http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/management/personnel-management/benefits/benefits.aspx?view=rss&id=Query_tcm1765820http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/benefits/contribution-changes.aspx?rssLink=Contribution+ChangesConsider these points before reducing or suspending 401(k) contributions at your company.http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/compensation/surviving-the-fall.aspx?rssLink=Surviving+the+FallDramatic business drop-off has some remodeling companies taking extreme measures to stay solvent.http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/benefits/the-importance-of-benefits.aspx?rssLink=The+Importance+of+BenefitsComprehensive benefits packages can be the key to attracting quality employees to your team.http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/benefits/revisiting-retirement.aspx?rssLink=Revisiting+RetirementRetirement plans can benefit from some routine checks and maintenance.http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/business/undo-the-freak.aspx?rssLink=Undo+the+FreakMost remodelers are control freaks. As a recovering remodeler, I hope I can say that without getting into trouble. When money gets tight, these remodelers tend to intensify their grip. Their employees feel that squeeze, and it doesn't feel good.http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/benefits/making-overtime-pay.aspx?rssLink=Making+Overtime+PayWhen employees work overtime, you are obliged to pay them time-and-a-half. That sounds expensive, but OT hours don't really cost 50% more than regular hours. In fact, under normal circumstances, overtime costs about the same as straight time.http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/remodeling/selling-value-not-price.aspx?rssLink=Selling+Value%2c+Not+PriceIt's no secret that the remodeling process is not a pretty one. It's invasive; it's time consuming; it's stressful; and it's expensive. But the remodeler who is able to take that same process and make it feel like something different entirely -- something exciting, easy, even enjoyable -- is the remodeler who will be able to charge what he is worth.http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/labor-burden/fully-burdened-labor.aspx?rssLink=Fully+Burdened+LaborWhen remodelers fall short of planned margins, it's usually caused by labor overages. Some of the problem can be traced to things like having to replace work that wasn't done right the first time, or employees who take 45 minutes for a 30-minute lunch. But underestimating the cost of labor is the major culprit.http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/benefits/plastics-extra-price.aspx?rssLink=Plastic's+Extra+PriceAn increasing number of suppliers are rethinking their policies to limit the benefits of paying with credit cards.http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/benefits/a-room-of-ones-own.aspx?rssLink=A+Room+of+One's+OwnAlthough it can be difficult to fit into the budget at first, the benefits of having office space outweigh the extra overhead.http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/benefits/realize-the-benefit.aspx?rssLink=Realize+the+BenefitIn the second installment of our three-part series on benefits, REMODELING examines the challenges involved in managing benefits, as well as the pros and cons of the most common approaches.http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/benefits/added-value.aspx?rssLink=Added+ValueBenefit costs are skyrocketing, but they're becoming increasingly essential to retaining a loyal and productive workforce. In the first of a three-part series, REMODELING looks at how benefits affect the bottom line.http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/remodeling/2006-wage--benefit-survey.aspx?rssLink=2006+Wage+%26+Benefit+SurveyA good pay and benefit package helps remodelers attract and keep good employees. How does your company measure up?http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/decks/state-of-the-industry-wpcs.aspx?rssLink=State+of+the+Industry%3a+WPCsWood-plastic composites are steadily chipping away at the pressure-treated wood market.http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/benefits/survey-share.aspx?rssLink=Survey+ShareOnce a year, three remodelers in the Nashville, Tenn., area conduct a wage and benefits survey of local remodeling companies.http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/compensation/salary-equivalent.aspx?rssLink=Salary+EquivalentTo measure one company against others, you must compare apples to apples. One obstacle to that comparison is owner's compensation, because each remodeling company tends to account for it differently.http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/hiring/personnel.aspx?rssLink=PersonnelA personnel system should define a company's needs, find the best person to fulfill each of those needs, and retain those employees. David Crane, owner of Crane Builders in Nashville, Tenn., uses the DISC personality profiling system to make sure new hires fit the company culture.http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/construction/state-of-the-union.aspx?rssLink=State+of+the+UnionSimply doing the right thing for employees is the reason remodelers like Neil Kelly Co., in Portland, Ore., and Roeser Construction, in Kirkwood, Mo., have been using union labor from the get-go, but the companies benefit, too.http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/remodeling/home-schooling.aspx?rssLink=Home+SchoolingTwenty years ago, whenever I told a group of remodelers to budget for staff education, a hand would invariably rise, followed by this objection: “But if you educate your employees, they'll just use it to compete against you when they leave.” I am happy that I have not heard that refrain for years.http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/benefits/health-care-cost-study.aspx?rssLink=Health+Care+Cost+StudyAccording to an August 2005 study titled “Cost of Employee Benefits in Small and Large Businesses,” by the Small Business Administration, companies of all sizes have reduced the availability of health insurance to their employees due to the growing costs associated with benefits in recent years.