2019 U.S. HOTEL CORPORATE EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION SURVEY–NOW AVAILABLE

WageWatch conducted a National 2019 U.S. Hotel Corporate Executive Compensation Survey. Participants invited to participate in the survey included WageWatch U.S. Hotel Survey Customers as well as other U.S. Hotel Companies.

The final report is NOW AVAILABLE for purchase. The price of the report is $1,000, with a 50% discount to WageWatch Survey Customers. Survey respondents received a complimentary copy of the report in exchange for their participation.

The report is designed to provide you with current and credible compensation information for Senior-Level Executives. It is a useful tool that provides valuable information when making investment decisions tied to attracting and retaining high-performing executives. The survey report includes Hotel C-Suite, top Executive positions in all disciplines, and Regional Executive positions. All compensation elements were included in the survey i.e., base pay, incentives, stock, medical, and retirement benefits. Participant and proxy data included in the report is based on a total of 31 U.S. Hotel Companies.

The data in the report complies with DOJ anti-trust regulations. Compliance includes the information being aggregated to protect the identity of the underlying sources, and sufficient sources are aggregated to prevent competitors from linking specific data to an individual source.

WageWatch appreciates the opportunity to serve its customers across multiple industries including hospitality, gaming/tribal gaming, healthcare, golf course/country club, and higher education. Since 2001, our customers rely on WageWatch to provide them with consistent, reliable, and up-to-date compensation survey statistics for their industry on a local, regional, and national level.

To receive a copy of the report, contact us by phone: 888-330-9243, or by email: custserv@wagewatch.com.

EFFECTIVE NEW HIRE ORIENTATION

An employee’s experience during their first few days will affect the rest of their tenure. It is critical, to begin with an effective, positive, and fun new hire orientation for the future success of your new employees. Even before the employee’s hire date, you can make a positive impact with a call to the employee two or three days before their start date, welcoming them, letting them know what time to arrive, and what they can expect during their first day and first week on the job. Studies show that a well-planned orientation can contribute to the length of employment, better work attitudes, more effective communication, and fewer mistakes. Your new hire orientation is your chance to set a positive tone for a long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationship.

A new hire’s early experience is highly influenced by his peers, managers, subordinates, HR team members, and the organization’s top management. Ensure that new hires are welcomed by their team members. Plan a welcome breakfast meet and greet for their first morning on the job. The new hire’s immediate supervisor should schedule daily meetings with the new employee at least for the first week, then at least weekly for the first month or two. Schedule informational meetings with key people in the department and in other departments to provide the new hire with the general knowledge that they will need to perform their job. Include an office tour in the orientation process that includes introductions. Be sure to include introductions to top Executives, Human Resource personnel as well as receptionists, administrative assistants, and copy/mail room attendants.

An effective orientation program will put emphasis on the new employee, their individuality and what they have to offer rather than focusing solely on the company’s culture and how the new employee can fit in. You are probably hiring in part to get new ideas into the organization. Make sure to capitalize on that. Make your orientation meetings fun and be sure to provide a meal or at least snacks. Keep it interesting and not too long. Too much information will be boring and will not be retained. Orientation should reflect culture through interactive activities. One way to make it memorable is to present the company’s goals, mission, and values in an activity form rather than simply providing the information. Allow the new hires to get to know each other on a personal basis, not just professional – go around the room and have them tell one professional and one personal thing about themselves. You can also turn this into a game by writing one thing about each person on a piece of paper. In the end, state items one at a time, out of order, and have people guess who said what.

Promote communication with a team-building activity such as learning the employee handbook through a scavenger hunt. For example, divide the orientation group into teams and see which team can answer the most handbook questions in a set amount of time. Cover company ethics to let them know what is expected, and also include ‘unwritten rules’. Don’t end there! After orientation, schedule follow-up meetings with each new hire to elicit their feedback and answer any follow-up questions they may have.

Don’t forget the basics. Provide them with all the office supplies they will need to start their job, include contact information they will need. And let them know how to get additional office supplies. Teach them how to use the phone, how to forward calls, set up and change voice mail, and how to do a conference call.

Today, many companies are adding programs such as flex-time, telecommuting as well as accommodating and encouraging alternative work styles in an effort to provide a work environment where employees are happier and thriving. Therefore don’t neglect or underestimate how impactful beginnings are, and provide your new hires with an orientation program that is effective and unique to your company and its culture.

Implementing the above suggestions will help your company to build a culture that encourages the retention of employees, which in turn will attract top talent. In addition to providing a great work environment that respects employees and provides opportunities for learning and growth, it is also important that they receive a solid compensation and benefits package. At WageWatch we offer accurate, up-to-date benefit survey data, market compensation data and salary reports that will allow you to stay current with the times. This information is highly beneficial in creating the best salary and benefits packages that meet or rival the industry standards. For more information on our services, including consulting, salary survey data, benefit survey data and market compensation reports, please call WageWatch at 888-330-9243 or contact us online.

PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION STILL HAPPENING AND STILL ON THE EEOC RADAR

You would not think this would still be an issue in today’s day and age, but it is! The EEOC has recently settled two cases in August against employers (one in Florida and one in Arizona) for discriminating against women who were pregnant.

In the Arizona matter, Matrix Medical, a nationwide health care company headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, found itself in trouble with the EEOC after it rescinded a job offer to a candidate within a week of finding out she was pregnant. Matrix will pay $150,000 and issue a letter of apology to the individual. Matrix is also required to review and revise its equal employment opportunity policies and its personal leave-of-absence policy to include a provision that pregnant employees may take leave during their first six months of employment. As part of the settlement, it is also required to train its supervisors on Title VII and other anti-discrimination laws.

In another matter in Florida, the Glenridge on Palmer Ranch, an upscale retirement community in Sarasota, Florida failed to further interview an applicant for a position after asking her when she planned on having another baby. Instead, Glenridge offered the position to another female, an older one for whom it did not believe would or could become pregnant. Glenridge will pay $70,000, adopt and distribute an updated policy against sex discrimination, conduct annual training on sex discrimination for its hiring officials, and post a notice about the lawsuit in order to settle its matter with the EEOC.

This is a good reminder for employers to make sure that their hiring managers are asking appropriate, open-ended questions when interviewing candidates. It is also a good time to remind those same hiring managers that he or she should not rely upon or use inappropriate information revealed during an interview to make a decision on hiring.

Contributed by guest author: Spognardi Baiocchi LLP, a law firm dedicated to partnering with companies of all sizes to find solutions for labor, employment, human resources, and general business needs. www.psb-attorneys.com

WageWatch offers accurate, up-to-date benefit surveys, salary surveys, and pay practice data that will allow you to stay current with the times. This information is highly beneficial in creating the best salary and benefits packages that meet or rival the industry standards. For more information on our services, please call WageWatch at 888-330-9243 or contact us online.

GET MORE OUT OF YOUR TURNOVER METRIC

Most HR departments miss an opportunity when it comes to measuring and reporting turnover. The goal of any HR metric is to provide information on how to improve the measured item. As Peter Drucker said, “what gets measured gets done.” Reporting turnover as simply a percentage of the workforce can be made more meaningful and more useful by diving down into the detail and adding data and information that quantifies the cost and provides insight on root causes and how to make improvements. Some examples of this are:

Along with your company’s turnover rate, add the turnover rate of competitors, giving a baseline or something to compare against
Add the percentage of turnover that was top performers or top salespeople, the percent of turnover in each department and for each manager, the percent in high impact jobs and hard to fill jobs
Add the percentage of turnover in the first year of employment, which can be linked to possible employee dissatisfaction
Add how long it takes to fill positions, the recruitment cost of filling the positions, and how long before they are up to the minimum productivity level
Add exit interview information such as how many went to work for competitors and which competitors. Exit interviews may also indicate whether turnover was preventable, which may, in turn, provide managers with information needed for improvement
Add the dollar impact of lost sales where applicable, i.e., sales turnover, which can be directly linked to revenue and economic impact on the company

The involuntary turnover metric is also important. It can indicate that the company is keeping low performers which can also be costly. With this additional information, conclusions are now more easily drawn and the cost of turnover is more tangible (i.e., the cost of losing individuals in key positions is likely higher than losing individuals in low-impact positions). If losing hard to fill jobs, the job market may be tight and replacing these employees could be expensive. Losing individuals with strong reputations within the industry can impact stock analysts’ assessments of your firm. It can also send negative signals throughout your firm and the industry, which can, in turn, lead to more turnover.

Some additional information that can be helpful when included with the turnover report, include:

Leading causes of preventable turnover
Satisfaction or frustration levels of those who left which could impact the company’s external image
Lowest turnover rates within the firm which can provide a target for managers to aim
The likelihood that the person that left will take others with them

Today’s world moves fast, and as an employer, you should constantly be monitoring and adjusting your business operations to meet the ever-changing wants and needs of your employees. At WageWatch, we offer accurate, up-to-date salary survey reports and pay practice reports that will allow you to stay current with the times. This information is highly beneficial in creating the best salary and benefits packages that meet or rival the industry standards. For more information on our services, including market compensation data, benefits survey data and salary reports, please call WageWatch at 888-330-9243 or contact us online.

WHEN DOES SALARY MOTIVATE EMPLOYEES?

Studies have shown that salary can just as easily de-motivate employees as motivate them. In fact, salaries generally operate as negative reinforcement rather than positive. For example, an employee receiving a lower than expected merit increase or bonus payment can certainly de-motivate. On the flip side, receiving the status quo merit increase or bonus amount every year can create an entitlement mentality. However, when it comes to motivating employees, salary is always one of the top factors, and therefore, it has to be part of your total rewards strategy. Many believe that the amount of money that is needed is at least enough to satisfy basic needs which vary by person. Obviously, when salary does not, at a minimum, cover essential needs, this serves to de-motivate.

In this article, the focus is on monetary rewards. Motivated employees make a difference in the workplace. They affect the work environment positively as well as improve customer service, sales, or production. So, how can you determine if the salaries you are paying are motivating your workforce?

First, determine where to focus your compensation spending plan. This can vary depending on factors such as the current economy, the competitive environment, and where the company is in its life-cycle. For example, a growing company with variable sales and income may be better off focusing on base salaries. When business is good, it may be prudent to tie more bonus dollars to goals achieved.

Second, do your research, know your competition. Every organization can benefit from reputable industry salary surveys such as the WageWatch PeerMark™ and Benchmark reports, to determine competitive salaries. You should utilize salary survey data from the local market, your industry and from organizations of similar size. Work within your organization’s salary philosophy and the given financial situation to determine where to set salaries.

In addition to looking externally to market competition, look internally to ensure your internal pay structure and salaries are fair and equitable. Whether you like it or not, employees will discuss pay with one another. Ensure fair and equitable pay levels between employees in the same jobs, in the same departments, and jobs of comparable worth within your organization. Formal salary ranges within the organization where people with similar responsibilities and authority are grouped into the same salary range help to maintain internal equity. Set clear goals for what you want to achieve by setting salaries at certain levels. For example, you may pay an entry-level manager less than the market if you are hiring inexperience and provide a training and growth opportunity in exchange. Open and clear communication regarding the company’s salary structure and pay philosophy can aid in employees’ understanding of the methods used in determining their salary level and assist in demonstrating fairness and equity.

Merit pay is one of the most frequently used methods to drive employee performance. To be effective it needs to be linked to performance in a manner that is consistent with the mission of the organization. Merit increases can become de-motivating when your performance measurement system is flawed and/or inconsistently applied or when the merit increase amount that is linked to performance is inconsistently administered. Also with merit increases typically averaging two to three percent, studies show that increases lower than five percent are unlikely to have any impact on employee performance. What can help is applying behavioral principles to your pay for performance programs such as giving employees a personal stake in the success of the company by showing a clear link between their efforts and results. Many companies base their compensation plan on time and not results. Of course, time is a factor and needs to be part of the equation. However, if you pay for results, you will get results.

Change can be challenging and demanding. At WageWatch our consultants can assist with your organization’s compensation needs and help ensure your wages and salaries support your company’s business strategy and objectives. In addition to our PeerMark™ Salary Survey for over 100 local lodging markets in the U.S. and Canada, we offer a National Benchmark Salary Survey. With over 9,000 hotels and 200 casinos in our database, WageWatch’s hotel and gaming salary surveys are the most comprehensive surveys available to Human Resouces. For more information on our services, including consulting, salary surveys, benefit surveys, and custom compensation reports, please call WageWatch at 888-330-9243 or contact us online at www.wagewatch.com/contactus.

COMPENSABLE TIME

Employers need to ensure they count all worked hours as paid hours for their non-exempt staff. For example, when an employee eats lunch at their workstation or desk and their lunch is interrupted by work such as answering phones or email, the employee is working and must be paid for that time because the employee has not been completely relieved from duty.

If the employer has a policy that is expressly and clearly communicated to the employee regarding a specific length of time for a break, any unauthorized extensions of that break time do not need to be counted as hours worked. Bonafide meal periods (typically 30 minutes or more) generally need not be compensated as work time. However, the employee must be completely relieved from duty for the purpose of eating regular meals.

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), doesn’t require employers to provide meal or rest breaks, though some states do require such breaks and the rules can also be different for younger workers. You can find a list of state meal and rest break laws at the Department of Labor’s website address: https://www.dol.gov/whd/state/meal.htm and https://www.dol.gov/whd/state/rest.htm.

Employers that fall under the federal guidelines do not have to pay for meal or rest breaks unless:

The employee works through or during their break, or
The break lasts 20 minutes or less, or
The break is interrupted by work

Some other compensable time under the federal rules can include waiting time, on-call time, attendance at meetings and training programs, travel time and performing work outside of work hours such as checking emails.

Waiting time may or may not be hours worked depending upon the circumstances. If an employee needs to wait before a duty can start such as a firefighter waiting for an alarm, then the employee is ‘engaged to wait’ and this time is worked time and must be paid.

On-Call time is paid time if the employee is required to remain on the employer’s premises. In most cases, the on-call time does not have to be paid when an employee is not required to remain on the employer’s premises. However additional requirements put on the on-call time that further limits the employee’s freedom could require the time to be compensated.

Attendance at meetings or training programs is paid time when any of the following conditions are true:

It is during normal hours
It is mandatory (if the employee feels that they should or need to attend, then it is mandatory)
It is job-related

Travel time may be paid time or not depending upon the kind of travel involved. Regular commute time to and from the worksite is not paid time. When the employee works at a different worksite location then any commute time that is greater than the employee’s regular commute time to their usual work site needs to be counted as paid time.

Travel that is part of the regular work duties, such as travel from job site to job site during the workday, is work time and must be counted as hours worked. Overnight travel is work time and must be paid time

At WageWatch our compensation consultants are focused on your organization’s compensation needs and ready to help you ensure that your compensation programs are supporting your company’s business strategy and objectives and that your pay practices are fair, equitable and non-discriminatory. We can provide your business with compensation surveys and salary reports to help you establish a budget for your merit pay program, including bonuses and incentives. Our innovative company is a leader in the collection of data for surveys and salary reports, which allows us to provide services to a wide range of industries in both the private and public sector. To learn more about our compensation surveys, salary reports, and other services, call 480-237-6130 or contact us online.

IMPACT OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA ON EMPLOYERS

Courts historically found a marijuana-positive drug test sufficient grounds to terminate an employee or refuse to hire someone; employers were safe to move forward without worrying about an individual being approved to use medical marijuana or if an employee was impaired at work. Problems arise when federal law conflicts with state law. Based on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, marijuana is still considered a Schedule I illegal drug—even for medical purposes.

Many states and local jurisdictions have enacted anti-discrimination laws concerning marijuana use. Generally, such laws prohibit employers from taking adverse action against an employee who uses marijuana in conforming with local marijuana laws, if an employee does not consume it and work and is not impaired while on the job.

Currently, there are 33 states and the District of Columbia with recently approved ballot measures legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational purposes. The state laws for medical use varies significantly and not all of them recognize marijuana-approved patients from their states. The states with medical marijuana laws and their guidelines for usage varies widely. Some states require patients to register, others don’t allow dispensaries, and not all of them recognize marijuana-approved patients from their states. In addition, some states allow employers to enact employment policies that prohibit the use of marijuana; these states do not force employers to make accommodations for employee use of marijuana.

In terms of recreational marijuana use, employers can have policies that prohibit the drug’s use and possession while employees are at work. In addition, employers can prohibit their employees from being impaired by marijuana at work. In these states, employers must comply with federal and state laws and provide employees with a safe and productive workplace. At the same time, employers must accommodate employees with disabilities that may require medical marijuana. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, employers are required to make a “reasonable accommodation” to employees with disabilities—especially when workers have a doctor’s note that allows them to use it.
The differences in state laws require Human Resources to be aware of the legal issues involved and the changing legal landscape to ensure drug testing policies are legal and enforceable. The following steps can ensure that your organization maintains a safe working environment with regards to employee medical marijuana use while reducing the risk of costly legal claims:

Review the company’s current drug testing policies to the extent that they test for marijuana, and determine whether state law requires exceptions to testing policies as a reasonable accommodation
Train managers on how to handle reasonable accommodation requests by disabled employees who are certified, medical marijuana users
Review policies regarding illegal drugs and disabilities to ensure that each complies with your state’s current medical marijuana laws
Ensure that managers and human resources employees are properly trained on how to determine (and document) employee impairment when an employer suspects that drug use (legal or otherwise) is causing workplace issues

WageWatch offers accurate, up-to-date benefit surveys, salary surveys and pay practices data that will allow you to stay current with the times. This information is highly beneficial in creating the best salary and benefits packages that meet or rival the industry standards. For more information on our services, please call WageWatch at 888-330-9243 or contact us online.

OREGON—8th STATE TO PASS FAMILY/MEDICAL LEAVE

Oregon officially became the most inclusive law in the country, with respect to paid family and medical leave, when Governor Katy Brown signed the bill into law last week (July 1, 2019).

The law covers 12 weeks annually, to new parents, victims of domestic violence, and people who need to take care of an ill family member or themselves; an extra two weeks is given for those giving birth (New Jersey is the only other state which includes domestic violence victims in paid leave legislation)
Family is defined to include “any individual related by blood or affinity whose close association with a covered individual is the equivalent of a family relationship”
Oregon will be the first to pay low-income works 100% of their wages when they’re off, with weekly benefits capped at around $1,215 (you must earn at least $1,000 in wages a year to qualify)
The law will be funded through a payroll tax (not to exceed 1% of employee wages)
Employees pay 60% of the total rate and employers will cover the remaining 40%
Employers with less than 25 employees will not pay into the program
The program will start taking contributions in 2022, and people will be able to start using it in 2023
Research suggests paid family and medical leave improves participation rates for new mothers in the labor force, with corresponding benefits in pay equality, infant and child health, and lowers poverty rate
The program will take a few years to get started because it’s a new social insurance program, just like unemployment insurance or workers compensation.

The additional states that have adopted a paid family and medical leave policy include the following (along with the effective date):

California (2004)
New Jersey (2009)
Rhode Island (2014)
New York (2018)
District of Columbia (2020)
Washington (2020)
Massachusetts (2021)
Connecticut (2022)

Paid leave is on the national legislative agenda with new momentum. This new law in Oregon represents the eighth state, along with the District of Columbia, to adopt a paid family and medical leave policy. Full wage compensation for American workers in poverty will likely motivate more employees to take advantage of paid leave benefits.

10 FUN FACTS FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY

This blog post provides you with a quick overview of interesting facts about this great holiday. How many of these facts are you aware of? Test your knowledge!

July 2nd is the real day of Independence, but it’s celebrated on the fourth because that’s when Congress accepted Jefferson’s declaration.
Only John Hancock signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776; all the others signed later.
Thomas Jefferson changed the wording of the Declaration of Independence from “the pursuit of property” to “the pursuit of happiness.”
The only two signers of the Declaration of Independence who later served as President of the United States were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
The first Independence Day celebration took place in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776.
President John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe all died on the Fourth of July. Adams and Jefferson (both signed the Declaration) died on the same day within hours of each other in 1826.
On July 4, 1778, George Washington ordered a double ration of rum for his soldiers to celebrate the holiday.
Every 4th of July the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped (not actually rung) thirteen times in honor of the original thirteen colonies.
Americans consume around 155 million hot dogs on the Fourth of July each year. They also spend $92 million on chips, $167.5 million on watermelon, and $341.4 million on beer.
NYC has America’s Biggest Fourth of July Fireworks Display.
– The show lasts 25 minutes, firing off approximately 3,000 shells per minute.
– It takes 55 crew members 10 days to set up the fireworks.
– More than 3 million spectators view it.

WageWatch Wishes You a Happy Fourth of July!

HUMAN RESOURCES: THE GATEKEEPER FOR COMPANY ETHICS

Business ethics are important to every business and are often a component of a company’s core values. However, that doesn’t mean that the organization is ethical. To build an ethical organization, leadership must establish, and model the company’s core values. Ethics must be woven into the fabric of the organization, fully supported by leadership and integrated into the company’s philosophies, values, policies, procedures, and practices. HR departments represent employees, their concerns, and deal with fairness issues. HR’s role in ethics management should be central to ensure real benefits for the organization and the employees. Human resources deal with a variety of ethical challenges that if not handled properly can damage a company’s reputation, lead to serious legal issues, and lead to a potentially high-cost impact on an organization. For example, discrimination issues, sexual harassment, and unfair employment policies that can damage a company’s reputation as well as lead to a severe financial impact.

However, HR departments should not be expected to manage ethics initiatives on their own. For ethical behavior to become part of an organization, there needs to be a collaborative effort that also includes Legal, Audit, the top management team, and the board of directors. HR should have a primary role in the development and integration of ethics programs into key organizational activities, such as the design of performance appraisal systems, management training, and disciplinary processes.

The first step to include ethics in company policy and strategies is to put ethics on the agenda, make it part of the conversation. This can begin the process of ethics to become part of the organization’s culture, business plan, and goals. HR professionals can help leadership define ethics for the organization. For example, what are the specific types of ethical issues that impact your organization, your competitors, and your industry? This process of defining what ethics means to your organization can help determine safeguards that can be included in policies and processes such as recruiting, onboarding, and leadership training. Ensure ethics policies are in place for issues such as discrimination, sexual harassment. and employee fair treatment. Establish and communicate expectations for your employees to ensure each employee understands their role. Communications surrounding ethics and other core values should be on-going. HR professionals are in leadership roles and employees look to leadership to guide their own behavior. Organization leaders need to set the example by engaging in legal and moral behaviors, and by showing their respect for the employees and for the organization. It is critical to creating a supportive environment of trust and transparency. Employees need to see fair treatment across all levels and need to trust in order to come forward regarding ethical concerns. Ethics panels can be created for the review of issues and violations.

Treating employees ethically can bring tremendous benefits to an organization. It can earn long-term employee trust and loyalty. Loyal employees gain more experience, and master processes, and become more vital to the success of the organization. Loyal employees are happier employees and can also translate into increased productivity and efficiency as well as minimize recruiting and training costs. Putting a Code of Ethics in place and encouraging leaders to model desired behaviors are important first steps toward creating an ethical organization. Holding ethics high as a core company value is key to a company’s success and longevity.

Having the appropriate employee fairness policies and processes in place is critical to maintaining an ethical organization. But it is equally important that these policies and processes are supported by fair and competitive compensation practices. For the good of your employees, it is helpful to analyze benefits survey data, compensation surveys, and salary reports. Having this information at hand allows you to plan a budget, including competitive employee salaries and benefits, which will help you to hire and retain a happy, talented team. At WageWatch, our expert evaluators provide businesses in a large range of industries with accurate and beneficial benefits survey data, compensation surveys, and salary reports to ensure that payment and benefits plans are on par with those in the industry. For more information on market compensation data, please call WageWatch at 888-330-9243 or contact us online.