough to be able to really provide such a sharp increase in salaries of people running those outlets,” he said.

“I think it’s a necessary move because I think the labor market is now extremely tight,” Mr. Saunders said. In order to attract good talent, companies have to pay for it and give good benefits, he added.

“It’s certainly the case in the fast-food industry that there can be high turnover, even at management levels, and that has a detrimental impact on how stores are run,” he said. “A good manager in an outlet can make a difference between that store being really successful or being pretty mediocre in terms of performance.”

The test by Taco Bell could also create a ripple effect among fast-food companies.

“I think it does signal the costs of running fast-food outlets could be going up,” Mr. Saunders said, adding that if one company starts to make a move in terms of salaries, it could put pressure on everyone else to follow suit.

In-N-Out Burger, which has locations in the western United States, already pays its managers well, Mr. Saunders said. “It’s a really successful fast-food outlet because its managers are fully invested in running the stores well and efficiently.”

A request for comment from In-N-Out Burger regarding its salary range for managers was not immediately answered on Friday. Neither were requests for manager salaries at McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC.

The fast-food industry has undergone a number of changes in recent years. Restaurants have started offering plant-based options to customers, and employees have pushed to raise the minimum wage. In 2019, a bill was introduced in Congress that would raise the federal hourly rate to $15 from $7.25 over five years. The bill passed in the House in July. In January, the minimum wage went up in 22 states, increasing pay for about seven million workers, who will take home an extra $8.2 billion over the year.

Taco Bell’s manager salary announcement came the day before the Labor Department released its monthly jobs report.

The United States added 145,000 jobs in December, while analysts had expected about 160,000 to be gained. It ended a year of steady but slowing gains in employment. For wages, growth was disappointing at 2.9 percent over the last year, far below the 3.4 percent height it reached in February. Wage growth for managers in December also slowed.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Source: The New York Times Company 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/business/taco-bell-manager-salary.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/business/taco-bell-manager-salary.html

More than half of the 70% of companies that offer them expect to expand their offerings this year, according to a new WorldatWork study

by Brian Anderson | January 13, 2020

Seventy percent of companies currently offer financial well-being benefits and more than half of them intend to expand such offerings in 2020, according to a new financial well-being study.

As employers worry that their workers aren’t saving enough money for retirement, paying down debt or handling medical expenses, the study by WorldatWork, the Total Rewards Association, in partnership with global share plan provider Computershare, dives into how organizations measure well-being benefit needs of the workforce, communications strategies and usage rates.

In addition, the study assesses the prevalence of specific types of financial well-being benefits (to cover life events, personal debt, living expenses, and personal development).

“Financial benefits play a critical role in effective Total Rewards programs and this survey is a powerful benchmarking tool for employers. With life events (39%), rising healthcare costs (34%) and personal debt (22%) the leading stressors within the workplace, it’s no surprise that organizations are focusing on financial benefits, especially in such a tight labor market where retaining talent is so critical,” said Scott Cawood, president and CEO of WorldatWork.

Increased focus on financial wellness

The study puts some figures alongside its assessment that employers are increasing their focus on financial wellness:

• Over the past two years, financial well-being has received more attention than in prior years; 35% of companies have increased spending in this area.
• 49% of companies have rolled out new financial well-being plans, and 59% of HR teams are increasing time spent supporting these benefits.
• 21% of organizations are offering employee stock purchase programs (ESPPs) today, with an increase of 5% under consideration for 2020.
• Participant engagement rates are high in companies that offer ESPPs (82%).
• Of the 76% of companies offering ESPPs at a discounted rate, 96% said that they had no impact on 401k plans.
• 401k or equivalent plans with employer match are the most popular retirement offering (90%). Employee- or employer-funded HSA accounts for use in retirement are an emerging area of interest.

“Time and time again, research demonstrates that broad-based benefit programs encourage more engaged, productive, and loyal employees,” said Sheila Frierson, head of Computershare’s U.S. equity plans business.

WorldatWork collected data for the surveys from its members in September 2019. The survey report was based on 326 responses. The typical WorldatWork member works at the managerial level or higher in the headquarters of a large company in North America.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Source: 401(k) Specialist

https://401kspecialistmag.com/financial-wellness-benefits-poised-for-big-growth-in-2020/

Early adopters share what they’ve learned so far

By Joanne Sammer

January 6, 2020

Unlimited vacation policies, which have become a fixture at tech companies and among start-ups, are now being widely adopted by older companies in traditional industries throughout the U.S. It's easy to see why. Employees respond positively to these policies, with 72 percent expressing interest in receiving unlimited paid time off (PTO), according to MetLife's 2019 U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study, which interviewed 2,675 full-time employees last year.

But how well does unlimited vacation work in practice? Early adopters of unlimited PTO policies say they've learned four important lessons that led many of them to modify their policies.

No. 1. 'Unlimited Vacation' Isn't Unlimited

Unlimited vacation policies do not, in fact, allow employees to take an unlimited amount of time off. It's more of a marketing tool for recruiting talent than a literal interpretation of vacation policy. "We offer it because all of our peer companies do, and we don't want people to compare us to other companies unfavorably," said Jonathan Wasserstrum, founder and CEO of SquareFoot, a commercial real estate and technology firm based in New York with about 60 employees.

The company has established certain parameters for appropriate use of unlimited vacation. "A handful of employees use four to six weeks of vacation," said Wassertrum. "If they are performing well, we don't care. If they are not performing well, we need to have a conversation" about vacation use.

Carinsurance.net, a car insurance shopping portal with 30 employees based in Bellevue, Wash., doesn't place a specific cap on the number of vacation days employees can take but "we allow management to use their discretion in case an employee abuses their privilege," said company founder Tony Arevalo. "I would say anything more than 40 days off per year would fall into that category, but no one has even come close to that."

No. 2: Underuse Can Be a Bigger Problem than Overuse

A more common problem with unlimited vacation is that employees may end up limiting the amount of time they take off, sometimes taking far less than the average two weeks most employers offer. Employees taking too little time off is often even more problematic than employees taking too much. For example, Wasserstrum shows the need for time away from the office by taking off three or four weeks a year and encourages his employees to follow suit or to take at least two weeks off.

Pittsford, N.Y.-based accounting firm The Bonadio Group established unlimited PTO to help employees deal with the stresses of the firm's extremely compressed "busy season" during tax preparation time in winter and early spring. "We've found that flexibility is extremely important to both current and prospective employees," said Heather Rudes, senior director of human resources. However, to keep employees from taking off too little time throughout the year, the firm requires that its employees take at least 120 hours of PTO annually, including at least five consecutive business days. "This helps prevent employees from taking days here and there throughout the year without an extended break from the office," she said.

No. 3: Monitor Time-Off Distribution

Giving employees the freedom and flexibility to take time off whenever they want can create new management challenges due to understaffing and delays during projects if key team members are not available. To prevent that, "we had to introduce a master calendar that tracks who's in the office and who isn't," said Pete Sosnowski, head of HR for career site Zety in Warsaw, Poland. The company has 82 employees. Tracking helps the company "anticipate upcoming absences and cover all the bases in time."

On the other hand, carinsurance.net found that its unlimited vacation policy helped employees to manage their time off better. "They distributed their vacation time over the course of the year instead of in bulk during the holiday season," said Arevalo, probably because they didn't feel pressured to "save" enough time off in case it was needed for the end-of-year holidays. This, in turn, led to fewer gaps in work coverage during the holidays, since there was no pressure to "use it or lose it" at the end of the year.

No. 4: Commit to the Policy

Unlimited vacation time can reduce the administrative burden involved with tracking time off, including unused vacation carried over from year to year. For some employers, administration and tracking are beside the point. These employers emphasize that unlimited vacation policies should be based on trust with no need to track the amount of vacation employees take. "That's part of the benefit of having the policy in the first place so we don't have to waste time on administrative tracking of PTO and can instead use our time on more strategic people initiatives," said Emma Brudner, director of people operations at Lola.com, a travel management app with 115 employees. Besides, "hours worked doesn't usually correlate with performance for knowledge workers."

Brudner noted that for most employees, unlimited vacation policy is less about spending weeks at the beach and more about managing their lives more effectively. Unlimited vacation is often about "a parent taking an afternoon off to see her child in a school play, or someone with a chronic illness not having to carefully allocate vacation time so they can go to regular doctor's checkups," she said.

"Often, people will be more committed to their jobs when they don't feel nickel and dimed with time off, especially when that time off represents having to choose between work and taking care of themselves, or fulfilling their other obligations in life," Brudner noted. As such, she sees the policy as a crucial tool for attracting and retaining key talent, including individuals who are parents or caregivers, have disabilities, and just need flexible out-of-office time.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Source: Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pages/4-lessons-about-unlimited-vacation.aspx

By: Natalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Updated: January 2, 2020 - 7:51 AM

U-Haul, the company known for moving truck rentals, is moving to a healthier lifestyle for its employees.

Starting Feb. 1, company officials will not employ anyone who uses nicotine. The new policy affects job applicants in 21 states including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

In some states where nicotine testing is permitted, applicants will go through a nicotine screening.

Current employees are not subject to the ban, U-Haul officials said in a press release.

U-Haul currently employs more than 30,000 people in the U.S. and Canada.

The new rules will be listed on job applications.

Currently, there are more than 2,000 job openings at U-Haul according to Linkedin.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Source: Cox Media Group / Action News JAX

https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/trending/u-haul-pledges-not-hire-nicotine-users/277HZXZWNVGJXOYGZ2ZRHCLQX4/

From freelance and flexible work to chatbots, 2020 is poised to be a year of continued change.

BY BAS KOHNKE

• 12-20-19

Over the past few years, the workplace has changed almost beyond recognition. With an increase in freelancers, more remote workers than ever, and advances in technology all shaping the way we work, the coming year is set to be big. Here are some of the key trends.

THE GIG ECONOMY AND FLEXIBLE WORK

The past few years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of people taking part in the gig economy by trading in one long-term position for shorter-term or more flexible work.

Temps, contractors, freelancers and remote workers all fall into this category, often working for companies for shorter amounts of time, on project-based or ad hoc work. For some, this is a way to build a more flexible life, working outside of traditional working hours, or working for multiple companies at once. Intuit actually estimates that by 2020, over 40% of U.S. workers will be independent contractors.

It’s not just how people work but where that’s changing. There has been a huge shift over the past few years in terms of remote working. A survey by the Global Workplace Analytics and FlexJobs found that remote work has grown 91% over the last 10 years, and various research has concluded that by 2020, half of us will be working remotely in some form.

Some companies now operate entirely remotely, with no communal office space and employees spanning multiple time zones, some companies have one or two remote team members, and some offer all employees the option to work remotely for a day or two per week.

This kind of work has a huge impact on HR, from the hiring/onboarding process to company structure to communication practices when dealing with part-time workers. While this undoubtedly means there are challenges to overcome, this ever-increasing flexible working trend isn’t going anywhere. HR leaders need to take a look at just what the gig economy means for their company, and how best to cope with the demands of short-term, flexible, and freelance workers. This can be through the increased use of performance management tools, regular team-wide video conference sessions, or revamping onboarding processes.

PEOPLE ENABLEMENT

People enablement was highlighted as one of our 2019 trends, and it’s still set to have a huge impact in 2020. This more holistic, less top-down focused approach enables employees to unleash their potential and progress in their own way.

The concept relies on three core pillars:

• Professional growth: accelerating the speed at which managers and individuals learn and grow
• Clarity and alignment: keeping everyone aligned on strategy, objectives, and process
• Value and impact: building a culture where everyone feels valued and receives recognition

By implementing all three of these things, companies can ensure their people feel in control of their work and progression, increasing overall engagement, growth, and productivity. People enablement has a major impact on the employee experience, something that helps companies outperform those with less people-focused practices.

HR CHATBOTS

The use of chatbots may already be common in many HR departments, as well as IT help and customer service type roles, but there will be a big increase in this type of communication in 2020.

Using chatbots can be an incredibly useful practice for HR. These automated conversational tools can field the low-level, FAQ inquiries, and processes such as candidate screening, and help HR free up valuable time to focus on more in-depth conversations and interactions.

Using chatbots for initial interactions also means that the average response time is quicker, considerably speeding up processes by swiftly taking care of smaller issues or queries that arise. There is also a potential for them to be used in an interview capacity to replace the traditional screening phone interview, for example. The bots can ask potential candidates some initial questions, which HR can then analyze the answers to, before deciding who to invite to interview in person.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Last year, we shared that HR in 2019 would focus on more data-driven decisions, with analytics informing more and more of the work done. HR is inherently people-focused, so there’s a lot of data, and it’s key to make the most of it all so that everyone gets the best experience possible.

This still holds true for 2020 as there is an ever-growing focus on more automated approaches. Except it’s not just data analysis now. Newer practices are being introduced which increase automation across the board. Research from Gartner actually predicts that in 2020, one in five workers engaged mainly in non-routine tasks will rely on artificial intelligence to help them do their jobs.

AI will likely never entirely take over the more ‘human’ side of HR, but it will require striking the balance between human and technological processes, particularly in the recruitment phase. The idea isn’t to remove the human element but to establish a more streamlined approach where AI is used as a tool to assist with and elevate
current processes, elevating efficiency with tasks such as candidate screening, onboarding, and administrative tasks such as holiday requests, interview scheduling, and analytics.

All of these trends will likely have a big impact on the next few years in HR. However, it’s always important to focus on what works for your company and its people. Every company is unique and requires different practices. Keep in mind what works for your organization and what will help, not hinder, HR and the human connection.

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** 

Source: Fast Company

https://www.fastcompany.com/90444541/four-ways-work-will-change-in-2020

BY HUNTER MOYLER ON 12/19/19 AT 6:56 PM EST

As part of a 1.4 trillion dollar spending package the Senate passed Thursday afternoon and which President Donald Trump has said he'll sign, three taxes that were created to fund the Affordable Care Act are set to be repealed.

The outgoing fees include the "Cadillac tax," the health insurance tax and the medical device tax. While lowering taxes has remained one of the few points on which politicians from both parties can (sometimes) agree, removing the funding mechanisms from the Affordable Care Act has raised questions over how to responsibly expand access to health care.

According to an analysis from Congress's Joint Committee on Taxation, getting rid of the levies will cost the government $373.3 billion in lost revenue over the next decade.

"It appears that while we want health care coverage, we do not want to pay for it. The three taxes were created to help pay for the ACA and the Cadillac tax was to control utilization, but we do not seem interested in paying for the ACA," Gerard Anderson, a professor of health policy and managment at Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health, told Newsweek.

The Cadillac Tax

As Newsweek reported in 2017, the so-called "Cadillac tax" would have capped the tax deductions individuals could claim based on their health insurance benefits. It would have imposed a 40 percent excise tax on employer-sponsored plans that exceeded $10,000 in premiums per year for a single person or $27,500 for a family. The Cadillac tax was set to take effect in 2022.

The Cadillac tax had seen its fair share of opposition. Bruce Herring, another professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told Newsweek in an email that only health economists liked it and that it was "doomed from the start."

The tax inspired the creation of a group called The Alliance to Fight the 40/Don't Tax My Health Care in 2015. According to its website, members of the "alliance" include such mammoth companies as AT&T and CBS, as well as some health non-profits like the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc.

In a press release, the Alliance to Fight the 40 formally thanked Congress for repealing the tax. "This historic action shows the commitment from Congress to help keep health care coverage affordable for the 178 million Americans who get their health coverage from their employers," the statement read.

The Health Insurance Tax

Suspended in 2019, the health insurance tax will reappear in 2020 before disappearing for good in 2021. The tax has imposed a yearly fee on insurance companies that provide health policies, including "individual policies, small groups, non self-insured employers, Medicaid managed care, Medicare Part D, and Medicare Advantage," according to Center Forward, a political action committee.

Though paid by insurance companies, the tax was cited as a cause of rising insurance costs for consumers, as providers sought to recoup the expense by hiking premiums. Some groups, like the trade association America's Health Insurance Plan, had called for this tax's repeal because it made health care more difficult to afford "for the very people who need the most help affording health care."

The Medical Device Tax

Finally, the medical device tax was a 2.3 percent excise tax on gross sales of medical devices used by humans (not animals) such as x-ray machines and hospital beds. It was implemented in 2013 but had been suspended since 2015, according to the Tax Foundation.

In his email to Newsweek, Herring said that the implementation of the medical device tax was inspired in part by a misconception about what their impact would be.

"Presumably, the thought there was that the healthcare industry was going to profit from the ACA's insurance expansions through, for example, selling more insurance policies and selling more medical devices," he wrote, "and that those higher profits from increased sales would probably offset these taxes they'd pay to the government."

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** 

Source: Newsweek

https://www.newsweek.com/affordable-care-act-taxes-repealed-1478323

BY KRISTEN MCCAMMON

16 DECEMBER 2019

Are your vacation days piling up? Does taking a week off work cause more stress than it relieves? Do you find it hard to unplug when you are on holiday? Do you work the Sunday following your holiday so you don’t return to work on Monday without catching up?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are not alone! Many Americans suffer from vacation anxiety. Guilt, difficulty unplugging and unsupportive company culture are common causes.  

In 2018, 768 million days of vacation went unused. And 236 million of those days were non-transferrable into the next year. You could say we have a vacation epidemic in America, a country that has been dubbed ‘The No-Vacation Nation.’ 

While forgoing vacation days may appear heroic, it's actually detrimental to the individual and the organization. This year, the World Health Organization classified burn-out as an “occupational phenomenon” characterized by lack of energy, disengagement and reduced professional efficacy.  

If your employees forgo their vacation time and become more susceptible to burn-out, what effects do you think this has on your business?  

Companies in America are taking note of this trend and are working to address it. Even the Big Four accounting firms are putting well-being as a top priority. For example, Deloitte is investing in Artificial Intelligence to take over distracting HR and IT tasks that lead to burn-out.  

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP conducts an Energy Audit with their employees to help them live positive and healthy lifestyles. EY is addressing the issue head-on with perhaps the boldest practice. The company shuts down all US offices for two weeks a year.  

I had the privilege of interviewing Wendy Edgar, EY America’s Director of Human Resources and Lee Kittay, EY Assistant Director of Brand, Marketing, and Communications about this two-week holiday program and how it came into practice.  

Why does EY close their US offices for a week twice a year?  

Based on employee survey feedback, EY leaders knew their employees were having a hard time disconnecting from work. It’s easy to understand why it’s hard to take a break. EY is one of the largest professional services firms in the world with the mission: "building a better working world."

Leaders wanted to focus on their employees’ well-being and help them avoid burn-out.  

While they were working on this initiative, in 2017, EY made the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For™ List for the 20th year in a row. They wanted to do something special to thank their employees for making EY a great place to work. Leaders wanted to do something that resonated with people on disconnecting from work. So they offered a one-time gift of paid holiday time the week of July 4th.  

The one-time gift was such a success, the company decided to build on the positive reaction and offer it annually in July and December. When institutionalizing the office closures, EY increased holiday hours and also asked employees to use some of their holiday days. In this way, there was a shared responsibility for disconnecting. 

What is the impact of this program?  

This program addresses vacation-phobia head-on because it eliminates the fear of missing out. There is no guilt in taking a holiday because all your colleagues are on vacation too.  

There is no need to check emails on Sunday before getting back to work because there were few emails sent in your absence. In fact, the first time they took a week off, employees came back to work on Monday thinking there was something wrong with their computers because they had so few emails!  

“The amount of enthusiasm and excitement afterward was tremendous!” said Wendy. The team launched a campaign to share what they did during their time off. Some employees took trips to Alaska and Disneyland with their family. Others spent the time volunteering in South America. Another employee got married!  

“It’s a way to thank our people and they can count on that time off – it’s a tremendous morale booster,” says Wendy.  

How do you get executives on board with such a bold idea?  

Wendy and Lee admitted that the board had questions about the potential impact on the business. However, their team did a beautiful job of relating this effort to their larger company wellbeing strategy – something Great Place to Work® often advises clients to do.  

Connecting new initiatives to existing efforts makes buy-in more likely. It is also logistically easier to roll out than a new program that’s not aligned to any existing strategy. In this case, EY took the idea of thanking their employees and aligned it with wellbeing efforts already in motion.  

It’s also not as simple as getting the green light from the top. For something like this to work, there needs to be buy-in from the whole company. That’s why Former EY Americas Managing Partner, Steve Howe, and Carolyn Slaski, EY Americas Vice Chair, Talent, sent out a video message to all US employees. They announced they were taking the week off, encouraging everyone to enjoy their time off too. 

Even though this was a formal program, Steve and Carolyn's message was “kind of giving them permission to take advantage of this benefit,” said Lee.  

When I asked about how they communicate this program to their clients, Wendy explained: “We’re a professional services firm. Everything we do and pride ourselves in is customer service and being available to our customers.”

EY Partners and leaders let their clients know about the week-off ahead of time and planned for it accordingly. “Many clients applauded this initiative,” explained Wendy. The professionals who didn't or couldn’t work around the week off still received support.  

“In some cases, we do need our people to work during this week and they can take the time off at a later date. In this situation, engagement partners will take ownership so staff can enjoy their time off."  

There’s always a contingency in place. They never leave clients on their own in case something urgent arises.  

The real costs of overwork

The notion of shutting down business for a week seems improbable to many leaders. It is natural for your first instinct to be that you’re losing money and productivity will decrease. But burn-out is actually a much bigger risk to productivity and profit.  

EY addressed some of the common fears, including, "Aren’t we going to lose money if we pay people while they’re not working?" For EY, there was no cost to the bottom line is that people are getting paid a salary whether they’re working 40+ hours a week or it’s a holiday week. And, providing this time off helps with retention. 

It’s more cost-effective to have people take a vacation than to lose them to burn-out and have to recruit, train and onboard new staff.  

What about the loss of productivity?  

Obviously, the flexibility to do this depends on the type of industry and work schedule a company has. For example, it’s more difficult (but not impossible) to shut down a manufacturing plant than it is for professional services. At EY, people do a little extra work before and after the break, so the work is still getting done.  

Switch off to switch on

"It's productive and less-disruptive when everyone is off at the same time," said one EY employee."Your inbox doesn't blow up while you're out on leave with your family and friends," shared another. 

Vacations give employees time to recharge their mental batteries. And counter to popular belief, time off can actually improve efficiency, as employees at EY show.

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** 

Source: Great Place to Work® Institute

https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/what-we-can-learn-from-eys-bold-people-practice

Active Job Seeking Remains Low

ARLINGTON, Va. – WEBWIRE – Thursday, December 12, 2019

U.S. employers are offering less of a compensation increase to attract talent and lure workers from their current jobs, according to Gartner, Inc. While historically companies have extended, on average, a 15% pay increase to get people to switch jobs, the latest data from Gartner’s 3Q19 Global Talent Monitor report shows this compensation premium has declined over the past six months to approximately 13%.

Gartner’s most recent Global Talent Monitor report also shows that only one-third of currently employed U.S. workers indicated they were actively looking for a new job in 3Q19 — well below the global average of 40%. This U.S. number represents a significant drop from a high of 41% in 1Q19, while the international average has remained steady over the same time period.

Additionally, for the second consecutive quarter, 51% of U.S. workers reflected their intent to stay with their current employer. This figure is well above the international average of nearly 40%.

“The dramatic decline in active job seeking that we witnessed in the second quarter did not rebound much in the third quarter, even as employee business confidence and perceptions of the job market remained stable,” said Brian Kropp, chief of research for the Gartner HR practice. “This coupled with companies paying less to entice workers to switch jobs demonstrates additional signs of a tighter U.S. labor market from both the employer and employee perspectives.”

In 3Q19, the number of U.S. workers reporting high discretionary effort on the job — or going above and beyond their regular duties — remained at 21% as in the previous quarter, higher than the global average of 17% and staying above the 20% mark in back-to-back quarters for the first time since 4Q17 and 1Q18.

What Employees Want

Gartner data reveals that compensation has ranked as the No. 1 reason why U.S. employees leave an employer since 1Q18, a trend that continued in 3Q19. Future career opportunities and people management came in as the second and third reasons, respectively, employees cited for leaving a job.

Although wage increases have remained somewhat stagnant over the past few years, companies have an opportunity to retain talent by providing their workforce with new experiences and development programs to help them learn new skills and strengthen their employability. Managers play a vital role as well; by creating environments in which employees feel better connected to the organization, they help strengthen the bond between the company and workers — and create higher performers.

“Faced with less than ideal compensation increases, U.S. workers are looking for other benefits and value they can extract from their jobs,” said Mr. Kropp. “Gartner data shows that even if wage increases remain low, workers will stay on with companies that develop programs which enhance their skills and invest in their professional growth within the company.”

Workplace Strategies to Retain Talent

The unemployment rate remains under 4% with more jobs openings than there are people to fill them. To attract talent and increase the number of workers who intend to stay in their current positions, companies need to develop programs that increase employee satisfaction and engagement, offer programs that workers value most, and deliver rewards that acknowledge workers’ efforts and successes.

Companies can differentiate themselves within the labor market by developing a strong Employee Value Proposition (EVP) that identifies the workplace elements employees desire from their employers, including compensation and benefits, personal development, corporate culture and work-life balance. When companies invest in developing and delivering a strong EVP, they better position themselves to attract talent and heighten employee engagement.

“Talent is a company’s greatest asset and employees the greatest advocates,” Mr. Kropp added. “Developing a compelling EVP that shows true dedication to their workforce’s wants and needs enables companies to boost employee engagement and decrease annual employee turnover by just under 70%. Additionally, a strong EVP also can increase new hire commitment by nearly 30%.”

Global Talent Monitor data is drawn from the larger the Gartner Global Labor Market Survey that is sourced from nearly 30,000 employees in 40 countries and regions. Conducted quarterly, the survey reflects market conditions during the quarter preceding publication.

About the Gartner HR Practice

The Gartner HR practice brings together the best, relevant content approaches across Gartner to offer individual decision makers strategic business advice on the mission-critical priorities that cut across the HR function. Additional information is available at https://www.gartner.com/en/human-resources. Follow news and update from the Gartner HR Practice on Twitter and LinkedIn using #GartnerHR.

About Gartner

Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT), is the world’s leading research and advisory company and a member of the S&P 500. We equip business leaders with indispensable insights, advice and tools to achieve their mission-critical priorities today and build the successful organizations of tomorrow.

Our unmatched combination of expert-led, practitioner-sourced and data-driven research steers clients toward the right decisions on the issues that matter most. We are a trusted advisor and objective resource for more than 15,000 organizations in more than 100 countries — across all major functions, in every industry and enterprise size.

To learn more about how we help decision makers fuel the future of business, visit gartner.com.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Source: WebWire

https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=251605https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=251605

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

The IRS has not yet finalized the ACA reporting forms (i.e., the 1094-B/C and 1095-B/C) for the 2019 tax year, so it is no surprise that the IRS issued guidance this week extending the deadline to furnish the forms to employees and covered individuals (see Notice 2019-63). In addition to extending the deadline to furnish the forms, the IRS also issued transition relief for “B Form” filers that would waive penalties for failure to furnish the B Forms if certain conditions are met.

As a quick background, the ACA reporting requirements are set forth in Sections 6055 and 6056 of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”). Under Code Section 6055, health coverage providers are required to file with the IRS, and distribute to covered individuals, forms showing the months in which the individuals were covered by “minimum essential coverage.” Under Code Section 6056, applicable large employers (generally, those with 50 or more full-time employees and equivalents) are required to file with the IRS, and distribute to employees, forms containing detailed information regarding offers of, and enrollment in, health coverage. In most cases, employers and coverage providers will use Forms 1094-B and 1095-B and/or Forms 1094-C and 1095-C. Highlights of the IRS’s recent guidance are provided below.

Section 6055 Transition Relief

When enacted, Section 6055 served two primary purposes: (1) to allow covered individuals to substantiate compliance with the individual mandate, and (2) to provide the IRS with information necessary to determine whether covered individuals were eligible for premium tax credits on the ACA Marketplace. Now that the individual mandate has been repealed, covered individuals no longer need documentation showing that they were enrolled in minimum essential coverage.

The IRS explained that it is evaluating whether and how the Section 6055 reporting requirements should change given the individual mandate’s repeal. In the meantime, the IRS issued transition relief for the 2019 tax year such that no penalties will be assessed against a B Form filer for failing to furnish the forms to covered individuals if two requirements are met. First, the coverage provider must post a notice on its website stating that an individual’s B Form is available and can be requested at any time. This notice must include an email address and physical address where the request can be sent and a phone number where individuals can get additional information. Second, the coverage provider must provide any requested form within 30 days of the request.

This transition relief will primarily benefit insurance companies providing coverage in the group market, non-applicable large employers, and non-employer group coverage providers (such as multiemployer plans). Applicable large employers sponsoring self-insured plans are generally required to use the C Forms, which combine the reporting obligations under Sections 6055 and 6056. The IRS explains that the transition relief does not apply to forms to be furnished to full-time employees of applicable large employers.

Importantly, the transition relief applies only the requirement to furnish the forms to covered individuals. The B Forms still must be submitted to the IRS by the deadline noted below.

Deadline Extended

As it has in the past when necessary, the IRS extended the deadline to furnish the ACA reporting forms to employees and covered individuals. The deadline to file with the IRS, however, was not extended.

	Old Deadline	New Deadline
Deadline to Distribute Forms to Employees and Covered Individuals	Jan. 31, 2020	March 2, 2020
Deadline to File with the IRS	Feb. 28, 2020 (paper)   March 31, 2020 (electronic)	NO CHANGE

The regulations issued under Code Section 6055 and 6056 allow for an automatic 30-day extension to distribute and file the forms if good cause exists. An additional 30-day is extension is available upon application to the IRS. Consistent with prior extensions, Notice 2019-63 provides that these extensions do not apply to the extended due date for the distribution of the forms, but they do apply to the unchanged deadline to file the forms with the IRS.

Good Faith Compliance Standard Renewed

The IRS also continued the interim good faith compliance standard under which the IRS will not assess a penalty for incomplete or incorrect information on the reporting forms if a filer can show that it completed the forms in good faith. As in prior years, this relief only applies if the forms were filed on time. Thus, filers would be wise to distribute and file forms, even imperfect ones, timely and should document their good faith efforts.

Those that do not file by the new deadlines have a more uphill battle to avoid penalties under Code Sections 6721 and 6722. In that case, the IRS would apply a reasonable cause analysis when determining the penalty amount for a late filer. As noted by the IRS in prior guidance, this analysis will take into account such things as whether reasonable efforts were made to prepare for filing (e.g., gathering and transmitting data to an agent or testing its own ability to transmit information to the IRS) and the extent to which the filer is taking steps to ensure that it can comply with the reporting requirements for 2019.

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** 

Source: National Law Review

https://www.natlawreview.com/article/irs-extends-aca-reporting-deadline-and-issues-transition-relief