HR and benefits professionals share their benefits communication pet peeves
Some HR terms and buzzwords are overused and ineffective to communicate benefits information to employees and report to executives. EBN readers shared benefits vocab or phrases they despise on our LinkedIn Group and on Twitter. What HR word or concept would you add to the list? [Images: Thinkstock]
4. Treat employees fairly with transparent explanations
Jay Barrett, human resources executive at Barrett Consultants in New York, considers cash balance plans “a perfect example of miscommunication” when many companies introduced them several years ago without “being honest with employees, and showing them the positives but not the negatives.”
Companies “talked about how great it was because of a lump sum feature, and accelerated vesting schedule, an accelerated balance commitment. What they did not say is that every one of those items can be done in a typical pension lan — every one: lump sum, vesting, balance allocation. Therefore, there is no need for a cash balance plan [because sponsors] could just amend the pension plan. But that is not what was communicated. … The real reason why companies went to cash balance [was] the bottom line and it saved the company money, but that reason was not communicated. … Leadership is about telling the truth — the good and the bad. Honest communication is key, and yet many tend to sugar coat things.”
