Nearly half of small business owners are not confident about their own retirement savings; Only 17 percent say they feel an obligation to offer retirement benefits to employees.

A recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of ShareBuilder 401(k) found that just 14 percent of America’s small business owners offer a 401(k) plan and 63 percent do not offer any form of retirement benefits to their employees. Nearly half (47 percent) indicated of small business owners are not confident that they are prepared for retirement.

Few small business owners consider it their responsibility to help their employees prepare for retirement. Only 17 percent of small business owners responded that they felt a strong obligation to offer retirement benefits (a 401(k) or other retirement plan), with 46 percent reporting that they felt no obligation at all.

When asked why they do not offer retirement benefits, 54 percent responded not having enough employees to make it worthwhile, and 28 percent cited the inability to afford a company match (though a company match is not mandatory). While costs appear to be a hindrance for some, 63 percent of respondents said they had no idea what a 401(k) plan would cost to administer.

Aside from helping America’s small business owners and their employees prepare for retirement, 401(k) plans are also considered a competitive advantage. Of those small businesses that do offer 401(k) plans, 70 percent reported they are important in attracting and retaining employees.

If you are interested in reducing the burden and cost of providing a 401(k) plan to your employees, contact a StaffScapes representative to discuss the benefits of partnering with us. You can contact StaffScapes at (303)466-7864 or info@staffscapes.com.

Survey reports large percentage of employees go to work sick.

The Workforce Institute™ recently announced the findings of a new survey conducted by Harris Interactive®. According to the study "Sick at Work", an overwhelming 98 percent of employees working full time have gone to work when they were sick. The survey of more than 1,000 U.S. employed adults demonstrates that "presenteeism" (sick employees showing up for work) is an issue impacting both employers and employees.

The "Sick at Work" survey also delved into the causes behind presenteeism and how employers can address the problem. The most-cited responses when asked why they go to work sick were: I feel guilty for calling in; my workload is too heavy; I save my sick time for personal reasons like family emergencies, sick children, parent care issues and other unexpected events; and I try to have perfect attendance.

The survey also found that presenteeism can have a negative impact on all employees in the workplace. Some employees agreed that when employees come to work sick, it creates a work environment where they are afraid of getting sick, it makes them upset with their employer for not encouraging sick employees to stay home, and it sets a precedent where employees feel like they must go to work even if they are sick. As part of the survey, employees offered advice to employers on how to create a healthy work environment. Employees suggested that they not be penalized for calling in sick, and that employers offer paid time off (PTO) programs that give employees a bank of time to use at their discretion.

Smokers take between 3 to 6 breaks per day.

A survey by the National Business Group on Health reports that nearly fifty percent of smokers say they take between three and six smoke breaks per day at work, with more than two-thirds of those employees reporting that the breaks last between five and fifteen minutes. The survey polled 508 employers and 510 employees who smoke.

"While we all intuitively know that smokers taking cigarette breaks cuts into their productivity at work, we learned from this survey that the extent of time lost at work due to smoke breaks could be staggering," said Ron Finch, vice president at the National Business Group on Health.

Employers in the survey ranked smoking the leading preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States. Most of these employers believe that establishing smoke-free workplaces is the best way to encourage smokers to quit, but the survey found that employees who smoke believe access to smoking cessation benefits would help them most.

Eighty percent of Employee satisfied in Current positions,Nearly eight out of ten employees reported overall satisfaction with their current positions, according to the 2007 Job Satisfaction Report released by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). According to employees, compensation and pay, benefits, job security, flexibility to balance work/life issues, and communication between employees and senior management were the top five contributors to job satisfaction.

Pinnacol survey finds customers are more satisfied then ever.

In a recent survey of customers Pinnacol Assurance received it highest satisfied customer rating in years. Pinnacol received a 9.0 out of 10 for customer satisfaction of existing clients. Customers saying that they would return gave Pinnacol a 9.3 rating.

The past few years Pinnacol has strengthened its customer service department and claims management departments. Like any large company turnover in key departments will continue to be a problem for Pinnacol.

Not satisfied with your current workers compensation carrier? Contact StaffScapes to learn more about our workers compensation policy at 303-466-7864.