Cut-and-paste, these copyright free, work-life articles to use in your employee newspaper, newsletter, Web site, intranet or other communications.

Give the Gift of Education: Start a 529 Plan
Sending a child to college has become a major financial commitment, like saving for retirement. With costs rising more than 6% each year, the longer you wait to get started, the harder it will be to save to cover expenses. That’s why [INSERT COMPANY NAME] provides employees a 529 Plan to conveniently save money for future education through payroll deduction. You can invest as little as [INSERT DOLLAR AMOUNT] per month from your paycheck to give the gift of education to a child, grandchild, nephew, niece or even yourself. You can enroll at any time. For more information on the [INSERT COMPANY NAME] 529 Plan visit [INSERT VENDOR WEB SITE] or contact [INSERT NAME OF HR CONTACT AND PHONE NUMBER].

Do You Need an EAP?
Are you suffering from work-related stress, substance abuse, relationship or marital conflict, parent/child conflict, depression, anxiety, unresolved grief or domestic violence? Most of us have had times in our lives where situations, problems or difficulties affect our personal lives, and perhaps, effectiveness on the job. [INSERT COMPANY NAME] values its employees and realizes that as personal problems increase, performance may decrease. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a benefit designed to help you and your family with personal problems.

Counseling is short-term and confidential and is offered to you and your dependents at no charge from [INSERT EAP COMPANY NAME]. Counselors are experienced professionals who can help with personal, family and workplace problems. In addition, counselors can help with referrals to doctors and to legal and financial resources. Call [INSERT PHONE NUMBER] to schedule an appointment.

Get Personalized Help Through the Health Care Maze
No more run-around, red tape or worry! A health advocate — a free benefit from [INSERT COMPANY NAME] — offers one-on-one help anytime you have a health care or insurance-related issue. When you call the toll-free number, you’ll be assigned a highly experienced Personal Health Advocate (PHA) who knows the ins and outs of health care. These nurses, medical directors and insurance experts do the legwork to sort out medical bills, locate specialists, find eldercare and more.
When you call, you’ll be connected to your own PHA who can help you:

• Find the best doctors and leading hospitals and get you appointments for medical visits
• Locate services for your elderly parents
• Schedule tests and timely appointments with specialists
• Secure a second opinion
• Resolve insurance claims and billing issues
• Transfer medical records
• Covers you, your spouse, dependent children, parents and parents-in-law
• Is completely confidential
• And more.

Call [INSERT HEALTH ADVOCATE COMPANY NAME], toll free [INSERT PHONE NUMBER] and you or your covered family member will be connected to your own PHA to begin working on your health care-related issues.

S.M.A.R.T. Teleworking Tips for Employers
(To request permission to publish this article, contact mrhodes@worldatwork.org.)

Teleworking allows employees to work smarter, not harder. WorldatWork, an international association of human resource professionals, offers the S.M.A.R.T. way to manage teleworkers:

Select jobs for teleworking. Teleworking is best suited to jobs that are information-based, predictable, portable, or that demand a high degree of privacy and concentration. The key is to designate jobs with at least a portion of the work that can be done as well, or even better, away from the office. Identify such jobs up front so employees don’t have to guess which jobs are eligible for the program. 

Manage based on performance and results. In this knowledge-based economy, what is important is getting the job done, not when, where or how many hours it took. Set productivity objectives and measure achievement against them, trusting employees to manage their own time.

Articulate teleworking policy. This written policy should outline the company’s positions on eligibility, performance measurements, equipment provision, technical support, ownership of physical and intellectual property, and requirements for in-office appearances. An example is the General Services Administration’s Information Technology and Telecommunications Guidelines for Federal Telework and Other Alternative Workplace Arrangement Programs.

Recognize management resistance. Many managers are uncomfortable losing physical proximity to their employees. To gain management support, employers should involve supervisors in every aspect of the teleworking program. Ask managers to help determine which employees should be eligible. Provide them with the proper tools and training to succeed.

Train and educate. New patterns of work need a higher standard of management so managers themselves should be trained in the best ways of managing virtual workers. Employees also need to learn to work differently and adjust to a more independent environment.

For more information on teleworking, visit www.workingfromanywhere.org or www.worldatwork.org.

When Should You Retire?
Would it be better for you to begin receiving Social Security benefits early with a smaller monthly amount or wait for a larger monthly payment later that you may not receive as long? The answer is highly personal and depends on a number of factors. To help you make the right choice, try out the new Retirement Estimator from the U.S. Social Security Association, a new online calculator that provides immediate and personalized benefit estimates to help you plan for retirement.

Conveniently tied to your actual Social Security earnings record, the Retirement Estimator eliminates the need for you to manually key in years of earnings information. It is interactive and allows you to compare different retirement options by changing your “stop work” dates or expected future earnings. Learn more about when to start receiving retirement benefits from this easy-to-read handout.

Get Moving with WOMAN Activity Tracker
The WOMAN Activity Tracker is a program designed to help you be physically active all year long. WOMAN stands for Women and girls Out Moving Across the Nation. Using the WOMAN Activity Tracker Web site, you can set personal goals and log your daily activity as you move along one of six virtual routes across the United States. You can take part in the program both as an individual and as part of a team.

The WOMAN Activity Tracker is a free program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health. The program encourages women and girls to walk 10,000 steps or get 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day over a 44-week period. All women and girls (ages 9 and up) are welcome to take part in the program.

Get the Facts on College Health and Safety
Is your child heading off to college this month? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed a comprehensive Web page with important information for parents and students including health and safety tips, issues, action steps, and hotlines to help your child stay safe and healthy in college.

Caregiver Stress FAQs
During any given year, there are more than 44 million Americans who provide unpaid care to an elderly or disabled person 18 years or older. Altogether, informal caregivers provide 80% of the long-term care in the United States. If you or someone you know is a caregiver check out the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Caregiver Stress FAQs and to access more information about caregiver stress.

Find a Farmers Market Near You 
Farmers markets are gaining popularity as consumers increasingly appreciate locally grown foods and other products, according to the U.S. government. In addition to finding fresh, good-tasting foods like handmade cheeses, organic fruits and vegetables, and humanely raised meats, customers can get to know their local farmers and engage in their community. National Farmers Market Week, which is recognized Aug. 3-9, 2008, seems like a good time to find a farmers market near you.

Test Your Pregnancy Knowledge
Test your pregnancy knowledge by taking a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services quiz and access other mom-to-be tools including a childcare checklist, babysitter information form, ovulation calculator and more.

Choose the Right Backpack for Back to School
It’s back to school time and that means school supplies and backpacks for children. Did you know that children can suffer bruises, muscle stiffness and strains from backpacks that are too heavy or are worn improperly? The U.S. National Safety Council makes these recommendations when selecting a backpack for your child:

• Choose a backpack designed for safety and comfort, with padding in the back and shoulders.
• A backpack should have belts that strap around the hips and chest for extra support.
• Look for pockets and compartments inside the backpack to more evenly distribute the weight across the back.
• Look for a backpack with straps on the sides or bottom to compress the contents, so that items are as close to the back as possible
• Look for a backpack with reflective stripes for increased visibility at night.

Take the Vaccine Quiz
August is National Immunization Awareness Month. Did you know that certain vaccines are recommended for adults and adolescents? Take this quiz to find out which vaccines you may need.

How Risky is Your Commute to Work?
Are you a safe driver or do you have a high crash risk? Download this short quiz to determine your commute risks.

Get the Facts on Infertility
About 12% of women in the United States aged 15-44 had difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a baby to term in 2002, according to the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Learn more about infertility causes, treatments and assisted reproductive technology (ART) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Web page.

How Many Fruits & Vegetables Do You Need?
Fruits & Veggies—More Matters, a national health initiative designed to encourage Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables has a fun and interactive Web site to help you increase your daily consumption of fruits and vegetables. Interactive tools include “Analyze My Plate” and “Recipe Remix,” among others. Plus you can download excellent recipes for adults and kids and get 10 tips on how to get your kids to eat more fruits and veggies. Check it out.

Test Your Sun Safety IQ
Sun safety is never out of season. Summer's arrival means it's time for picnics, trips to the pool and outdoor activities… and a spike in sunburns. But those of us who live in Arizona need to be wary of the sun's rays all year long. Take the American Cancer Society's 9-question quiz and find out your sun safety IQ. To learn more about sun safety visit a special U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Web site or download a handy brochure about how to keep harmful rays from burning you and your family.

How Much Food Do You Need?
Want to know the amount of each food group you need daily? Go to MyPyramid.gov and enter your age, sex and physical activity level to receive a quick customized food guide. The Eat Smart. Play Hard. Campaign is put on by the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service and offers resources and tools to convey and reinforce healthy eating and lifestyle behaviors that are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPyramid Food Guidance System. 

How ‘Green’ is Your Car?
Is your car, SUV or pickup a good environmental performer? Now you can find out using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Green Vehicle Guide as a resource in selecting your next car, SUV or light truck. The Green Vehicle Guide provides air pollution scores and greenhouse gas scores for all vehicles. The higher the scores, the better it is for the environment. Compare the scores of different vehicles, or just look for the SmartWay certification mark to find the superior environmental performers.

You may be surprised to find that even if you need a larger vehicle, you may have cleaner choices. The better the fuel economy, the more money you'll save at the pump, while also helping the environment. For more on SmartWay certified cars and trucks, visit www.epa.gov/smartway.

Bike to Work Safely
Biking to work is fun and it’s great exercise, but make sure you’re safe when you ride. About 57 million Americans ride bicycles, traveling on the same roadways that are occupied by millions of motor vehicles that are larger, faster and heavier than bicycles. In 2006, more than 44,000 bicyclists in the United States were injured in traffic crashes and 773 bicyclists died as a result of bicycle-related injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has developed “10 Smart Routes to Bicycle Safety” with the most important things you (and your family) can do to have a safe ride.

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