By Patrick Gaul

According to Wikipedia, critical mass is a threshold value of the number of people needed to trigger a phenomenon by exchange of ideas. (Sorry Andy, our website / social media guru, you told me to avoid citing Wikipedia, but hey, this is an article about social networking.  I thought it was appropriate.) Anyway, it appears to me that social media has blown past critical mass. It is clearly a phenomenon. At what point though will social media be considered a mainstream tool for management? I believe it’s safe to say that we’re not there yet.

The Social Networking phenomenon was born because of teenagers on MySpace. That seems to be the excuse that most social media-phobes fall back on when explaining why they aren’t utilizing it. “It’s just a bunch of kids finding out where the party is.” In reality, MySpace did have a practical application for one industry, but the fact that MySpace is the music distribution method of choice for Indie rock bands throughout the world doesn’t exactly endear it to the MBA set. 

The fact that Ease@Work is blogging is proof that social media has reached critical mass.  When our target audience (anybody managing employees) starts reading this blog in large numbers and utilizing it to exchange ideas, I will believe that social media has reached critical mass as a tool for management. (Believe me, we’re not there yet. I’m patient though. It’s only been 7 months.)

I’m not so naïve to believe that the Ease@Work blog will ever be the go-to place for cutting edge management information on the Internet. There are some great tools out there though and you can connect with Ease@work on a number of them.

LinkedIn (LI) is, in my opinion, the best way to begin utilizing social media as a manager or HR person. I have been on LI for years and have met many great people. The magic of LI is the way in which it helps other people to help you. If you have a need for anything that somebody else in the world can help you to find, there is somebody in LI who has the answer. I have over 250 contacts and I am no LION (Linkedin Open Networker), meaning that I don’t accept invitations from people that I don’t know or have some sort of business or personal connection with. 

I utilize my connections to help others more than helping myself, and I never forward any information that I consider an unsolicited advertisement. If somebody has a valid business reason to reach out to one of my contacts, I will contact that person privately explaining the request. If they are not interested, I will politely tell the requestor that my contact is not interested. I would rather offend a salesperson than a valued business connection. (I have found however, that few people use LI to sell their product or service. To me, it is a genuine networking tool and most people understand that to use it for anything but networking will quickly ruin your LI reputation.) 

If you are interested in connecting with me on LI, follow this link to my profile.  You can also find other Ease@Work staff on LI, along with other potentially valuable connections.

Facebook is getting more useful as a business-networking site, but to me its strength is still in personal networking. However, I do like the fan page feature for business purposes and find it’s a great way to share information about Ease@Work. I especially like that you can tie your FB page to a blog. If you are on FB and want to know when Ease@Work has posted a new blog entry, become a fan of the Ease@Work FB Page.

The HR Net: For those of you in HR, if you are not familiar with Steve Browne’s HR Net, I encourage you to check it out. This is an old-school bulletin board where HR people can post questions for other HR people, or they can promote happenings in the HR community. Steve sends a weekly e-mail that begins with an entertaining HR related song parody, followed by a list of the new posts from the past week.

HR Net is a password-protected site. To get your password and a link to the site, e-mail Steve Browne at sbrowne@larosas.com. If you are looking to network within the HR Community, Steve is the guy to know in Ohio.

Ideas and people are two very important components in success as a manager. I encourage you to embrace anything that helps you build a network of people who can help you be successful in your job.

There are a million other ways to use technology to share ideas and meet new people. If you have any suggestions of things that work for you, please feel free to tell us in a comment. 

By Patrick Gaul

By now, you have probably seen that Cleveland topped this year’s Forbes Magazine list of America’s most miserable cities.  As a Cleveland Area native and life-long resident, I am used to reading things like this and am even able to find humor in it.  Heck, I even posted it to my Facebook page.  If we can’t laugh at ourselves we’ll cry, right? 

Let’s look closer at what Forbes was measuring. 

The Weather: Originally I thought this entire rating was based on weather and that really had me confused.  As I read the original article, I now realize that weather was just one of 10 factors considered.  Sure, the weather isn’t good here in winter, but it’s not the worst in America.  A bad snow storm here is 12 inches.  In Buffalo they call those flurries.  In Cleveland we break out the winter coat, hat and gloves when it falls into the 20’s.  In Minneapolis that’s a day at the beach. 

This past Valentines Day, Ease@Work’s parent company the Center for Families and Children (CFC) hosted a race called the Run with Your Heart Trail Challenge.  A race in winter in Cleveland, it must be indoors, right?  Nope, note the word Trail in the title.  We didn’t even use paved roads for this event!  Was it a 5k / 10k?  Heck no, it was an 8k / 15k!  CFC decided to embrace the Cleveland winter and see if Clevelanders would rise up to a challenge and we did.  This was a sold out race with 200 runners.  I was one of those runners and I had a great time.  Was I miserable?  Not at all. 

Most Clevelanders I know love the seasons.  If you want a better appreciation for Cleveland winters, get outside into the Metroparks in the winter when everything is covered in a blanket of snow.  It’s amazing because everything seems to be asleep until you look down and see animal tracks everywhere, proving that things are not always as they appear. 

While the contributors to the Forbes article judge that our weather is something that should make us miserable, they are not in our heads.  I invite Forbes magazine to come to the 2^nd annual “Run with Your Heart Challenge” on February 13, 2011 and see for themselves that Cleveland winters do not make us miserable.

Corruption by Public Officials: This was one of the factors I believe propelled us to #1.  I can’t speak for other Clevelanders, but this one does bum me out.  Am I miserable over it?  No, but I hate that many voters in my suburb have decided not to support our school system because a former board member (whom I will not name) was prominently featured in the FBI corruption investigation.  What’s the bright side?  Addition by subtraction for one thing.  We now have a better school board because the FBI is doing their job.  I just wish the voters would rebel against politicians at the polls rather than against our youngest residents. 

The Economy: This was the first thing listed in the Forbes article when they were explaining why Cleveland topped the list this year. 

“Cleveland secured the position thanks to its high unemployment, high taxes, lousy weather, corruption by public officials and crummy sports teams (Cavaliers of the NBA excepted).”

Let’s explore this a little more closely.  Yes, the economy has dealt more than its fair share of damage to the Cleveland Area and we have lost jobs because of it.  I heard an interesting presentation at the Cleveland SHRM Chapter meeting this week.  Carin Rockind from TeamNEO addressed the many misperceptions about the Cleveland + Region (Cleveland + Akron + Canton + Youngstown).  The thing that I was most impressed with was the fact that this region’s Gross Regional Product (GRP) grew 30% during a recent 15 year period.  Coupled with job loss, this means that this region is far more productive than it was 15 years ago.  Sure, much of that can be explained by technology advances, but there is no question that we are asking for more productivity out of less employees today than we were even a few years ago. 

Ok, so I’m being Mr. Brightside again with my rose-colored glasses on, but there is something to be said for a region that responds to adversity by working a little harder.  When it snows, we sell out trailruns; at the same time people down south were shutting everything down due to a few inches of snow.  When our co-workers get laid off, we mourn their loss and roll up our sleeves and do the work of two for the same money.  The Cleveland area is certainly enduring an extended period of adversity, but we are rising to the challenge. Before we can expect the rest of the country to take note, we need to become aware of the positives all around us.

What can be done?  You didn’t expect me to end this without a plug for Employee Assistance did you?  If your business is one that is demanding more production out of fewer employees, you must be sure that they have access to a GOOD EAP.  Not the free EAP that comes with something else that your company is buying.  It’s worth $2 per employee, per month, to make sure your employees can get the help they need to deal with the pressures they are faced with. 

Here are a few good tests of your current program:

• The next time an employee shares some information with you indicating they might have a personal problem, suggest they call the EAP.  Make sure they know it’s voluntary and that they don’t have to give you any details, but let them know you are genuinely interested in whether the EAP was able to help them. 
• The next time you have an issue with an employee’s decrease in productivity, whether it’s an employee who reports directly to you or reports to somebody else, consider sending them to the EAP for an assessment prior to disciplining them.  It might be the case that they are having a personal issue they don’t want you to know about, which is affecting their work.   
• Check your utilization report.  If you think your organization does not have employees with personal problems, you are wrong.  Any true independent EAP can expect a utilization level of at least 4% if it is properly promoted.  With an add-on program, you will not be likely to see even 1% utilization.   

While a lack of employee complaints might be a sign that other benefits are performing properly such as not receiving complaints about insurance benefits – this is not the case with EAP benefits. Employees are highly unlikely to disclose when an EAP is not responsive to them because in filing that complaint with human resources or a manager, the employee is in fact revealing information they would prefer be kept confidential. So, what happens more often than not is that employees do not receive the assistance they need and EAP use is essentially non-existent, making it appear as if your employees are trouble-free.

Your EAP must be engaged in order to function properly.  It is well worth the effort to develop relationships with your EAP account representative – see what can be done to promote the services in the workplace, find out how management consultations are helpful in addressing difficult or sensitive workplace situations, talk about how management referrals can save a company from replacing a good worker who may just be going through a rough spot. 

Having an engaged EAP supporting your organization is one easy, inexpensive, action you can take to counter the effects that the weather, economy and politicians are having on your employees. Who knows, it might even bump Cleveland from that #1 spot! 

Center for Families & Children/Ease@Work – Photo by Patrick Gaul

The world is starting to figure out that early childhood education is very important. Ask any employee with children.  One of their biggest challenges is to balance work and parenthood. A good daycare arrangement will put the parent at ease when in the role of an employee and will set the child on a course to becoming a well-educated adult. While Ease@Work helps businesses to address this issue in the workplace, our parent company the Center for Families and Children (CFC) is addressing this issue on a societal level.

Before Ease@Work existed, there was the EASE Program – Employee Assistance SErvices and the Corporate Childcare Resource and Referral Program (CCR&R). Both were natural outgrowths of the two largest community-based programs of CFC: Behavioral Health programs and CFC Children’s Programs, which operate Cleveland-based high quality daycare centers. As EASE and CCR&R evolved to meet the changing needs of Ohio businesses, they were merged to create what is now known as Ease@Work. 

CFC’s Children’s Programs can trace their history back to the 1800’s when the Cleveland Day Nursery Association was one of the first agencies in this region to provide childcare. With over a century of experience in offering early childhood programs, CFC is one of the region’s experts on early learning.

Comments by CFC’s President and CEO, Sharon Sobol Jordan, were recently featured in the op-ed section of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Jordan’s comments were part of a series of statements regarding the Jan. 17, 2010 PD article, “Change how kids learn – change the future,” about early childhood programs and how important they are to a child’s success – and ultimately, the success of the greater community.

 “High-quality learning programs focus on helping young children navigate their growing worlds, preparing them for a lifetime of learning,” Jordan said. “Children who are involved in early learning programs – via pre- and post-natal home visits and later in community early learning centers – are better poised for success in school and in life.”

Along with Jordan, Georgianna T. Roberts, president of the Board of Directors of the Hanna Perkins Center for Child Development, and Thea Wilson, executive director of the Office of Early Childhood Education, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, concur that early “intervention” is key to a child’s success. Education for parents/guardians, early assessment of behavioral or mental health issues, early learning programs and pre-kindergarten classes focusing on both the cognitive and socieo-emotional growth of a child all contribute to the success a child will experience in school and beyond.

To think programs such as these impact children only in terms of their school success would be short-sighted.  “Championing the investment in our youngest children is ‘the most effective way to reverse this community’s decline,’” Roberts said.

Providing parents/guardians with the education and tools to better care for their children is essential. Providing access to high quality daycare programming is the next step in laying the foundation for a child’s success in life, and ultimately, as a contributing member of the community.

 “The Center for Families and Children has five early learning centers in Cleveland and Cleveland Heights that have been recognized for their high quality and are nationally accredited, and we have been part of the community for more than 100 years,” said Jordan.

Ease@Work is proud to be a division of CFC, an organization that works hard in ”making success possible for people who choose to change their lives.”

Those in the community come to CFC because of a choice they’ve made – they want a better life for themselves, for their children, for their families, for their future. For some in our community, it’s easy to get off track – perhaps due to issues that walk hand-in-hand with living in poverty-stricken neighborhoods, or because of a mental illness, substance abuse problem or other life event. But if one of these people in our community wants to change their life, CFC is there to help by providing Early Learning Centers, Homebound Services, Youth Development Programs, Behavioral Health Services, Families and Fathers Together, Re-Entry Services and Family to Family programs. 

Ease@Work’s goal is similiar to that of CFC in that we foster ”better personal lives, for better work lives.” Much like CFC, Ease@Work is there for both the employees of our client companies and their management teams when they need us. As an EAP, employees come to us voluntarily when they need help with certain aspects of their lives. Jordan’s comments provide insight as to why Ease@Work is unique in our ability to provide assistance to employees with childcare issues. We do much more than tell employees where the nearest daycare center is located. Our childcare specialists draw from decades of expertise and provide valuable education, coaching and resources for employees struggling with the many issues associated with caring for children from birth through high school.

We think our success as a comprehensive EAP is doubly sweet. In providing EAP services to our contracted companies, we not only provide a valuable service to our clients, but Ease@Work in turn generates funds which are then returned to our non-profit parent company, CFC. These funds help provide the programs and services CFC offers to those who are in need of assistance…improving the quality of individual lives and our community as a whole.

When mental illness enters the workplace

by Patrick Gaul

The Society for Human Resource Management recently published an article of offbeat or humorous stories related by HR Managers to SHRM Online.  One example was a request by a Wiccan employee for time off work to celebrate the Winter Solstice.  The request was granted and the Manager “received [an] education on maintaining an objective perspective and to not pass judgment.” 

The article then went on to describe a few other anecdotes submitted to SHRM Online and ended with a story recounted by an HR Director describing a valuable employee who had requested that the company

“…somehow protect him from the alien rays that were shooting at him from his computer and slowly killing him” 

At this point, my EAP filter kicked in and I immediately thought, “Great, a story about how the EAP saved the day. She’s going to get this guy some help, right?”  Wrong.  The article went on to describe the HR Director’s resolution. 

“So I sent the office manager to a medical supply store and we purchased one of those large lead dental protectors and I convinced the employee that by putting that apron over his computer when he was not there would keep all ‘rays’ from coming through to him…  Yup, he bought that and stayed with us for another few years”

I imagine many people reading the article found this funny.  I can appreciate this type of humor, especially if it was in a movie like Office Space.  In that movie, Milton clearly had some problems, but he is one of my all time favorite characters and I have no problem finding humor in his disturbed personality.  What’s the difference?  Milton is a character!  I think that people today have a hard time understanding the difference between the way fictitious characters are treated and the way people should be treated in real life.

According to Ease@Work Counselor Sandra Lavelle, the employee fearing the alien rays “is likely to suffer from a serious and chronic mental illness and this company’s solution in reality is not that simplistic nor appropriate.” She went on to say this story “…speaks to the ignorance of mental illness by the general working public as well as management in Human Resources” 

I know that these might sound like harsh words, but why is it that companies are more concerned about liability exposure presented by an employee requesting a non-traditional religious holiday than they are with getting proper treatment for an employee suffering from mental illness?

As I was preparing to write this post, I received an email from a friend who is a Special Education Teacher.  She was thrilled because a parent had thanked her for being the “bright spot” in her disabled son’s life.  Apparently this child is difficult to deal with because of his special needs and most people are not as patient with him as his teacher.

If we look around, there are many examples of people mistreating other people simply because they are different.  For centuries racism and sexism were accepted and it wasn’t until very recently, in the context of history, that critical mass was reached with regard to the disapproval of blatant racism and sexism.  In many respects we have a long way to go but at least the business community can no longer discriminate on the basis of a person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. 

I am not calling for prosecution of people who make fun of mental illness or people who are impatient with special needs children.  I would like it though if people would begin to think like a professional when encountering interpersonal challenges.  A special needs child should not rely on his teacher to be the one and only “bright spot” in his day just because he does not behave like the other children.  An employee suffering from delusions should be able to get professional help when turning to his HR Director for help rather than being made fun of in a national forum for the HR industry. 

So, the question remains: How would I expect the HR Director to respond to the employee fearing alien rays which were slowly killing him through his computer? 

An evaluation by the EAP would have been a great start.   According to Lavelle, “The recommendations of this evaluation would best meet his needs pharmacologically and may give him counseling resources for therapy to best assist him  to manage his mental illness. This individual then has the best possible outcome to stay well and be a productive employee.” 

And isn’t that what being in management is all about?

Most full-service EAP’s would be happy to provide an in-service for management on ways to deal with difficult employees by utilizing the services provided by the EAP.  If your EAP will not do this, get a better EAP.  It’s that simple. Finding a better EAP is much easier than replacing a manager, addressing legal fallout, or risking personal injury from an incident in which employee behavior was treated inappropriately.

by Patrick Gaul

Building and maintaining a board of directors can be a challenge for many organizations. Ideally the motivation for a potential board member should be passion for the service your agency provides.  It is also important to have the right mix of board members.  “Diverse boards are better able to expand capacity and weather tough times” according to the article Board Diversity: Your Biggest Challenge in the May/June 2009 issue of Nonprofit World.

If you are looking at ways to improve development, why not look at the things you highlight when recruiting employees?  Are there any benefits that can be efficiently extended to board members?

I recently had a conversation with an administrator at a non-profit Ease@Work customer.  She had been telling a board member about the new fitness coaching service we had recently added to our program.  This board member was interested in this service because, like most of the US population, she was looking for help with weight loss.  

She called us to ask if they were allowed to include board members in the census of covered employees.  My immediate answer was yes, of course she could.  When I checked their contract I learned she could even do so without incurring any additional cost because adding their board members would not increase their numbers beyond the maximum allowable under our agreement.

Ann Kent, the Non-Profit Services Director at Business Volunteers Unlimited told me, while there are no laws against offering something of value to a volunteer board member, our customer should check her organization’s bylaws.  In this case, since this agency can offer our program to their board at no cost, it is highly unlikely that the bylaws will forbid it.  In most cases our agreements are based on a per employee rate.  Even then, at approximately $2 per employee per month our program should be well within any limits set in the bylaws.  

In many cases the benefits offered by your organization will be too costly to extend to your board members and may not be needed by the board member.  Health insurance comes to mind.  Your board members probably already have access to an EAP as well.  However, if they work for a large national company they probably do not have an EAP that offers as many high quality local resources like in-person fitness or nutritional consultations. When they find out how inexpensive it is, they’ll applaud you for making such a wise benefit choice.

By Valerie S. Nosek, Ease@Work EAP Coordinator

As a business owner, manager or human resource (HR) professional, have you noticed a rise in employee use of sick time? Or, have you seen an increase in employees and their family members using health care benefits? Has there been a spike in employees accessing your employee assistance program (EAP) benefit?

If so, you’re not alone. According to a report published by the Associated Press, “Growing worker stress reflected in benefits use, Watson Wyatt survey says,” more and more employees are calling in sick and using their health-related benefits.

Not surprising during a down economy, said Shelly Wolff, a representative with Watson Wyatt. “Wolff said sick day increases are often tied to job stress, which can trigger health problems. Companies that cut jobs frequently heap more work on remaining workers.”

The Watson Wyatt survey supports Wolff’s conclusions, with 78 percent of those surveyed saying that “excessive work hours” were a leading cause of stress for them.

As for increased health care usage, the cause may be two-fold. One: job stress can trigger or exacerbate health problems, resulting in a need for professional medical care. Two: the employee may feel that they and their dependents need to use their healthcare benefits while they still have them. (I know I have personally heard employees say they were going to have some procedure done that they had been putting off, just because they were uncertain about the security of their job and wanted to make sure they had their medical issues taken care of before a possible reduction in force.)

Sometimes a lay-off or reduction-in-force is the only fiscally responsible decision for an organization. Most of the time, the focus is on the employee being laid off or terminated – after all, their world is being turned upside down. But after the dust settles, what happens to the employees who are left behind?

Managers and HR professionals need to be tuned-in to recognizing signs of employee stress after a major change to the work environment.  While organization leaders are not expected to be mental health professionals, they should have access to expert advice.  Managers and HR can call their EAP at any time for a management consultation if they want help with dealing with a stressed-out employee.  The EAP should also provide onsite management training for dealing with behavior issues.

Understand that any type of relevant change may cause a grief-reaction in employees. Change can be painful and disruptive and there can be an element of loss for “what was.” 

• Employees may be in denial – “I can’t believe this is happening.”
• They may resist change – “They don’t know what they’re doing.”
• They may think or say – “I was fine with the way things were before, so I’m just going to keep doing things that way.”

Employers should also recognize many employees experience emotional issues with major changes at work, home or when combined. Management can help employees move through adjustment phases and return to high levels of productivity more quickly if they help employees navigate the process. This may mean acknowledgement of the feelings and grief they may be experiencing.

Asking your EAP to conduct an on-site debriefing may be appropriate if you have a lay-off or staff reduction situation. This on-site program can help both those leaving and the employees who remain. And, while it may be more obvious as to why this type of session can help those being laid-off, what management often forgets is that those who remain to do the work also have emotional reactions that impact productivity the workplace – they may feel guilty about having a job when a long-time co-worker and friend is no longer there, they may feel stressed by having additional responsibilities, they may worry that their position is next to be cut.

Your EAP can also provide other seminars to assist employees negotiate through times of change, whether your concern is based in changes employees may be experiencing in the workplace or at home. Seminars on change management topics may be helpful, as may a seminar about managing stress or on a motivational topic such as how to rediscover passion for your work or optimism.

Don’t Be HoliDAZED by the Holidays!

By Valerie S. Nosek, Ease@Work EAP Coordinator

Stress enters our lives on almost a daily basis – deadline pressures at work, a less-than-perfect personal relationship, the honking horn behind you in a traffic jam…And most of the time, we manage the stress and move on. But the holidays seem to bring with them a heightened element of stress for many. Now, not only do we have to contend with all of our “normal” stressors, but we also have the added pressures that come from our own, and other’s expectations of us, regarding what the holidays should be like.

Just last weekend, my family and I went out to pick and cut our tree. (Yes, we celebrate the Christian holiday, but stress does not discriminate based on beliefs!) So, there were a number of families there – children romping between the trees, squealing in delight; a couple holding hands riding out on the horse-drawn wagon to choose their first tree together; multiple generations of families selecting trees for their homes. And then there was “the mean dad.”  (That’s what my kids called him.)

This father was obviously on stress overload from the whole tree-picking process. He had just dragged his family’s tree back to the barn to pay and was waiting to have it tied onto his car. While standing in the haphazard line, you could see his impatience growing – shifting from foot to foot, anxiously looking at the tree farm workers to see which customer they were helping, frown on his face. Meanwhile, his wife and two children (which were about 5- and 9-years-old) were smiling and laughing…and yes, making noise.

He looked at them a couple of times, and said, “Shhh.” But they continued to play while waiting. When the children started tugging on his sleeve and asking if they were going to decorate the tree when they got home, he snapped.

“For crying out loud,” (he really used some other colorful language involving the Christmas babe’s name separated by the action version of a slang word that is forbidden in our house),”we just took two hours picking out this damn tree and we don’t even have it home yet, now you’re asking me if we’re gonna decorate it today.”

All of a sudden, everyone was looking at him like his head was spinning around like Linda Blair’s in the Exorcist. He had succeeded in quieting not only his kids, but everyone else around him. His wife, quickly and in hushed tones, herded the children into the car.

Certainly (and I’m not making excuses for his behavior), this man was probably dealing with other stressors in his life that resulted in an inappropriate reaction. The expectations of his family, perhaps combined with his perception of getting a tree as being his responsibility as a father, may have been the stress factor that put him “over the edge.”

Now, not all of us may be as stressed as that person was, but to varying degrees, most of us will feel a bit of holiday stress. Watch out for the following symptoms.

Physical Symptoms:

• Headache
• Sleep irregularities
• Rapid heart rate/chest pain
• Increased blood pressure
• Weight loss or gain
• Muscle tension
• Fatigue
• Reduce immunity /Resistance to illness
• Digestive problems

Emotional Symptoms:

• Irritability
• Nervousness/Anxiety
• Mood swings
• Trouble concentrating or problem solving
• Difficulty resolving conflicts
• Unexplained or irrational sadness or anger
• Excessive/Increased use of alcohol or drugs

Know your sensitive spots…in other words: What are the triggers that really get to you and elevate your stress levels? Some common ones during the holidays include:

• Family or certain family members
• Personal relationships
• Emotions surrounding the holiday
• Financial issues
• Overindulgence in food or alcohol

Once you are aware of the danger zones, you can take precautions to manage the stress, even if you can’t completely avoid it. Some suggestions might include:

• Manage the reality of the holiday and don’t buy into the fantasy promoted by popular media. It’s impossible to create the “perfect” holiday as portrayed on television, magazines or the Internet. Honor the traditions that you can and create new ones that fit into your lifestyle. Base your holiday on love and balance it with your responsibilities to work and family.
• Decide to set family differences aside, if only for the holiday. Try to accept family members and friends as they are.
• Keep up your healthy habits during the holidays. These will help you keep a routine, which helps with balance and stress. Set aside time for yourself to relax and exercise.
• Set a budget before you go shopping and stick to it. Plan ahead financially for party and travel expenses. And, if your stuck in a money crunch this year, don’t be afraid to cut back on spending for gifts. Don’t go into additional debt now that will add to financial stress in the new year. Instead, get creative with either homemade gifts or the gift of expertise in a particular area, for example: offer to paint a friend’s kitchen, mow an elderly relative’s lawn for the summer, or put up items to sell on craigs list or e-bay for someone who does not have a computer or is not computer saavy.

If despite your best efforts, you still find yourself feeling stressed or sinking into a holiday hole – don’t be afraid to ask for help. Seek support from those around you – friends, relatives, religious or social services. And remember, many employers will have an employee assistance program (EAP) that is there to help you with exactly this type of situation.

If you don’t know who your EAP is or how to contact them, ask someone in your human resources department for that information. You don’t have to tell your HR person why you are calling the EAP, as EAPs operate as a confidential benefit service for employees.

Watching Out for Your Financial Wellness

By Valerie S. Nosek, Ease@Work EAP Coordinator

Individuals and businesses alike have felt the sting of the current economy and are struggling to meet their budgets and expenses. And, as a result of a tighter grip on every dollar, everyone is trying to limit spending – or at least make the smartest spending choices.

It’s no surprise retailers are feeling the pressure, too. After all, less disposable income means people will think twice about making a purchase. Still, with the holidays just around the corner, retailers are gearing up to get into “the black” for 2009. The sales circulars are readied with out of this world deals, and they’re all vying for your hard-earned dollars.

But watch out! Some deals may be just too good to be true.

Sure, you may get excited about seeing that 40-inch LCD HDTV on sale at the big box store around the corner for that incredibly low, low price – heck, they’re practically giving them away…but are they? Read the fine print.

What you will find is most of the great priced ads this season will have extreme limitations. For example, the store with the cheap televisions may only have one or two in stock and once they’re gone, they’re gone. No getting it from another store, no back-ordering at that price, no rainchecks.

And, if you are lucky enough to get a raincheck, that doesn’t mean you will ever see the item you wanted to purchase. According to an article at CNN.Money, “Dirty Secrets of Black Friday ‘Doorbusters,’” often stores will never have the same item (same model number) in stock again, making your raincheck useless.

Another thing to watch for in those super sales are “derivative models.” These are items that look like the standard model, but really have lesser features if examined closely. Most consumers don’t even know they’re buying a scaled-down model, unless they’ve carefully compared model numbers and product options.

So, what’s up with the sales this year?

The ads can’t be considered deceptive because the limitations are clearly spelled out – even if in small print. What the stores are banking on is that once the customer has waited in line and is in the doors, they’re going to shop there, even if the particular item they wanted isn’t there. It’s at this point that consumers will need to exercise “critical shopping” skills to discern between what’s really a bargain and what’s not. Another store may have the same item for a better price.

Managing Your Money Today…and Tomorrow

In reality, we all should be exercising our “critical shopping” skills on a regular basis, not just during the holidays. Keeping budgets in check is a 24/7, 365-day process that builds and compounds as the months and years go along.

As a good example of how managing money is not a one-time or hit-and-miss task, just think about the 401K savings process where it’s all about regular contributions, compounding funds overtime to build a retirement nest egg. Conversely, consider the downward spiral of how easy it is to get into “a world of hurt” caused by mismanaging credit and missing crucial payments.

Financial problems have a way of sneaking out of the wallet and infiltrating other parts of people’s lives. Couples can have marital or relationship problems about money and spending; financial stress keeps people up at night and causes physical symptoms, such as migraines, ulcers or worse; anxiety about bill collectors calling may cause a good employee’s performance to decline.

This holiday season, don’t get caught up in gifting pressures. Know your budget and stick to it. You may even want to participate in Buy Nothing Day 2009. Make it a priority not to go into the new year with a spending hangover.

We understand the link between employee financial wellness and productivity in the workplace. Ease@Work offers organizations and their employees the mental health benefits associated with an employee assistance program (EAP) along with financial and legal consultation services.

The CSHRM Silent Auction committee pauses for a picture after setting up the donations to be auctioned for Towards Employment.

by Patrick Gaul

This week I concluded a project that began in the spring.  I am on the “Chapter Champion” committee for Cleveland Society for Human Resource Management (CSHRM).  Our committee is responsible for the annual silent auction which takes place at (almost) every November CSHRM Chapter meeting. 

Our committee’s first job was to choose a charity to receive the proceeds from the auction.  This is something I was excited about.  What an opportunity to influence a decision that could have a positive effect on hundreds of people, maybe more!  As an employee of a non-profit agency myself, (Ease@Work is a department of the Center for Families and Children – CFC), I know how profoundly important the work of a good non-profit agency can be.  

I suggested we choose a charity that would help address some glaring economic needs this region is facing.  Most area businesses are struggling financially, many people are struggling financially, and both are impacted by the other.  Employment is at the core of this in both directions.  NE Ohio businesses need productive employees and more people are in need of jobs than at any time that most living people can remember. 

I immediately thought of Towards Employment (TE) as our charity of choice for this auction.  I first learned of TE because CFC does a lot of work with community re-entry, supporting not only people as they are being released from prison, but also their families.  There are many factors that affect recidivism including mental health and family involvement, which CFC addresses, and employment, which Towards Employment addresses.  I have come to learn that Towards Employment is very good at helping this population become a productive member of society by helping their clients become reliable employees.  It just so happens that my little corner of CFC, Ease@Work, helps employees to maintain a course of productivity if they should be derailed by a personal issue.  Towards Employment has a program called Achieve that helps with this also.  So, the fragile nature of the “productive employee” and how non-profit agencies can help with this is something that I know well.

My involvement on this committee provided me with a great opportunity to take what I have learned and do something good with it.  We assembled an excellent team of silent auction committee members and went to work.  Our next two tasks were to solicit items for the auction and to create the program.  As the “sales guy”, it seemed natural for me to work on the donations. 

I enjoyed watching Jody Wheaton, our Chapter Champion and Amy Hodous, my silent auction co-chair, work with committee members Megan Busovicki and Corrinne Macias to create the program for the meeting.  It flowed quite naturally because we had some momentum from our discussions around finding a charity.  We wanted a topic that would inspire the audience to give and would help the audience to learn how corporations can have a positive effect on their workers, their workplace and this community.  The group concluded that it all comes down to getting people to “Engage and Give”.  Subsequently, they assembled a panel to speak on the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility.  The panel addressed ways in which companies can help the community by encouraging volunteerism, charitable giving, green initiatives, etc.  Hearing this panel discussion was a light bulb moment for me.  Not only do I enjoy working for CFC because of the good work that we do for this community, but because they allow me to meet my need for community involvement.  The time I spent with this committee helped me to feel more engaged as an employee, a member of society and a member of the HR Community.  Thank you CFC and thank you CSHRM.

Starting a fitness program doesn't have to be complicated...it can be a "walk in the park" with a little guidance from a good fitness coach.

The Best Time to Start a Fitness Program

By Valerie S. Nosek

When is the best time to start a fitness program? Whether you’re talking about diet or exercise, people often vow to start health and wellness activities at particular times…how often have you heard:

“I’m starting my diet on Monday.”

“After the holidays, I’m going to start eating better and exercising.”

“When I get back from vacation, I’ll work on getting in shape.”

But really, the best time to start a fitness program (if you don’t already have one in place) is right now. Unfortunately, procrastination is often used as an excuse for putting off the positive action that could be taken immediately.

One person who has been successful at lifestyle change put it this way:

“Your body does not know what day it is…Procrastination leads to a cycle of days, then months, then years. If you are thinking about starting a fitness program or a diet, put down your Twinkie and start now, not tomorrow!”

The article, “Procrastinating Health & Fitness,” went on to point out “not many people procrastinate brushing their teeth, using toilet paper, or combing their hair before going out. Most people consider this personal hygiene as a non-negotiable part of life.”

Shouldn’t diet and exercise be on this list as a non-negotiable? We think so.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

When Benjamin Franklin made the remark above, he could have been talking about what we know about disease prevention and wellness today. Health care professionals agree that the majority of chronic diseases are preventable (or even reversible in some cases) when people make healthy lifestyle choices.

“Nutrition, smoking cessation, substance abuse prevention, stress reduction and exercise are all modifiable lifestyle risk factors,” said Stephanie Patek, an Ease @Work acccount representative and certified fitness coach.

Getting Started

Employees should always check with their doctor. It’s always important to start with the healthcare provider in order to find out if there are any current health risk factors that would impact an exercise plan. (However, even with certain health issues, a fitness plan is not out of the question. It just has to meet the criteria or limitations your employee’s doctor specifies.)

Encourage use of available resources. “Insurance usually doesn’t cover preventative wellness services, such as nutritional or fitness coaching, until problems surface or symptoms show,” Patek says. So “think outside the box” on how to access needed information and/or support.

Libraries offer a wealth of educational resources on health, wellness and fitness…at no out-of-pocket cost! Use library resources to develop a “get started” plan, or step-up a plan already in place.

Suggest employees find a mentor in a friend who is practicing a healthy lifestyle.

Explore programs at the local community center, church, YMCA/YWCA or other fitness center. Watch for free informational wellness-related seminars at hospitals or healthcare centers.

Wellness committees and human resource professionals. Many employers have already implemented wellness initiatives in the workplace; others, aware of the need for a healthier workforce, are in the process of developing programs. Find out if your employee assistance program (EAP) is a comprehensive provider. Does your EAP offer nutritional coaching, smoking cessation, fitness coaching along with stress management?

And don’t forget…awareness is key. Your EAP should be your partner in promoting awareness of available wellness programs by providing flyers, employee newsletters, on-site visibilities and seminars.

Call us, we can help…Ease@Work offers comprehensive and fully integrated EAP services. We also offer assistance with developing or expanding your organization’s wellness program.