HotSpot: Employee Communications Blog

Helping Employees Navigate Economic Uncertainty

Posted by Spitfire Communications on Feb 1, 2023 11:00:00 AM

We had a bit of a reprieve for a while there and we collectively took a deep breath. But, somewhere between the dreaded virus (*cough*Covid) crisis, record breaking inflationand an overseas war, the familiar phrase “recession” has reared its ugly head again. 

According to arecent quarterly survey from McKinsey, the second half of 2022 is suffering from a somber economic outlook. In fact,72%of U.S. employees are currently stressed about their finances and nearly 9 in 10 revealed they’re reassessing their financial situation. 

Stress not only impacts your employees’ mental health but also their level of productivity. Employees dealing with financial stress lose, on average, 11.4 hoursin productivity every week – which translates to approximately $4 billionin lost productivity weekly for U.S. employers. 

It’s imperative for businesses to focus on strategic planning and risk management so they can be ready to adapt to any unexpected changes. Your employee communications should supplement and support those efforts. 

Times of financial uncertainty can be difficult to navigate when you have all the information, but when everything is up in the air, it’s obviously even harder. Don’t leave your employees to struggle alone. Here’s how you can help:

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Tags: Employee Communications, 401(k), HR Communications, Employee Engagement, Open Enrollment, Human Resources, internal communications, communication strategy, Employee Marketing, benefit package, financial wellness, economy, inflation, cost of living

Effectively Communicating Total Compensation

Posted by Spitfire Communications on Jan 18, 2023 10:08:00 AM

As an increasing number of organizations move toward complete pay transparency, the importance of informing employees about exactly how they’re compensated is a key part of the process. Total compensation statements are a way to paint the bigger picture by showing your employees the breakdown of their benefits and rewards beyond just base salary. 

Total compensation, when communicated effectively, can help boost employee engagement, retention and talent attraction while educating employees on how they’re truly being compensated. It’s vital to include the right information, adhere to certain best practices and arm your managers with the tools they need to engage in discussions with employees. 

 

Keep reading to learn how to communicate total compensation to your employees, so you can optimize the outcomes.

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Tags: Employee Communications, 401(k), HR Communications, Employee Engagement, Open Enrollment, Human Resources, internal communications, communication strategy, Employee Marketing, benefit package, compensation statement, financial wellness, eap

Tell the Saver’s Tax Credit Story

Posted by spitfireWeb on Mar 26, 2015 2:40:41 PM

Did you know that just a quarter of U.S. employees with annual household incomes $50,000 or less are aware of the nine-year-old tax code provision called the Saver’s Credit? This credit helps to offset the first $2,000 they contribute to their employer-sponsored retirement plan, including 401(k), 403(b), 457 and Thrift Savings plans.

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Tags: 2015, 401(k), 401(k) plan, 403(b), 457, April 15, contributions, dependent, elective deferrals, federal employees, Form 1040, Form 1040EZ, Heads of household, income tax returns, IRS Form 8880, tax code, tax year, taxpayer’s refund, Thrift Saving, Uncategorized, workplace program, IRS publication 590-A, Married couples, married individuals filing separately, public schools, retirement plan, Saver’s Credit, SHRM.org, Singles, state or local government employees, student

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About This Blog

Spitfire’s very own blog, where we’ll shed light on best practices, insights, and experiences in the field of employee communications

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