Employee Engagement Levels Tied Closely to Actions by Management

What's needed to lift employee engagement levels? Right now, employees do not believe their organizations or their senior management do enough to help them become fully engaged and contribute to their companies' success, according to Towers Perrin's newly released Global Workforce Study. But there are ways to change this.

Efforts to Manage Health Care Costs Succeeding for High-Performing Companies

Make sure you've seen the results of Towers Perrin's annual Health Care Cost Survey. It reports that companies with a rigorous and comprehensive approach to managing delivery of health care benefits are starting to show impressive results in achieving lower annual cost increases than other companies.

Manager Self-Service Has Arrived, Giving a Lift to Talent Management

For most companies, manager self-service applications aren't simply a nice-to-have technology anymore — they're an essential part of organizational strategies to help deliver HR programs across the board. Companies are rapidly expanding their use of MSS, especially to support talent management.

GM-UAW Deal Suggests New Approaches to Financing Retiree Medical Benefits

The agreement by GM and the UAW to finance retiree medical benefits with a VEBA has caught the attention of other employers with large postretirement medical liabilities. What does it mean for your organization? Here's a rundown on some of the key issues.

Global News Briefs  

Europe:

• Employers Cite Cost Savings in Shift Away From DB Pension Plans

United States:

• Median Pay to Outside Directors Totals $174,500
• DOL Issues QDIA Final Rule
• IRS Extends 409A Transition Relief for an Additional Year
• Guidance Issued on 409A 2007 Tax Reporting
• IRS Issues Guidance on Interest Rates for Funding and Minimum Lump Sums