ADDING and REPLACING Uneasy Workers Don’t Appreciate the Value of Benefits
Business Wire, Nov 23, 2009
Prudential Study Shows Linkage between Communications and Employee
Perceptions
NEWARK, N.J. — Add after last graph of release: Group Insurance benefits are issued by
The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Newark, NJ. Prudential and
The Rock logo are registered service marks of The Prudential Insurance
Company of America.
0164459-00001-00
The corrected release reads:
UNEASY WORKERS DONT APPRECIATE THE VALUE OF BENEFITS
Prudential Study Shows Linkage between Communications and Employee
Perceptions
U.S. workers feel uneasy and less positive about the workplace and the
value of their employee benefits, according to a research report
released by Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU).
The study, Show
Them the Value, found more workers feel their employers are
cutting back on benefits, a perception that negatively affects their
attitudes toward the value of the benefits.
Employees must first be aware of the benefits, and really understand
them to appreciate the value of those benefits, said Lori High,
president of Prudentials Group Insurance business. And, for benefits
to have a positive effect on an employers recruiting and retention
results, they must be thoroughly explained and promoted throughout the
organization.
Show
Them the Value provides insight from benefits plan
participants, benefits plan sponsors, and benefits brokers and
consultants. High said the findings can be used to help employees
prepare for annual enrollment and to support employers business
planning and strategy development. Additional findings on the perceived
value of employee benefits include:
-
A clear linkage exists between the effectiveness of employee
communications and the perceived value of benefits. Workers who rate
their benefits communications as highly effective see greater value
in their benefits package. -
Communications can have as much impact on worker satisfaction with
benefits as the range of benefits offered or the perceived dollar
amount of employer contributions. -
Those who give high marks to their benefits communications are also
more favorable toward voluntary benefits or benefits where the
employee pays 100% of the cost. -
A majority of employers and workers agree that existing communication
efforts are not highly effective.
Benefits budgets are under pressure so its important to understand the
value of the total benefits package and the financial investment made by
the company, High said. Brokers can play an important supporting role
in improving the effectiveness of benefits communications and education.
High said workers and group plan administrators are finding it difficult
to navigate the myriad of benefits options and administrative details
involved in selecting a group insurance plan. Prudential is addressing
the varying needs of a changing and demanding workforce with employee
communications that are based on employee demographics, according to
High.
Prudentials suite of voluntary benefits promotes employee choice and
help employers contain costs. To support benefits administrators faced
with reduced staffing, Prudential provides administration programs
including absence management, return to work strategies and the support
with issues relating to the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Prudentials Show
Them the Value, the last in a series of five, stems from the
companys broad Study
of Employee Benefits: 2009 and Beyond report which was
fielded via the Internet during April and May of 2009 and consists of
three distinct surveys: one among benefits plan sponsors, one among
benefits plan participants, and one among employee benefits brokers and
consultants. The surveys were conducted for Prudential by the Center for
Strategy Research, Inc., a Boston-based, independent, market research
firm. Click here for a copy of Show
Them the Value.
Prudential Financial, Inc
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Insurance Auto Auctions Leads Amending Utah Legislation
Business Wire, March 25, 2009
Further Expanding the Salvage Buyer Base in State
WESTCHESTER, Ill. — Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc. the leading North American automotive and
specialty vehicle salvage auction company, today announced the passing
of Utah Senate Bill 193. The Bill addresses who can purchase salvage
vehicles in the state. Revisions to the law expand who can purchase
salvage and who is required to obtain a Salvage Buyer License (SVBL).
IAA led the effort to amend and revise the Utah Law and lobbied for its
passing within the General Assembly. The revised laws will continue the
responsible expansion of the salvage industry and ensure a healthy,
competitive bidding environment for vehicle sellers and buyers.
The revised law expands who can purchase salvage to include any
out-of-state or out-of-country buyer that are authorized to purchase
salvage in their respective jurisdiction, any in-state buyer registered
to do business in Utah or has a Utah sales tax license, and a public
buyer with a purchase limit of five vehicles per year.
We are pleased with our revision efforts and the passing of Utah Senate
Bill 193, stated Tom OBrien, CEO of IAA. The continued success of the
salvage industry depends on its ability to grow and the continued
support of a robust selling, bidding and buying environment.
The passing of Utah Senate Bill 193 is a win for all parties,
commented Kate Bradshaw, Utah Lobbyist and Government Relations
Specialist with Parsons, Behle & Latimer. The revisions to this law
received early support and will provide the industry with additional
growth opportunity.
IAA works in concert with state and federal governments to facilitate
legislation and regulation that ensures responsible business conduct and
continued healthy expansion of the salvage auto auction industry. IAA is
in the process of reviewing bills in several other states to benefit the
industry and all of its participants.
Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc. is leading the salvage auto auction
industry in North America by providing the largest facility footprint,
strongest buyer base and highest selling returns. IAAs exclusive focus
on the salvage auto auction industry and over 150 corporate owned
facilities across the United States and Canada provides suppliers and
buyers with the best solution to process and acquire total-loss,
recovered-theft, fleet lease and rental vehicles
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Giving the Gift of Wellness: InnerRewards.com Launches Holiday Gift Packages for Thoughtful Shoppers
Market Wire, November, 2009
InnerRewards ( innerrewards.com ) — the premier
online destination for health and
wellness shopping and information — is today unveiling a series of
new, salon-grade packaged gift
sets of lose weight/fitness finds, stress reduction packages, and
high-end cosmetic/skin care packages for the holiday season. The packages
can be found at innerrewards.com/eshop .
Each gift set is exclusive to InnerRewards and has been carefully crafted
by health and wellness experts
in thoughtful sets for the holiday season. Whether your loved ones need
help at reducing stress, rejuvenating weary bodies, toning up or soothing
red, puffy eyes for the new year, each package makes for a caring holiday
gift and range in price between $50 and $250 — something to fit every
budget.
“The holiday season is stressful enough without adding ‘ find the perfect gift ‘ to
your to-do list,” said Julie Elaine Brown, founder of InnerRewards.
“InnerRewards makes it easy with our exclusive gift packs aimed to maximize
health benefits and minimize your costs — a smart and thoughtful way to
show you care. Give the gift of wellness this season!”
Products sold separately retail for more than InnerRewards’s gift set
combinations and have not been packaged together in these solution-oriented
gift sets before. Some examples include:
Stressed Out Shopper
Includes Molecular Mist which provides antioxidant support and hydration, a
shea based lip treatment, Intelligent Nutrients Attune Aromatic spray, a
healthy chocolate bar by Intelligent Nutrients to keep you going guilt-free
and just in case the stress breaks you out, FixIt blemish treatment comes to the
rescue.
Pilates 101 in a Box
Includes the basic essentials for a home or travel Pilates regimen: water
bottle, alignment mat, and Alycea Ungaro — trainer to the stars –
Everyday Pilates book/DVD.
Diva on a Dime
Chic Flic to-go Whitening Pen for the teeth, Eyelash Revitalizer to grow lashes, No
Scream Cream to numb delicate areas for waxing and Lip Plumper for fuller lips.
According to Brown, “These groupings are exclusive to InnerRewards and
cannot be found anywhere else. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill holiday
gift sets. We’re talking uber-high-end, hard-to-find, new, salon-grade
products that are simultaneously whimsical, fun, and — most of all –
promote good health.”
About InnerRewards:
InnerRewards is the first complete online wellness community and e-commerce
platform that connects businesses with new and existing customers.
Consumers can collect information, connect with one another and buy
products and services, while wellness providers can reach new
customers, build their brand and drive sales via innovative and measurable
online marketing techniques. Founded in 2008 by Julie Elaine Brown, former
new media executive for Johnson & Johnson, InnerRewards includes a team
with experience at companies such as PayPal, Yahoo!, Apple, Sephora and
Razorfish
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Commentary: Restoring the Cricket II
Long Island Business News, Nov 23, 2009 by Jeff Miller
“Jaws” swims on.
Thirty-four years after the blockbuster was released, the movie and its offshoots are still scaring the bejesus out of people and earning a lot of money doing it.
There are Jaws theme parks in Orlando, San Francisco and Japan. There’s a documentary. There are toys, posters, games, T-shirts and fan clubs. Martha’s Vineyard hosts JawsFests.
All of which screams that a monument to Montauk fishing with the Cricket II as its centerpiece simply has to happen.
To explain:
Frank Mundus was the legendary Montauk shark hunter who was the basis for the crusty, crazed Capt. Quint in the movie. Mundus died a year ago and his boat, the Cricket II, upon which the movie’s Orca was based, went to auction. It was bought for $51,750 by Jon Dodd of Rhode Island, who has begun renovation.
Meanwhile, however, efforts to keep the boat here as part of a monument to Montauk fishing were under way. At the helm was Henry Uihlein of Uihlein Marine in Montauk, where the Cricket II has been berthed.
As a result, the two men ended up at odds. That’s unfortunate because they have a lot in common. Most importantly, they both had fond connections with Mundus dating back to their childhoods. “My father had that effect on a lot of young men,” the captain’s daughter, Patty Mundus of Greenport, told me last week.
Dodd, who won the auction, was 13 when he started writing Mundus letters, offering to swab decks if he could go along on a shark- hunting expedition. “He was my Mickey Mantle,” Dodd said.
Same sort of thing for Uihlein. “As a kid I saw those sharks being pulled,” he recalled. “There was a lot of excitement. He gave me sharks’ eyes and taught me how to make marbles out of them by burying them.”
Uihlein went on to run the marina where the Cricket II was kept. “Frank trusted me with the boat,” he said. “He came to me two or three days before he died and told me to take care of it. He wanted the boat here.”
The captain’s daughter agrees. “I like the idea of the Cricket remaining in Montauk, not just as a memorial to my father,” but as part of a monument to Montauk fishing.
Uihlein said he’d succeeded in getting the county to donate a piece of land to that end, but now the campaign is scuttled. The money’s not there and “the boat is gone,” he said. “It’s no longer Frank’s boat.”
Patty Mundus agrees. “It’s very unfortunate it’s already been taken apart,” she said. “It was in sort of artifact state before. Now the whole boat’s been gutted.”
Dodd says he didn’t know about the memorial idea when he won the auction and began restoration. When he did hear, he said he would be willing to part with the Cricket II if his $71,850 investment could be reimbursed. More recently an unnamed Montauk accountant sent him an e-mail suggesting he could cover his costs by donating the boat to Montauk. That interests him.
“I’ve been reading the comments about what a shame it is, etc.” Dodd said
kayaks
People in motion, Nov. 22
0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Nov 22, 2009 | by Anonymous
Appointments
Valerie Brown, president of the National Association of Counties, announced the appointment of Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty to chair its Transportation Steering Committee. The committee creates and advances the transportation agenda of NACo and county governments.
Boards
The Contra Costa Child Care Council has appointed two new board members, Matt Regan, director of government relations and early childhood education for the Bay Area council, and Tracy Teale, audit manager and CPA for RINA Accountancy Corporation, San Francisco.
Finance
RS Investments, a San Francisco-based investment management firm has named Kevin Booth, CFA, co-portfolio manager of RS High Yield Bond Fund.
Insurance
EPIC (Edgewood Partners Insurance Center), San Mateo, a retail property, casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage, has appointed Kenyon C. Hall as principal. Hall will be based in Atlanta.
Edgewood Partners Insurance Center appointed Joe Vineis as principal in its San Francisco office. Vineis’ responsibilities at EPIC include new retail clients and managing the development of risk management and insurance programs.
Ray Mizrachi, a Farmers Insurance agent in Concord, and Gabriana Marks, a Farmers Insurance agent in Pleasant Hill, have completed the Career Agents Course at the University of Farmers.
BB&T; Tanner Insurance Services of California Inc., has named David M. Hicks as assistant vice president for its Pleasanton office. Hicks will be responsible for the office’s business development in transportation.
Legal
Cheryl Carmo, with the law offices of William A. Resneck, Orinda, was awarded the ADR Certification for Paralegals and Legal Administrators by the JAMS Institute of San Francisco
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Pair brought back to earth
Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), Nov 18, 2009
Byline: SARA NICHOL
THIS is the moment two stranded window cleaners were rescued amid high winds.
The pair were stuck 30ft up the side of a building after the machine carrying them broke down.
Seven fire crews attended the scene at the Job Centre offices, opposite the Chronicle headquarters, in the Groat Market, Newcastle.
The two men became stranded as they washed windows on the building shortly before 9am yesterday.
Paramedics also attended, but neither man was hurt, after they were quickly brought down by firemen who used an aerial ladder platform to reach them.
A spokeswoman for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue said: “We were called to the Job Centre at 8.50am where two window cleaners were stuck in a cleaning cage four storeys up.
“We had seven appliances at the scene including our specialist rope rescue team. Police and ambulance were called.”
The two men were brought down safely at 9.20am.
A Job Centre employee said: “I am on the fifth floor and I could see the window cleaners just sitting in the cradle. I wouldn’t have liked to be stuck that far off the ground!” A spokesman for the North East Ambulance service added: “We were called to assist at the scene by the fire service.
“We were there as a precautionary measure and requested by the fire service to remain at the scene on standby while the rescue was carried out.
“There were no injuries to the two men and neither had to be taken to hospital.”
CAPTION(S):
HIGH POINT: the men are rescued and returned safely. GOING UP: A firemen reaches the window cleaners stranded in their cradle
Gaps in Knowledge About Their Customers Are Hampering the Efforts of Some of the World's Top Companies to Pull Out of the Recession, Says The Boston Consulting Group
Market Wire, November, 2009
Nearly 90 percent of blue-chip companies are not
making the most of their market-research efforts, according to a new report
released today by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
The report, titled “The Consumer’s Voice — Can Your Company Hear It?”
offers stark evidence that even large blue-chip companies lack basic
knowledge about their customers. In a survey of more than 800 executives
based at 40 global companies with sales of $1.5 billion or more, only 35
percent said that they have good time-series data on how consumer needs and
behavior change over time. Just 47 percent said they know what drives
market share, who is buying, and why. And less than 45 percent said that
their market research — or “consumer insight,” as many companies now call
it — is a source of competitive advantage or provides a high return on
investment.
At the same time, many companies are failing to leverage the data they
have. Most respondents (72 percent) said they use consumer insight to help
with the development of new products and marketing messages, yet only 30
percent use it to help decide channel and distribution strategy. Only 33
percent use it as an input to their financial forecasts, and only 38
percent use it to drive pricing.
“Consumer insight is critically important now, as companies are fighting
for their share of a shrinking consumer wallet,” said Mary Egan, a partner
in BCG’s New York office and leader of the benchmarking study. “Only
companies with the sharpest focus on understanding consumer value will
retain customers in this environment.”
The report is based on a 2009 study comprising of a survey of more than 800
executives (about half in the consumer insight function and half in line
management), nearly 200 interviews with executives, and benchmarking data
collected on the companies’ structure, staffing, and spending. The 40
participating companies were all large global corporations (with sales of
at least $1.5 billion) in consumer-facing industries such as packaged
goods, financial services, retail and apparel, travel, and technology.
Many Frustrations with Consumer Insight
According to BCG, many companies continue to run the consumer insight
function with an old-world mindset that asks market researchers simply to
take orders rather than to act as strategic partners generating
breakthrough insights. The result is a low return on a consumer insight
investment that can total hundreds of millions of dollars.
The root causes for consumer insight frustrations lie both within the
insight function and among executives in the rest of the company, as shown
in strikingly contrasting responses to the survey. For example, 73 percent
of consumer insight staff said that they always answer the question “so
what?” about the data they provide — but only 34 percent of their
counterparts in the business units agreed with them. Meanwhile, less than
half of consumer insight staff believe that senior management would pass “a
pop quiz on basic facts about the consumer.”
Better insight capabilities will require change on both sides. “Companies
must upgrade the insight team’s performance, while concurrently improving
how line management engages with the insight organization,” said Emmanuel
Huet, Paris-based leader of BCG’s Center for Consumer Insight and a
coauthor of the report.
Closing the Gap on Insight Performance
The answer to better insight performance is not just to spend more money.
Despite the fact that only 28 percent of executives believe they spend
enough on market research today, the study found no connection between
spending as a percentage of sales and insight performance. Instead,
companies need to maximize the benefits of their current research spending
by adjusting the mix of tactical versus strategic work and by investing
time in synthesizing the results.
Paradoxically, the best companies actually spend less on consumer insight
per full-time insight employee. As a result, the insight team is not forced
to hop from study to study and instead has time to effectively draw out
strategic implications from the research through structure and analysis.
The best companies also do more to invest in people. “Giving the insight
team a seat at the table both requires and enables them to rise to the
occasion. This means upgrading the performance of the insight organization
by addressing such issues as hiring and talent, career paths, and
training,” said Kate Manfred, a Chicago-based principal and a coauthor of
the report.
Improving Engagement with the Business
The top companies in the study all demonstrated a higher quality of
engagement between the insight teams and executives in the rest of the
business, driven by four key principles:
1. Ensure an appropriate interface with senior executives
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Commentary: A grace period for juveniles
Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Nov 22, 2009
The Supreme Court recently heard argument in the cases of two Florida inmates who are serving life sentences without parole for crimes committed when they were teenagers. Harris Sullivan was convicted of two counts of sexual battery committed when he was 13. He is now 34. Terrance Graham, 22, received a life sentence for an armed robbery conviction at the age of 17. Attorneys for Graham and Sullivan argued that sentencing teenagers to life sentences for non- homicidal crimes amounts to cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment.
The crux of the argument for the defenders of Florida’s law is that the heinous nature of some crimes justifies the extreme sanction, regardless of the age of the offender. On their justice scale, the more shocking the crime, the more points a child accumulates towards adulthood until “poof,” before our eyes, the 13- year-old magically becomes little big man with the intellect, emotional maturity and judgment of an adult.
This legal fiction is promoted despite scientific evidence to the contrary: that more than chronological age, there are major developmental differences between children and adults which, in good conscience, cannot be ignored in addressing delinquent behavior. We acknowledge these differences in our rational system of laws that deem minors under a certain age too immature and lacking in judgment to enjoy privileges reserved for adults like voting, using alcohol and tobacco, serving in the military, driving, or even dropping out of high school. Yet, we conveniently ignore these truths in order to rid ourselves of clearly troubled youth, who too often are disproportionately poor and minority.
We should cringe when our children commit horrific crimes, but exiling them before they have had a chance to grow up is a cop-out. We have long understood the corrupting influences of the adult world on our children. Yet, we do little to insulate them
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Leaves can become inexpensive mulch.(Home Garden)
0 Comments | Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), November, 2009
Q. During fall, everyone throws out bags of leaves. IAEve heard that recycling leaves is good for your garden.
A. Each year, yard waste accounts for more than a million tons of our stateAEs solid waste. Why not rethink the whole concept of garden rubbish and the ecosystem? Leaves provide a terrific, free soil conditioner. As the leaves begin breaking down, they provide a home for earthworms and an array of insects; earthworms is a good indicator of healthy soil.
There are several ways you can recycle leaves. Till the leaves directly in the garden, or shred the leaves with your lawn mower and use as mulch. Shredding helps break down the leaves much more quickly; this makes it easier for microorganisms to do their work
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Insurance Tips for Parents of College-Bound Students
PR Newswire, August 18, 2009
DARIEN, Ill., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The dorm supplies are packed in the car and the semester’s tuition is paid, but are your insurance policies ready to go with your child to college?
Insure.com offers these tips for making sure your college student is properly insured.
Car insurance:
-- If your child is taking a car to school, you must notify your
insurance company if the car will be garaged at another location. This
could alter your premium either up or down. Failure to reveal such a
change can jeopardize a later insurance claim.
-- If your student owns a car, he or she must have his or her own car
insurance policy. Again, inform the insurance company if the car will
be located away from home.
-- If your student is not taking a car to school, you can likely save
money on car insurance premiums. Notify your agent that your child is
now driving the car only occasionally and ask that your bill be
adjusted accordingly.
Home insurance:
-- Check with your home insurance company to see if you have adequate
coverage for property in a student's dorm -- especially if your child
has an expensive computer and other costly electronics.
-- Parents' home insurance does not extend to an off-campus apartment
rented by your child; for that they'll need renters insurance.
Health insurance:
-- Most health insurance plans will allow your dependents to remain on
your plan until they reach a certain "cutoff age" (usually 23 to 25
years old). However, the plan may also require that your child attend
school full-time in order to remain insured.
-- If you have a managed care plan, such as an HMO, it will have
geographical doctor-network limits. That means the health plan might
be worthless far away from home and outside the plan's network of
providers, except for emergency room visits.
-- Find out what the college health plan covers. Visits to the college
health center are usually free, and your student will have a
co-payment for lab tests, X-rays and prescriptions.
-- Find out if the college health plan covers pre-existing conditions and
whether there is coverage during school vacations.
-- If your child is a college athlete, he may not be covered for injuries
sustained during practice or a game. Check your health insurance
policy to determine if your child is covered in the event of a
sports-related injury.
Life insurance:
-- Would your child be able to continue college in the event of your
death? If you don't have a sufficient amount of money in savings or
other assets to cover the college years, consider buying a term life
insurance policy for the duration of your child's college education.
For more, see “Proper insurance coverage for college-bound children” at http://www.insure.com/car-insurance/college-student-insurance.html and “Health plans for college students” at http://www.insure.com/articles/healthinsurance/college-students.html.
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About Insure.com
Insure.com provides a comprehensive consumer information service and companion insurance brokerage that caters to the needs of self-directed insurance shoppers. Visitors to company’s flagship Web site, http://www.insure.com/, are able to obtain free, instant car insurance quotes, instant life insurance quotes, home, business and health insurance quotes from leading insurers and have the freedom to buy online or by phone from any company shown. Insure.com is home to hundreds of originally authored articles on consumer insurance topics and provides free insurance decision-making tools that are not available from any other single source. Insure.com generates revenues from receipt of industry-standard commissions, including back-end bonus commissions and volume-based contingent bonus commissions that are paid by participating insurance companies. Shares of the Company’s common stock trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol NSUR
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