Thinking of a Career Change?

 

Written by Jenny Catton

 

Once upon a time, a job was for life and people tended to work in the same industry or even for the same company throughout their entire career. But these days, it’s more common for people to change direction mid-way through their career. And with proper planning, there’s no reason why you can’t change career at any age.

 

Is a career change right for you?
The first step is to think about why you want to change. It may be that you don’t need to change career completely to find new challenges or better prospects. A new role in your existing company or a position at a new firm might be what you need instead.

 

 

What next?

If you have decided that you want a complete change of career, you need to think about what you’d like to do next. Think about the things you still enjoy in your current career – are there skills you could transfer to a different industry or role? Alternatively, do you have hobbies outside of work that you could build into a new career? Take time to research your options and find out what training or qualifications you might need to kick-start your new career.

 

Practical considerations

Think about the financial and practical implications of a career change. For example, changing career may mean taking a drastic pay cut whilst you establish yourself in your new job. Make sure you have adequate savings whilst you make the transition.

 

For more information about changing career, visit: www.acareerchange.co.uk

 

Categories: Career, career change, catton, change, change career, changing career, company, industry, jenny, nbsp, written

Wellness Programmes: How To Build And Sustain Them

Workplace wellness schemes are becoming increasingly popular in companies, but there are unforeseen challenges in creating a successful programme which benefits everyone. Both employers and employees benefits from having a wellness scheme in place, such as better morale in the workplace, lower rate of absences and a higher rate of employee productivity. In particular, for employees, wellness programmes can become an important part of being physically active and leading a healthy lifestyle. There are often cases where a wellness scheme triggers an interest in healthier living, such as yoga sessions bringing a personal sense of satisfaction to an employee or cycling to work improving one’s health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, there is no right way to approach developing a wellness scheme, but there are many common factors in programmes which are currently very successful. The main factors to remember are a commitment from management, involvement from employees, adequate resources and a focus on policies regarding workplace health, wellness and safety. Careful planning is required if you are to set up a successful scheme. Why not invite employees to input their ideas? A suggestion box or staff meetings can be a great forum for these ideas. You may need to develop a business case to convince senior members of staff that a wellness programme would be useful within your company. There are many stats to support the benefits of having a wellness scheme but it’s important that you make it clear why your company should develop one to help both employees and employers.

 

Your messages to management should communicate the benefits of such a programme, including the facts and figures on employee health and job satisfaction, and how this affects productivity. Be sure to collect information to prove that the scheme is beneficial; establish a planning committee to represent the views of different departments; be sure to know the facts on what your company is already offering in the way of health benefits and such. You should put activities into place, such as those which increase awareness and knowledge, develop skills and provide social interaction. These could be activities such as walking clubs, golf tourneys, corporate challenge events and national campaigns which your company can get involved in. Healthy eating should also be part of the plan so develop a policy on food catering for the meetings, so that healthy foods are available – perhaps you can look to develop a healthier menu in the company cafeteria. Your wellness programme should take steps to regularly monitor the progress of employees and evaluate how successful the programme is. You can do this, for example, by tracking the number of participants in a given activity, or the number of employees who support some or all components of a programme. It’s important that you identify all areas of excellence, as well as looking at the factors which affect the participation in your programme. Mistakes will happen but the important thing is that you learn from them and develop a stronger programme for the future. As the scheme develops, continue to evaluate it and make changes as you and the company require them. If you pay close attention to the key elements of a wellness programme within your company, and you ensure that the lines of the communication remain open at all times, you can develop a strong foundation from which to sustain an effective wellness programme which will leave a lasting legacy.

Categories: Advice, company, Corporate, employees, Programme, scheme, Wellness, Wellness Programme, Wellness programmes, wellness scheme

Four Steps for Implementing a Corporate Culture of Wellness

Many businesses are implementing corporate wellness programmes, but there are those for whom such plans are a privilege, or optional extra. According to Joshua Love, the president of national corporate wellness company Kinema Fitness, ‘When I stop and think about employee wellness, I have to step away from my day to day responsibilities and take a look from the employer perspective. I think it’s a no-brainer to install a wellness programme at every company, no matter the size, demographic, location or what service or product the company provides. My belief is that no company can be successful without paying attention to the wellbeing of their people — and people can’t be successful without feeling good every day.’

 

Love continues, ‘We live in a fast-paced, busy world, full of constant distractions. We’re constantly dialed in with technology and always on the move. Which is why it’s so refreshing to walk into a company where you feel the environment is different, one where people seem motivated, excited, inspired and really love what they do. My experience with corporate wellness leads me back to Google in Mountain View, CA (and how Google maintains its status as one of the top 100 best companies to work for year after year). Google doesn’t just create jobs, they create a culture, one in which people are valued and appreciated every day. Google’s locations have full fitness facilities, daily classes and healthy food available throughout the day; as a result, employees feel cared for and valued.’

 

Do you have to be as lucrative or as large as Google to create a culture of wellness? Of course not; every company has the ability to implement some kind of wellness programme. But how do you do it? Love has a four-step process to help you install a wellness programme that‘s efficient, smart, scalable and goal-oriented:

 

1. Determine the Needs of Employer AND Employee: ‘First, we ask a simple question,’ says Love. ‘What do employees need, and how do those needs fit with the goals of the employer? It’s impossible to answer these questions without assessing both sides. It is essential to understand the mindsets, challenges, and your audience first before laying out a framework for its path. This includes surveying not only the employees, but also the employer. A simple health risk assessment (which your insurance carrier may offer) followed by biometric screens is a good way to assess problem areas.’

 

2. Analyze the Data and Create a Plan: Love details, ‘Based on our survey data, we try to determine what elements will work for the existing culture. Is it fitness classes that will motivate the employees, wellness workshops, individual health assessments, or some combination of the above? We always recommend combining wellness education with physical activity — otherwise, many employees will not take advantage of classes and programmes they need to see real benefits.’

 

3. Create a Communication Plan: ‘A culture of wellness doesn’t happen without reinforcement,’ Love asserts. ‘Employers must create a communication plan that lays out the programme’s framework and different methods (and times) to communicate the information to employees. This keeps wellness at the forefront.’

 

4. Put an Incentive Plan in Place: Love comments, ‘We have found, time and again, that rewarding employees for getting healthy and achieving results encourages the type of change needed to get a programme off the ground and encourage a real shift in employee culture. However, because the required behaviour changes are new, challenging, and difficult to sustain, programmes must include incentives and rewards throughout the year in order to drive long-term engagement.’

Categories: Communication, company, corporate wellness, culture, employees, incentives, nbsp, Wellness, Wellness Programme

In-House and Outsourcing: Why Corporate Wellness Needs Both

While some corporate wellness practises have changed over the years, most things have remarkably stayed the same. For years, employers have been told to outsource their wellness promotion, administration and delivery, but does that approach to looking after employee wellbeing still hold true today? For the answer, we turned to Rob J. Thurston, President of HR Consulting Group and Bart Sheeler, co-founder of ActivHealth International, in order to take a real time look at the current approach to Wellness Programmes.

 

According to Thurston and Sheeler, ‘Most companies have heard of, would like to implement, or may have even attempted to offer a wellness programme. However, most have found they are too busy fighting tough economic times and watching expenses trying to make a profit to divert attention or expenses into the intangible world of wellness. While the concept of wellness may seem to be much more philosophical than the task of producing a product or service for a profit, they really have more in common than not. As companies strive to improve their processes and focus on the bottom line “health” of their business, the same happens to be true for their most valued assets, their employees. The happier and healthier the employee population, the better the productivity and lower the health care costs against trend – all of which add up to help improve the company’s bottom line.’

 

So how do you implement your own wellness programme without taking your eye off the day-to-day responsibilities of your business? ‘Respecting your culture and designing a programme that meets the unique needs of your population are essential in building a wellness programme,’ say Thurston and Sheeler. ‘We recommend surveying your employees to see what interests them and noting what the circumstances are specific to your company. Do you have one location, branch offices, multiple shifts and/or remote sales staff? All these factors will ultimately need consideration when you sit down to design your programme.’ So that’s that, then, no need to outsource your company’s wellness needs? Not according to Thurston and Sheeler.

 

The wellness experts write, ‘We believe that certain items must remain under your control, while other features will be better delivered via outsourced solutions. With this in mind, the question is not whether it makes sense for a company to offer a wellness programme, but more importantly, how to incorporate a programme that will capture the attention of the employees, drive engagement on a personal level and ultimately create a culture of health improvement. Every company is different, so the solutions will not all look the same. The key is to match a company’s available “internal” resources with a complimentary set of outsourced “external” resources.’

 

In terms of what you can do internally, it again comes down to culture. ‘Outside influences can be enlisted,’ note Thurston and Sheeler. ‘But in the end, your employees are internal and will shape your culture from the ground up. There are internal components that must be maintained within the company to be effective. Leadership must be involved, “walking the talk” and communications that are reinforced through internal “programme champions” are a necessity to be successful in the integration of healthy living into a company’s culture.’

 

So what do you outsource for? Thurston and Sheeler explain, ‘Employers use outsourcing to maintain or improve service to employees; reduce workload to existing staff; reduce programme costs; and to free up resources to focus on other key objectives, like building their widgets for a profit…Such firms will offer Health Risk Appraisals, Biometric testing, onsite Fitness and Challenges, onsite coaching, online coaching and a variety of platforms that offer real-time programming via internet access.’

Categories: company, corporate wellness, corporate wellness programme, culture, outsourcing, Programme, real time, sheeler, thurston, Wellness, Wellness Programme

Why Happy, Healthy Employees Matter

Some people are fortunate enough to be given the chance to get their dream jobs. After all, it has been said that when you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work at all. But even if you love your job, there are other factors that can burst your happy bubble, draining you of creative juices until you are burned out and unable to fulfill the tasks that you are required to do. Burnt out and unhappy, your health begins to suffer and you will be unable to perform as well as you once did. The moment you are unable to fulfill the work that has been assigned to you, everything snowballs, triggering a chain reaction that will affect everyone, especially when you are part of a team. This paints a very clear picture of why happy, healthy employees matter. But if you need further enlightenment, the following reasons should be enough to convince you.

Happy = Productive

 When you are happy at your workplace, you tend to be inspired to work your ass off everyday because your company cares about you and your wellbeing. How does your company show that it cares? Through employee benefits like insurance plans and other incentives. One of the things that can easily burn a hole through your wallet is medical expenses. Even just one unexpected stay at the hospital is enough to put you in debt, especially with expensive doctors’ fees, admissions fees and medication. With health plans, you are able to set your mind at ease and worry less about the possibility of getting sick since you know that you will be covered in case your health is compromised.

Another benefit that will make employees happy is legal plans. This is not a requirement when it comes to employee benefits. But when a company offers this, it is a great bonus that will take a load off an employer’s shoulders especially when he or she may be encountering problems like identity theft. Employees may also require other assistance from lawyers like reviewing a legal document or purchasing a property. An attorney’s exorbitant hourly fees can also put a dent in their wallet so having legal plans is sure to make them happy and at the same time help them save money.

If you have your own company and plan to include legal plans in your employee benefits, you can check out budget packages from legal services providers like Legal Shield. There are informative clips on LegalShield YouTube Channel that can guide you on which coverage is best for your employees.

Healthy = Happy + Productive

Employee health is something that companies should nurture. What better way to do so that to offer activities that help promote good health. Regular exercise is very important, more so for those who spend majority of their time working in front of a computer screen. What you can offer is a free gym membership or perhaps a subsidized one, so that employees can work off their stress and release endorphins, which in turn can contribute to happy feelings and overall well being. Another option is to offer healthier food options, if the company has its own canteen that caters to its employees. When you combine good health and happiness, it will minimize sick leaves and promote more productivity among employees.

About the Author

Based in San Diego California, Tiffany Matthews is a professional writer with over 5 years of writing experience. She also blogs about travel, fashion, and anything under the sun at wordbaristas.com, a group blog that she shares with her good friends. In her free time, she likes to travel, read books, and watch movies. You can find her on Twitter as @TiffyCat87.

Categories: company, employee benefits, employees, employees matter, happy, health, Healthy, healthy employees, legal, legal plans, plans

Viagra To Be Sold Directly To Patients

There are thousands of junk emails that are received every day that offer alternatives to Viagra that will supposedly help men who have trouble with erectile dysfunction. The problem is that most of these products don’t work, and you are simply wasting your money on something that can never do you any good. For many men, the idea of having to go into a pharmacy to buy Viagra is very daunting and in some senses, shameful. So perhaps it is no surprise that so many turn to buying products online that claim to do the same job. It is easy to see how this can balloon into a very major problem for everyone involved.

But now it seems that Pfizer, the company that makes Viagra, is taking steps to fight against this problem. In a first for the drug industry, the company has announced that it will begin selling its popular and well-known erectile dysfunction pill directly to the customer online. This does not mean that we are seeing a deregulation of the drugs industry; it just shows that companies are thinking of new ways to help their customers. To show this, you’ll still need a prescription from your doctor if you want to get Viagra, but there is no need to go to a pharmacist to actually get the drug – it will be sent to you directly from the company’s website.

Viagra is known to be very expensive, so perhaps it is no surprise that so many people tried to find cheap alternatives online. But now that the real deal is available, it’s hoped that many people will stop turning to illegitimate sources in their quest to fight erectile dysfunction. Indeed, as mentioned previously this is the very first time that a drugs company has attempted this model of sales. In the past it has been the norm for drugs producers such as Pfizer to sell their products to wholesalers in bulk, who then distribute it to pharmacies, hospitals and doctors surgeries.

Pfizer has said they are attempting this new form of model as it can help to counter the effects of unscrupulous online pharmacies offering fake versions of Viagra at highly discounted rates. Not only does the effect the sales of real Viagra, it also could be dangerous for the health of the individuals who buy the fake drugs, that may come from companies that don’t go through the safety checks and requirements of those who are legitimate.

It is likely that the other drugs companies will very carefully watch Pfizer to see if this experiment with Viagra works. If it does, it could certainly be the case that some companies may start to roll out their own version of the model and sell their drugs online if a prescription is available. However, due to the unique nature of Viagra in that it is a highly popular, but in some ways, slightly embarrassing drug to buy, it could be that it could be more effective than others in the online sphere.

This is the latest step taken by Pfizer in their attempts to battle a number of the problems of the growing popularity of the internet. The issue is that many people like to use online pharmacies for convenience and perceived confidentiality, but the truth is that many online drugstores do not follow the guidelines that they are supposed to. This can lead to very bad practice within the industry that can see drugs being sold illegally to customers or counterfeit versions of the drugs used in their place to make profit.

Categories: company, drugs, erectile dysfunction, Online, online pharmacies, online pharmacy, pfizer, Viagra

What Are The Best Corporate Gifts to Celebrate Diwali?

During Diwali, people celebrate in many different ways, and the festival includes joy, light and good foods. It is also traditionally celebrated in the corporate environment, with gifts frequently being the norm. Employers believe that not only does giving gifts boost the wellness and wellbeing of their employees through boosted self-esteem and confidence, but it also directly benefits the company as employees who feel valued are likely to work harder. The trickiest thing can be finding a suitable gift to buy though, and there are various options available.

 

Sometimes companies do a bulk order of gifts that show the company design of logo (pens, mugs, mouse mats and so on) but these are generally not popular. Traditionally, Diwali gifts from employers used to come in monetary form, or in the form of shares in the company (this also made sure that employees had a vested interest in making sure that the company did well!)

 

Sometimes companies now hire creative agencies to actually design their Diwali gifts. This can mean that gifts like mobile phones, special coins, toys, kitchenware and home appliances can be given, but can also feature the company logo at the same time. This means that the employees are happy because they have a great new gift and there are also advertising opportunities in it for the employers.

 

Gift hampers are another popular option. Diwali hampers usually contain products such as sweet, fruit and nuts, and a logo can be incorporated into a gift basket too.

 

If none of the above is suitable, gift vouchers can also be used. This means that the employee is able to choose something that they really want, rather than having something that simply sits on the desk or in a cupboard and never gets used.

Categories: company, Corporate, Diwali, diwali gifts, employees, gift, gifts, suitable gift

Diwali Can be Wonderful When Celebrated With Colleagues

Diwali is celebrated all over the world by the Indian community, and it is a festival of joy, light and celebration. The sheer pleasure of it helps to improve the wellness and wellbeing of millions, as they revel in the annual celebration, but can this also be transferred into a corporate environment? Increasingly, the answer to this is yes.

 

Corporate Diwali gifts are actually an important part of the celebrations, and date back for years now. Employees and employers alike look forward to the opportunity to exchange a bit of good will. Employees benefit by receiving a much-welcomed gift from their employer, and the employers themselves benefit by receiving the goodwill of their employees, which frequently leads to increased productivity from employees who feel both happy and valued as part of the company.

 

Celebrated by Indians both in India and throughout the world, Diwali is about celebrating love and friendship, and these are important qualities to value in the workplace as well as at home. Some companies even get fully into the spirit of things, with Diwali decorations around the office as well as gifts.

 

The gifts given by employers can vary hugely, but traditionally they are of the monetary type, either in the form of a cash bonus, or in the form of a few shares in the company. The latter is a particularly popular option, and has the added bonus of giving employees a real financial investment in the company that they are working for, which gives them an extra incentive to work particularly hard and ensure that the company is performing as well as it possibly can.

 

Other employers prefer to be a little more low key, and buy their employees a special Diwali card and give them a small gift such as special fruit, trinkets, handmade chocolates, special food in a gift basket or some kind of cake.

Categories: company, Diwali, employees, employer, employers, gift, nbsp

The Investment of Arthritic Medicine

A new drug to help the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis has entered lawmakers’ scopes as is becomes a topic of controversy regarding investment issues.

A political debate over Xeljanz, produced by Pfizer, has cost taxpayers a whopping $24,666 (£16,193) a year, which is said to grow into $2.3 billion by 2018, reflecting the company’s initial investment of $1 billion two decades ago. Pfizer joined up with a research team to produce Xeljanz. Initially, the company declined involving itself with the research team in 1994, the pricing terms of which asked for the company to “reflect the taxpayers’ investment and the health and safety needs of the public.”

Two years later, the pricing clause was removed and Pfizer worked with the team to create Xeljanz, a protein-based drug to reduce the symptoms of arthritis.

“When taxpayer-funded research helps stimulate efforts like the Xeljanz research and development program, there is a substantial return on investment,” the Pfizer statement says. “If a company chooses to initiate a high-risk $1 billion investment, as we did, that is a significant return to the American public.”

The National Institutes of Health however, has been treated with scrutiny, with its research reportedly having no “treatment-related discoveries and did not contribute in any way to the Xeljanz R&D program.” Furthermore, the report was notably vague, which means that the public’s investments into the drug is being treated with significant concern.

“American taxpayers are entitled to realize a return on their investment in N.I.H. research resulting in this — or any other — breakthrough drug. Surely price gouging isn’t what they expect or deserve,” U.S. Representative Henry A. Waxman, D-Calif told the New York Times.

With the grey area of tax-funded medication, the debate is drawn as to whether or not publicly-funded medication should cost its prescriber less. With companies attempting to make a profit and its consumers trying to improve their lives, it is interesting that the question is not “does it work?” but instead is, “how much will it cost?”

The Investment of Arthritic Medicine

Categories: Arthritis, business, company, Corporate, Finance, funded medication, investment, Osteoarthritis, Pain Relief, pfizer, Research, research team, xeljanz