Category: Employees

  • The one-to-one meetings importance for your team

    The one-to-one meetings importance for your team

    The one to one meetings are usually between the hr manager and the employee. It is a regular check in between two people in an organization. Sometimes, these meetings are between colleagues, mentors, and coaches.

    The employees get feedback and guidance they need to pursue their goals. They come to know where they stand with the help of feedback given by the manager to them. These meetings also bring up space and time to discuss the things that you wouldn’t have discussed because of the busy schedule.

    With the help of these meetings, the manager resolves the issues on hand, improves employee retention, and guides the employees in their development. It strengthens the bond between managers and employees.

    Importance of one to one meetings

    The one to one meetings are the main element of the successful feedback model. The importance of these meetings are defined as:

    Boosts productivity:

    The one to one meetings keep the employee engaged and boost productivity. The employees regularly get feedback on the work done, which helps them to prioritize tasks and activities correctly. It improves the performance of the employee by giving them check in on daily basis. The brief one to one meetings cut the time spent on holding ad hoc conversations, communicating by email, tracking down crucial information. It provides a high level overview of current issues and the progress of the organization.

    Builds strong relationships:

    With the help of one to one meetings, the managers and employees get a chance to keep in touch with each other on the daily basis. They get to know the employees personally. The strengths and weaknesses of the employees come into the knowledge of the manager. These communications help to make the employees feel that their insights and concerns are appreciated and taken into consideration.

    Builds trust:

    The employees start trusting their leaders when they are in touch with them on the one to one meetings. Frequent and consistent meaningful interactions develop loyalty amongst the employees. Building trust doesn’t happen overnight, it requires spending more time with the employees by meeting them regularly. The meetings help the employees to get to know each other better and last longer and more trustful relationships. It also develops loyalty between the manager and the employees.

    Resolves issues:

    Every organization faces issues in the workplace. Employees also face issues in their daily routine. These issues could be personal issues of the employees or team issues. The manager has to make interactions with the employees to identify the issues and resolve them. These meetings make it easier for the manager to figure out the areas of improvement and issues to solve. The employees should discuss the issues with their manager to avoid delay of work and improve the efficiency of work done.

    Improves performance:

    The performance reviews are important to improve the performance of the employees. These reviews update them timely about the improvements needed in the performance. Bi-annual or annual performance appraisals are often too late or too little. Weekly or bi-weekly performance appraisals via one to one meetings allows the managers to ensure team goals will be met. It makes the employees feel more connected to their goals and empowered to perform well.

    Meaningful feedbacks:

    The one to one meetings deliver meaningful personalized feedback to the employees. This feedback helps them to know where they stand and how they can improve their work. It shows the employees what the managers or the top management are expecting out of them and how they can fulfill those expectations. Employees should receive and give feedback to the managers from time to time.

    Drives development:

    Employees with perfectly developed skills work as an asset to the company. Employees can have their own skills, but they have to keep learning and developing their skills to reach their goals. One to one meetings help the manager to know the areas where an employee requires to develop. These meetings provide the perfect time to discuss the personal and professional growth of employees.

    Career growth:

    Employees are always concerned about their career growth. They want to determine how they can do better, advance faster, and what career opportunities they can expect from the organization. One to one meetings help to emphasize these questions of the employees. The manager guides the employees in their career growth by answering these questions. The career growth of employees adds value to organizational growth.

    Aligns organizational goals and objectives:

    One to one meetings help to align the organizational goals and objectives to the employees. Employee goals are linked to business priorities. The approach to employee, team, and business is unique to the organization. These meetings help the manager to keep these goals and objectives into the knowledge of the employees. Employees can now easily link up their goals and the organizational goals.

    Drives smarter business decisions:

    When the manager and employees take a decision after consulting each other’s point of view, it comes out to be the smarter decision. The business decisions should consider the employee as well as the manager. They both play as a team to make the organization achieve its goals. By communicating meaningful information, decision making becomes more powerful.   

  • Ireland Employee benefits

    Ireland Employee benefits

    In Ireland, mandatory employer sponsored employee benefits are limited to a personal retirement savings account, but there are a number of state funded benefits that cover medical, pension, employers’ compensation, and a variety of leaves, including maternity leave. Life insurance (death in service programmes), income protection, medical insurance, dental insurance, and a variety of pension schemes are all common additional employee benefits in Ireland. Subsidized food, extra paid time off, commuter benefits, gym memberships, and bike-to-work programmes are just a few of the perks. 

    Employee benefits in Ireland

    PRSA Facility

    Currently, all businesses in Ireland are required to provide any excluded employees with access to a Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA) Facility. Employees who are not given membership in an occupational pension system within six months after beginning service or employment are considered excluded. The employer is not required to contribute to the PRSA at this time, but they must assist in the establishment of a PRSA for any employees who choose to contribute to their own retirement plan and receive tax relief at source through their payroll.

    Group Life Assurance / Death in Service Schemes

     Supplementary employee benefits in Ireland Many companies would always provide benefit because it is among the most cost effective, the premiums have no tax implications for the employee, and it is of significant value as a protective measure should an employee pass away, leaving their financial dependents in debt or with a significant loss of household income. The amount will vary by industry, but 4 times base wage is considered an acceptable level of benefit. These trusts are set up so that the benefit can be paid out swiftly and without going through probate.

    Group Income Protection

    Although less prevalent than Group Life Assurance, owing to greater premium costs, this benefit is particularly valuable in terms of providing a replacement income for employees who are long term sick or incapacitated and unable to continue working. Insurers and carriers will cover up to 75% of your wages (inclusive of the state disability benefit). Employees serve a deferred term before receiving claims payments; this is typically 26 weeks, but it can be extended to a year or cut to 13 weeks, lowering or raising premium costs. Regular employer and employee pension contributions, as well as the cost of Group Life Assurance premiums for the absent employee, can all be protected.

    Occupational Pensions / Company Pensions / Executive Pensions

     For employers who do contribute to a pension for their employees, there are a variety of frameworks, the choice of which can be influenced by a variety of factors such as the firm’s own framework, the number of employees and projected headcount growth, remuneration and selection processes, parent company practises in other jurisdictions, and indy company practises. For firms who do offer a pension with an employer contribution, the average level is 6%, with a regular employee contribution of 5% across all industries. It is also feasible for employees to make additional voluntary contributions.

    Benefits for employees

    Subsidized Food / Social Committees and Events

    This can range from vending machines to juice and smoothie bars, baristas and coffee docks, onsite restaurants / canteen facilities, and alcoholic drinks at weekends or special events. Sponsored occasions , as well as charity events, are extremely popular.

    Additional Paid Leave

     The possibility to barter other perks for additional paid leave days and other flexible work arrangements is still popular.

    Commuter Benefits That Save You Money

    The company pre-pays for a monthly or annual bus, tram, or train ticket, and the employee reimburses the cost from their pre-tax wage, saving up to 52% over the regular fare. The plan can be run in house via payroll or outsourced to a third party benefits provider.

    Subsidized Gym Membership / Fitness Supports / Sports Committees

    Large firms may have onsite gym facilities; if not, they may collaborate with a local gym or offer subsidized fitness points, through third party benefit providers. Weekly yoga/palates courses may be offered, as well as the formation of regular cycling, jogging, walking events (step challenges), tag rugby, soccer, and GAA (Hurling, Football) teams on site.

    The Workplace Cycling Program

    The company pre-purchases bicycles and related safety equipment up to the value of €1,000, and the employee reimburses the cost from their pre-tax earnings, saving up to 52% of the typical cost. The system can be run in-house using payroll or outsourced to a third party vendor. Has proven to be a big hit.

    The State Pension

    Applicants must be 66 years old (67 years old from 2021 and 68 years old from 2028), have started paying social insurance before the age of 56, and have made the required number of social insurance contributions over their working lives, among other requirements.

    Maternity Benefit

    Maternity benefit is a payout made to working and self employed women who meet specified PRSI (Pay Related Social Insurance) contribution requirements on their personal insurance records. Moms’ benefits are usually paid for a period of 26 weeks or a specific number of days off. Employers are not compelled to provide additional benefits, though many do.

  • The organization mangers: Tips to be trusted by your team

    The organization mangers: Tips to be trusted by your team

    The organization suffers when an employee does not trust their manager. The true, fear based rule works, but the employee will only do the bare minimum of work required to keep their employment. Smart leaders understand that engaged employees bring innovation and passion to their work, which means more minds looking for new ways to solve problems or streamline procedures.

    All of this is critical for outperforming the competition, not to mention employee retention: Good employees will not stay at an unsatisfactory job until they believe they have no other options.

    Earning the Trust of Employees

    The Organization may create trust with their employees by being transparent and honest about changes that could affect them; successfully connecting by talking to them rather than at them; maintaining an honest policy and then following up, and being willing to pitch in to help. Taking them out to lunch might be a modest act of compassion that goes a long way.

    Give them your full name, not your title

    You may be compared to or branded as a “manager” depending on the industry and, most likely, the organization. Make it clear to your employees that you are a person first and a boss second. Take appropriate action. Concentrate on the person in front of you, get to know them, and look for opportunities to say “yes” to them more frequently.

    Find out what is most important to your employees

    In all of my years of coaching leaders, I’ve discovered that the most ignored method for developing trusting connections is the most basic. Ask! In order to create trust, find out what is most important to your staff, how they want to be recognized, how they wish to receive feedback, and how they talk. Recognizing and acting on their preferences will help to create trust.

    Effective Listening

    Managers build trust by asking effective questions and then actively listening to employees’ responses. A surface level chat can be transformed into a meaningful dialogue by “drilling” down with questions. Keeping up with evidence that supports employees’ ideas and concerns enhances the manager’s ability to listen.

    Keep Surprises for Special Occasions

    Employees generally dislike unexpected reviews, news, or something serious from supervisors. Managers can establish trust with employees through regular communication, scheduled reports on work productivity, and being open about the organization’s health. When an employee believes they can rely on their management to tell them the truth, it can be motivational and aid in the development of trust.

    First, provide your own trust.

    “The greatest way of finding out if you can trust someone is to believe them, Try trusting your staff first if you really want them to trust you. Give them a task, even if it’s a simple one, and let them finish it on their own. Employees will run through walls for you if they believe you have their back.

    Be Respectful of One Another

    Respect is the simplest way to build trust. It’s a respectful acknowledgement of achievements and openness about shortcomings. It is the link between leaders and teams. Buying it doesn’t cost anything However, each side must make time for it. Daily respect habits such as “listen and care, make eye contact, and admit your flaws” will continue driving interaction and, ultimately performance.

    Demonstrate That You Aren’t Afraid Of Failure

    An unconfident leader sees every former employee as a threat. Any blunder or lapse in performance will reflect poorly on thehr manager , so every employee is viewed as a threat. This leads to selfish, bad behavior and creates an unsafe environment for the team. Trust can only develop in a fear free environment. Every leader must work on their own fear issues in order to focus on team building rather than ego.

    Integrity in Leadership

    As a leader, you can prove your trustworthiness by keeping your word to your employees. Allow them to see your honesty. simply say what you’re going to do, and then do it. Demonstrate that you are leading in accordance with the organization’s values. Reward those who behave honestly. Give your trust and ask for theirs in return. Be trustworthy and honourable, and make it clear that you expect the same in return.

    Allow Them to Manage Some Tasks

    Allow them to be free by no longer micromanaging them. Give them the ability to manage their own activities. Allow them to lead the end of month performance review sessions, and ask them to evaluate and adjust their KPIs. This behavior organically develops leaders within your organization and fosters a sense of personal accountability, resulting in a trusting relationship.

    Request feedback

    Supervisors should be willing to listen to feedback from their team members. Staff members are very often reluctant to share honest advice, let alone with their manager, which creates a barrier. However, if supervisors are open to suggestions, they can gradually cultivate a feedback culture within their team, thereby increasing trust.

  • Cross boarding and Onboarding: what is the difference?

    Cross boarding and Onboarding: what is the difference?

    Cross boarding and onboarding are the methods of recruiting a person to a job vacancy. Both of the methods have different advantages and disadvantages.

    Cross boarding:

    Cross boarding is the process of looking for existing employees in the organization. The employer chooses his talents after assessing who can be suitable for the vacant position. It can be a promotion or change of position. This process leverages the existing resources in the organization to perform the tasks that arise in the organization, rather than searching for new employees outside.

    Onboarding:

    Onboarding is the process of hiring new people on the job vacant. Employer chooses the new employees after several tests and interviews. Employers select the employees that pass through the examination for the job. hr software solutions of the organization are responsible of this process. It allows the outside resources into the organization to perform the tasks that arise in it, rather than appointing the employees from within the organization.

    Cross boarding and Onboarding have their benefits. They also differ from each other. The difference between Crossboarding and Onboarding is as follows:

    Risk factor:

    The risk factor is differentiated on the basis that which method has the high risk involved or not. 

    Crossboarding: The risk is not so high in this method. The cross boarded employee can be less proficient in his job as compared to the previous job. But the risk is still less than hiring an external candidate. Because he worked with the organization in the past.

    Onboarding: The risk is high in this method. The employer doesn’t know much about the new employee. The new employee can be proficient in his job or could be incompetent to the job. He doesn’t know much about the organization, so he will take time to adjust to the new environment.

    Talent and Ideas:

    Each employee has different talents and ideas for the benefit of the organization. This factor differentiates between these two factors as:

    Cross boarding: Cross boarding doesn’t allow new talent. Since the employer selects the employees from within the organization. The employer either promotes or shifts to another job the same talent. New ideas may take place, but will not be something that the organization did not have before.

    Onboarding:  Onboarding allows new talent. This process of selection allows for the appointment of employees from outside. When the new talent enters into the organization, they also come with new talent and ideas. These fresh ideas can be beneficial to the organization.

    Cost:

    The cost is involved in appointing new employees in the organization. It is differentiated on the basis that which method is more cost effective.

    Crossboarding: Crossboarding is less costly. Because the recruitment process is played within the organization, so, it costs less. Because there is no need to pay the salary of a new employee. The company pays the same employee in the organization for another job.

    Onboarding: Onboarding is less cost effective. The recruitment process includes tests and interviewing costs of the hiring of a new employee. After that, the salary of the new employee also gets added into the cost. It takes more time and cost as compared to the cross boarding process.

    Employee retention: 

    Employee retention refers to the ability to retain the employees in the organization. The methods differ in a way that has increased employee retention in the organization.

    Crossboarding: Crossboarding boosts employee retention by keeping the employees within the organization, by just switching the employee from one job to another. It also encourages the other employees who see their fellow employee’s internal transfer in the organization. They may not leave the organization thinking that they may also get a similar opportunity in the future.

    Onboarding:  Onboarding is not that effective for employee retention. When the employer hires new employees in his organization, the retention rate is increased but there is a possibility of those employees leaving the job. But if the employer implements the Onboarding process effectively, the new employees will retain their jobs. As a result, this will increase the employee retention rate of the organization.

    Experience:

    The employee who has worked in the same organization in the past has experience with the same organization, whereas, the employee who is new in the organization may have experienced from the other organization. This differentiates as:

    Crossboarding: In this process, when you hire an employee from the same organization. That employee has a connection with the managers, staff, and the organization in the past job. It benefits the employee to easily get the job because he has relative experience of the work.

    Onboarding: In this process, the employee is new to the organization and doesn’t know about the organization. But he may have work experience from another organization. Which may or may not be beneficial for the organization. The employee has to make connections with the other employees of the team. The employee may require training for the job and can take time to adjust to the new environment.

  • How to mentor new employees

    How to mentor new employees

    How to mentor new employees? A question usually asked by team leaders and CEOs. The answer is: Employee mentoring is when an employee is paired with either a peer or leader to work together on building their skills and work towards their career goals. A mentor provides support to their mentee, giving them the resources, guidance, and encouragement they need to succeed at work. Here are some tips to help you mentor effectively.

    8 Tips to effectively mentor the new employees

    • Set up Expectations and Ground Rules:  When you first meet your mentee, make them feel comfortable by explaining your role and the goals of the mentoring process. Answer any questions they have about the mentorship program. Point out what you expect from them (for example, that they should come prepared with problems to resolve or issues to discuss; that they should show up on time; and that they should treat this as a professional and respectful relationship). Explain what you’re prepared to do for them: provide advice, support, and opportunities.
    • Know your employees management :  It’s important to get to know your mentee. This will help you build a strong relationship and discover more about who they are as a person. You’ll know how they interact with others and so on. Mentoring is more than just asking questions. To truly impress your mentee, you should really get to know them. Use the most career oriented questions to start: What is their work style? What is their dream job? If they could change something at work, what would it be? And so on. But don’t forget to ask the questions that make them unique. For instance, what do they do during their Time off ? What is their favorite food? Their favorite movie? Etc.
    • Schedule time to contact:   How often will you and your mentee meet in person? Can you be available to consult by phone or email/text at any time during the day or evening, or do you prefer doing so only at certain times?  Be clear about your time boundaries. Be available enough to give your mentee the attention and guidance they need, but not so much that they become a nuisance.
    • Listen, Ask, and Advice:  You may be so full of wisdom, but you shouldn’t just give it all out to your mentee. They are not empty vessels! It is unfair to them if you drone on and on, taking pleasure in your own brilliance. First, let them talk. Hear what they have to say before offering your advice. Ask them about their point of view. They can give insights and perspectives that you haven’t considered yet.
    • Be Supportive for their Decisions:  In the mentoring relationship, the mentor generally has more experience than the mentee. It would be easy just to impart your wisdom to them. Except it would deprive them of the opportunity to think through challenges and come up with solutions. It wouldn’t allow them to learn from their mistakes. And you might not know every answer. So be supportive to them in taking their own decisions.
    • Be accountable:  If you tell your employee that you will look into an issue or provide a resource to them, you should do so. However, if they fail to meet their pledge to you, accept it without fuss. Trust and accountability are foundations of successful mentoring relationships, so assign work and attach consequences if the task is not completed. But allow them to express disappointment if you fail to deliver on your undertaking.
    • Celebrate their Achievements:  No matter how much you do for your mentees, there is never enough that can be done. Mentors must take time to celebrate their mentees’ achievements and successes. This will build their confidence and motivation. A psychological need for recognition is satisfied by acknowledgment of success. When you ask your mentee what his or her achievements are, you can create a list of things to celebrate.
    • Help your employees grow:  Mentors have a responsibility to their employees to help them get closer to their goals. Mentors can do this in a number of ways, but the most effective is by recommending a conference or introducing them to someone with experience in the field they wish to pursue. If you want your employee to grow, you must know what areas they hope to improve in.

    Asking for feedback from participants can help you structure the employee mentoring in a way that will continue to benefit those who are a part of it, both as a mentor and the employee, is How to mentor new employees.

  • The 5 Stages of Team Development

    The 5 Stages of Team Development

    The 5 Stages of Team Development, each one represents a step along the team building ladder. It shows how the team members progress from being strangers to each other into a high performing team that works towards a common goal.

    Bruce Tuckman was an American Psychological Researcher who published a theory known as ‘Tuckman’s Stages of Group development’ in 1965. In this theory, he explained how healthy teams bind over time. Tuckman’s model identifies the five stages through which the team development progress: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.

    Tuckman’s stages are centered around his research on team development. Developing high performance teams involves learning how to work together efficiently and effectively. Research has demonstrated that teams go through distinct stages during development. Bruce Tuckman identified a five stage process for achieving high performance teams. Here are each of those stages, the challenges that arise, and how leaders can guide their team onto the next phase of team development and how taking a day off will contribute to that:

    Forming Stage

    Forming is the first stage of the 5 Stages of Team Development . It requires different people with different expertise. At this stage, the team members don’t know much about each other. The forming stage is the period of orientation when everyone is getting to know each other and becoming familiar. Forming stage is where the team discuss things like: team goals, individual goals, ground rules and strategy. The team should share its skills, backgrounds and interests.

    Team needs: Team mission and vision, establish objectives and tasks, identify roles and responsibilities of team members.

    Leadership needs:  Provide project guide and instructions, provide structure and task direction, allow for get-acquainted time, active involvement.

    Storming Stage: 

    This stage is the most crucial stage of team development. It’s inevitable, there’s going to be conflict. The clash arises between the team members when they all have their own individual personalities and work styles. At this stage, they come to know about the flaws of the team members. So they become frustrated with each other and may argue. The performance may decrease at this stage because the energy is spent on unproductive activities. It is the most difficult and critical stage to pass through. In order to get bottlenecked in the storming stage, the team has to work together and play to each otters strength to overcome obstacles and stay on pace.

    Team needs:  Effective listening, conflict resolution, inter and intra personal relationships, clarify and understanding team’s purpose.

    Leadership needs:  Acknowledge conflict and suggest consensus amongst team members, offer support and praise, the concept of shared leadership emerges.

    Norming Stage:

    The norming stage occurs when the team members become more comfortable working together. Team performance increases at this stage as the team members start focusing on team goals and being cooperative with each other. The team starts to notice and appreciate each other’s strengths and the team starts to settle into a groove. Everyone is talking together, helping to solve problems, and remembering to use nonverbal cues such as eye contact and facial expressions. The whole focus and energy of the team members is on the tasks. They have freedom to express and contribute in the activities.

    Team needs:  Offer ideas and suggestions, utilize all resources to support team effort, develop a decision making process, problem solving is shared.

    Leadership needs:  Give feedback and support team decisions, promote team interactions, ask for a contribution from all team members.

    Performing Stage: 

    High performance is the name of the game. At this stage, the team is more organized, mature, and well functioning. The consensus and cooperation are well established at the performing stage. The team is now comfortable working together, has strong relationships built, and streamlined their processes. The team reaches peak productivity and quickly runs towards the end goal. True interdependence is the norm of this stage of team development. The team needs to be flexible as the team members adapt to meet the needs of the other team members.

    Team needs:  Maintain team flexibility, measure knowledge performance, move in the collaborative direction, provide information and results.

    Leadership needs:  Observing, acquiring, and fulfilling team needs, offering positive reinforcement and contact support, collaborative efforts amongst team members.

    Adjourning Stage: 

    This is the final stage of team development from the 5 Stages of Team Development. This stage occurs when the team has completed the project and the team members now have to move on to other endeavors. While employees generally feel accomplished at the end of a mission, they may also feel disappointed that the experience is over especially if they made close relationships with the team members. When they wrap up the project as whole and complete the final tasks and documentation. They are also debriefed and discuss what went well and what could be improved on the projects in the future.

    Team needs:  Evaluate the efforts of the team, tie up loose ends and tasks, recognize and reward team efforts.

     Leadership needs:  Help the team develop options for termination, reflection and carry forth collaborative learning to next opportunity.

  • Employees’ Mental Health: How To Support Your Team Wellness

    Employees’ Mental Health: How To Support Your Team Wellness

    Employees’ mental health is a vital issue when building a productive workforce in your office or forming a team from scratch to achieve your targets as a team. In this article, we will try to understand the importance of employee mental health and how to create wellness by highlighting the mental health of your co-workers and yourself.

    If you are someone who runs a company, you must focus on the mental health of your employees. This is because, at the end of the day, they are the ones that have enabled the success of your firm, which cannot be possible without proper positivity in the work environment. Hence, understanding the pressure level on your employees’ mental health is a pressing matter.

    Mental Health Importance

    Every workspace has tons of workload and pressure every day. With strict deadlines and never ending revisions to client calls, it can sometimes get on the nerves of those who are working non stop. Even if the output is rewarding, achieving the targets can rather hassle some. And such pressure often leads to many mental health issues, such as depression, frustration, and even anxiety.

    These issues may start small and become significant over time if ignored or not paid enough attention while it is not too late. Hence, to prevent such incidents from happening, it is of greater importance that we start focusing on our mental health and those with whom we work from the beginning.

    How mental health can be affected in a work environment?

    For various reasons, mental health in the workplace environment can impact. Thus, we have demonstrated some possible reasons to create a dent in your affirmative mental health.

    • Stress issues related to work

    One of the topmost fundamental points that can hamper your mental health or your employees is a high level of work stress. This may include very short deadlines and less flexibility from the people working with you or under you. Experts suggest that providing a good amount of flexibility will put less stress on your employees and enable them to be more creative.

    • Traumatic events

    At times, certain traumatic events may occur in the workplace, leaving a mark on your employees’ mental health. An example would be the death of an employee who was on the same team as you are leading and could impact your current employees who were familiar with that person.

    • Social disadvantage

    Furthermore, it is said that the work environment often has social disadvantages based on gender, race, and intellect, which can have a significant impact on your employees’ mental health. This may include harsh comments or indirect comments used by other employees or other behavioral issues and may become a serious issue over time.

    • Monotony

    In addition to that, another very key sign of a work environment issue can be monotony. Working for one particular job hour after hour can be boring and tiring at times. This may lead to a rather longing feeling for the employees, which may develop into a possible form of depression in the long run. Therefore, it is suggested that other incentives, such as financial or non financial methods, be used, which can help the employees have a sense of motivation towards working and an increase in mental health wellness as they have more to look forward to.

    What to do to have positive mental health at work

    • Therapy

    Group therapy is quite an effective method for improving mental health at work. This could include having a session with a therapist where employees can sit individually or in a group and discuss how they can support each other. Similarly, they can have their own therapist in the workplace to allow them to talk openly regarding how they feel towards other employees or the office in general. Therapists can help the employees individually through advice and have personal reports that are totally confidential to them to help keep track of the improvement.

    Having group sessions with all the members can be difficult as many of them may not want to open up in front of other employees. Still, once in motion, this method is very effective for teams in general. They can work out their weaknesses and share the workload and pressure, which helps everyone.

    • Exercise and take breaks

    In addition, mental health exercises and physical health exercises can be one way to promote employee mental health wellness. This may involve having yoga rooms, gym areas, or even a mediation zone in the office for the employees to take a break or day off once in a while and help themselves individually to refresh their minds and bodies from too much pressure.

    On the other hand, taking regular breaks is very important so that the employees aren’t mentally strained due to the workload. Break intervals can be short, such as fifteen minutes, but must be every two hours maximum, as anything above that may just put a lot of pressure.

    To Conclude

    While mental health issues are very serious issues in and of themselves, they can be significantly important in the work environment. Hence, understanding the core reason for its importance and implementing workplace Leave policy that si in the mental health of your employees instead of degrading them should be the first priority. As mentioned above, we tried to list out possible solutions that can help improve the wellness of your employees. Still, it may vary from person to person.

  • Employee benefits in Europe

    Employee benefits in Europe

    When looking for a new job, there are many factors to consider, not the least of which are the benefits available to you as a valued employee. So, how does the United Kingdom compare to other European countries? Let’s see the employee benefits in Europe.

    Observed holidays

    Who doesn’t fantasize about a four-day workweek and an impending bank holiday? In March, April, May, and August, Brits gain more days off as summer approaches. The United Kingdom has six bank holidays and two public holidays per year, which it shares with the Netherlands and Hungary. You may think that’s impressive, but a look at European counterparts may have you sobbing into your bank holiday picnic.

    The Finns get an enviable 15 days off every year, whereas Spain has 14 days off per year and France and Sweden both have 11 public holidays. Employees in Colombia and India have the most public holidays in the world, with an astonishing 18 days. Thailand, Japan, and South Korea will have an additional 16 days off. Consider how much free time you could be spending somewhere if you didn’t have to work. It could be time to start looking for work in another country.

    Working Hours

    Workplace culture and trends are evolving  slowly. While many firms insist on employees reporting to work by 9 a.m., others are starting to see the benefits of flexible working hours. Flexible work schedule not only benefit workers’ mental health and well being but can also boost goodwill and engagement among current employees.

    Did you know that after working for a company for more than 26 weeks, you have the right to request flexible working hours? This is a little known fact that many companies fail to mention when advertising a job, so it’s always worth double checking a company’s policy when you’re approached with a job offer. The average full time working week in the United Kingdom is 33 hours.

    Employee benefits in Europe

    Paid annual leave

    Richard Branson, the billionaire, declared in 2014 that Virgin would no longer have an annual leave policy, allowing employees at the company’s headquarters to take as much vacation tracking time as they wanted. People couldn’t believe what they were hearing and wondered if it was just another publicity gimmick by the media magnate. But how many of you instantly began looking for Virgin job openings while daydreaming about far flung destinations? Either he was employing reverse psychology – give them the option of taking more time off and they won’t out of guilt  or he was on to something.

    The majority of full time workers in the UK are entitled to 5.6 weeks (28 days) of PTO tracking as part of their employment contract, second only to France, which provides 30 days a year. Workers in Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Ireland have only 20 days off each year, but with more public and bank holidays, they get more days off total than Brits. It may sound incredible, but the United States is the only advanced economy in the world that does not provide paid annual leave to its workers, earning it an image as a country with a poor work-life balance.

    Netflix, LinkedIn, and Eventbrite are among the companies that have jumped on the holiday bandwagon. Employees can take as long off as they like. Airbnb takes a step further by providing staff with a £1,500 travel stipend so they can get out and explore the world  it might be time to look for a new career.

    Responding to the different values and requirements of the workforce

    “Employers are becoming more cognizant of the importance of responding to a diverse workforce.” Workers’ benefit needs can be influenced by a variety of factors like age, culture, and family. Employers can obtain greater value from their benefits and ensure their employees are engaged with the perks they receive by taking some time to understand and focus on the varied demographics of a firm, according to Ms. Honess.

    Employers across Europe are adapting their benefits to meet the diverse requirements and values of their workers, according to the poll. While the most prevalent employer provided benefits differ by country, insurances, pension savings plans, staff training, automobiles, and food vouchers are among the most frequent.

    Flexible benefits have a global scope

    While just a small percentage of multinational respondents indicate they have a global employee choice plan in place, nearly a third of those don’t say they’re seriously exploring it. The percentage of multinational respondents who say their company isn’t ready for a worldwide strategy has dropped from 35% to 20%.

    “When dealing with variances in customs, tax rules, and other legislative variables, harmonizing and standardizing flexible benefits abroad can be a difficulty,” Ms. Honess explains. “However, once in place, a global approach can help with employee engagement and benefits alignment, and in an era when the global workforce is so fluid, an international flexible benefits scheme can reinforce multinationals in the global competition for talent.”

  • Employee benefits in Canada

    Employee benefits in Canada

    Although employment laws in Canada’s provinces varied, statutory benefits are generally uniform across the country. Although Quebec may be an anomaly in some areas, employers employing Canadian workers can often develop a common benefits package that is compliant across the country. In Canada guide takes a close look at the labor rules and regulations that apply to Canadian employees. Let’s take a closer look at the Employee benefits in Canada.

    Pensions, statutory and parental breaks, annual vacation , employment insurance, and eye exams are all examples of employee benefits in Canada. Retirement, healthcare, voluntary and flexible benefits, healthcare spending accounts, gyms, and workplace canteens are all examples of supplemental employee benefits. Virtual care, mental health training, and digital health and fitness platforms are among the many benefits offered to employees.

    In Canada, who is eligible for benefits?

    Certain perks are guaranteed to all full time employees in Canada. While Canada allows businesses to fire employees without cause during probationary periods, workers in Canada have greater rights and safeguards than those in the United States.

    Importantly, the concept of at will employment is not practiced in Canada. Businesses can use probationary periods to “test” an employee’s fit, but beyond probationary periods, employers must have at least one valid basis to terminate an employment relationship.

    Employee benefits in Canada, both statutory and common paid time off are available:

    Employees in Canada are entitled to varying amounts of paid time off, depending on their province or territory of residence.

    Employees with at least one year of service in Canada are entitled to at least two weeks of paid vacation every year under federal law. The minimum wage climbs to three weeks after five years of employment. The minimum reaches its peak point of four weeks after ten years. The percentage of salary granted to employees during their time off is sometimes regulated by provinces in Canada. Employees who have worked for at least three years in a row are entitled to three weeks of vacation at a rate of 6% of their yearly salary under Quebec legislation.

    Overtime pay and the minimum wage

    The minimum wage in Canada varies from region to region. Saskatchewan will have the lowest minimum wage in 2020, at CAD $11.45. The current minimum wage in Canada can be found here.

    The cost of overtime varies by area. Employers in some parts of Canada must pay overtime rates for hours worked after eight hours per day or 40 hours per week. Others raise the weekly restriction to 48 hours. While most provinces require overtime pay to be 150 percent of regular pay, some raise overtime rates to 200 percent depending on the number of hours worked. In Canada, employers should be aware that exempt salaried staff may still be entitled to overtime pay.

    Flexible working hours

    After six months of continuous employment with a company, workers in Canada are guaranteed the right to seek new working hours. Employers have extensive freedom to decline these requests, but employees can press the matter if flexible work hours would help them achieve a better work-life balance and would not harm their job duties.

    Personal leave

    After three months of working in the same position, employees in Canada are entitled to personal leave in addition to paid time off. Employers are required to pay for this leave for the first three days. Employers are not allowed to penalize employees who use all of their paid time off.

    Leave because of domestic violence

    Only a few countries provide additional protections to victims of domestic and family abuse. Employees who take leave due to family violence in Canada are entitled to ten days of protected leave, of which five must be paid by their employers. Family violence leave is not available to employees who have been accused of committing domestic abuse.

    Leave of absence for medical reasons

    Employees in Canada are entitled to up to 17 weeks of unpaid vacation for medical reasons such as illness, injury, organ donation, tissue donation, or attendance at medical appointments, including hospital stays. Employers may seek proof from a healthcare provider proving the conditions that prevented the employee from working for three days or more.

    Leave for COVID-19

    In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada offers two types of unpaid protected leave. The first is a two week vacation that protects employees who have been exposed to the virus and need to quarantine, as well as workers who get the illness but only have moderate symptoms.

    Employees who must provide care for a kid, elderly relative, or other family members who require more care but cannot obtain it due to circumstances preventing them from retaining access to their customary care providers can take up to 26 weeks of protected leave.

    On September 21, 2021, both types of leave were planned to expire.

  • Employees benefits in the USA: Complete Guide

    Employees benefits in the USA: Complete Guide

    Resettlement assistance, healthcare, medication, vision, and dental plans; health and dependent care flexible spending accounts; retirement benefit plans (pension, 401(k), 403(b)); group term life and long term care insurance plans; legal assistance plans; medical second opinion programs, adoption assistance; child care benefits and public transit benefits; paid time off (PTO) in the form of holiday and sick pay; paid time off (PTO) in the form of holiday and sick pay; paid time off (PTO) in the form of sick pay, all of the previous are from the Employees benefits in the USA. 

    Healthcare and Insurances

    Certain large employers will face an annual penalty for each full time employee not provided with affordable health insurance by the employer. The amount of the penalty may be reduced if the employer provides this coverage. If larger companies do not provide affordable insurance to at least 95 percent of their full time employees and their dependents, they will be subject to an annualized employer “shared responsibility” penalties of $2,570 (indexed) per full-time worker (less the first 30 full time employees in 2020). Companies may also be compelled through a negotiated collective bargaining agreement or employment contract to provide health insurance coverage to their employees.

    Holidays and Annual Leave are both required.

    Despite the fact that the US government recognizes a number of “national holidays,” there is no federal legislation requiring companies to grant time off for a holiday. Employers, on the other hand, are expected to give employees paid time off to honor national and local holidays. New Year’s Day, Memorial Day (late May), Independence Day (4 July), Labour Day (early September), Thanksgiving Day (third Thursday in November), and Christmas Day are examples of public holidays frequently honored by employers in private enterprise. Employees working on specified holidays are required by some states to be compensated at a higher rate.

    Similarly, no federal law forces firms to provide paid vacations to their employees. In practice, all employers provide paid vacation time to their employees. It could be as little as one week every year during the first few years to three weeks or more for long term employees. Employees who are members of a labor union may be entitled to greater vacation time.

    time off tracking of Maternity and Paternity

    Employee Benefit for the employers with fifty (50) or more employees within a seventy five (75) mile radius have to provide employees with twelve (12) weeks of unpaid leave in a 12-month period for the childbirth or placement of children under the Family Law Act. Employees who are not covered by the FMLA may be entitled to maternity leave under state law. In addition, several jurisdictions offer half compensation during parental leave, and there appears to be a trend toward state-enacted family leave regulations.

    Leave of Absence for Illness and Disability

    Employees may be entitled to unpaid sick leave under the FMLA, which permits eligible workers to take up to twelve (12) weeks of unpaid medical leave in a twelve month period if they are suffering from a serious health condition that prevents them from performing their job tasks. Regardless of the fact that there is no national law requiring companies to provide paid sick leave, a number of states, counties, and towns mandate employers conducting business within their borders to do so.

    Mandatory and Typically Provided Pensions

    Employers are not compelled to pay employee pensions or retirement benefits unless otherwise stated in a collective bargaining agreement or employment contract. Many American firms do offer some type of retirement benefit to their employees, most typically in the form of a retirement savings plan, sometimes known as a “401k” plan, which is a defined contribution plan called after the pertinent section of the Internal Revenue Code.

    Other Benefits That Are Required Or Typically Provided

    Additional benefits, while not compulsory, are generally provided depending on the size and industry of the company. Long term/short term disability insurance, health insurance, life insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, paid parental leave, commuting/travel help, and gym/wellness perks are all popular employee benefits in the PTO in USA.

    Qualified disaster relief payments made to an employee in the event of a national crisis are not taxed. Payments must be for fair and essential personal, family, living, or burial costs incurred as a result of a national calamity. Medical expenditures, childcare, and tutoring costs incurred as a result of school closures, as well as internet and telephone costs, are also eligible. It is not possible to replace lost salaries or revenue.

    Employee benefits supplied under ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act) are not regulated at the state level like most insurance contracts, but employee benefit products delivered through insurance contracts are.

    ERISA, on the other hand, doesn’t really apply to government sponsored plans, church sponsored plans, and a few other instances.

  • How to Stay Healthy While Working Remotely

    How to Stay Healthy While Working Remotely

    Working from home alleviates some of the day to day challenges you’d come across. For example, you don’t have to figure out your outfit for the day. Likewise, there’s no need to check the weather app for sudden downpours. However, it also comes with severe physical, social, and psychological challenges. Health tips include fitness fundamentals. You need to follow a nutritious diet and exercise regularly. People have switched to remote employees over the last couple of years. It’s inevitable with the pandemic. This change has brought a sudden hike in productivity. But, unfortunately, people in traditional offices don’t deliver the same way. While this change is a boon to your company, you shouldn’t sacrifice your health in the process. Even minor interruptions are welcome in an office setting. Nothing prompts you to move away from your desk at home. In this article, you’ll learn how to stay healthy while working remotely. But first, let’s take a look at the challenges you’ll face.

    Challenges of Working Remotely

    Working from home has its own set of advantages. However, they come with a plethora of challenges. Here’s what you can anticipate:

    • Feel isolated
    • Struggle to stay motivated
    • Face numerous disruptions
    • Fail to find a work life balance
    • Burnout
    • Face poor eating habits
    • Minimal physical activity

    Despite the long list of drawbacks, you can still stay healthy while working from home. All it takes is some conscious effort. So let’s take a look at how.

    How to Stay Healthy While Working Remotely

    The challenges of working from home could be physical or psychological. It’s impertinent to maintain your health in these trying times. Here’s how you can make your work life at home easier.

    Maintain a Healthy Diet

    It’s essential to focus on consuming nutritious food while at home. Try to incorporate fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into your diet.

    Experts say healthy food includes eggs, nuts, fish, beans, and lean meat. Try to limit food high in sugar, salt, and fat. It’s okay to indulge once in a while but avoid eating fatty cuts of red meat frequently.

    Stay Hydrated

    It’s essential to stay hydrated. You need to drink fluids frequently. You’ll be susceptible to mood swings and constipation otherwise. So water should be your beverage of choice. However, coffee and tea (in moderation) work too!

    Get Enough Exercise

    Exercise comes with a slew of physical and psychological advantages. You tend to feel positive. A short walk in your local area can elevate your mood. If you can, use a standing desk to avoid long hours of physical inactivity.

    Create a Space for Optimal Comfort

    You should set up a home office that promotes good posture. It can help prevent back pain. The ideal office chair should come with armrests and allow you to rest your feet on the floor. Your hips and knees should be at a 90-degree angle.

    You can also add a cushion that helps the curvature of your back. The monitor should be an arm’s length away. And the top should be below or at your eye level. Larger font sizes also help reduce eyestrain.

    Make Connections

    Working from home makes it challenging to nurture relationships. It’s hard to connect with your co-workers outside the office setting. But, on the other hand, it’s natural to socialize in an office setting.

    On the other hand, working from home compels you to work alone. Therefore, you should make an effort to initiate conversations with your coworkers. It doesn’t have to be about work only. Talk about the new changes or your day to day activities.

    Avoid loneliness by spending more time with your family or housemates. Eat meals together. Take out the board games. Watch a movie on Netflix. There’s so much you can do!

    Practice Mindfulness to Avoid Stress

    Stress is inevitable whether you’re working in the office or at home. Mindfulness helps alleviate some of that stress. This practice asks you to pay attention to the present.

    You have to observe your surroundings without actively judging them. Mindfulness helps you increase your objectivity. You won’t be plagued with negative thoughts and get entangled in them. You’ll rise above it.

    Walk Around

    People often get up several times a day in a traditional office. They grab a cup of coffee or say hi to their colleagues. Working from home somehow curbs that. You can simply ask someone to get you a cup.

    Everything is in smaller spaces. The distance is shorter too. You don’t end up walking often. If you work remotely, you’ll notice you end up sitting for more extended periods. You don’t have the same distractions as office workers do.

    It’s essential to go up and walk around. You should walk for at least 30 minutes a day. It’s highly recommended that you do! It helps reduce the risk of heart diseases.

    Take your furry friend out for a walk. Get a breath of fresh air. This break will rejuvenate you. Take an extended lunch break and go for a walk after your meal. Every minute counts!

    A walk clears your head and combats your lousy mood. It reduces anxiousness and depression. Your work won’t feel like a stump anymore. Get rid of all those mental blocks by walking.

    Find a Work Life Balance

    When people work remotely, it’s hard to differentiate between work and leisure. The thin line between work and life disappears. For this very reason, you should set boundaries. Have a dedicated space for work only. Get a room, if possible.

    Establish a concrete work schedule. Time boundaries will prevent you from overexerting yourself. Assign a lunch break for yourself. Scatter coffee breaks here and there.

    Remember to detach yourself from work after office hours end. Allow yourself to communicate with others around you. Everyone needs time to relax. Don’t take that away from you!

    Final Thoughts

    It’s easy to remain healthy while working remotely. All you have to do is adhere to these eight tips! Consume a nutritious diet, set a schedule, and exercise regularly. These three are essential. The rest will fall into place. Put your emotional well being first. You’ll find yourself flourishing in no time!

  • Internship Programs: Tips for Successful Ones

    Internship Programs: Tips for Successful Ones

    Once you are done with your undergrad or almost about to finish your studies, you would surely start looking for a job for a stable life. That’s when internship programs enter your life. Before you finally land yourself in a complicated field of the corporate world, you start with a small sector of that world, that is internship.

    Internship programs are all about gaining experience in the particular job field you are intending to join, and even though this program is not tough, you still need to know the basics and the rules to do better here.

    Go through this article to know what an internship program is, why you should pursue an internship program, and what are useful tips would help you to be successful in this field.

    What Is An Internship Program?

    An internship program is a limited period of work experience that is offered by a company or any organization. Internship programs exist in different fields, such as non profit organizations, businesses, or even governmental organizations.

    Usually, students get the opportunity to do internships as it is a field of learning, but the experienced ones also get to do internships in new fields as well. If you ask me what an intern actually does, then let me tell you, an intern usually works on tiny projects, learns about the place he is going to work in, exercises their skills, and learns new skills as well. Through internship programs, you might even land a permanent full time job too.

    Internships are usually part time. Some organizations offer paid internships, and sometimes unpaid internships, but mostly they would pay you.

    Different internship programs offer different facilities.

    Why are internship programs important? Yes, why? Because you need to work on your skills if you are going to do a job. At the same time, you would know which particular field would be better for you to join. If you take multiple internship programs in different organizations, it means you are getting to experience different corporate skills, and that is helping you to decide which path you want to choose. In easy words, internships help you to choose your career.

    What Makes A Successful Internship Program?

    Now, before you join in, how would you know that the company you have selected offers the best internship program? No, you don’t. This is why there are some factors that you need to observe during the internship period.

    These are the elements that will help you to understand the condition of the internship program:

    Training:

    Training can be both formal and informal. The training is different in different organizations. The training is provided so that you can work on your skills. Now, you have to observe how helpful they are to you. Are they being friendly? Are they not providing enough material to help you understand the curriculum? Are they giving you excessive pressure with your work? During the training period, you would be given some resources which will help you with your work, and you have to observe how rich those resources are.

    Professional Links:

    One of the major elements of an internship program is the professional development of that particular company. You need to see the links and connections that the company has with other organizations. The stronger the links of a company, the better the internship program, because the facilities are wide.

    Opportunities:

    Internships programs where you only have to work can be pretty boring. You need to see what other opportunities you can find in these internship programs. The opportunities can be fun activities like bars, restaurants, outings, volunteering, and other official activities.

    Reviews:

    Before you join in, make sure you have seen the reviews of the internship programs. You need to check the positive and negative reviews of the organizations before you fill in for the internship.

    These are the elements you need to know before joining the internship.

    Tips For Successful Internship Program:

    Before I give you the valuable tips on how to be successful in internship programs, let me tell you how you can find internship opportunities:

    From University Campus:

    University campus is a fine place where you can get internship offers pretty easily. Your university might hold seminars where they will introduce you to new companies offering internships. You can even get internship news from your friends and classmates as well.

    Stream Online:

    There are certain sites or social media pages which offer internships, and if you are familiar with these, you can contact them for the opportunity.

    Newspapers:

    Not very useful, but newspapers can also provide headlines about internship opportunities.

    Now that you have the sources to find internship opportunities, it’s time duration calculator for you to know how you can actually get those internships:

    • As soon as you start your undergraduate program, you better start looking for internships. The earlier you look, the more efficient it gets.
    • Prepare your CVs and resume for internships.
    • Train yourself for the interview.
    • Connect with people. Form a strong bond with them. It creates a network for you which might lead you to internship programs.

    Finally, it is time to give you the tips on how to be successful in internship programs:

    • Befriend your coworkers. If you have a good relationship with them, they can help you out with the curriculum.
    • Learn from your seniors and the professionals.
    • Start working with a goal.
    • Keep yourself busy, stable, and professional.
    • Be organized, neat, and tidy.
    • Be punctual.
    • Work with ease and keep track of it. Make sure you don’t mess up with the projects you are working on.
    • Take small breaks and don’t get too hard on yourself.

    Even if you get into internship offers, you might not work things out due to your lack of understanding of the whole curriculum. This is why I have provided you with tips on how to be successful in internship programs.

    Conclusion

    There are numerous challenges you might find in an internship program. But all you have to do is to be professional and deal with it by being extremely sensible. Workplace environment vary, so do their facilities and activities, and so does their internship program, but your skills and patience will remain constant. I have provided all the details you would need to know to join an internship program and the tips to be a professional intern in corporate organizations.