Break from the Grind December 15, 2015

Employers Doing More for Holidays This Year

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Twenty-one percent of workers say they plan to buy holiday gifts for co-workers (the same proportion as last year), and nearly the same proportion (20%) plan to buy a gift for the boss, according to CareerBuilder’s annual holiday survey.

Of those who plan to buy gifts for their co-workers or bosses, the majority (80%) expect to spend no more than $25 on each gift, 36% will spend no more than $10, and 9% will cap themselves off at $5.

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According to the survey, a higher percentage of employers plan to offer holiday perks in the form of parties, bonuses and gifts this year than in years’ past.

Two thirds (66%) of employers say they plan to throw company holiday parties this year, up from 63% in 2014 and 59% in 2013. Though nearly two in five workers (38%) say they plan to attend the office holiday party, the overwhelming majority (93%) say they would prefer a holiday bonus or time off, while only 1% prefer a party, and 6% have no preference.

Some employees may get their bonus wishes. More than half of employers (54%) plan to give employees a holiday bonus this year, up from 47% in 2014. More than one in 10 employers say they will give a larger bonus than last year (14%).

NEXT: Most unusual gifts received

Forty-five percent of employers will give employees gifts this year (up from 40% in 2014), and 47% will give charitable donations.

For the survey, workers across the nation shared the most unusual gifts they’ve received from a co-worker during the holiday season.

  • A squirrel toilet seat decal;
  • A pair of Christmas socks that look like elf feet;
  • A roll of duct tape;
  • A bell on a string;
  • A mystery bag with a coat in it;
  • A giant heart shaped box of candy … from Valentine’s Day;
  • A picture of a bear;
  • A bowling ball;
  • Homemade sausages; and
  • A ceramic sheep you can dress up seasonally.
The national survey was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder from August 12 to September 2, 2015, and included a representative sample of 3,602 full-time workers (of which 3,321 are in the private sector) and 2,326 hiring managers and human resource professionals across industries and company sizes.
Products December 15, 2015

John Hancock RPS Updates Digital Presence

Updates and improvements have been made across John Hancock Retirement Plan Services’ digital presence. 

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John Hancock Retirement Plan Services has redesigned its participant websites for all of its retirement plan clients, across all devices.

The sites were revamped to ease usability and encourage participant interaction, according to the firm.

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Seeking input from participants, as well as plan advisers and plan sponsors, John Hancock made the sites more engaging and intuitive, the company says, by improving accessibility to tools, adding one-click navigation and tailoring educational material for the particular plan and market. The navigation experience has been simplified, in general, with fewer clicks needed for the participant to take action.

According to Patrick Murphy, the company’s president, John Hancock “employed intuitive, uncluttered Web designs that incorporate best practices in online financial decisionmaking.”

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