Employee Benefits
Describe the importance of employee benefits as a strategic component of fulfilling HRM goals.

Employee benefits are very important in today's highly competitive marketplace. They are function to meet a variety of their personal and family needs for employees and for that reason are highly desirable and sought offer. For human resource managers, they can serve to attract and retain the best and brightest personnel. There are legally required benefits and voluntary ones -- and each has its own associated costs to an organization and complexities. Popular benefits sought by today's skilled workers include health, dental and vision insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, stock options, tuition reimbursement, employee assistance and wellness programs, and all sorts of coverage extensions for family members and domestic partners.

Employee benefits are also important because they are expected. They can provide meaning and value to employees and impact work behavior. Poorly designed and inadequate benefit…...

Yes, employees are replaceable. However, that does not mean they have no value. Genentech and Zappos see the value in each and every one of their employees, and so they provide benefits that motivate those employees to stay with the company (Genentech, 2011; Zappos, 2010). Many of the benefits offered by these two companies are not offered at other companies, so employees want to stay where they are. That encourages those employees to work harder, to make sure they can continue to enjoy their current benefits. The companies also benefit, because high morale and low turnover means higher productivity and lower cost.
3. Incentive benefits that stray outside the realm of a good salary and health insurance can be used at almost any company or organization. People like to feel valued, and when they feel valued they have a better outlook on life, including their job. They work harder, and…...

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References

Armstrong, Michael (2006). A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice (10th ed.). London: Kogan Page

Genentech (2011). Benefits. Retrieved from  http://www.gene.com/gene/careers/benefits.html 

Zappos (2010). Jobs.Zappos.com. Retrieved from  http://about.zappos.com/jobs

Despite offering such a comprehensive benefits plan, Microsoft has not always been in compliance with laws governing these plans. In the case Vizcaino v. Microsoft Corporation the court ruled that the company denied some of its workers benefits under its Savings plus 401(k) plan (SPP) and Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) based on the mistaken assumption that they were independent contractors and therefore not eligible for its benefits.

Even though these workers were originally hired on the basis of being independent contractors, for tax purposes the IS reclassified them as being Microsoft employees. Due to this reclassification the workers requested eligibility for the SPP and ESPP benefits, of which they were subsequently denied. After initially losing the case at the District Court level the plaintiffs appealed, which led to the Oct. 3, 1996 Ninth Circuit Court panel ruling in favor of the plaintiffs. Microsoft requested for this ruling to be reviewed…...

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References

Benefits at Microsoft/Our Benefits Plan." (2007). Microsoft Careers Website. (Accessed April 20, 2007).http://members.microsoft.com/careers/mslife/benefits/plan.mspx

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. (1998). "Employee benefits & compensation updates: Vizcaino v. Microsoft Corporation." Findlaw Website.   (Accessed April 20, 2007).http://library.findlaw.com/1998/Jan/1/127436.html 

Employee's do not have to sue the employer to get this compensation. It is normally paid through an insurance system that is financed through premiums paid by the employers. orkers' compensation premiums are based upon the accident and illness record of that organization. Obviously, larger numbers of paid claims results in higher premiums. The medical expenses are normally covered in full the under workers compensation laws. This is a no-fault system. In it, all job-related illnesses and illnesses are covered regardless no matter where the fault for the disability is placed. The workers' compensation coverage is compulsory in almost all states. In some states, it is elective for the employer. hen this is so, employers who reject the insurance coverage and give up many legal protections. The benefits paid out are provided generally for four types of disability, including permanent total disability, partial disability, temporary total disability and temporary…...

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Works Cited

Chapter 21 -- federallinsurance contributions act. (2011). Retrieved from  http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/26/usc_sup_01_26_10_C_20_21.html .

Receiving payment for time spent not working. (2011). Retrieved from  http://barreralawfirm.com/2010/04/08/receiving-payment-for-time-spent-not-working/ .

Social security programs in the United States - unemployment. (2011). Retrieved from U.S. Social Security Administration website: www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/sspus/unemploy.pdf.

Unemployment insurance (ui). (2011). Retrieved from  http://www.dol.gov /dol/topic/unemployment-insurance/.

Employee Benefits and Services
Employers still elect to offer their employees healthcare benefits despite the ever increasing costs. This they do as a result of; pressure from the labor market, the need to increase or enhance employee performance, etc.

Some of the factors that affect employer spending on benefits include the financial health of both the company and the industry. Given the effects of the recent downturn in economic activity, I am convinced that most employers will not be able to pay out the pension benefits they have promised. Both the state and federal governments should in my view come up with strategies aimed at providing an alternative means of income to retirees who miss out on their pension benefits.

Question 3

Mandated benefits are benefits mandated by an authority that has an obligation or powers to assign the said benefits. Government mandated benefits in basic terms are the various benefits entities are required…...

To address the issue of government mandated benefits it is important for the company to perform a regularly scheduled maintenance check to be sure the company is constantly in compliance. The rules and regulations for government mandated benefits are constantly evolving and changing, leaving even the best intentioned company in precarious positions at times. All it takes is one dissatisfied employee or former employee to lodge a complaint and if the company is found to be out of compliance with government mandated employee benefits it can be extremely costly. It is important for each company to have someone at the organization appointed as the person responsible to perform regular checks with government agencies to be sure the company remains in constant compliance.

The management of employee benefits can be time consuming and costly to a company. For many years the use of web site management options was cost prohibitive for smaller…...

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References

____(2007) the future of employee benefits. Risk Management

Censor, Martin (2001) Employee benefits issues in a changing economy. Fairfield County Business Journal

Harrington, Joseph (1996)Are you insured for benefit errors? (employee benefits)

HRMagazine

(Koen 2011, pp. 61 -- 62)
The piece of literature that was written by Shreman (2006), talks about how employee benefits will vary from one location to the next. Once there is a merger or acquisition, this could be when the employee compensation structure will change. The reason why, is because one company is purchasing the other. This will have an effect on the value of certain investments that the staff will be receiving. At the same time, this is an indication that previous obligations will be adjusted to reflect what is happening with the parent company. This means that in some cases, employees will be receiving greater amounts of benefits. While at other times, this is a sign that there could be a reduction in these benefits. The information from this source is important, because it is an indication that the firm could have a number of different issues…...

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Bibliography

Employee Benefits in the United States, 2011. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Available from: [26 August 2011]

Armstrong, M, 2002, Employee Reward, Chartered Institute of Personal Development, London.

Beam, B, 2001, Employee Benefits, Real Estate Education, Chicago.

Cruz, N, 2009, 'The Influence of Employee Motivation,' Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 13, no. 6, pp. 478 -- 490.

Employee Benefits Issues
Though most people usually have satisfactory relationships with their employers, a significant percentage of employees often have some sort of complaint or grievance against their employers. A grievance is defined as a feeling of discontent, while a complaint, though used interchangeably with a grievance, refers to a less deep-rooted grievance. When an employee has a grievance, the normal procedure is to seek some sort of remediation of the issue or issues from the management about the problem he or she has. However, the reasons of reported grievances can be either real or fabicated. For example, a real grievance may be caused by a wage cut or an increase in working hours, while a false or imaginary grievance may appear when an employer decides to closely monitor his staff when he or she feels that that particular employee is not performing optimally. If the employer does not communicate his…...

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REFERENCES

Halder, G. (2014, September). Risk Manager. Retrieved June 15, 2016, from Graduate Prospects: https://www.prospects.ac.uk

Harris, M. M., & Strauss, L. (2016). The Business Case for Employee Health and Wellness Programs. Retrieved June 15, 2016, from Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology:  http://www.siop.org 

Study.com. (2003-2016). Employee and Workplace Grievances: Definition & Types . Retrieved June 15, 2016, from Study.com:  http://study.com 

Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices. (2013, April). Grievance Handling Handbook. Retrieved June 16, 2016, from Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices:  http://www.tafep.sg

Employee benefits refer to the benefits that either full-time or part time employees get from the companies that hire them.
Target

The package targets team members that work for two and a half days or less every week. They are eligible for health cover after six months. There are other benefits that all other employees get, including free vaccinations for the flu epidemic. They are also eligible for weight watch discounts and a twenty-four-hour nurse hotline.

Starbucks

The benefits mentioned incorporate a base pay that completes health care cover for part time and full time partners that work for an average of 20 hours every week, a bean stock equity in the company, a 401(k) savings scheme that comes with employer matching, reimbursement for tuition services, paid vacation, product discounts and short-term disability.

Land's End

There are life insurance benefits and dental care cover for part time workers. Part time workers and seasonal stuff are eligible…...

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References

Giang, V. (2013, November 7). The Pros And Cons Of Employing Part-Timers. Retrieved from Business Insider:  http://www.businessinsider.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-employing-part-time-workers-2013-11 

Kim, S. (2011, October 25). 7 Companies Offering Health Care Benefits to Part-Time Workers. Retrieved from ABC News:  http://abcnews.go.com/Business/companies-offering-health-care-benefits-perks-part-time/story?id=14805107#7

Human esource Management
Employee Benefits

Making employees happy is vital since it makes employees work better and satisfied working for the company. In this regard, it fulfills HM goals as it lowers turnover rates and employee complaints. Companies ensuring their employees receive the required benefits leads to employees' contentment but failure to do so results into dissatisfaction and quitting of duties. In addition, morals should be very good in the company to make the employees happy; mistreating employees makes them shun work. HMs biggest goal is to keep employees smiling and if employees are happy, even the management is happy and the company therefore runs efficiently. This ensures employees conduct their duties effectively and want to stay in the company.

The sole merit of issuing attractive benefits to employees is that it helps lower turnover rates while helping the firm recruit highly skilled workers at a competitive rate as opposed to other companies.…...

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References

Conaty, B., & Ram, C. (2011). The Talent Masters: Why Smart Leaders put People before Numbers. Crown Publishing Group.

DeCenzo, D.A. (2009). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, 10th Edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Ulrich, D. (1996). Human Resource Champions: The next Agenda for adding Value and Delivering Results. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press.

It would be in the call center's best interest to keep their employees feeling happy and appreciated, which will translate to a better attitude when working with customers (Saunders, 2007). Part of this would include showing trust and responsibility to those who have earned it; in this case, Connie after four years with the company, appears to be worthy of such trust. As well, the company's one-day-per-month sick leave policy could be reworked. It is understandable that the sick days are accumulated on a month-by-month basis, due to the high turnover at call centers, but management could add on benefits for top employees. For example, an employee who has been with the company for a year would earn an additional sick day every two months, with further days added each month as their time with the call center increases.
Ultimately, when it comes to dealing with Connie, and any other…...

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References

Hillmer, S., Hillmer, B., & McRoberts, G. (2004). The Real Costs of Turnover: Lessons from a Call Center.Human Resource Planning, 27(3), 34-41. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Saunders, D. (2007). Appreciate Your Employees Today & Everyday: The Keys to a Happier, More Productive Staff. American Salesman, 52(6), 28-30. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Accounting for Intangibles, Payables and Taxation, Employee Benefits and Long-Term Liabilities
Accounting has certain terms that are common to most accounting systems. Since the international standards are being accepted by all member countries (including the United State by 2014 (Gornik-Tomaszewski & McCarty, 2003), all reporting will be standardized. The terms intangibles, payables and taxation, employee benefits, and long-term liabilities may have similar meanings when the international standards are adopted, but there will still be some differences in practice among the member nations. This essay looks into the representation, measurement, presentation and pronouncements specific to these four terms.

Intangible assets are those which is not acquired during a business transaction. The criteria for such an asset are that it lacks physical substance and that it is not a financial asset. This is why many times this asset is called goodwill (Shoaf & Zaldivar, 2005). However, the text wishes to make a definite distinction…...

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References

Gornik-Tomaszewski, S., & McCarthy, I.N. (2003). Cooperation between FASB and IASB to achieve convergence of accounting standards. Review of Business, 24(2), 52-61.

Schipper, K. (2010). How can we measure the cost and benefits in financial reporting standards? Accounting and Business Research, 40(3), 309-326.

Shoaf, V., & Zaldivar, I.P. (2005). Goodwill impairment: Convergence not yet achieved. Review of Business, 26(2), 31-36.

United States Department of Labor Case Study
Describe the major features of this website and how each feature can be used to monitor employee benefits

The website of The United States Department of Labor (DOL), www.dol.com describes the features of services offered by the department as concerns labor organizations, labor laws and employment in the United States (U.S.). The website has such features as navigation links that point the browser to the various resources on the website, sample questions that have been submitted by the website's visitors, reports, news and other statistical data plus other resources like an events calendar, and a toolbox as well as contact information (DOL, 2013). The DOL website contains a lot of useful information for the employed in the country concerning benefits that they can take advantage of. Specific issues that are of concern to most visitors are highlighted. The areas given most prominence in the website…...

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References

Calvasina, G.E., Calvasina, R.V., & Calvasina, E.J. (n.d.). Determining employment relationships under federal and state law: why should employers worry? Journal of Management and Marketing Research.

Corporate Synergies. (2013). Healthcare Compliance & Risk Mitigation: Managing your employee benefit compliance and minimizing risk. Corporate Synergies. Retrieved from  http://www.corpsyn.com/services/compliance.html 

US Department of Labor (DOL). (2013). Homepage. United States Department of Labor. Retrieved from  http://www.dol.gov 

US Department of Labor (USDL). (2013). Compliance Assistance. United States Department of Labor. Retrieved from

diverse workforce, the question of employee benefits has become increasingly complex. While salaries themselves remain important, other benefits have become increasingly so as workers seek to balance family work responsibilities in ways that -- when most families had two parents, one of whom stayed at home full time -- had not been dreamed of a generation or two ago. The current still-shaky state of the economy joined with recent corporate scandals have made more and more workers interested in the kind of guarantees about pension plans, 401ks or other retirement that companies are willing to give that are distinct from the company's own stock options. The rising cost of health care has made many employees especially concerned with the kinds of medical benefits that a company may offer. And the desire of many younger employees to have flexible hours so that they can continue their education, be able to…...

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References

Ancona, Lisa etal,  http://ccs.mit.edu/papers/pdf/wp032manifesto21C.pdf 

http://home.techies.com/Common/Content/2001/09/17sb_benetelecom.html

 http://jobsearch.about.com/library/weekly/aa032600a.htm 

  /  http://www.aicpa.org/pubs/cpaltr/apr2001/supps/small8.htmhttp://money.cnn.com/2003/12/03/news/economy/jobsurvey 

Discrimination DiscussionThere is some question over whether firms should contribute to the cost of care of parenthood and procreation, which not all employees share (Blanc & Meijers, 2020). Non-parent employees do not have such costs, yet it may be the case that they have to cover shifts or work different roles because they are more available than employees who are parents. Yet employees who are parents are playing an important role in society and they are essentially holding down two jobs because parenting is every bit as much a full-time job as any other full-time jobso in that regard it is fair that they receive benefits (Olsaretti, 2022).However, work-life balance has become an increasingly important topic of discussion in recent years. As the demands of work and family life have become more demanding, employers have responding by offering a variety of family-friendly benefits, flexible scheduling options, and on-site child care…...

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References

Blanc, S., & Meijers, T. (2020). Firms and parental justice: should firms contribute to the

cost of parenthood and procreation?. Economics & Philosophy, 36(1), 1-27.

Olsaretti, S. (2022). Why Socializing the Costs of Children Is Fair to Parents: A

1. The Importance of Employee Retention in Maintaining a Successful Business
2. Strategies for Improving Employee Retention Rates in the Workplace
3. The Role of Company Culture in Employee Retention
4. The Impact of Employee Benefits and Incentives on Retention Rates
5. Challenges and Solutions for Retaining Millennial Employees
6. The Connection Between Employee Engagement and Retention
7. Addressing Turnover and Retention Issues in a Remote Work Environment
8. The Financial Costs of Employee Turnover and the Benefits of Retaining Staff
9. The Role of Leadership in Employee Retention Strategies
10. Best Practices for Creating a Positive Work Environment that Encourages Employee Loyalty and Retention.
11. Exploring the Relationship Between....

Topic Idea 1: The Impact of Employee Retention on Organizational Performance

Explore the positive correlation between employee retention and key business outcomes, such as productivity, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
Analyze how high turnover rates can lead to financial losses, operational inefficiencies, and reputation damage.
Discuss the importance of identifying and addressing the root causes of employee turnover to improve retention.

Topic Idea 2: Strategies for Enhancing Employee Retention in the Digital Age

Examine the challenges posed by the changing nature of work and technology in retaining employees.
Evaluate the effectiveness of strategies such as flexible work arrangements, remote work options, and....

Enhancing Employee Satisfaction: Strategies to Boost Recruitment and Retention

Employee satisfaction is a crucial determinant of a company's success, as it directly impacts recruitment and retention rates. By fostering a positive work environment, organizations can attract and retain top talent, driving higher productivity and business performance. Here's a comprehensive guide on how companies can enhance employee satisfaction:

1. Establish a Positive Work Culture:

A positive work culture is the cornerstone of employee satisfaction. It encompasses values such as collaboration, respect, open communication, and support. Ensure that these values are ingrained in all company policies and interactions to create a harmonious and engaging workplace.

2.....

1. Type of Coverage Needed: Small businesses should carefully assess their specific insurance needs based on the nature of their operations, industry, and level of risk. Common types of insurance coverage for small businesses include general liability, property, workers' compensation, and professional liability insurance.

2. Cost: Small businesses should consider the cost of insurance coverage in relation to their budget and financial constraints. It is important to shop around and compare multiple insurance quotes to find the best value for coverage.

3. Reputation and Financial Stability of Insurance Providers: Small businesses should choose insurance providers with a solid reputation and financial stability....