Leveraging incentives and bonuses to keep high performers, taming the costs of Obamacare and looking at new policies to address workplace bullying are among some of the top trends that HR professionals in the credit union industry are expected to be talking about throughout 2013.

Although credit union salary increases are projected to remain low in 2013, more credit unions are expected to leverage incentives and bonuses to retain and recruit high-performing employees.

Credit unions expect the average full-time management salary increase to be 2.26% in 2013, a slight drop from the 2.53% average wage hike in 2012, according to CUNA's Complete Credit Union Staff Salary Survey Report. For non-management credit union employees, base pay increases also will remain low. In 2013, credit unions have projected an average base pay increase of 2.23% for nonmanagement employees, which is slightly down from the 2.43% in 2012.

More 2013 Watch

However, the good news for the New Year is that while credit union employees may not be gaining much when it comes to wage increases, they may be making up for it in bonuses and incentives. For example, half of credit unions with $1 million or more in assets offer bonuses to their full-time employees, the report said. A little more than half of credit unions (52%) provided bonuses (rewards for exceptional job performance) to management employees, while 42% of nonmanagement credit union employees receive bonuses. Those percentages, according to the report, have increased from 47% and 38%, respectively, from last year, according to the CUNA report.

While small businesses could benefit from the healthcare reform law, otherwise known at Obamacare, midsize companies, those that have 101to 1,000 employees, are expected to see their health care cost jump by 9.5%, and for large companies that employ more than 1,000, health care cost could increase by 4.3%, according to the Urban Institute. Small firms may see their health care expenses decline by 1.4%.

To control these rising costs in 2013, more companies, including credit unions, are expected to offer workplace wellness programs to help employees adapt healthy lifestyles that can help businesses control or even reduce health care premiums. According to a Harvard University study on workplace wellness programs, medical costs fall by about $3.27 for every dollar spent on wellness programs and absenteeism costs fall by about $2.73 for every dollar spent.

Do you have bullies in your workplace? It's a costly problem.

A Society for Human Resource Management poll found that 51% of companies reported incidences of bullying in their workplaces. Research shows workplace bullying can lower employee morale and loyalty, reduce productivity and increase healthcare and workers' compensation costs. Experts are recommending companies adopt policies and training that address workplace bullying.

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