Employer Investment Strategies include a broad array of employment benefits provided by employers. Providing such benefits is not only beneficial to employees but also pays dividends to employers by enhancing recruitment, retention, and productivity. These benefits can include homeownership and rental assistance, public transportation subsidies and assistance with car purchase, child care, and lower-interest loans (to combat the high interest of payday lenders and buy-here-pay-here car dealers). Some organizations are developing initiatives designed to improve employee engagement by developing and supporting employee understanding of job expectations and importance, providing on-the-job career planning and advancement options, promoting positive relationships between workers and a shared understanding of organizational goals and values. Other employers are considering providing assistance accessing public and private employment benefits through in-house human resource offices or outsourced providers.

Resources 

Screening for Satisfaction (12/21/07)
by Anne Moore Odell, Social Funds
The 2007 Moskowitz Prize for Socially Responsible Investing was awarded to a study that shows higher employee satisfaction has historically correlated to higher stock prices.

Better Jobs, Better Care
Better Jobs Better Care is a 4-year $15.5 million research and demonstration program, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies. The program seeks to achieve changes in long-term care policy and practice that help to reduce high vacancy and turnover rates among direct care staff and contribute to improved workforce quality.

Springboard Forward's Business Solution: A job is just the beginning(4/26/2007)
by Elliot Brown, Springboard Forward
Mr. Brown presented this powerpoint at The Mobility Agenda’s Seattle Roundtable. It explains Springboard Forward’s approach to employer investment by individual career development and the benefits for employers and workers.

Improving Scheduling Practices in Lower-level Jobs (1/18/2007)
by Susan J. Lambert and Julia R. Henly, The Scheduling Intervention Study, University of Chicago.
This powerpoint offers ways for employers to use more predictable, flexible scheduling to improve turnover and employee productivity. Findings are based on the Scheduling Intervention Study’s work with a national women’s apparel retailer.

2007 Top Five Total Rewards Priorities (2007)
by Deloitte Consulting
This report is based on the findings of the 2007 Top Five Total Rewards Priorities Survey, a study of employers’ top concerns about their workforce. While maintaining a high-quality workforce has risen to become a new top priority for large companies and concessions on health care costs are growing to be more common, there is a growing disconnect between employee concerns and employer priorities.

Assessing the impact of job loss on workers and firms (April 2006)
by Kristin F. Butcher and Kevin F. Hallock, Chicago Fed Letter
This article summarizes “Job Loss: Causes, Consequences, and Policy Responses,” a conference which was cosponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the Joyce Foundation to analyze the impact of layoffs on workers and firms and the effect of US regulation on jobs vulnerable to outsourcing.

Driving Performance and Retention Through Employee Engagement (2004)
by The Corporated Leadership Council
This is an executive summary of a study by the Corporated Leadership Council on employee engagement and its effects on performance and retention, highlighting the importance of employer strategies and policies as a determinant of employee engagement.

Creating Value for Employees: Investment in employee development (Sept 2003)
by Chay Hoon Lee and Norman T. Bruvold
This is a study of the relationship between perceived investment in employee development, and affective commitment, job satisfaction, and continuance commitment in a sample of 405 nurses from two countries while relying on social exchange theory. The findings indicate that healthcare organizations need to pay greater attention to promoting organizational commitment and job satisfaction among nurses.

Fostering a Career Development Culture: Reflections on the roles of managers, employees and supervisors (2002)
by Conger Stuart, Career Development International
Stuart’s practitioner paper recommends the creation of a career development culture to address productivity, competitiveness, affirmative action, and succession planning. A career development culture would help employees realize the full potential of their jobs and promote future career prospects.

Employer Investment in the News

'Career Path' Programs Help Retain Employees (5/28/2006)
by Jaclyne Badal, The Wall Street Journal Online
This article explains the emergence of career-path programs as a way to reduce attrition in high-turnover industries, and increasingly in call-center positions.

Gallup Study Indicates Actively Disengaged Workers Cost U.S. Hundreds of Billions Each Year (3/19/2001)
by Gallup Management Journal
Gallup’s study shows the costs in productivity, loyalty, satisfaction, and health of disengaged employees. Their study was based on Q12 survey results, published statistical guides of employment to determine salaries, and productivity based on GDP.

Employer-Assisted Housing Resources

Housing 300 Million Well: What do Candidates Propose? (12/31/07)
by Jarrett Murphy, City Limits
In New York City and around the country, citizens have plenty of housing concerns. What solutions are the presidential candidates offering?

Housing America's Workforce Act S.1078 and H.R.1850 (April 2007)
This fact sheet explains the nature of the Congressional legislation, Housing America's Workforce, proposed to increase private sector’s role in promoting affordable housing. It would provide tax credit and grants to employers who offer employer-assisted housing.

Subsidized Housing and Employment: Building Evidence about What Works to Improve Self-Sufficiency (March 2007)
by James A. Riccio, MDRC
The Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act (QHWRA) of 1998 held residents’ self-sufficiency as a core objective. This study of housing assistance and its effects on employment and self-sufficiency calls for more research on the effectiveness of such programs.

Under a Decent Roof: Providers join the search for affordable housing for low-income staff (Nov/Dec 2006)
by Debra Wood, futureAge
This article explains how some employers are addressing the affordable housing shortage for their low-income employees with comprehensive finance education programs and by providing low-cost housing.

New Teacher Loan Program: Why Only A Few Qualify (8/3/2006)
by Bob Young, Seattle Times
Due to the nature of the hot Seattle housing market and income limits on teachers’ salaries, few teachers have been able to qualify for a widely publicized housing loan program. This article examines the issue and explores ways to improve eligibility.

More Firms Help Workers Find Home Sweet Home (8/29/2004)
by Stephanie Armour, USA Today
This article describes the lack of affordable housing and the use of employer assisted housing to address this issue. It also raises the question of whether salary increases would be a better solution.