Paid time off (PTO), where vacation and sick time are all lumped into one bucket, is a standard employee benefit in many companies today. Many forward-thinking organizations impose minimum time off for their employees to curb burnout, while improving productivity, quality of work and employee retention. For instance, a company may require that all employees take off at least one week, or five consecutive work days. Helps rejuvenate employees. MORE

Deloitte’s Human Capital practice digital leader and global practice leader for HR Strategy & Employee Experience. Crazy about employee engagement and culture – and off the beaten path travel, trail running, big red wines & my family. MORE

Cross-training staff has long been viewed as a way to groom future managers. The intention is to strengthen teams, give employees more opportunities to advance and create redundancies in case key employees leave. Cross-trained staff can provide safeguards for these contingencies. MORE

Why do your employees want to come to work every day? What benefits do they enjoy? For example, you might find that employees like how your company facilitates a collaborative work environment or that they love your community involvement team activities. Your company culture should attract the employees you want, while repelling those who don’t fit your culture. Employee feedback can help to ensure your culture isn’t half baked. Define your benefits. MORE

Have you ever looked in envy at an article online and seen the incredible, bright, and colourful workspaces Google’s 70,000+ employees enjoy on a daily basis? We will delve deeper to uncover what Google have done to transform its human resource processes, have one of the highest rates of employee retention in world, and have some of the happiest employees. Best Company to Work for” by both Fortune magazine and the Great Place to Work Institute a total of 7 times. MORE

If that’s the case, it has the potential to not only affect the employee in question – but also your business. Employees with mental illness: Are more likely to miss work. By helping your employees understand that mental issues are not uncommon, and that they are treatable, you can cultivate an accepting environment that reduces the stigma and minimizes the effects. Train managers on how to spot signs of stress, fatigue, anxiety or depression. With one in five U.S. MORE

If “pawternity” leave isn’t included in your employee benefits, brace yourself. This reality is driving one of the newest trends in company benefits. Also known as “furternity” leave, pawternity leave acknowledges the growing role pets play in employees’ lives by giving them time off specifically to care for their fur friends, or for bereavement after a beloved pet dies. What’s included in pawternity benefits? Pros of pawternity benefits. MORE

If you think your business is too small for an employee bonus program, consider these two questions: Have you noticed less productivity or a decline in employee morale? Are employees underperforming, or have they stopped meeting their goals altogether? So, how can you show employees just how much you appreciate and value them? Employee bonus program basics. First things first: How are employee bonuses defined? Promote desired employee behaviors. MORE

Related : The Arbitration Fight Isn’t Over (Slate Magazine). Companies may think they are ready for GDPR, but their employees are not (ZDNet). While EU organizations have been scrambling to meet the GDPR deadline, more than half their employees are not ready, according to a UK survey from Egress Software Technologies. HotInHR: Arbitration Fight Isn’t Over, Are Your Employees Ready for GDPR? Learn more at the G lossary of HR and Employee Benefit Terms. MORE

If you’re fortunate enough to hold a management position, then you might be unfortunate enough to understand the difficulty of telling an employee that they’re being laid off. When an employee accepts a severance package, they usually do so in exchange for signing a separation agreement. MORE

BenFanning1 : #INC Magazine Leadership Columnist and Speaker: Free report to get the most out of your workforce. BradKarsh : Founder and CEO of JB Training Solutions. Employee_Health : Your source for powerful, practical health and wellness tips for both you and your organization. MORE