Editor’s Note

 
The New Year is a perfect time to pause and reflect on the year gone by and work on the year to come. Hence, there is no better time to focus on employees and company goals than the beginning of a new year. Did you know the top three resolutions in the U.S. for 2019 are (1) to eat healthier, (2) get more exercise, and (3) save more money? It would seem to be a win-win-win for companies to offer wellness programs to their employees as a free employee benefit.
 

Corporate wellness programs such as quitting smoking, losing weight and getting in better shape are great ways for employees to be healthier, which in turn, can increase productivity and morale for all, and reduce insurance costs and medical bills for both employees and the company. However, before your company offers to help its employees with their New Year’s resolutions, read this month’s cover article by Todd Wulffson, Helping Employees With New Year’s Resolutions?, to consider key steps to minimize the potential liability.
 
The holiday season is a great time to get together with friends and family. From planning dinner parties to buying gifts, it can be a very stressful time, both at work and at home. Great managers will be looking for ways to make the holidays a lot less intense for their team members. Read Kevin Sheridan’s article, 6 Ways To Reduce Employees’ Stress During The Holidays, for more insights.

Flu season is officially here and protection against germs on shared objects such as telephones, keyboards, and community office spaces is more important than ever. According to the CDC, last year’s flu season was one of the most severe in recent U.S. history, with record-breaking hospitalization rates across the country. To protect your workplace this flu season, catch up with Dorothy Loy’s article, 4 Tips To Protect Yourself And Your Employees From This Year’s Flu Season.
 
What do you do when your employee asks permission to leave work early for a week to care for her disabled son? Do you grant it? Do you reject it out of hand? Hopefully, you ask a few more questions and see what you can do to address the situation at hand. What if you don’t, though? That could end up being a problem for you. What does the ADA say? Read Janette Levey Frisch’s article, The ADA Might Require Time Off To Care For A Disabled Family Member? to know more.
 
This is not all! We have a variety of other informative articles on employee benefits and wellness in this issue. We hope you enjoy reading all the articles and get back to us with your valuable feedback.
 
Happy Reading and we wish you a Very Happy and a Healthy 2019!