2 min read

Tax Refund Fraud

By Gibson on May 9, 2018 6:30:00 AM

The day you receive your tax return is often a day of celebration. While refund recipients are out celebrating, some are finding themselves a victim of tax refund fraud.

Topics: Risk Management
3 min read

National Safety Stand-Down: Prevent Falls In Construction

By Gary Clark on May 7, 2018 6:30:00 AM

Protecting your employees against falls is one of the most important things you can do to ensure their safety. Year after year falls from elevation are the leading cause of death in construction, with fall protection continually being ranked first on the list of OSHA’s most frequently cited violations. You can help put a stop to these accidents by educating your employees on fall hazards and proper safety measures - not only during the National Safety Stand-Down, but throughout the entire year.

Topics: Risk Management Construction
4 min read

Reading To Lead

By Gibson on May 4, 2018 6:30:00 AM

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Ron Kitchens, Chief Executive Officer at Southwest Michigan First. We hope you enjoy Ron’s wisdom and perspective.

We can all agree that reading changes lives for the better. Isn’t that why we encourage our children to read instead of playing video games? No one would ever say that a person is completely wasting their time by spending an evening at home with a good book. But if everyone knows that reading is transformative, why then are there so few readers these days?

To bridge this gap, the country’s leading companies are starting programs that encourage their teams to better themselves through reading. The retail giant Zappos, for example, has an enormous library filled with books for employees to borrow or even keep. While seminars, conventions, and training courses are all critical to professional development, they have one downside: they are expensive. Depending on your budget, reading may be a great supplement to that additional learning or an inexpensive alternative.

Topics: Executive
2 min read

Global Employee Health & Fitness Month

By Gibson on May 2, 2018 6:30:00 AM

Global Employee Health & Fitness Month (GEHFM) is an international observance of health and fitness in the workplace. Implementing and promoting health and wellbeing is not just an investment in employees, it benefits employers as well. To improve your organizational wellbeing & employee wellbeing, your workplace wellbeing program should focus on the whole person. Based on the book Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements, the following should be considered when looking at employee  health:

Topics: Wellbeing
1 min read

IRS Modification To HSA 2018 Contribution Limits

By Gibson on Apr 30, 2018 6:30:00 AM

On April 26, 2018, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced yet another modification to the annual limitation on deductions for contributions to Health Savings Accounts (HSA).

Topics: Employee Benefits Employee Benefits Practice
5 min read

A Tradition Unlike Any Other...(Turns Out It's True!)

By Gibson on Apr 27, 2018 6:30:00 AM

 

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Brad Serf, Principal at Gibson. We hope you enjoy Brad's wisdom and perspective.

Earlier this month I had an opportunity to attend The Masters in Augusta, Georgia. I think most would agree it is one of America’s iconic events (note I didn’t say “sporting events,” I said “events”). It is like a rite of spring. Each year, on that first weekend in April, we are drawn to this event - the beauty of the course and frequent drama it generates. My first memory of The Masters is Tom Watson’s 2-shot win over Jack Nicklaus in 1977. My mother liked Watson, so I did too. I remember watching the final holes while enjoying our traditional Sunday evening dinner.

Now as much as I enjoy The Masters and acknowledge that it is an iconic event, for years I had found their tagline - “A tradition unlike any other” - to be, well, arrogant. Who do they think they are to make such an audacious claim? There are many great traditions out there!

After experiencing Augusta National, I can confirm it is indeed a tradition unlike any other.

Topics: Executive
2 min read

M&A Employee Benefits Strategies

By Brian Bellware on Apr 25, 2018 6:30:00 AM

In this thriving economy, savvy leaders are preparing themselves to capitalize on Merger and Acquisition (M&A) opportunities to supplement organic growth. According to a recent study from Deloitte, “Corporations and private equity firms foresee an acceleration of M&A activity in 2018—both in the number of deals and the size of those transactions.”

Topics: Employee Benefits Employee Benefits Practice M&A
2 min read

Alcohol Abuse In The Workplace

By Gibson on Apr 23, 2018 6:30:00 AM

Alcohol use among employees or their family members can be an expensive problem for business and industry. Alcohol abuse is linked to issues such as lost productivity, absenteeism, injuries, fatalities, theft, low employee morale, legal liabilities, and increases in healthcare and workers' compensation costs.

Topics: Risk Management
3 min read

The Doctor Is Out

By Tim Leman on Apr 20, 2018 6:30:00 AM

Like the Peanuts cartoon depicts, organizations often have someone operating a complaint department. Most visitors are well-intentioned in their session with the company “therapist.” They’re seeking coaching or advice on a challenging issue and plan to act upon it. Unfortunately, what they often get back is the equivalent of Lucy’s “Eat a jelly-bread sandwich” guidance to Charlie Brown.

Alternatively, they may just be looking to release some pent-up frustration. They’re looking for “a sympathetic ear, and the promise of keeping things ‘between us.’ In many organizations, these therapists seem to serve a valuable purpose – or at least do no real harm,” writes author, speaker, and business leader Mike Paton.

But is that really the case? Does this habit of “complaint departments” really cause no harm?

Topics: Executive
3 min read

Workplace Violence Awareness

By Gibson on Apr 18, 2018 6:30:00 AM

Violence has unfortunately become an all too common problem in the workplace. As an employer it is important, and your duty, to do what you can to prevent and prepare for a violent workplace incident. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 70% of U.S. workplaces do not have a formal program or policy to address workplace violence. An effective program requires the following elements: prevent, policies and procedures, and training.

Topics: Risk Management
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