Archive

October 2012

HR's Top 20 reads for the month of October: 

News Updates
October 31, 2012

On October 31, SHRM We Know Next chatted with Sharlyn Lauby and Eric Chester about "What Does Work Ethic Look Like?"

Is it 90% perspiration and 10% Red Bull?  Does it depend on how your parents raised you and does it look different according to your generation?  What if you have a solid work ethic, but you're in a toxic workplace environment?  Regardless of how Nextchatters defined work ethic, they agreed that a positive attitude and a solid work ethic are connected, and that great employees possess both.

October 31, 2012

The Talent Management Alliance held its first Multi-Gen Summit in mid-October in Atlanta to discuss workplace challenges being creating by a changing workforce. Baby Boomers are retiring; Gen Y and Millenials are entering the workforce with new skills and at a pace slower than boomers are leaving, the GenX leadership style and “sandwich managers”, as well as the unique aspects of a multigenerational workforce.

October 31, 2012

Real leadership is rare, but the present circumstances of high unemployment, staggering debt, stagnant growth and record budget deficits calls for “bold, principled, far-sighted actions by America’s leadership class in both the public and the private sector,” said former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates.

Gates told attendees of the World Business Forum here Oct. 3, 2012, that it’s important to distinguish between leadership and management.

News Updates
October 31, 2012
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It’s no surprise that, as a nation, we’re getting older. What is surprising is how quickly. The U.S. National Institute on Aging, says the population of people between ages 75-85 is 17 million. They predict that number will be 30 million by 2050.

Contrast those numbers with the UN estimates that the percentage of children will drop. Today, half of Latin America is under fifteen years old. By 2050, half will be over 40 years old.

So the trend is fewer kids and more old people.

October 30, 2012

When an employer is faced with a sexual-harassment lawsuit, one of its best defenses is that the company took reasonable care (e.g., policy, training) to prevent sexual harassment (and then addressed complaints in a manner that is reasonably designed to end the sexual harassment)

October 30, 2012

Over the last few years, social and mobile technologies have proven to be powerful tools for sourcing and recruiting talent. More recently, we’re beginning to see consumer tech--social, in particular--being leveraged in other HR functions. While research shows these next generation tools have the potential to improve communication and collaboration across the enterprise, business leaders are left with one question: “Who takes ownership of these tools?”

October 30, 2012
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Back in 1964, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart coined the expression “I know it when I see it” to describe his threshold test for pornography. I was reminded of the phrase recently (not in a conversation about porn) but in a discussion about work ethic. When asked to define work ethic, the person said, “I don’t know if I can describe it but I know it when I see it.”

October 29, 2012

Sometimes learning how to juggle life and work is a difficult task. In fact, some debate if it can ever really be achieved.

Our workplaces can be stressful these days as Management and Employees carry the load of layoffs and greater responsibilities are placed on those left to make it happen. It’s taking its toll on our work culture.

October 29, 2012

Striking down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as unconstitutional Oct. 18, 2012, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals noted that the law “has varying impact on more than a thousand federal laws.” That includes numerous federal employment laws, as the AFL-CIO noted in a friend-of-the-court brief filed in the 2nd Circuit case.

Edie Windsor, 83, challenged DOMA after the federal government taxed her more than $363,000 when her spouse, Thea Spyer, passed away in 2009. Windsor and Spyer first met in 1963, married in Canada in 2007, and lived in New York.

News Updates
October 29, 2012

In case you missed it, here’s what happened on We Know Next this week.

More than half (55 percent) of U.S. employees default to their current benefit coverage for the coming year, instead of actively reassessing their plan options, according to a 2012 survey by HR consultancy Aon Hewitt. What many workers do not realize is that the old selection may not be the best option.

News Updates
October 26, 2012

This week I had the honor of attending SHRM’s Workflex Conference as a member of the press team. Here is what the workflex conference is all about taken right from the website.

The 2012 Workflex Conference is an innovative conference that offers solutions for HR professionals and other business leaders who are actively engaged in building and implementing effective and flexible workplace strategies.

October 26, 2012

Succession management planning can hit roadblocks for a number of reasons: industry disruption and the need to predict an uncertain future, unconscious bias that can cloud talent decisions, and challenges unique to managing global talent pools.

Avoiding talent-building barriers and successfully planning for the future requires moving beyond the status quo and creating viable and agile systems, policies and practices, explained speakers at a recent conference hosted by The Conference Board.

News Updates
October 26, 2012
Work.com is a social performance management platform created by Salesforce, that allows teams to align organizational goals around driving business results, through social tools that allow real-time coaching and 1:1 feedback.  
 
News Updates
October 25, 2012

Many health care reform law changes kick in during 2013 and 2014, assuming the law isn’t repealed or amended. Speaking Oct. 16, 2012, at Groom Law Group’s annual employee benefits seminar in Washington, D.C., attorney Christy Tinnes provided Pension Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) checklists for the next two years.

2013

New provisions highlights:

News Updates
October 25, 2012
  1. Yoga
  2. Bikram Yoga
  3. That other kind of yoga
  4. ummmm......

I have three kids three and under. Like I have time on the weekend to come up with 172 anythings...let alone something requiring a scintilla of creativity, save channeling my inner Andy Warhol at the children's museum yesterday -- 4 likes on Facebook for the uncensored version, yo.

October 25, 2012
Major corporations are doing it. So are universities. And even state legislators are proposing it. The "it" is providing incentives to motivate individuals covered by health insurance to participate in wellness programs.
 
According to a United Benefit Advisors' survey released in May 2007:
 
News Updates
October 25, 2012

As Election Day approaches, employers should review their policies for compliance with state law requirements for providing employees with time off to vote. Some states have no rules, but others require all employers to provide employees with time off to vote and impose civil and criminal penalties for noncompliance.

News Updates
October 25, 2012

On October 24, SHRM @weknownext chatted with several working moms and dads about how they juggle work and family. A few employers (and a former CEO) even jumped into the chat and offered their views on the importance of providing a supportive environment and plenty of workplace flexibility. In case you missed it, here are all the great tweets from the chat:

 

October 24, 2012

Have you ever made a comment thinking it was innocuous, but it really had damaging effects?
  
Let me help you out with this.  Your comment usually starts with: “It’s just....”  You don’t mean this to be harmful, but you don’t see how your position is calling the situation simple or “below you.”
 

October 24, 2012

Just over half (56 percent) of employees eligible to participate in the their annual benefits open enrollment period last year felt “very confident” they’ll make the right decisions for themselves and their families this year, according to MetLife’s Benefits Election Poll. In contrast, nearly two-thirds of those who actively reviewed information last enrollment season felt “very confident” about making the right decisions this year.

News Updates
October 24, 2012
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Last June, the National Transportation Safety Board cited driver fatigue as a main cause of a bus crash in New York that killed 15 people and injured 18 returning from a trip to a Connecticut casino.
 
It was one of several fatal bus crashes the board investigated last year—and one of the deadliest. Investigators found that the driver slept only for short periods of three hours or less in the three days prior to the crash.
News Updates
October 23, 2012

Family care bias is turning into a red-hot issue for employers, according to a report published by the AARP Public Policy Institute and the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California Hastings College of the Law. Women are affected more than men, the report notes, and flexibility is needed.

News Updates
October 23, 2012

Every day, millions of working moms live by routines.  The alarm rings.  You wake the kids, feed them, make lunches, rush them to daycare or school, and then maybe hit the coffee shop on the way to the office. 

Later it’s shopping, errands, dinner, homework … and then 12 hours later – Rinse.  Repeat. 

For most working moms, the constant merry-go-round is a source of great stress that can result in discouragement, bouts of anxiety, and even physical illness.  When mom’s burned out, everyone suffers.  

October 22, 2012
If you follow this blog, you know I work for NPR. As you might expect, I get to work with some smart people. Mensa smart. After 18 months at NPR I’ve grown accustomed to the intelligence in the building; but am also reminded of thoughtful, caring and compassionate employees we have quite often.
 
October 22, 2012

As new college graduates continue to inundate the job market and economic concerns have caused older employees to stay in the workforce longer, today’s companies often have employees representing four distinct generations. With more than 50 years separating some employees, managing these multigenerational teams can be incredibly challenging.

October 22, 2012

More than half (55 percent) of U.S. employees default to their current benefit coverage for the coming year, instead of actively reassessing their plan options, according to a 2012 survey by HR consultancy Aon Hewitt. What many workers do not realize is that the old selection may not be the best option.

News Updates
October 22, 2012

In case you missed it, here’s what happened on We Know Next this week.

News Updates
October 19, 2012

Interview by Joseph Coombs, SHRM Workplace Trends and Forecasting Specialist


Many workplaces today include members of four or five different generations. What advantages and potential challenges does this scenario present for HR professionals?

News Updates
October 19, 2012

Youth unemployment and skills shortages are driving some business leaders to get more involved in the education of the future workforce. Often, they focus on the need to prepare young people for jobs in industries and professions that are growing the fastest.

Very high levels of youth unemployment have been a key characteristic of the post-recession, low-growth global economic environment. The latest findings from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reveal just how devastating the recession was worldwide.

News Updates
October 18, 2012

Bill Gates said you often have to rely on it.

Albert Einstein called it “the only real valuable thing.”

Jonas Salk, scientist and discoverer of the polio vaccine, said it “will tell the thinking mind where to look next.”

Special Agent Jethro Leroy Gibbs, head of a fictional Naval Criminal Investigative Services team on TV, famously relies on his gut for finding and triumphing over bad guys.

News Updates
October 17, 2012
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For the final post in this short series I wanted to write briefly about the consequences of lazy hiring. I’ve already written about lazy leadership and lazy employees, so I thought lazy hiring was a good way to wrap it up. This one will be brief because I just can’t imagine that anyone reading this doesn’t understand the consequences of lazy hiring.
 
And yet it happens….
 

News Updates
October 16, 2012

Many American workers can expect gains in compensation in 2013, although wage growth continues to make slow strides in the post-recession economy.

U.S. employees should see median base salary increases of 3 percent in 2013, according to global consultant Hay Group. When an anticipated consumer price growth of 2.2 percent is factored in, workers will see a net gain of 0.8 percent in pay in 2013—an improvement from a net loss of 0.6 percent in 2012.

News Updates
October 16, 2012

On October 3-6 2012, several thousand gathered in Baltimore, Maryland at the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing conference.  The conference -- one of the initiatives of the Anita Borg Institute -- is the largest technical conference for women in computing in the world and results in collaborative proposals, networking and mentoring for junior women and increased visibility for the contributions of top technical women and researchers in computing.

October 15, 2012
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By the year 2020, approximately 50 percent of the US workforce will be composed of Generation Y workers – those born between 1976 and 1991 – and only 25 percent baby boomers. The US workforce will change dramatically in the next eight years. "We are facing a huge generational shift as baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) leave the workforce, and that means we have to rethink our workspace," says Michael O'Neill, senior director of workplace research for Knoll, Inc.

News Updates
October 15, 2012

Millennial job seekers just wanna have fun, and employers looking to recruit and retain recent graduates should make workplace fun a “central focus of recruiting efforts,” according to recent academic research.

The findings hold up even at a time when a sluggish economy is leaving many graduates under- or unemployed, says John W. Michel, Ph.D., assistant professor of management at Loyola University Maryland.

News Updates
October 15, 2012

In case you missed it, here’s what happened on We Know Next this week.

The Form I-9 is on the verge of the first substantive change in 25 years, according to Mary Pivec, an immigration attorney with Williams Mullen in Washington, D.C., but its release date is a topic of some debate.

News Updates
October 12, 2012

Networking today has been augmented and affected by the Internet and social media. But consultants can’t overlook the power of face-to-face networking. Most are finding that a combination of the old and the new generates the best results.

The Old

News Updates
October 12, 2012

As we all know, the glass ceiling is the invisible and sometimes impenetrable barrier that prevents women of talent from rising as high as men of equal talent.  While we undeniably have made progress as a society, men still have disproportionate power at the top in most organizations.

October 11, 2012

Kyra Cavanaugh, President of Life Meets Work Inc., examines how to do workplace flexibility right, using Ryan, LLC as a shining example.

Videos
October 11, 2012

As we all know, the glass ceiling is the invisible and sometimes impenetrable barrier that prevents women of talent from rising as high as men of equal talent.  While we undeniably have made progress as a society, men still have disproportionate power at the top in most organizations.

When I have described glass ceiling issues, I have had some men dismiss the issues because they have never have experienced them. I have never experienced labor pains, but I would be a fool to dismiss their existence simply because I never have experienced them.

October 11, 2012

Politicians, pundits and job market experts alike frequently cite “uncertainty” as a root cause for weak hiring.

Yes, employers are uncertain about the U.S. economy. They’re also skittish about future tax policy, government spending, oil prices, the Middle East, China’s reduced rate of growth and just about any other aspect of domestic and global affairs that can affect their business. The upcoming presidential election just adds to the anxiety.

October 11, 2012
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Six in 10 U.S. employers that provide retiree health care coverage are considering alternative strategies for delivering this benefit in light of market changes under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), according to newly released findings from a 2012 survey by HR consultancy Aon Hewitt.

Of those employers planning changes to their coverage, 63 percent are implementing or considering subsidized coverage through the individual market.

Health Care Reform's Impact

News Updates
October 11, 2012

On October 3, We Know Next chatted with Internmatch Co-Founder Nathan Parcells about "The Internship Imperative." 

Did you know that close to 70 percent of all interns are being offered full-time jobs?  What is your organization doing to attract the highest quality interns?

In case you missed it, here are all the great tweets from the chat: 

 

October 10, 2012

If an adversary or threat can exploit a vulnerability to harm an asset, then you have risk.

With the increase in advanced, multidimensional threats, some organizations are considering the services of a corporate threat intelligence program, or developing an in-house program—dedicating staff and other resources to deep inspection and analysis of data to avoid the sorts of attacks, crises and events that can cost a company millions, endanger personnel and damage its reputation.

News Updates
October 10, 2012

The Importance of Workplace Technology and Internal Collaboration

October 10, 2012

Charity may start “at home,” but it continues in the workplace. According to Giving USA, an annual survey of philanthropy, U.S. corporations donated $14.55 billion in 2011.

News Updates
October 9, 2012

 

The Form I-9 is on the verge of the first substantive change in 25 years, according to Mary Pivec, an immigration attorney with Williams Mullen in Washington, D.C., but its release date is a topic of some debate.

Kevin Lashus, an immigration attorney with Jackson Lewis in Austin, Texas, told SHRM Online that he is “guessing that the form will be finalized by the end of the calendar year and will be released for use at the beginning of January 2013.”

News Updates
October 8, 2012

Forbes published an article in August 2012 entitled "Three Incredibly Simple Questions the Most Successful People Use to Change the World" written by Mike Maddock.

Of course I was intrigued. In this day of 140-character tweets, drive-through windows, and instant text messages, I knew the answer would be brilliant in its robust simplicity. And I was not disappointed.

3 Simple Questions to Change the World:

October 8, 2012

In case you missed it, here’s what happened on We Know Next this week.

News Updates
October 5, 2012

For the third consecutive month, more HR professionals in the manufacturing and service sectors report that their organizations will be hiring in October 2012 compared with October 2011, according to the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE) survey, released Oct. 4, 2012. Likewise, seasonal job gains are likely to be slightly higher than a year ago but still below pre-recession levels, according to the annual holiday hiring forecast released Sept. 24 by Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.

News Updates
October 5, 2012

Because a scheduled federal budget “sequestration” is approaching in January 2013, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) issued separate guidance notices on Sept. 28, 2012, to address questions about whether Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notices needed to be issued just before the presidential election.

News Updates
October 4, 2012

CEOs by nature are time-starved species.  Critical to their success and that of their organization is how they carve up the hours on the clock. Those who invest their time advancing their company’s business model or seeking a new one are adding value to their organizations.  ‘Advancing the model’ is just another way of saying improving or fortifying the company’s competitive advantage.

October 4, 2012

Hiring interns is an essential part of building a diverse and talented work force.  By allowing you to try young talent before you buy, internships are a uniquely powerful tool for companies to discover new grad hires who fit their unique office culture and skill needs.  Currently, converting interns into full-time hires has become the number one way in which new grads are hired, with close to 70 percent of interns being offered full-time roles!

October 4, 2012

Changes in maternity rights, agency work, data protection, executive compensation and immigration laws were the main trends seen in employment law globally in 2011, according to the Global Employment Institute (GEI) of the International Bar Association. GEI asked lawyers from 40 countries to respond to 20 questions about the most relevant changes in laws involving employment, discrimination, immigration and industrial relations in their countries during 2011.

Major Trends

News Updates
October 4, 2012

On October 3, We Know Next chatted with Robin Schooling and Bill Boorman about HR Leadership in the 21st Century.  Is HR Old School or New Cool? 

In case you missed it, here are all the great tweets from the chat: 

October 3, 2012

By now, even the latest adopters among HR consultants have at least dipped their toes in the social media ocean. Whether using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or other tools that seem to be continually emerging, HR consultants are finding that social media offers opportunities to expand their networks, build their credibility and even increase business.

News Updates
October 2, 2012

For a variety of reasons, including limited budget, many U.S. companies have had to put some management development initiatives on hold during the past four years, according to a survey released Sept. 13, 2012, by AMA Enterprise, a division of American Management Association International. Forty-seven percent of respondents delayed at least one program, and 36 percent did so in several cases. Among the 17 percent of organizations that have thus far avoided delays, a majority conceded that there are planned initiatives that may yet be postponed.

News Updates
October 1, 2012

The fourth post in a series.

Your organizational chart matters. A little.
 
In a lot of ways it does not. Ideas, information, trust, influence, opportunity and other resources move through networks of relationships without necessarily adhering to what the org chart says. Social network analysis tools now allow us to make the invisible visible so that we can be more deliberate in our approach to networks. There are a couple of big opportunities here:

October 1, 2012