Archive

January 2015

 

Updated daily, the HR News home page is your one-stop shop for the latest news and featured articles. This page compiles top staff-written and external news of general interest to HR, plus major stories in the HR Disciplines. 
 

Flexwork Policies on the Rise, Participation Lagging

By Roy Maurer  1/30/2015

News Updates
January 30, 2015

 

 

California #HR professionals already have a lot of state-specific details they need to understand. This year, many new laws are taking effect, and employers are grappling with a flurry of court rulings and regulatory activity from 2014.

To help clarify the changes, the California Chamber of Commerce provided an overview in Long Beach on Jan. 14, 2015–one in a series of seminars being held statewide this month.

News Updates
January 30, 2015
 

University of Toledo SHRM (UT-SHRM) has participated in the SHRM Case Competition since 2011.  Each year, we have taken an undergraduate and graduate team. The Case Competition is the highlight of our year, and each year, previous participants share their learning experiences with new SHRM members.

January 29, 2015

 

Updated daily, the HR News home page is your one-stop shop for the latest news and featured articles. This page compiles top staff-written and external news of general interest to HR, plus major stories in the HR Disciplines. 
 

Here are today's top stories:
 

What HR Should Know About Anonymous Gossip App Memo

By Aliah D. Wright  1/26/2015

News Updates
January 29, 2015

 

Partnering with IT, getting free trials from vendors can be effective as well

When human resource leaders approach C-suite executives with requests to fund new HR technologies, they can feel a little like a teenager asking a date’s parents for permission to stay out past midnight.  

News Updates
January 29, 2015

On January 28, SHRM's @SHRMNextchat chatted with Nisha Raghavan (@theHRBuddy) about HR Tactics for 2015 and Beyond.

In case you missed this SUPER chat, you can read all of the great contributions to the conversation in the tweets here:

 

 

January 28, 2015

 

Despite higher productivity, the share of income flowing back to workers has diminished

For the past several years, wage and salary surveys in the U.S. have consistently shown annual increases of about 3 percent across employee groups. And despite ongoing evidence of economic recovery and growth, employers have made few, if any, strides toward increasing salaries and are not expected to do so anytime soon.

News Updates
January 28, 2015

 

Cybercrime to evolve in sophistication, experts warn 

Cyberattacks reached new heights in 2014, including what many consider the most destructive cyberattack in U.S. corporate history, when hackers stole over 100 terabytes of data from Sony, including the personal data of thousands of employees.

News Updates
January 28, 2015

 

It’s a simple word that carries incredible power.  When it occurs, you see people light up and respond in ways that they hadn’t mere moments from receiving it.

Encouragement.

It’s something we’re hesitant to do – especially in HR.  People tend to hesitate because we don’t know when you’re either doing it “enough” or “too much.”

Discouragement.

January 27, 2015

 

Severance trust fund for employees ‘unprecedented,’ experts say

Human resources and labor law experts say Target Canada’s $70 million severance package for the approximately 17,600 employees the retailer is about to lay off is “unprecedented” and “unusual.”

Target Canada announced Jan. 15, 2015, it will shut all 133 stores across the country as it exits the Canadian retail market during the first half of the year.

News Updates
January 27, 2015

 

January 27, 2015

 

HR pros are always looking for effective ways to accomplish their organization’s talent management strategies. The problem is finding the time to plan and implement a strategy while keeping up with daily administrative tasks.  

A smart talent strategy is critical for any organization.  The key is to determine where your organization has needs and to find creative ways to address them.

January 26, 2015

Whether you rely on regional sales representatives, a freelance accountant, or a remote IT team to manage your ecommerce site, some of your most valuable employees may rarely set foot in the office. How do you create a cohesive company culture with a team that includes remote contractors? Finding ways to motivate, inspire, and integrate your freelance workforce into this culture can make the difference between an employee who's simply working for a paycheck and one who is engaged with your core business values. Here are a few tips to bring them on board.

January 23, 2015

 

Even as the president called for a national paid-sick-leave law in the week leading up to the 2015 State of the Union address and during the speech, employers in California are struggling to comply with a state mandate for paid leave that takes effect July 1, 2015.

News Updates
January 23, 2015

The magazine’s first issue of the year features the article “What’s in Store for HR in 2015?” by Josh Bersin, principal and founder of Bersin by Deloitte. In the article, Bersin makes nine predictions about how HR will redefine the workplace this year.

News Updates
January 22, 2015

You know all that stuff you read on the internet about employees who can badmouth their boss on the internet, all in the name of free speech, and not get fired for it....

Yeah, about that...

[More after the jump...]

* * *

 

January 22, 2015

On January 21, SHRM @weknownext chatted with John Hudson (@JohnPHudson) about A Culture of Sports in the Workplace.

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

 

 

January 21, 2015

Many office dwellers who work in front of computers for extended periods of time know there are unintended health consequences like increased risk for obesity and cardiovascular disease that come with 40+ hours of sitting each week. However, individuals with computer-oriented jobs often neglect to understand how a constant use of technology can impact eyesight and vision health.

January 21, 2015

 

Commission creates new task force after witnesses testify about recent cases 

More-frequent training, guidelines for investigations, and consent decrees that force employers to identify and combat discrimination were among the suggestions from experts who testified at a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) hearing on how to prevent harassment in the workplace.

News Updates
January 21, 2015

 

No one likes resumes. People don't like writing them. People don't like reviewing them.

How can organizations and recruiters go beyond the resume in 2015 to make a culturally aligned hiring choice?

Here are five talent strategies and tactics that will enable you to go beyond the resume this year.

1. Eliminate Job Postings

January 20, 2015

As a blogger, I’ve been fortunate to participate in events that I would not normally have attended when I was an HR Generalist. During those events, I learn about specific companies, their products and services, and how they address the needs of human resources professionals.

January 20, 2015

 

Have you ever run or walked a 5K? Did you wonder how they knew your standing in the race?

It was because your race bib had a sensor—or “wearable technology”—that was activated as soon as you hit the start line and also registered when you hit the finish line. That data was sent to the run’s database and a day or so later it was available to you.

January 20, 2015

 

With the Super Bowl just a few weeks away, now is the perfect time to talk about the many parallels between the workplace and world of sports. 

January 20, 2015

 

When the thief is in the next cubicle, what’s HR to do?

Two days after Christmas, financial services corporation Morgan Stanley discovered that Internet data had been stolen from 900 clients and attributed the theft to one of its employees. The employee was subsequently fired. Although he has not been charged, the employee is reportedly under investigation by the FBI.

News Updates
January 20, 2015

 

Performance is undermined when employees don’t understand the incentive plan or its metrics

Finding the right mix of incentives necessary to maximize employee performance can be a challenge. However, as employers continue to rely more heavily on variable pay to supplement flat salary-increase budgets, relevant, actionable and easily understandable performance metrics become an even more important element of effective incentive programs.

News Updates
January 19, 2015

 

This post continues our overarching discussion of the importance of restaurant careers and the opportunities available within the industry. Today the focus will be on the mobility of those employed within the field. Here are a couple key statistics from the infographic below:

9 in 10 restaurant workers 35 or older have moved to higher-paying jobs in the industry after their first job.

Even newbies enjoy the restaurant industry’s upward mobility: 71% of employees 18-24 land a more lucrative gig in the business after their first job.

January 19, 2015

 

Although the California Constitution calls for the legislature to convene on Dec. 1, 2014, to start the 2015-16 regular session, the legislature did not reconvene until Monday, Jan. 5, 2015.

The following are key first quarter 2015 events and deadlines:

•Jan. 10: Budget bill must be submitted by governor.

•Jan. 30: Last day to submit bill requests to the Office of Legislative Counsel.

•Feb. 27: Last day for bills to be introduced.

•March 26: Spring Recess begins upon adjournment (legislature reconvenes on April 6).

News Updates
January 16, 2015
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Are you considering a career in technology?  Maybe human resources technology?  Check out this comic-infographic of the Life of Grace Hopper by Pablo Stanley...

 


Hi, I’m Pablo Stanley and I’m an experience designer at Udemy. I was so inspired by Grace Hopper that I wanted to pay tribute to this rarely recognized pioneer. Hope she inspires you as much as she inspires me. 

January 16, 2015

 

Organizations report that their global mobility programs are critical to supporting new business growth, improving financial performance, and enhancing employee engagement, succession planning and talent management.

But organizations also say the mobility function remains a low strategic priority. And while many new expatriate assignments are predicted for the new year, a majority of companies report that their global mobility programs do not deliver value for the money spent.

Mobility Program Benefits Recognized

News Updates
January 15, 2015

 

Even though we are in the middle of the first month in 2015, it is never too late to have goals or resolutions to focus on for this period.  I thought I would share a few I have in the hopes that they might be of value to you as well.

Our firm is not a pure HR firm, but we do a variety of work in the Talent Acquisition and Talent Development areas.  Here are my resolutions for 2015:

In 2015 I WILL:

January 14, 2015

 

Each January the SHRMStore reflects back on the previous year and reviews the top sellers in the SHRMStore. These books, DVDs, software and web-based products reveal what products the HR industry is purchasing. Each year we find top sellers in just about every aspect of HR including compliance, employee relations, recruiting, strategy, harassment training, and auditing. However, we look at the top selling eight (8) items to hone in on what is most critical and top of mind for HR professionals. Though it isn’t purely coincidence that ‘eight’ rhymes with ‘Great’!

January 14, 2015

 

In today’s complex global economy, HR has evolved to become a key leadership position and businesses expect more of HR professionals than ever before. As I have written before, this profession is being challenged to keep up with the rapidly changing world of work.

January 14, 2015

On January 14, SHRM @weknownext chatted with John Bell (@JohnRichardBell) about Doing Less, Better and reducing complexity in organizations.

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

 

January 14, 2015

 

Now that all the Year in Review and Year in Pictures articles have concluded, it’s time to move on to the predictions for the coming year. I’m by no means an “official” prognosticator. Yet I see a trend that has been building over the last several months – a renewed emphasis on performance management in relation to talent management and people management – that leads me to believe that 2015 might be the year of performance management.

January 14, 2015
 

Chief human resource officer (CHRO) will be one of the most in-demand executive positions for 2015, according to a new report from recruiting consultants Korn Ferry. 
Companies will also be searching for senior leaders in the cybersecurity, digital and innovation arenas. The hottest sector overall for executives looking for new opportunities will be in health care.

News Updates
January 14, 2015
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By most accounts, 2014 went down as a successful year for job creation. Problems do remain— millions are still out of work, others are underemployed and middle-class jobs are shrinking—but purely from a numbers standpoint, the labor market grew at a solid pace.

January 13, 2015

 

Regarding third-party staffing arrangements, how should staffing firms and their clients prepare?

By Ilyse Schuman, Russell Chapman and Neil Alexander, © Littler   

News Updates
January 13, 2015

 

As a proud member of the HR Community, I was trying to think of things that, individually or collectively, we potentially could do better in 2015. With that background, I came up with following eight resolutions:

1.         Avoid HR Jargon.  People appreciate plain English.  Enough with the paradigm shifts, synergistic partnerships, value added relationships and outside the box thinking.  And by the way,  if you are outside the box, you are still defining yourself by the box!  Enough with the box.

January 13, 2015

 

‘Anti-resolutions’ are a novel way to encourage employee engagement  

Want some New Year’s resolutions your workers can live with?

Try urging them to eat more, ditch the gym and work less.

That’s one workplace expert’s creative approach to inspiring employees in 2015. Brad Karsh is the president of JB Training Solutions and the co-author of Manager 3.0: A Millennial's Guide to Rewriting the Rules of Management (AMACOM, 2013).

Karsh calls his seven guidelines for 2015 “anti-resolutions.” They include:

News Updates
January 12, 2015

 

Over one-third of employers expect to add full-time, permanent staff in 2015, the best hiring outlook since 2006, according to CareerBuilder’s annual job forecast.

Thirty-six percent of employers plan to increase full-time, permanent headcount in 2015, an increase from 24 percent last year. Nine percent expect to decrease staff levels, an improvement from 13 percent last year, while 48 percent anticipate no change and 8 percent are unsure.

News Updates
January 12, 2015
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Complexity is in the eye of the beholder. To me, astrophysics is a complex discipline; to Stephen Hawking it is not. People engaged in complex situations fall into two categories: those who accept complexity as a fact of life and work with it, and those who fight it every inch of the way. I’m in that later camp.

January 12, 2015

 

What you need to know about service animals, emotional support animals, other kinds of animals at work 

A dog walks into a bar. Or a department store. Or perhaps it’s carried into a supermarket and set in the seat of a grocery cart. 

News Updates
January 9, 2015
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Why Should HR Advocacy Matter to Californians?

Since history shows that policy initiatives originating in California can lead to national legislative efforts, I was hired by SHRM in March 2014 to work in SHRM’s new advocacy office in Sacramento to make sure the voice of the HR professional in California is present in shaping effective workplace public policy.  While establishing an office in Sacramento is a major step forward, we still need help from our SHRM members in California to guarantee that the interests of HR professionals are heard.

January 8, 2015

 

Make assessments forward-looking, strength-based

Nearly everyone dreads year-end performance reviews. First, they coincide un-festively with the holiday season, when bad news is no fun to give or to receive. And as more employees are being asked to do self-assessments, there’s an added stress for workers. What documentation do they need to prove their worth at work? How do they navigate the process of rating themselves?

News Updates
January 8, 2015

 

To effectively reach Millennials, understand what motivates them

Millennials, more than other generations in the workforce, are the most likely to want employers to play an active role in supporting their overall health and wellbeing, according to a new analysis.

News Updates
January 7, 2015

 

Earlier this week, I wrote about the issue of threats made via Facebook constitute constitutionally protected speech.  Today’s post also is about threats made via Facebook but in the context of the workplace.  The case, decided by the Court of Appeals of Ohio, is timed perfectly for my road trip tomorrow to Ohio. 

January 7, 2015

 

As we all know, in EEO termination claims, how we treat the "comparators" is critical.  Two (2) key questions:

Did you let anyone else go for a same or similar reason?

Did you not let someone else go even though they had engaged in same or similar conduct?

What do you do if you have an inconsistent practice historically?

January 6, 2015
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An overview of coverage and reporting requirements for the year ahead

By Ilyse W. Schuman, Russell D. Chapman and Steven J. Friedman © Littler  12/23/2014

     

As 2015 comes to a close and the effective date of the employer play-or-pay mandate commences, many employers are wondering what's next for them in the health care arena. New obligations, challenges, uncertainty, and perhaps opportunities await them in the new year.

News Updates
January 6, 2015

 

Employee absenteeism remains one of the most common workforce problems in today’s workplace.

Absenteeism problems can range from employees not showing up without notifying their employer to using sick leave for vacation. Some abusers habitually use all of their paid time off every month.

Many workplace absences are covered by federal laws like FMLA and ADA, but, for the nonprotected cases, employers should be swift and consistent with the administration of discipline.

January 5, 2015

 

SHRM/Kronos: Total Financial Impact of Employee Absences Across the United States, China, Australia, Europe, India and Mexico

Research
January 5, 2015
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Moving toward provider payment models that promote cost-effective, high-quality care
 

News Updates
January 5, 2015

 

Earlier this year, SHRM and Kronos conducted a study of the impact of employee absence on organizations and employees.  The holiday season is, of course, particularly hard hit with employee absences.  We’ve done research on this topic before, though the emphasis has been largely on the financial impact of absence.  This study, like the prior research, underscores the greater impact that unplanned absenteeism has on the bottom line.

January 5, 2015
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By Michael Brewer, Christopher Cobey and Jason Shapiro, © Littler  12/16/2014

In addition to federal and state laws, San Francisco has 10 labor and employment laws that apply only to employees working within the city. On Dec. 5, 2014, the 11th San Francisco-specific employment law was enacted, expanding the rights of some retail workers employed by specified retail employers.

News Updates
January 2, 2015
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ACA tracking and reporting requirements often go beyond what many systems provide

    

News Updates
January 1, 2015