Benefits January 8, 2008

Boss Issues Top Reason Employees Consider Job Change

January 8, 2008 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A survey from Yahoo! HotJobs found almost three-quarters (72%) of respondents are open to a career change in 2008, with boss issues the top reason for considering a change.
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According to a Yahoo! press release, the majority of respondents (55%) agreed that “people don’t leave companies, they leave managers.” Forty-three percent of respondents cited dislike of their boss’s management style or lack of mentorship at their company as the reason they would be willing to change jobs.

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Salary (36%) and growth potential (34%) were also major considerations for respondents in deciding to look for a new career, the release said.

When asked which aspect of their job was most important for determining their happiness at work, 32% of respondents chose having a good boss or supervisor. In identifying their ideal manager, 70% of respondents said they prefer a hands-off boss who trusts them to do their job but is there when needed.

Almost half of respondents (43%) said they think they could do as good or a better job than their boss if they switched positions for a day.

The qualities respondents cited as being necessary to be a good boss (in order of importance) included:

  • Communication/listening skills,
  • Effective leadership skills,
  • Trust in their employees to do their job well,
  • Flexibility and understanding,
  • Intelligence,
  • Teamwork skills and even temperament (tie),
  • Interest in employee development,
  • Ability to share credit,
  • Successful in finding and retaining new talent, and
  • Presentation skills.

Data for the survey was collected from more than 1200 office professionals in the U.S. via an online survey questionnaire across the Yahoo! and HotJobs networks.

Products January 7, 2008

S&P Releases Eco-Friendly Index

January 7, 2008 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Standard & Poor's has launched a new investable index seeking exposure to environmentally responsible investment strategies.
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An S&P news release said the S&P Global Eco Index provides diversified, liquid exposure to 30 of the largest publicly listed companies operating in ecology-related industries, including clean energy production, water utilities and infrastructure, timber, environmental services, and waste management.

The S&P Global Eco Index covers 12 countries with an adjusted market capitalization of $376.8 billion, including Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Japan, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States.

“Investors the world over have come to understand that climate change and environmental responsibility are pressing issues that may present significant investment risks and opportunities,” said Steven Goldin, Vice President, Portfolio Services for Standard & Poor’s, in the announcement. “By incorporating a diverse range of eco-friendly themes as well as adopting a global approach to a global challenge, the S&P Global Eco Index focuses on companies that have positioned themselves to address these challenges and this will in turn help investors to focus their investment decisions where there are potential environment-related economic benefits.”

To be eligible for inclusion in the S&P Global Eco Index, companies must have a listing on a developed market exchange, a total market capitalization of at least $1 billion, and a three-month average daily trading value of more than $2 million. S&P Global Eco Index constituents must also be a current member of the S&P Global Clean Energy Index, S&P Global Timber & Forestry Index, S&P Global Water Index, or the S&P/Citigroup Global Environmental Services Sector Index.

More information is at  www.standardandpoors.com/indices .

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