How many people do you know own a mobile phone? How many of them do not leave home without it? The mobile phone has become so routine in our lives most people feel naked or lost without it, being without it is like a missing extremity. The demand for the mobile phone continues to increase especially since mobile phones cater to all. The next time you walk down the street or are at the local grocery store observe the multitudes of people using their phones either talking, sending text messages, or even checking their calendars. There are almost 2.4 billion mobile phone users worldwide. This number alone is a good reason to focus on mobile marketing. There are also other reasons to use mobile marketing like increasing word of mouth, giving power to the consumer, and creating effective customer relationship management (CRM).

Marketers are moving towards mobile marketing. Understanding and awareness of technology is the first challenge toward mobile marketing, but justifying its worth is the second. The ability to stay on top of the continually improving technology is difficult and intriguing investors to accept these improvements can be even harder in this fluctuating economy. To be successful the campaign must be informative, entertaining or have social interaction.

1. The first service is providing the information, which will answer consumer’s questions. With access to a mobile phone, the consumer can visit a company website to read feedback and reviews on in-store products or services. This simplifies consumers purchasing decision with a sense of security.
2. Social interaction usually involves a user creating a personal profile of experiences, images, videos or just general thoughts on issues viewable to all or selected individuals via the internet. Social Networking sites are the most rapidly growing websites available. Users are connecting through websites like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter. Each website connects users with one another allowing them to share rich media content, join similar groups, fan clubs, and more. Social Media creates a personalized interaction between readers, consumers and businesses.
3. Engaging the audience in a type of entertainment will increase retention and the return rate. The Zynga Corporation that has developed hundreds of video games and according to their website there are over 50 million players. The majority of their video game connects players with one another through the social media websites. To finance games, Zynga relies on external business promotions and players to purchase special gaming points.

Conclusion

Mobile marketing seems to be the obvious way to keep in touch with consumers via mobile phones. It expands company’s range and target market with the instantaneous convenience. The cost efficiency speaks for itself. Companies can determine the extent of the mobile marketing campaign and customers can determine if they want to accept or decline these offers and updates.

Congress and the President have extended and expanded the COBRA premium subsidy which will allow more individuals to take advantage of federal assistance. The new legislation is part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010 which extends the COBRA subsidy’s eligibility period for two months and extends the maximum duration of the federal assistance from nine months to 15 months. Employers will be required to provide additional notification to qualifying employees of regarding their rights under the Act.

At this point, the Department of Labor (DOL) has not provided a sample of the additional notice required under the provision. However, the new provision does require additional notices describing the new 15-month premium subsidy and other amendments. It will be important for all employers’s to stay up to date regarding the new notices and any sample’s issued by the DOL. Notices should be sent to all assistance-eligible individuals who are on COBRA on or after November 1, 2009, or whose qualifying event is a termination of employment occurring on or after that date.

Credit/Refund Processes for COBRA Subsidy Extension

Credit and refund procedures will be necessary to accommodate assistance-eligible individuals (AEIs) who paid more than the required 35 percent COBRA premium since the enactment of the subsidy extension. We recommend working closely with your benefits department to ensure participants receive the proper refund and that the amount your organization paid out is reimbursed through a premium reduction through a payroll tax credit. As always, Midwest Staffing Group is available as a resource and will keep your organization updated on any critical changes!

December often marks the month of performance appraisal’s for many organizations. For many managers and employee’s this is a dreaded time of year for one reason or another. Some managers procrastinate because they see the review as a hassle with little evidence that the review actually improves employee performance. The key is that if you want to motivate employees to improve their performance, start by motivating managers to do a thorough job on reviews.

Manager’s should ensure that the review is meaningful by discussing what was/was not accomplished while also focusing on what’s important to move ahead.

Secondly buy-in from the management team is essential since they utilize the forms. Through their experience in working with the forms, they may have excellent insights and suggestions on how to improve them. If the managers felt included in the review form development/improvement process, they will be more likely to comply.

A solid training system should also help motivate managers to review performance by demonstrating how individual performance benefits the organization and how managers can measure performance in an objective manner. If manager’s can clearly see the correlation between a performance review system that adds value to their margins, they will be more likely to give quality feedback to their employee’s.

Lastly, all managers should be required to conduct timely and thoughtful employee performance reviews. If managers are evaluated on the quality and the consistency with which they do their performance appraisals, there is a clear message that communicates the value to the organization. Overall, for performance reviews to be as effective as possible, managers should feel involved in the process, receive proper training and be able to see a clear correlation between the review and reaching organizational goals.

Questioning those who haven't looked for work in a few years poses special challenges in an interview. Once again, your best strategy lies in playing career counselor by aiming to discover what the individual is looking to gain by returning to work. The following will help you get inside an individual's head and understand the values driving the new job search:

1. What's motivating your return to the workforce now? Are you looking to pick up where you left off, or would you rather have a more defined, limited role?
2. What have you done since you last worked that would make you qualified to transfer your skills to our company and be selected for this opportunity?
3. What other companies and what other job titles would you be interested in? What disciplines interest you, and which ones would you prefer to avoid?

Hiring individuals who are untested because they've been out of the job market for long periods of time is challenging. However, if evaluated and matched to a particular position correctly, these types of hires can be very successful.

The key traits discussed above will always remain key in candidate selection. Using the questions above will help you differentiate between those who were sidetracked in the recession through no fault of their own vs. those who may not indeed be first in class relative to your organization's needs at a given time.

Businesses across the country are preparing for the holiday season. Instead of focusing on the differences of religious belief companies focus on the joy that the holidays bring to everyone.

Holiday decorations promote a cheerful festive ambiance into the workplace that is inviting to co-workers, clients and visitors. Not only can they symbolize the holidays but they can be uplifting during the cold dark days of winter. Keeping spirits up during these days will directly contribute to an increase in productivity, profitability and service. Dale Carnegie once said, “People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.”

This holiday season is a great time to lift each other's spirits and show off your creativity or the creativity of your business. Here are just a few cost saving ideas to get you started.

1. Collect colored leaves and place them in a bowl with pine cones and maybe some fake berries.
2. Use small gourds, pumpkins, squashes to accent desks and counters; they can also be double as paperweights.
3. Spray paint pots, candles, bowls, and other useless items colors of the seasonal holiday.
4. Wrap hanging pictures in festive wrapping paper and a bow and then re-hang back on the wall.
5. Use paper; cut snowflakes or fold into decorative fans then glue jewels and ribbons for added effects.
6. Fill the office with colors that symbolize the holiday.

Do not tolerate your workplace spiraling into another dreary Ebenezer Scrooge like office; cater to your spirit.

The current "job market recession" you may be wondering how you evaluate someone who's been unemployed or underemployed for the past few years. How do you evaluate their outdated histories, likelihood to succeed and overall cultural fit?

Keep in mind that the same basic principles used in evaluating candidates five years ago will remain fairly similar to those that should be used in today’s job market. Employers should focus on four main factors when evaluating candidates: longevity, career progression, technical skills/education, and personality match/employer compatibility. Candidates should be asked questions in the following categories to evaluate the individual’s ability to match the four key criteria.

Tell me about the reasons for leaving your current and past employers.

Attempt to differentiate between layoffs and times when the candidate made their own moves. In cases of layoffs, ask: How many people were laid off at the same time? How many people survived the cut, and how were they selected? How many waves of layoffs did you survive before you were let go?

Walk me through your progression with your current company, leading me up to what you do now on a day-to-day basis (if they are unemployed use the past employer as an example).

How have you had to reinvent your job in light of your company's changing needs? What makes you stand out among your peers?

From a technical standpoint, on a scale of 1 to 10, how close a fit are you for this particular position based on your understanding of the skills and responsibilities involved?

Why are you an ___? What would make you a 10?

At what pace do you work?

How many hours a week do you find it necessary to work to get your job done? When it comes to giving constructive criticism, should your supervisor be sensitive in delivering bad news, or do you pride yourself on your thick skin? These questions can also be asked in a behavior-based format by following the question with the phrase, "Give me an example of a time when..." This will allow your candidates the opportunity to explain their initial answers in a real-life setting.

Questions for The 'Underemployed'

As high as the unemployment rate has been over the past few years, many companies still feel that it is a challenge to find strong candidates. The common belief is that "All the good ones are already working," inferring that the unemployed or underemployed were somehow not first in class.

One option when interviewing someone who is underemployed is to play “career counselor” role during the interview. This strategy gives you an opportunity to see show how creative and persistent they can be when faced with adversity. For example, ask recent MBA graduates, two years out of school and working only in temporary roles, "What has been your job search strategy since graduation and how many interviews have you landed? What kinds of corporations have you been focusing on, and how have you developed your leads?"

A less aggressive applicant might respond: "I’ve been searching the classifieds. At this point, I’m really just looking for a job.”

A strategic thinker who is motivated, might respond: "I've reached out to Grad school’s alumni group and introduced myself to100 alumni for networking. I then made a list of the top 25 corporations I would like to work for and I then sent my resume to the managers in all of those companies. Since then, I've generated more than 15 exploratory interviews over the past year, but unfortunately none has panned out." An answer like this indicates the candidate is interested in your “type” of organization and isn’t afraid to network. Both may be key items for the opening at your company! Next it's time to focus on why they’re not getting the jobs applied for: "You seem to know what you want. Why haven't you landed a full-time position yet?"

The following responses will probably make or break the interview:
"I don't know. (Not a strong answer)

The companies seem interested, in a few of cases, the funding never came through for the position. It's not that they didn't hire me; they couldn't hire anyone." (Good)

Blogs are personal renditions of experiences with products, customer service or just general thought on issues viewable to all via the internet. Search Engines, Blogs and Social Media are the most utilized tools available for consumers to research products and companies and for companies to monitor consumer reviews. Blogs initiate a personalized interaction between readers, consumers and businesses.

The top three reasons to start a Blog.

1. The price is right - Blogging is one of the most cost efficient marketing methods in the industry. Blogs provide you and your company the ability to share thoughts, photos and videos instantly with others. Several websites exits that allow a person to set up a blog within minutes and chose from a variety of templates to get you started for free. A non-localized blogging site listed is www.blogger.com where you can post your blogs on their site. My personal favorite site is an open source project called Blog Engine at www.dotnetblogengine.net; this site with the help of your technology department enables you to blog in the location that you want; for instance the home page of your website.
2. Increase Traffic - Search engines like www.bing.com and www.google.com measure and rank your website proficiency based on inbound links to your website - from outside websites, then they account for outbound links to other website - from your website. Blogs also encourage people to return to your website so they can stay current with any updates or modifications.
3. Interaction - The most important feature of a blog is that they create a viable way to listen to a greater quantity of consumer's opinions. Unlike other types of marketing tactics such as print media or email campaigns blogging permits instant feedback about opinions and offerings of relevant topics. Companies that decide to utilize blogs will have the advantage of knowing their customer opinions about their company and niche market and maybe glean relevant stories which will allow them the ability to tweak any processes and move forward in the future.

Convinced to start your own blog? Here is a helpful website which will direct you towards creating a successful blog www.problogger.net. You will find blogs can beneficial as a consumer and as a company. As you enter the world of blogging you will discover the other many benefits that blogging entails. Keep in mind that some blogs are personal opinions and should treated as suggestions not as legitimate facts.

Over the past several months, there have been many releases from the Federal government regarding how to keep children, elderly adults, and those with weak immune systems healthy should there be a H1N1 or other flu pandemic outbreak. While these are all important topics to consider; there are also key items that employers must be aware of regarding the spread of the H1N1 virus in the work place. This article will focus on specific labor law issues and how to prepare your organization. For more detailed information and a FAQ section, please consult the government website: http://www.flu.gov/faq/workplace_questions

In addition to considering the government’s FAQ section, it is recommended that employers also should be guided by federal employment law, as well as their own employee handbooks, manuals, and contracts (including bargaining agreements), and any applicable state or local laws.

Seasonal Flu versus a Pandemic

The first issue to consider is if the outbreak is a seasonal flu or a pandemic. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), a seasonal flu is a periodic outbreak of respiratory illness in the Fall and Winter in the United States. A pandemic refers to a worldwide outbreak of influenza spread from person to person. When there is a pandemic, the likelihood of infection increases as the virus spreads throughout the population; possibly without vaccinations.

Family Medical Leave Act

An employee who has a serious health condition or is required to provide care to a qualified family member with a serious health condition may be entitled to up to twelve weeks of continuous or intermittent leave under the FMLA. The 2009 revisions to the FMLA clarified that an employer’s normal time-off polices dictate who an employee reports their absence and whether that time off will be paid. Employers still retain the right to require a medical certification for the serious health condition of an employee or a qualified family member. Employers should review their policies now to ensure that their policies are written clearly and up-to-date before a pandemic flu outbreak.

Americans with Disability Act (ADA)

Recently, the EEOC issued guidance with respect to the ADA and the H1N1 flu. Under the ADA, an employer’s ability to inquire about an employee’s disability status is limited by when the employer makes the inquiry. It is recommended that employers review when it is permissible to make such inquiries. While employers are limited in their ability to make individual employee disability inquiries, the EEOC an employer may make broad, general inquires of its workforce. For example, an employer may ask its workforce whether certain conditions (such as school closing or reduced public transportation) will affect an employee’s ability to come to work.

The Fair Labor Standards Act

Employees who are not infected and are able to work may find that they must “fill-in” for absent, infected co-workers, In turn, they may find that their job descriptions are significantly altered. A change in a job description has implications for an employee’s exempt/non-exempt status and overtime compensation. Should there be an outbreak, employers may choose to allow certain categories of employees to telecommute. This is recommended by both OSHA and the CDC, but employers should be aware that it may impact measuring and tracking time worked for exempt employees and workplace safety/workers’ compensation issue. If a telecommuting option is to be implemented, consultation with a legal counsel is recommended to ensure compliance with FLSA/workers’ compensation.

Workers Compensation

Employees who face a greater risk for infection from a pandemic flu may be entitled to workers’ compensation for their medical expenses and lost wages if they contract the virus while on the job. While this may not impact all employers equally, those in the medical/health care field should consider the implications of increased claims.

There are a multitude of employment laws that Human Resource Professionals must consider regarding the issues posed by H1N1. A proactive approach is recommended in preparing to handle various scenarios that may result from a pandemic such as increased use (and possible abuses) of sick time, increased exposure to litigation, and new government regulations. Midwest Staffing has taken a pro-active approach and has an operational contingency plan in place should a pandemic outbreak take place. We are prepared to continue to service our clients to the best of our abilities under tough circumstances!

2009 will continue to be a busy year for benefits changes! Employers should review and amend plans for compliance with a variety of legislation that will be taking effect soon!

Special Enrollment for CHIP

Effective April 1, 2009, group health plans are to provide special enrollment for persons losing CHIP or Medicare coverage or obtaining premium assistance from a state under a CHIP or Medicare program. Notice requirements of certain rights will be required starting for most plans on January 1, 2011.

What to do? Determine whether your employees have been notified of this expanded right. This is usually done through a summary of material modification (SMM) to your group health plan. These new special enrollment rights may require changes to your plan documents and summary plan descriptions.

HIPAA Privacy & Security

Effective August, 2009 plan sponsors should be aware of any breach of unsecured protected health information (PHI). If a breach is discovered, an employer sponsored health plan must notify the individual within 60 days. If a breach involves more than 500 people media must be notified. Effective February 17, 2010, businesses are responsible for compliance with HIPAA’s rules and regulations.

What to do? Review documents to ensure your vendors are responsible for providing any notices needed in the event of a breach of unsecured PHI.

Mental Health Benefits

Under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2010 (for calendar year plans) there will be two changes regarding financial and treatment requirements. Group Health Plans must provide mental health and/or substance use disorder benefits on an equivalent basis to medical/surgical benefits (or eliminate these benefits).

What to do? Review your current group health plan mental health and substance abuse benefit coverage. If changes need to be made, plan for potential cost increases for the 2010 plan year.

Genetic Information

Group Health plans may not impose a pre-existing condition limitation based on genetic information. Plans may not use genetic information to discriminate regarding eligibility, premiums or coverage nor may they require genetic testing. Genetic information is considered private health information (phi).

What to do? Audit the collection or use of family medical histories or other genetic information in your wellness and health promotion programs. Know whether any information is collected for underwriting purposes or prior to enrollment. If information is used in a discriminatory manner, action will be required.

Cafeteria Plan

Currently scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2010, for calendar year plans, benefit options may have to be expanded and/or clarified. Plan documents may also require more detailed written plan documents.

What to do? Evaluate your current cafeteria plan documents and SPDs. Note possible changes needed when these rules become final.

Michelle’s Law

“Michelle’s Law” will prohibit an employer-sponsored health plan from cutting off benefits if a college student who is covered under a parent’s health plan due to his or her full-time student status loses that status due to a medical leave of absence.

What to do? Review current SPDs and plan documents to see what changes may be needed. Ensure continued coverage with HMO’s and Cobra administrator’s.

Temporary work or temporary employment has often been referred to as contractual, freelance, seasonal or simply as “temp” work. A common misconception can be that Temporary agencies offer positions, which are only temporary but in actuality also offer positions, which could lead to permanent placement. Temporary agencies work individually with companies and potential employees to find the most compatible pairing.

Benefits for companies working with Temp Agencies:

1. Confidence and Quality - All employees’ (temps) adhere to a thorough background check including an investigation into their criminal record. A “Temp” agency also examines the requirements and desires of a company to meet their expectations by providing a competent employee.
2. Economical - Companies, which need temporary employment to perhaps help complete a large project, or substitute for a permanent employee on a leave or vacation, do not need to pay all the benefits of a full time employee. In most cases, temporary employees receive an hourly wage and receive no insurance benefits; this of course is dependent on the longevity of the position and individual company policies. Once the job has been, fulfilled companies release the “temp” without the added expense of paying unemployment fees, which would be required by “laying off” a permanent employee.
3. Flexibility - Hiring a ‘Temp’ is an excellent way to find the right employee for an available position. If you are unhappy with the performance of a ‘Temp’ finding a replacement is a simple transition. Temporary agencies deal with the hiring, the placement and the paperwork.

Benefits for employees working with Temp Agencies:

1. Flexible Hours - Employees have the flexibility to choose when and where they work. Temporary agencies work with the potential employee to find a position that best fits their schedule. Full time or part time jobs are available in the daytime, evening, or even weekends and in some cases special holiday positions are available.
2. Pay Rate - The pay can be beneficial to temps because when employers are looking to fill positions quickly they are willing to pay the extra price. Health benefits may be available depending of the longevity of the position and contingent to company policies