Of course, you have to look at the source, too: the majority of workers who said they don’t want any of this information via social media tools are older and lower-income workers; those who wouldn’t mind this information coming to them via social media are younger and higher-income workers. So as the older workers retire and the younger, more social media-savvy workers flood the workplace, these numbers can be expected to change.

So what should employers do? For now, the tried-and-true method of sending information via email and snail mail is still the best route, as nearly all surveyed workers said they prefer those means of receiving the information. But employers can’t ignore the social media aspect completely; there will come a day, in the not-so-distant future, where more and more workers will be expecting health benefit information to come to them the same way they receive all the rest of the information they receive – through social media tools (of course, with the way social media tools are evolving and developing, the preferred source for information in that not-so-distant future probably doesn’t even exist yet).

I want to know: have you tried using social media tools in your employee benefits communication?

If so, what’s been your experience?

The findings of this report are interesting, and a little scary. I recommend checking it out.

Employers are faced with growing concern and costs associated with overweight and obese workforces. And no, health reform is not going to decrease companies’ health care costs, especially if their employees continue to get more and more unhealthy. We’ve preached on this blog about the necessity for encouraging healthy activities and implementing wellness programs. Honestly, what better time than now? 20 years ago, not one state had obesity levels higher than 20%. Imagine what our country will look like in another 20 years if we don’t start taking action now?

Start small if you have to. A fun and free activity that we recently implemented is twice-daily, 10-minute walks around the building. It gets the heart pumping, the mind clearing, and the lungs breathing. There are so many things that companies can do, and companies have an incentive to help their employees get healthier – healthier employees cost less and are more productive. Employees have a pretty good incentive, too. Just ask anyone who’s tried to ride the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. If that’s not incentive, I don’t know what is.

The article 6 Ways to Keep Your Employees from Jumping Ship offers some advice to employers who want to retain their best employees. All of this talk about employees leaving and how employers can keep their best talent got me thinking, as I have been diligently preparing my company’s employer questionnaires for a number of top workplace/best place to work programs, what are some of the best practices that great employers have implemented to keep their employees motivated and satisfied? I’m not talking about just during the bad times; I’m also talking about the good times, too. It’s easier to keep employees in a bad economy, much more difficult to keep them in a good one.

Compensation is usually the first thing to come to mind, though very few people leave a job simply for more money. I’ve read articles and blog posts galore that exclaim this very notion. Like the saying goes, money doesn’t buy happiness. So what does buy happiness? Being treated like a person, and not a worker bee, is a good place to start. For example, my company is very good at communication. We have town hall meetings every month, and management tells us what’s up with the company and financials at every meeting. When the economy first started to implode in 2008, they were very forthcoming about what each and every one of us needed to do to achieve management’s goal of not laying off one single employee (result: no layoffs!). We employees like to know that what we do affects the whole, that we have a role to play in how the company succeeds (or doesn’t), and that management acknowledges the role we play and doesn’t take our hard work for granted.

Sure, there are many other great things my company does (we have been named a Top Workplace and a Best Place to Work, after all), but, dear readers, I want to know what, as employers, you do to keep your employees, and employees, what makes you stay.

So this is a good time to take a moment, while you’re rifling through your sample ballot, tuning out the endless campaign ads on TV, or filling out your absentee ballot, that even though we’re only voting in the primaries right now, that men and women have died for your right to have a say in who represents our interests in local, state, and the federal government.

Memorial Day may mean barbecues and the unofficial start to summer, but it’s important to remember why we observe this day, and remember all those who have given the ultimate sacrifice so that you can have a voice in your government. So please, enjoy your family and friends and your day off, and also take a few minutes to remember the brave who have fallen and for what they gave their all.

And now, get ready, because these are all “E” ticket-worthy rides!

Mark Vickers explains how typical succession planning models are flawed and companies should be succession “managing” in Don’t Plan Succession, Manage It.

Jason Seiden shows Why Corporate America Can’t Build a Training Program Worth Squat – it’s because we’re not very good at eating our vegetables, and good training programs are like vegetables – employees may not like them, but they need them, and it’s up to you to make sure they get what they need.

Denise O’Berry hands us the keys to successful delegation in Getting a Delegated Task Back on Track.

Gautam Ghosh says Employee Engagement Should Not be Your End Goal; rather, it should be part of the path to creating driven, successful employees.

Lisa Rosendahl is tired of all the doom and gloom talk about social media. She thinks If Your Sky Falls, It Won’t be Because of Social Media.

Joan Jett doesn’t give a gosh darn about her bad reputation, but Melissa Prusher knows that you should! She gives you the three “M”s of proactive reputation management to help you Seize Control of Your Online Reputation.

So, how do you handle it when your manager is – gasp! – younger than you? Never fear, Evil HR Lady is on the case, answering your question about How to Work for a Younger Manager.

Laura Schroeder has Just One Teeny Weeny Criticism about your employee communication, and it has to do with having the right attitude.

Cathy Missildine-Martin asks, How Good is Your Performance Data? Is it objective? Is it effective? Do you know how to fix it if it isn’t? No problem. She does.

More keys – just think of all the doors you’ll be able to open now! Courtesy of Kevin Eikenberry, here are the Six Keys to Turning Reflection into Action.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Your Team, and You: Wally Bock says it’s not strengths or weaknesses. It’s not individuals or the team. It is about both accomplishing the mission and helping team members develop.

Remember that old saying, you can’t please all of the people all of the time? Benjamin McCall says the Healthcare Argument will not end today! And probably not anytime in the near future, either.

Dan McCarthy gives us Part 4 of 5 Little Thinks that Make a BIG Difference as a Leader: 4 Magic Words. And they are…what, you thought I was going to give away the ending? That would be like telling you Rosebud was the sled!

Kevin Grossman (who is now certified in CPR and first aid by – hey, looky there! It’s our friends at the American Red Cross!) gives us Emergency Preparedness: And now the short fuse of incivility is lit, noting that while it’s important to prepare employees for emergencies like natural disasters, accidents, and workplace violence, but it is just as important to prepare them for a more common workplace disaster: incivility.

Chris Young has come up with A Better Way to be an “Undercover Boss” and says executives don’t need to go undercover to get a better understanding of their front-line employees, they just need to get out there and walk among them. The results may be eye-opening.

Paul Gupta is Now hiring: All slow learners because he wants you to reconsider whether you always want to hire according to a fixed set of attributes.

April Dowling has an important reminder: When it comes to Accountability – Hold Yourself Accountable First. Lead by example.

Strategy Alert: Too Few Workers and Union Activity: Mike Haberman says a union-friendly NLRB and the potential for employee shortage are what the future holds in store. You better start paying attention now.

Steve Boese wants to know: Are you telling a story or acting in one? Celebrity endorses often get ignored because we just don’t believe they are authentic and sharing their real stories.  The same could be said of employment and recruitment messaging. It is important to know the difference between telling a story, and simple acting a story.

Susan Heathfield warns you to proceed with caution: with the high levels of unemployment, the massive response to every job posting, and the number of seemingly qualified candidates for every job,  Employers: Beware and Check.

Marsha Keeffer know that a happy boss cuts your stress, is good for your career and lengthens your employment. It’s all to your benefit, so she gives you 9 Ways to Make Your Boss Happy.

Naomi Bloom begins her series on the characteristics of great HRM software. And what better way to begin than with HRM Saas InFullBloom vs Everything Else: The Musical! 

Speaking of musicals, Heather Stagl wants you to stop singing “Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down you’re rocking the boat.” She says that when Implementing Change from the Inside, Watch Out for Blind Spots. Change can be a good thing, people!

Contrary to some opinions, Michael Krupa thinks that SaaS does not require just as much IT support.

Mark Stelzner is up on the roof, and he’s shouting You Have All the Answers! You just may not know it yet. It’s up to you to take the time and effort to get out there and learn from others to find solutions to your problems. You may end up helping someone else, too.

And finally, mark your calendars, because Ben Eubanks gives just a few reasons Why You Have to Come to HRevolution 2010. It’s going to be totally awesome and you would be a total square not to register right now! Oh, and something about a monkey.

And there you have it, folks! I hope you enjoyed our show today. Thank you to all of the great bloggers who sent in posts. Tune in next time when the Carnival of HR makes a stop at the I’m So Corporate blog on April 14th.

Also, if you have anything to do with employee benefits, take some time out of your busy day on April 6^th to celebrate National Employee Benefits Day!

Courtesy Loren Javier's Flickr Page

The next Carnival of HR will be held right here, in this very blog, next Wednesday, March 31st! To celebrate American Red Cross Month, we will be donating $1 for every post we receive for the Carnival. There is no specific theme for this Carnival, so come one, come all!

If you would like to submit a post, please email it to lruben [at] preceptgroup [dot] com by Monday, March 29th.