Harvard happiness expert links positive attitude with work success

Predicting an employee’s future success at a company has traditionally stumped experts, and relying on metrics such as IQ level, only tells 25% of the story. What makes up the other 75%, according to Shawn Achor, Harvard researcher and positive psychology expert, is the optimism that your behavior matters, a positive social support system, and whether you view a challenge as a stress or an impetus to improve.

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Time to saddle up for sessions and strategy: Welcome to BFE 2011

What better location for benefits professionals to "cowboy up" and find effective cost solutions than in Texas? Thus, it's my pleasure and privilege on behalf of the staff of Employee Benefit News to welcome you to the heart of cowboy country for EBN's 24th annual Benefits Forum & Expo, Sept. 25-27 at the Hyatt Regency in Dallas.

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Financial literacy program yields encouraging results for retirement plan participants

Employers may find new success in influencing employees to make smarter financial decisions. Last week, a program that reaches employees through an employer-based education program announced the results of Investor Education in Your Workplace, and they were hopeful.

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9/27: Health Management in the Workplace Webinar Review outcomes in the second year of this study that looks at current trends, what works, and ways to promote and evaluate your program. Register

Employers encouraged to supply more to multiemployer pension plans

The Financial Accounting Standards Board has released a new Accounting Standards Update aimed at improving employer disclosures for multiple-employer pension plans.

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Largest retirement plan provider adds 315,000 participants in first half of 2011

Fidelity Investments said last week it added new defined-contribution retirement plans with total assets of $17 billion in the first half of 2011, boosting its position as the industry's largest plan provider.

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Milliman: Fed's ‘Operation Twist’ hurts company pension plans

The Federal Reserve's ‘Operation Twist’ to bring down bond yields and stimulate the economy is likely to cause pain for the nation's largest pension funds, already struggling with funding shortfalls from the recent stock market decline.

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Employers challenged by duty to accommodate religious beliefs

It's been nearly two years since the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a compliance manual update on religious discrimination. Religious discrimination involves disparate treatment, harassment, retaliation or refusal to reasonably accommodate religious beliefs or practices.

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We are the champions

With the hefty price tag organizations pay for employee benefits, effectively communicating those offerings to get the highest return on investment is critical - particularly in the current economic environment. To this end, having a vision to engage and motivate workers is one thing. Turning that vision into a successful campaign is quite another.

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Stay on top of the trends by following EBN on social networks

Join the conversation on our Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook pages. ‘Like’ our Facebook page and you will be entered into random drawings for Amazon.com gift cards and an iPad 2

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