Helicopter parenting is the new catchphrase for over-parenting in the 21st century, and while the phenomenon manifests itself mostly during school years, it has crossed the workplace border as many moms and dads now manage their children’s careers.
Employers report more frequent parental involvement in the adult child’s job search and continued involvement even after hire.
High morale may not correlate with retention, recent studies suggest.
Consider these seemingly contradictory results: Eighty-one percent of 443 U.S. based employees described morale at their organization as “very good” or “good” in a November 2012 Accountemps survey. In a Right Management survey of 760 employees in the U.S. and Canada, however, 86 percent of respondents said they “intend to actively seek a new position.”
“People. They’re all around us every day. It’s as if we HAVE to deal with them!”
Sound familiar? Sound like you? Sound like most people in the workplace . . . and HR? It’s not surprising. The workplace is filled with people. It’s an amazing fact. They desperately want to interact, communicate, perform and excel. But, most of our efforts each day are to limit, thwart, conceal and conform. Why is that?
Legal and regulatory changes—more than new laws—are driving the need for company policy adjustments, revised plan documents and updated employee handbooks for 2013 by U.S. employers.
For employees at companies that use weighted performance appraisals, some yearly goals or other job expectations count more than others. However, some HR professionals say it’s time for organizations to scrap performance appraisal systems like this and try something new.
A year ago, many conversations about labor market growth came with a caveat: “It will depend on the election.”
While that contest has been settled, not much has changed for job seekers. As it was in early 2012, uneven economic conditions are still what weigh most on the U.S. labor market engine. Nonfarm payrolls grew at about the same monthly rate in 2012 as they did in 2011, and, currently, there is no hard evidence that jobs will be created at a quicker rate in 2013.
The tragic murders of students and teachers Dec. 14, 2012, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., is a grim reminder of the need for every workplace to have a safety plan and procedures in place, human resource and workplace violence prevention professionals said.
The training and development (T&D) sector will be shaped in the year ahead by some current trends, according to AMA Enterprise, a division of American Management Association that provides assessment, measurement and tailored learning solutions.
Employee engagement is a challenge—especially when you're an international company with 28,000+ employees. When Marsh, a leader in insurance broking and risk management, faced low scores in career growth and development, executive leadership knew something needed to be done.
While a majority of human resource professionals say that wellness programs can help to reduce an employer’s health care costs, only 55 percent of respondents to a recent poll conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported that their companies offered an onsite workplace wellness program to their employees.
In their new book, 'For the Win': How Gamification Can Transform Your Business, Kevin Werbach and Dan Hunter take a closer look at games and work. Next Official Blogger blogger Ross Smith got a few minutes with author Kevin Werbach for a few questions:
What is your background?
Mo bagels, mo problems.
Let's take you back to August, 2010. David Ross, the plaintiff, attended a meeting of the Colorado Department of Transportation's Staff Bridge Unit Leaders, where the annual employee appreciation luncheon was discussed. During the meeting, another employee noted that the luncheon was scheduled during the observance of Ramadan and requested that the luncheon be rescheduled so that one of his subordinate employees, Ali Harajli, an observant Muslim, could attend. An alternative date was proposed and approved by Mr. Ross's supervisor.
As more employers emphasize and provide incentives to improve employee health and wellness, they are also looking for ways to increase employee buy-in for healthier lifestyles. Enter the workplace wellness contest.
One of the most exciting things about working in HR is that the field is always changing, constantly bringing about new trends and technologies to our daily operations. While this means that we must always be on our toes and be committed to learning new things on a regular basis, each new development that we embrace will help to make our jobs easier and bring greater efficiency to the entire HR function.
Last year, I took a break from my traditional predictions post. And to be honest, I missed it. Not that I was really good at predicting the future or anything . . . but I enjoyed spending time thinking about what the future of work might look like.
Budget cuts, salary freezes and criticism of government jobs have had a negative impact on the attitudes and engagement of federal employees, according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
The results of the 2012 Federal Viewpoint Survey released Nov. 22, 2012, revealed that the overall job satisfaction level for the federal workforce declined sharply from 2011, falling to its lowest level since OPM launched the annual study in 2002.
On December 19, SHRM We Know Next chatted with SHRM's Lisa Horn (@SHRMLobbystLisa), Cassidy Neal (@WhenWorkWorks) and Families and Work Institute (@FWINews) about "Winning the Talent War with Workflex."
In case you missed it, here are all the great tweets from the chat...
The last time I made a prediction was in 2009. I predicted the market would soar and I moved most of my bonds to stocks. Yes, I will be working until I am 102 years of age. So when it comes to my own personal finances, my predictions are not very good.
I hope they are a little better in terms of knowing what comes next in the employment world. So here are my predictions:
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service published proposed Rules Relating to Additional Medicare Tax in the Dec. 5, 2012, Federal Register. The IRS also posted, in plain English, a Q&A for the additional Medicare tax.
Without leadership, a business enterprise will eventually fail. Survival is possible without a strategy, but seldom over the long haul. Great strategy with lousy execution isn’t worth the piece of paper it is written on. The consequence of these proclamations is rather obvious; get it right, bring it all together and you have the commercial magic every enterprise seeks.
With the fiscal cliff looming and new requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) fast approaching in 2013, employee benefit professionals may need to quickly implement payroll and benefit changes. Favorable reductions in employee payroll taxes and favorable employee tax exclusions for employer-provided adoption and educational assistance expire at the end of 2012. Under PPACA, a new Medicare payroll tax and a new contribution limit to health care flexible spending accounts (FSAs) also become effective in 2013.
It’s the end of the year. Rampant pressure is mounting. Justifying our existence this year. Qualifying our survival next year. Pressure from above, pressure from below. As unyielding at home as it is at work.
And then the flood of depressing headlines, screaming from every screen. People killing each other intentionally and recklessly. Fiscal cliffs, cancers, divorces, bankruptcies, hurricanes, suicides, layoffs, greed, unfunded pensions, strikes, taxes, poverty, violence, pollution, war, bombings, the economy.
Did I help somebody today without expecting anything in return?
How will I be remembered by the people I worked with today?
In the video below, I talk about how asking yourself these two questions can help business leaders view their performance in terms of how others experience it. This is the heart and soul of the How Advantage. Even a company that offers the same product at the same price as its competitors can distinguish themselves by how they do business.
Employees in the U.S. with health care or dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs) should be reminded to spend the remaining balances in their accounts before the end of their plan year, when any leftover money must be forfeited—even though these accounts are employee-funded via salary deferral. Employers may (but are not required to) provide account holders with a grace period, which typically gives them until March 15 of the new year to spend their FSA funds.
Different Accounts, Different Rules
In case you missed it, here’s what happened on We Know Next this week.
As the workforce grows more complex, organizations are tapping into new trends to recruit and retain the best talent. With today’s four-generation workforce and the increasing globalization of business, #workflex is an imperative for today’s 21st century workplace. Employers that do not implement workplace flexibility programs run the risk of missing out on a huge talent pool.
The states of Colorado and Washington made drug-law history on Election Day, Nov. 6, 2012, when voters approved measures to legalize and regulate the production, possession and distribution of recreational marijuana for individuals age 21 and older.
The new laws, which allow each state to administer the sale and distribution of marijuana in a manner similar to current state laws on the use and sale of alcohol, are unique in the nation.
I know, I know – we’re all sick of hearing “HR should get on the Social Bandwagon,” but I thought since that’s my vein I should go ahead and offer my predictions on the subject.
So here are my thoughts in going into 2013, the year of The Jetsons.
We Know Next sat down with SHRM’s new CHRO, Dr. Jeff Pon, to learn more about the CHRO’s key role in today’s workforce and what’s next for the global workforce. In the first part of the interview, we explored the unique resources that SHRM offers CHROs and other senior HR leaders. Then we dug deeper; delving into Dr. Pon’s predictions into what are the rising trends in the global workforce and where SHRM is headed in the next 10 years.
The U.S. Supreme Court appeared to struggle over the question of who qualifies as a supervisor under federal nondiscrimination laws. Hearing oral arguments in a case from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Nov. 26, 2012, the high court addressed the issue, left unanswered in previous Supreme Court decisions, of when a “supervisor” includes an employee who oversees and directs other workers’ daily tasks, but has no authority over their formal employment status, (Vance v. Ball State Univ., No. 11-556).
I have this theory that Human Resources jargon is really just recycled finance jargon, which is actually the recycled patter from Silicon Valley and the investor community. And that nonsense? It’s repurposed garbage from Wall Street and lawyers, which originated from professors at business schools that churn out all of those obnoxious and overpriced consultants.
HR is usually the last to know the cool corporate terminology. The only people who are later to the game are politicians. Senators and congressmen are still using the word stakeholder like it’s 2005.
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On December 12, SHRM We Know Next chatted with Justin Angsuwat (@JustinAngsuwat) about HR is Sexy and We Know It!
Is HR sexy? Is it an attractive field of study for college students? Do young professionals view HR as a hot, new profession for the 21st century?
Here's what the Nextchatters thought...
You walk into your building and you see that holiday decorations are everywhere. You pass by a beautiful pine Christmas tree eloquently decorated. A co-worker responds: "The tree is inappropriate to the workplace."
Segal: WRONG. It is beautiful and Christmas can and should be acknowledged (says the Jewish guy who wears his grandmother’s Chai). Don’t remove Christmas from the holiday season. But recognize other holidays, too. A Hanukkah menorah and a Kwanzaa harvest basket would be nice additions.
When Amir Farhi, CEO of Netotiate, a company that conducts online merchandise negotiations, was seeking to fill a key inside sales representative job, he didn’t turn to job boards or a career website for help. Farhi instead looked to hire for the position through referrals from his employees’ network of friends and connections on social media sites LinkedIn and Facebook.
Unemployment is still hovering near 8 percent, so it’s safe to say there has been heightened competition for the hundreds of thousands of holiday season jobs that opened up this year.
Should.
I should have said something.
I should go back to school.
I should have just said I was sorry.
I should have stood up for myself.
I should talk to my boss about how unhappy I am.
I should have spent my time with my kids when they were smaller.
I should have told her how I feel.
Should is where hollow intentions, unrealized dreams and regrets live. Striking this word from your vocabulary is a great start towards achieving great things in your life.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) compliance is difficult and annoying, said Mark Oberti, an attorney with Oberti Sullivan LLP in Houston, at the National Employment Law Institute’s Annual Employment Law Conference in Arlington, Va., Nov. 16, 2012.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s FMLA regulations often aren’t much help, as they rarely make it clear when an employer may fire someone, he added.
Oberti outlined 12 compliance strategies for employers:
GenY wants to run the world and there is nothing wrong with that. Baby Boomers and GenXers need to be willing to step up and mentor this group. For 2013, I boldly predict the generations will come together and get this right.
When HR Magazine asked readers how to thank employees with holiday festivities, HR professionals responded with plenty of good ideas. One theme emerged, however: Make sure everyone feels included.
In case you missed it, here’s what happened on We Know Next this week.
Is HR sexy? Is it an attractive field of study for college students? Do young professionals view HR as a hot, new profession for the 21st century? The answer to all of these questions is yes.
According to CareerCast, “Employment growth for Human Resources Managers is projected to be a very healthy 21% thru 2020, which is on par with most medical professions, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
High-ranking executives and officials have an added burden of being the face of an organization. Most chief diversity and inclusion (D&I) officers understand this challenge and must deal with it in both their professional and personal lives. This responsibility can become a source of controversy when a D&I officer’s actions or personal opinions don’t exactly align with an employer’s policies.
December hiring activity will be stronger in the service sector than in the manufacturing sector compared with December 2011, according to the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE) survey, released Dec. 6, 2012.
The LINE Employment Report examines employers’ hiring expectations and job vacancies, difficulty in recruiting top-level talent and new-hire compensation. Results are based on a monthly survey of private-sector human resource professionals at more than 500 manufacturing and 500 service-sector companies.
In December, hiring activity will be stronger in services than in manufacturing compared with a year ago, according to the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE) survey for December 2012. HR has a role to play in establishing an organization’s compliance program and culture, according to workplace law experts. Breaking down cross-functional silos, building credibility by knowing relevant laws and drawing on existing competencies are the strengths and tools HR needs to use.
On December 5, SHRM We Know Next chatted with Eric B. Meyer (@Eric_B_Meyer) about HR's 2012 Performance Review.
It wasn't so much about the HR Profession's 2012 endeavors. We wanted to know what awesome and amazing things YOU did this year as an HR pro out there on the front lines and in the workplace trenches.
Nextchatters shared their 2012 victories, inspirations and social media successes. They even shared some tips as we head into 2013.
A chief human resource officer (CHRO) plays a significant role in getting executives to work as an effective team, according to a recent survey.
The 2012 Cornell/Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies Chief HR Officer Survey of senior HR leaders examined the positive and negative dynamics of a company’s executive leadership team (ELT) and described the ways in which CHROs help these teams to function more effectively.
The CHRO and the Executive Leadership Team
Effective January 2013, two new California laws will broaden what constitutes discrimination based on an employee’s sex or religion. Practices that may have been lawful for 2012 could now create liability and litigation for 2013.
Breast-Feeding Discrimination
The devastation wreaked by Hurricane Sandy reminds us that natural and manmade disasters can strike at any time. HR consultancy Mercer’s 2012 Survey on Workforce Readiness: When Disaster Strikes, analyzed organizations’ disaster plans and policies, focusing on how companies gathered information, disseminated it to affected employees, provided for them, and handled relocations and any other special tasks during disaster events in 2011.
