He may spend way too much time at the water cooler, entertainment websites, or the company gym in your opinion, but he may not know his work is a problem.(Photo: Todd Warnock, Getty Images)Story HighlightsPeople tend to believe they are powerless to change a colleagueBut social pressure can be potent in changing a lazy workerThe key is approaching a person with respect, not angerIf you worked an additional four to six hours last week because a slacking colleague didn't pull his weight, you're not alone.According to a new VitalSmarts study, slacking colleagues[1] cause a quarter of workers to put in more time each week, and 4 of 5 employees report their work quality declines when they have to cover for a co-worker.COLUMN: Calm rage to get what you want[2]But before you heap scorn upon your boss for not dealing with a lazy colleague, you need to be aware that the problem isn't necessarily the boss's fault, says Joseph Grenny, co-founder of VitalSmarts corporate training.He explains that bosses today often aren't working physically alongside a team, so they may be unaware that someone is goofing off. However, the problem becomes worse when a productive worker doesn't see the boss reprimanding a slacker colleague, so the hardworking employee may believe he also should keep his mouth shut.The result of that silence about slacking "means nobody is being responsible, and over time it becomes collusion," Grenny says. "It becomes OK for the person to be a slacker."But the long-term problem is that others begin to resent the slacking co-worker, and the slacker's subpar performance begins to affect productivity and the bottom line. Still, no one says anything because the workers believe they are powerless to change the situation.That's the wrong assumption to make, Grenny says."People tend to believe that it's power that can…

Travelers enter the U.S. Customs facility at Dulles International Airport.(Photo: H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY)Story HighlightsU.S. Customs procedures are among the worst in the world, surveyed travelers saidThe problem could worsen as federal budget cuts increasingly take effectIf overseas visitors stay away, the U.S. could lose billions, travel group saysWASHINGTON — Overseas travelers say they'll avoid the United States because of long wait times and inefficient entry procedures at gateway airports — and recommend to others that they too stay away, a new survey of foreign visitors out Tuesday indicates.Forty-three percent of travelers who had traveled to the United States say they'll tell other countrymen and women not to visit because of the cumbersome entry process, according to the survey of 1,200 travelers from Britain, France, Germany, Japan, China and Brazil. The survey was taken from January through October of last year by the Consensus Research Group for the U.S. Travel Association, which represents the travel industry and lobbies for its issues.Among the complaints:One in three travelers said the U.S. was falling behind other countries or it was the worst they had ever experienced in terms of getting through U.S. Customs and Border Protection procedures.Business travelers, especially, said they were put off by the entry process, with 44% saying they will refuse to visit in the next five years.One in seven international travelers said they had missed a connection because of delays at Customs. Two-thirds said they would consider the U.S. an attractive destination if the Customs lines and wait times were shorter.Upon entering the United States, foreign visitors often wait in long lines to get their passports inspected and to declare any goods they are carrying with them. Often, they have to get their bags inspected by Customs and Border Protection officers looking for any illegal or dangerous items,…

North Bay Adventure employee Tyler Douglas,right, hooks up camper Jordan Lofton, 11, to the zip line on March 13.(Photo: Kyle Grantham for USA TODAY)Story HighlightsMedical self-insurance is increasingly popular among small firms, say brokers and insurersSmall businesses see such plans as low-cost alternatives to regular coverageSome critics see the self-insure trend as a threat to the Affordable Care ActNorthBay Adventure is just the kind of small business that could be expected to buy medical insurance for workers under health act rules taking effect in 2014. But Executive Director George Comfort says that's not likely to happen.Instead, NorthBay became self-insured last year, paying most workers' health costs directly, a practice more typical of large employers. The decision to self-insure was about free choice, savings and what's best for his company, Comfort says.But others see it as a threat to the Affordable Care Act. As more small employers such as NorthBay avoid the act's requirements through self-coverage, small-business marketplaces intended to cover millions of Americans could break down and become unaffordable, they say."What you've got is basically a loophole for the small employer to get out of the ACA requirements," says Robert Laszewski, a Virginia-based consultant and former insurance executive.SAVVY SMALL BUSINESS: Bonobos opens stores that don't sell anything[1]To employees, medical self-insurance looks like a regular health plan. Self-insured employers pay for most worker health costs directly, though they contract with an insurer or other company to administer claims. The employers also buy coverage known as stop-loss for claims exceeding a certain amount. Brokers say a growing number of firms see such plans as low-cost alternatives to conventional coverage, as they're exempt from ACA requirements such as insurance taxes and specified benefits.NorthBay, which is based in Maryland and delivers outdoors education to sixth-graders, saves some 45% on self-insured health costs for its…