In this week’s Best Money Moves roundup, we take a look at news stories and new research studies that may impact employee benefits and HR issues. We hope you find this news roundup helpful, and we’d love your feedback.
When was the last time you took a vacation?
Vacation time is a basic part of most employee benefits packages, but it turns out many employees don’t take full advantage of the perk.
According to a recent travel industry survey, more than half of American workers didn’t use all of their vacation time last year. In total, employees sacrificed an estimated 662 million vacation days.
There are a lot of reasons workers don’t take advantage of their vacation time, like worrying about how much work they’ll have when they get back (60 percent), fearing that no one else can do their job while they’re gone (47 percent) and wanting to impress their boss by appearing dedicated to the job.
The benefits of taking breaks are clear: Employees who pause for rest and relaxation are happier and more productive at work. When employees don’t take use their vacation time, however, they are more stressed and less likely to get promoted, according to the Harvard Business Review.
How can you change the vacation culture in your company?
Millennials spend four hours a week on average handling their personal finances at work, according to a new Bank of America Merrill Lynch study. That’s twice as long as Gen Xers and four times as long as Baby Boomers.
President Trump’s executive order on religious liberty could lead to discrimination in the workplace, some experts say. The order allows lots of room for interpretation in how it is enforced.
Will working out make you rich? Maybe not, but there’s a correlation between physical and financial wellness.
Do you have a pet-friendly employee benefits policy? From bringing Fluffy and Fido to work to allowing for pet-related paid time off and bereavement leave, these policies could boost employee morale.
What are your goals for retirement? Millennials know their goals and are already taking big steps to prepare for retirement: 80 percent are saving for retirement and 75 percent have plans to cut expenses so they can save even more.
Life insurance is making a comeback. More than half of employees say this is a must-have benefit.
Do women feel more financial stress? Between balancing family and work obligations and saving more for retirement due to their longer life expectancies, only one-third of women are confident they’ll save enough for retirement.
Remember people predicting financial wellness benefits would be more popular this year? Turns out, they were right. SHRM’s 2017 Employee Benefits survey found almost half of employers now offer some type of financial advice or education.
Many Americans struggle to save for retirement because they’re caring for family members. About one-third of investors are supporting an adult child, a parent or both, leading to more financial stress.
