Mar., 02/ Softscape Inc. has developed and released version 9.0 of its human capital management software tool, called AchievementPlus. The Internet-based software tool provides both public- and private- sector employers a proven, out-of-the-box software tool that offers fully integrated performance management, succession planning, compensation, 360-degree feedback, recruiting and employee self-- service modules. The software's new web-based employee self-service module for benefits management provides managers and employees with a secure single location to privately access company information on benefits, payroll, vacation time, flexible spending accounts, employee directories, internal documents and 401(k) investments selection. The module can help HR managers save time and effort with single database entries, which can reduce errors and improve communications with insurance providers. The employee self-service module also seamlessly processes payroll changes online and automatically processes benefit deductions, new hires and terminations, and employee information.

Compensation And Benefits

Watson Wyatt has announced a new web-based tool that allows employers to provide their employees immediate access to their personal compensation and benefits data. The web-based service is called eStatement and, with a username and password, employees can sign on through the Internet and find all their compensation and benefits data. The eStatement service can draw employee compensation and benefits data from multiple sources from the employer and benefit providers. It then compiles the data for each employee's compensation, retirement, health and welfare, security, and work/ family benefits and creates a user-friendly display of the personalized data and targeted communication.

ProAct Technologies Corp. recently developed and released a new and affordable solution for one of the most difficult challenges human resource departments face: delivering accurate summary plan descriptions (SPDs) of benefits programs to employees. The new software tool is called ProAct SPD Communicator and is designed to provide a centralized database that helps companies to create, manage and deliver up-to-date SPDs in both online and printed forms. The new software is designed to minimize the costs and risks of communicating plan descriptions by providing a computer-based solution that will create, maintain, review and deliver required SPDs automatically to your workforce. The new software also accepts an employer's existing SPD content "as is" through easy-to-use import and download capabilities-unlike other software packages that require content to be input manually.

Employee Relations

Savvy human resources professionals realize that using the Internet to collect feedback from employees can dramatically reduce the cost associated with administering employee surveys. SurveyWriter.com is a new web service available to HR professionals and other managers. It provides an online tool to measure employee attitudes and opinions, collect 360-degree feedback assessments, and administer personality tests. Users can create their own survey questions with the software's advanced HTML question editor, and easy-to-use formatting capabilities can give employers complete control over the look and feel of their surveys.

Retirement Benefits

Employers that care about the environment will be able to provide new investment options for their employees by adding a new family of mutual funds to their 401(k) plans. Forward Management LLC and the Sierra Club have arranged to create a series of funds that will invest in environmentally conscious corporations and business opportunities. The new mutual funds will include securities that were chosen by the Sierra Club based on a range of environmental and social criteria. The first funds to be established and available to investors are the Sierra Club Stock Fund and Sierra Club Balanced Fund. Both funds were first offered to investors last month.

Training and Development

Handshaw Inc. has developed a new training and development tool that allows employers to instantly transfer PowerPoint slides into a performance improvement and e-learning platform that can help enhance and improve employee training and development programs. Handshaw has developed the new software program, called Luminex, which is designed to reformat Microsoft PowerPoint presentations into re-usable training and development content. By instantly importing information to an e-- learning database, Handshaw's new service allows companies to build on existing information and focus on meeting the training and development needs for their entire workforce. USC Consulting Group has developed a new training and development tool that is designed to help employers address the critical training program factors of time, place and instructor resources. The software tool is called M-Abler and is designed to be an integrated training system that combines technology and human interaction to deliver instructional content that provides a unique and powerful learning experience. USC Consulting uses a secure, interactive web-conferencing service for simultaneous training at multiple locations. The M-Abler training series is now offering a training course that includes the following modules: "The Six Pillars of Lean Production Systems," "Continuous Flow and Plant Layout," "Mapping the Value Stream," "Lean Procurement" and "The Supply Chain." Each training segment requires about one hour to complete and includes hands-on exercises that can be tailored to an employee's proficiency level.

Workplace Ethics

The Alexander Hamilton Institute has published and released the new report "Whistleblowing: A New Perspective on an Old Issue." The new report is offered free of charge online to all employers. With the media reporting on the growing number of corporate scandals and unethical business practices of some top executives, the topic of employee whistleblowing has definitely become a hot button issue for corporate America. This report examines all the new angles of the issue and includes summaries of recent court rulings at both the federal and state levels, strategies that employers can use to encourage employees to tell the truth and to maintain an ethical work environment, and information on the latest state and federal rules and regulations.

Workplace Management

ARAG Group is now offering a unique form of identity theft protection to employers and their employees by making identity theft assistance part of the company's group legal insurance plan. ARAG group plan members can now call toll-free and speak with an identity theft specialist who will explain identity theft and how to prevent it from happening. Specialists will help plan members understand what identity theft is, how to avoid it, how a person can prevent further loss if victimized and how ARAG Group's legal plan coverage works.

Performaworks Inc. has developed and released version 4.0 of its software package Performaworks Enterprise Suite. The new software is designed to help employers align and communicate corporate strategic goals consistently throughout their entire organization. The new software version includes five modules. "Goal management" is designed to align employee goals and work efforts with high-level business objectives and competencies. "Performance evaluation" is designed to help streamline performance review processes and to ensure that employees are rewarded according to their actual impact on the business. "360 assessment" is designed to improve the management processes of 360-degree reviews while providing the flexibility to accommodate multiple forms and cycles. "Development planning" can help employees identify and build the competencies they need to achieve business objectives. This module provides easy access to company-specific content and third-party e-learning tools. "Competency library" can help executives model, define and communicate the behavioral standards that are expected in their organizations.