Benefits Column

Does sound HR leadership have a greater impact on employee health, absence and performance than wellness programs? If the unexpected results of a particular research project is any indication, the answer is an unequivocal "Yes."

There are several practical things HR leaders can do to help employees reflect on life's death and dying phases -- both their own and the lives of those they love.

The recent tragedy in Newtown, Conn., has stimulated a broad discussion of gun-control laws and the inadequacy of mental-health treatment in the United States. But we'd be remiss were we not to also consider the workplace implications -- and the need to provide employees with a safe place to work.

HR executives face myriad challenges when research questions the validity of employers' preventive screening practices. Bob Merberg from Paychex Inc. explores this topic in a back-and-forth exchange with the author.

Superstorm Sandy brought devastation to many East Coast-based organizations. Employers with telework programs, however, weathered the storm better than most.

While the French model for national healthcare may have its flaws, the benefits to Americans -- including better diets, more walking and more social interaction -- could survive a transatlantic translation.

When crafting an unlimited paid-time-off policy, HR leaders need to assess important variables including how workers use and carry over their paid-time-off, and the size of their long-term staff.

A reliance on standard practices may not be limited to healthcare and may indeed extend to human resources and employee benefits. So is it time for HR to take a look at its standard practices, question them and study the issues with a rigor that relies more on experimental design than case studies and surveys?

Unguarded debate and an honest discussion of successes and failures in the world of benefits have never been the norm. Far too often, there's been a tendency to manipulate how results are measured to justify the investment. But a new day is dawning.