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  | | Q4, 2006 - Vol 1, Issue 1 | | | | In This Issue | | | | | Links | | | | | | | Greetings! | |  Looking back on 2006, we’ve experienced many new and exciting changes! Cypress Ridge Consulting has changed our name to Cypress Ridge Solutions and Insurance Services, Inc. We’ve expanded and now offer a broader array of services and products to our clients. Check us out at www.CypressRidgeSolutions.com.
Cherryll Sevy and Ellen Miller continue to offer Human Resources, Compensation, and Retention consulting. Marc Haberman, a seasoned insurance expert, has joined CRS, providing business and personal insurance, as well as deferred compensation plans. Elena Morera is now a member of our consulting team.
In future newsletters, we’ll share with you our ideas, insights, and ways we partner with our clients to make them even more productive and successful. We’d love to hear from you and hope you’ve had an equally rewarding year. Thank you for being part of our success, and we wish you a delightful holiday season. | | | | | | It is that time of year when companies are either putting the finishing touches on their sales compensation plans for the next fiscal year or scrambling to pull something together – or maybe somewhere in between. In any case, the following checklist can be invaluable as a quick check to make sure that all of the bases have been covered prior to rolling out the plans.
The first four items of the checklist (from Business Strategy Articulation to Coverage Model Definition) were covered in a previous newsletter and can be found in Sales Compensation Planning Checklist - Part I. The next five checklist items include the following:
- Sales Compensation Plan Principles Agreed Upon
Time spent on the principles that drive plan design is one of the most critical plan design steps. It saves time in the long run and ensures plan alignment. These principles might include such issues as: pay position to market (i.e. targeted total comp at the 50th ile or better); base-incentive plan mix; or plan risk in relation to the market (i.e. higher plan risk than the market to drive individual accountability), as well as others. When debates later arise regarding various plan components, revisiting the agreed upon principles will aid in the decision-making process.
| | | | | | | Have several key employees left in the past several months and you’re concerned others may follow? Do you “sense” employees just aren’t as content as they have been in the past, but you can’t quite put your finger on it? You’ve done exit interviews, but that hasn’t been enough, what can you do now?
One of the easiest, most effective and informative tools a company can use is an Employee Climate Survey. A survey of employees’ attitudes and perceptions about the company can quickly identify your organization’s strengths, shortfalls, and obstacles to success from the employee’s perspective. Surveys will help remove barriers to high-level performance, increase workforce commitment, and improve retention.
There is a caution at this point before sending out the survey. The company must be ready to listen, respond and take some action based on the information received because the first survey raises expectations for employees that someone is listening and ready to do something. Below are three reasons why you should consider implementing a survey early in 2007.
| | | | | | What is an HSA?
A Health Savings Account (HSA) is an account that you can put money into to save for future medical expenses. There are advantages to putting money into these accounts, including favorable tax treatment.
Who can have an HSA?
Any adult can contribute to an HSA if they: - Have medical coverage under an HSA- qualified “high deductible health plan”;
- Have no other first-dollar medical coverage;
- Are not enrolled in Medicare;
- Cannot be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return.
Advantages of HSAs - Security: Your high deductible insurance and HSA protect you against high, unexpected medical bills.
- Affordability: Health insurance premiums may be lowered by switching to health insurance coverage with a higher deductible.
- Flexibility: You can use funds in your account to pay for current medical expenses, or save the money in your account for future needs, such as:
- Health insurance or medical expenses if unemployed
- Medical expenses after retirement (before Medicare)
- Out-of-pocket expenses when covered by Medicare
- Long-term care expenses and insurance
| | | | | Contact us:
Marc Haberman:
mhaberman@cypressridgesolutions.com
408.294.3431
Cherryll Sevy:
csevy@cypressridgesolutions.com
408.358.7794
Ellen Miller:
emiller@cypressridgeconsulting.com
831.475.5722
phone: 408.358.7794 | | | | | | Powered by  |
Cypress Ridge Solutions | 607 N. 1st Street | San Jose | CA | 95128 | |
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