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Networking
Not staying in touch can be crucial mistake

Maintaining old contacts and establishing new ones are skills that take time and patience, and schmoozing is key to both.

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But a survey of 613 working adults suggests that many employees have not yet mastered the art of schmooze. Of those polled, 37 percent said not asking for help is the biggest networking mistake. Twenty-five percent said failure to keep in touch with professional acquaintances and colleagues is the second-biggest mistake.

Conducted by OfficeTeam, a staffing agency for administrative professionals, the survey results showed that not saying thank you or writing thank you notes to professional associates for their support or time ranked third among respondents, with 22 percent noting that failure to acknowledge those who have been helpful is a critical mistake. Thirteen percent said burning bridges with past employers is also a bad move.

''People often avoid asking for help for two reasons,'' said Liz Hughes, executive director of OfficeTeam. ''Either they are embarrassed at needing assistance or they feel they can go it alone and succeed without others' involvement. In this employment market, however, every contact counts. Building a network is tantamount to building professional marketability and visibility.''

Hughes advises that workers make it a point of staying in regular contact with acquaintances or professional contacts. This means having lunch, attending professional meetings where you are likely to meet new people in your field and stay in touch with people you already know, and picking up the telephone to simply say hello or discuss mutual interests or new developments in your field.

She adds that employees should do the preparation work needed for others to assist them. For example, she said, ''If you've asked someone to serve as a reference, provide that person with a copy of your resume, a brief description of the jobs you've applied for, and the names of the (employers) who might be calling.

''Be direct rather than hinting at the help you need,'' Hughes continued. ''Also, let your contact know how much time you anticipate the favor will take. If it's more than an hour or two, you may want to rethink the request and find a way to spread it out.''

Finally, she said, it is important that you return the favor. ''Your contacts will be more motivated to help if you seek ways to assist them and are responsive to their requests,'' she said. ''Say thanks. Acknowledge everyone's efforts on your behalf with a thank you note.''

DIANE E. LEWIS

Work-life
Survey finds many still struggle with balance

How happy are workers with their ability to balance the demands of work and family?

A random survey of 250 working adults indicates that more than a third are finding it difficult to leave work at the office when the workday ends. Of those polled, 55 percent said their career impinges on family or personal time. While 52.6 percent said they spend the right amount of time at work, 39.5 percent felt they were spending too much time on the job, and 7.9 percent said they were not spending enough time at work.

When asked whether they are happy with their employer's vacation policies, 60.5 percent said they were. But 36.8 percent said that when they are not on the job, they lose sleep thinking about work. Sixty-three percent said they do not worry about their jobs after they've left the office.

Most workers surveyed, 60.5 percent, said company morale would improve dramatically if employees received an increase in compensation. By contrast, 28.9 percent said more vacation time would boost morale. The survey was conducted last month by At-A-Glance, a manufacturer of time-managment products. Survey results were announced last week.

DIANE E. LEWIS

Benefits
Healthcare costs are rising, AIM reports

Employers say healthcare costs are still rising.

The 7,500-member Associated Industries of Massachusetts notes that 62 percent of its members have said that premiums for health insurance increased 11 to 20 percent in 2003. Eleven percent said that costs increased between 21 and 30 percent over the past year.

Meanwhile, Towers Perrin reports that the average healthcare cost for each active employee is more than $6,000 in 2003. The management consulting firm is predicting that healthcare costs will increase by 50 percent in three years and double in five years.

''Few employers can absorb these increases,'' Towers Perrin says in a new report. ''Most have already taken some steps to reduce short-term costs. What's needed now? Tactics for managing short- and long-term costs that include the vendor or providers of healthcare and employees - without sacrificing employee satisfaction or commitment.''

The company recommends that employers take a closer look at ways to rein in costs, including:

Determine whether the current healthcare program should be restructured or redesigned.

Determine whether the right vendors are providing services required by your employees and whether the services are right for your market.

Check discounts and funding arrangements. Do more comparison shopping. Select lower cost, more efficient providers.

Make sure the company has the right disease- and case-management programs for employees.

Motivate employees to become more educated and efficient consumers of healthcare.

Consolidate health plans where necessary.

Determine whether HMO self-insurance may be more advantageous.

The report notes that, on average, 15 percent of a company's employees account for 70 percent of annual healthcare costs. It suggests that companies work closely with employees to help them manage chronic conditions by offering disease prevention programs and interventions that will help improve their health.

DIANE E. LEWIS

Workplace
EAP provider notes increase in depression

The sluggish economy and layoffs are boosting depression among workers, says ComPsych Corp., a provider of crisis intervention and employee assistance programs.The company reports a 27 percent increase in counseling requests from corporate clients in the first quarter of 2003.

Of the counseling sessions, or ''critical incident debriefings'' held with ComPsych staff, 27 percent were related to worker anxiety and job terminations, 35 percent were related to robberies, and 38 percent were related to the death of an employee. Of those, said the company, 4 percent were related to employee suicides.

DIANE E. LEWIS

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