Survey: Retention rates as top benefits priority
Despite the recent wave of layoffs, many U.S. companies consider employee retention to be a critical business priority, according to a recent survey by MetLife, the financial services and insurance company.
Of the 481 businesses polled, 78 percent said they viewed employee retention as their No. 1 benefits-related concern. Controlling health/welfare benefits costs ranked second (cited by 73 percent), followed by attracting employees (51 percent) and increasing employee productivity (29 percent).
"Employers face a difficult balancing act," said William J. Mullaney, MetLife's senior vice president of institutional business. "They must retain employees while continuing to find cost-reduction opportunities and efficiencies."
Employment: Don't wait for layoffs, career counselors advise
If you sense layoffs are imminent at your company, don't wait for that pink slip to land on your desk.
The Five O'Clock Club, a New York-based career counseling network, says getting downsized doesn't have to be a foregone conclusion. It suggests trying to improve your standing with your bosses and to make yourself more valuable by keeping your skills updated.
Signing up for a class or joining a trade group helps keep you on the cutting edge. Taking the initiative rather than being told what to do is a good way to remain relevant; accepting assignments and volunteering for important responsibilities also are important.
Motley Fool: Name that company
Founded in 1975, I'm king of the hill in software and Internet technologies. I recently shipped more than a million of my new Xbox video game systems to retailers. ("Monopoly" wasn't one of the first games available for the system.) My new software platform, called ".NET," will add functionality to standard Web browsers and help businesses build new Web applications. I match the charitable contributions of my 44,000-some employees dollar for dollar, up to $12,000 each. Unlike some helpers, I will do windows. If you'd invested $5,000 in me 15 years ago, you'd have more than $500,000 today. Who am I?
Economy: Fewer pleasure boats sell for more money in 2001
Boat businesses pumped up sales revenues last year, even as the pool of buyers became even more shallow, according to a new survey.
Consumers bought 541,300 pleasure boats during 2001, down 6 percent from a year earlier, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Assn. But total industry sales rose 2.3 percent to $25.6 billion.
The association said that an expected sales dip was avoided because consumers were continuing to buy better-equipped boats. The average price of a new boat, motor and trailer package last year was $25,663, up 9 percent from 2000.
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