Progressive discipline is a system that provides increasingly severe warnings for repeated employee conduct that either disregards the employer’s policies and procedures or fails to fulfill performance expectations.

Using a system of progressive discipline in reaction to poor performance or rule violations can help employers avoid employee legal claims (for example, employment discrimination, sexual harassment, unemployment insurance and wrongful discharge) and improve staff performance and attitudes. Read More

A tweak to the tax code could allow employers to pay back employees’ student debt. Two bills making their way through Congress (H.R. 1713 and H.R. 4363) could give companies tax incentives for helping employees repay their student loans.

Currently, if employees receive money from their employers to pay off student debt, it is considered taxable income. The bills aim to expand the tax code, allowing up to $5,250 per year to be treated as nontaxable income. Read More

Monitoring your daily sodium intake can have major health benefits—from reducing your risk of a heart attack or stroke to lowering your blood pressure. And cutting salt from your diet doesn’t have to be extremely limiting.

Whether your blood pressure is within the healthy range or not, eating a healthy diet with low salt intake can be beneficial to your health. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. This means maintaining a balance of sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium in your diet. A good way to reach adequate daily amounts of these minerals is to increase your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products and whole grains.

Limiting Salt

Eliminating some of the salt in your diet doesn’t have to mean completely changing what you’re eating. Below are some easy ways to limit your salt intake.

Limit meals out. Typical restaurant meals are high in sodium. Try eating out less often, and order low-sodium options when you do.

Read the facts. When buying premade, prepackaged or canned foods, look closely at the nutrition facts and ingredients. Ingredients to avoid due to their high salt content include sodium chloride, monosodium glutamate, sodium bicarbonate, disodium phosphate, sodium nitrate, sodium propionate and sodium sulfite. Read More

A study by researchers at Oregon State University found that the overwhelming majority of Americans do not live a healthy lifestyle. The study measured how people followed four healthy characteristics: moderate exercise, a good diet, not smoking and having a recommended body fat percentage.

The target for exercise was 150 minutes of moderate activity each week. Blood samples confirmed whether a person was a smoker, and body fat was measured using X-ray technology. A good diet consisted of consuming foods suggested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Read More