Employees are feeling depressed, anxious, stressed, overwhelmed during this time of economic uncertainty. This in turn causes the employee to get sicker. Work with your health care provider to provide your employees with a voluntary health risk assessment. Health care workers most likely nurses staffing a 24/7 confidential help line can become the resource the employee needs with out any stigma. The focus is on prevention to lower the impact of these feelings on the social and economic effect due to absences and impairment. While there is an increase cost to providing the service, the fears of today make the investment worth it.

Supporting mental health needs in a neutral way benefits most employees and the employer.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is a nonprofit organization that is a health care insurance entity. The CEO was paid 1.36 million in 2006 and 3.6 million in 2007. The Chairman was paid 1.73 million in 2007. The former chairman received 16.4 million to retire in 2007. Average premiums increased 7.5 percent.

The CEO of Harvard Pilgrim was paid 1.38 million in 2007. The CEO of Tufts Health Plan was paid 1.19 million in 2007.

If the President of the USA can be paid a salary of $400,000 then that should be enough for any executive of a nonprofit regardless of revenues.

Since these organizations are acting like for-profits in the manner in which they run their organization compensations and incur costs should they be stripped of their nonprofit status?

The states should allow access to the nonprofit organizations to have their employees be on the state medicare system for a flat fee per month. This will give the medicare and nonprofit system better pricing options.

The other option is to have nonprofits create a cooperative insurance company that they have better control over for costs and benefits.

Health care insurance and medical expenses should not have to make you bleed money as well!!!

For those of you thinking of a new career and making a difference there are many nonprofits within five miles of your home.  Check out www.guidestar.org and type in your zip code.

The largest area where there are plenty of paid positions across any field of experience is in the health and human services field. For positions check out  www.idealist.org, www.craigslist.org and www.nonprofitjobs.org.

Be patient, read carefully and look at what the organization offers you to meet the goals you wish to achieve in the next career.  Use the interview to probe and ask the tough questions.  Think of yourself as interviewing the organization to meet your needs.

Organizations whom are willing to be questioned by candidates will find an employee that understands what they have committed to and know the expectations for both parties.

Health costs are making the cost of an employee much harder for an organization to support.

Make sure employees know the total costs of all insurance benefits, taxes, unemployment and workers compensation paid out by your organization in addition to their individual salary. By showing the increased costs that the organization is incurring each year, it provides for a clearer understanding of why raises are harder to obtain.

Organizations that provide staff with a clarity on costs and a compensation bonuses pool Create a pool of funds as a one time expenditure), makes it easier to control costs. Further, staff whom have the knowledge of what it truely costs to employee staff are more engaged with the organization.  An organization where staff have an understanding where the money is being spent are more committed to that organization when spending is viewed as being distributed fairly.

When does a contract fail you? When words in the contract are not defined.

For example, in Coldwell Banker’s Exclusive Right to Sell Agreement, a seller owes the fee if ” During the term of this Agreement a Buyer is procured ready, willing and able to buy the Property or any part there of, in accordance with the price, terms and conditions of this Agreement”.  Nowhere in the agreement is there a definition of what “this Agreement” means.   I have the knowledge of one individual who received a letter from the Coldwell Banker Realtor demanding their fee. A year later between legal fees and settling, with neither side admitting anything, the cost is $23,000.  Come to find out, regardless of what the Sellers were told verbally by the agent, the seller should have written it into the Agreement, regardless of the Realtor’s assurances, that it was the purchase and sale agreement.  It could mean “the offer”.

Another example is the expiration of an offer. It is important to realize that the strength of your position is only to the degree that you maintain control. In an agreement, deadlines and options can be the critical components. If provisions have not been met, it may be wise to let the offer expire. It will certainly make sure everyone involved is paying attention and that your serious.

Do not let a realtor or anyone else push you to automatically exercise an extension or accept an option unless you have an attorney who represents your rights and they have advised you of the pros and cons. You must clearly understand what will happen with your actions. It is your responsibility to ask your attorney questions to make sure you understand what the results of your actions could be.

Therefore, if it is not clear to you, do not sign until the language means such to you.

An Association is usually incorporated as a 501 (c) 6 organization. It works on behalf of its members. The strength of an Association is based on its membership. The larger the membership, the more success the Association will have in producing greater results. A nonprofit or individual should pay a membership to join an Association if there are clear and measurable benefits to being a member.

The most simple measure is, “Will my organization save money or obtain additional funds by the actions of the Association?” Group purchasing is the quickest and easiest way to see results immediately. These actions create more funds by decreasing costs.

Property insurance, health insurance, dental insurance, visioin insurance, utilities, billing services, retirement plans, human resource services, accounting services, consulting services, development services, office supplies, security, bottled water, food, equipment, web services, information technology services, banking services, audit services, construction, and employment assistance programs are just a few examples where group purchasing can decrease costs.

The other part of an Association’s effort is lobbying and clearly educating elected officials. A key role they play is providing a clear voice on the economic impact of their member organizations and the criticial areas of concerns.

So take advantage of Associations where it makes sense. Make sure you never pay more than it costs your local, state or federal government for a service or product.

The slight panic that Massachusetts businesses experienced recently in their attempt to comply with Health Care Reform should be seen as an opportunity to review employee benefits and improve employee retention.  As usual in a government mandate, there are lots of mixed messages and much waiting until the last moment to act.  It is time to use this year to make an effort to improve your organization’s ability to retain employees.  It only costs your organization more money and time each time there is turn over. 

An employee as an individual or in relation to their family situation compels them to be concerned whether their employee benefits are meeting their immediate needs.  The main areas are salary and health benefits.  Depending on situations and priorities, dental and vision may be included in their concern for health benefits.

However, I advise you to view all levels of benefits that support an employee and their family.  A distracted employee is an inefficient employee or an accident waiting to happen.  The rush to meet the benefit requirements should be turned to your advantage now.  Review what the employee needs and concerns are.  Develop your policies to at least show your organization has listened and is trying to help.

 Distractions to the Employee:

Is the employee spending more than 50% of their salary on housing?  For each percent above 33% an employee pays for housing the more likely the employee stress level will increase on whether the job is adequately covering their living expenses.

• How much is it costing me to get to work?
• How much a month is my student loan?
• How long does it take me to get to work?
• If I need a part time job to support my life style or support my family does my primary job interfere with it?
• What are the prospects of advancement at my current employer?
• Can I afford to get sick?  What happens if my child gets sick?
• Is the employee thinking “they’re not paying me enough”?

Depending on the housing costs of an employee, the pressure to earn a living wage gets harder each year. 

What has your organization done this year to address the housing or living wage problem for your employees?    Eventually all organizations will be effected by these two issues one way or another.