Beth Mirza is senior editor for HR News. She reports on Business Leadership, Safety & Security and other HR issues. Prior to coming to SHRM in 2001, Beth worked for community newspapers in Northern Virginia. Follow her on Twitter @BethMirza.
We're saying goodbye to 2017—and many of us say good riddance to a year filled with workplace scandals, weather disasters, upheavals in federal, state, and local laws, and more. It's time to clear out old workplace trends and usher in new ones. Based on our coverage of the HR profession on SHRM Online and in HR Magazine, here’s a forecast of what 2018 holds in store for employees and employers:
The National Hurricane Center warned Texas residents and businesses that it expects Hurricane Harvey to become a major hurricane before it reaches the middle Texas coastline sometime late Friday evening.
When she was the director of organizational development at a family-run auto parts manufacturer employing 3,000 workers, Amy Schuman had an odd experience.
“I remember when the 10-year-old son of the owner came to lunch at the cafeteria one day. Suddenly, you got the sense that he could be your boss,” she said in an interview with SHRM Online.
As work, family and personal demands increase and we are tethered to smart phones and tablet computers to be available instantly to anyone who might need us, our ability to perform at our best diminishes and our physical and mental health suffers. It’s time to revamp the way we approach work, according to Tony Schwartz, CEO of The Energy Project. It’s time to reclaim focus and be more productive, efficient and healthy..jpg)
Relax. You don’t have to have all the answers. You just need to know the right questions to ask. And, sometimes, that’s where the real challenge lies.
When it comes to working with senior business leaders on strategic workforce planning, what matters most is the conversation, not the HR professional’s ability to quote data, reports and metrics, said experts on a recent Conference Board webinar.
The recession is taking its toll not only on businesses and unemployed Americans—it’s also affecting the employees still reporting to work, day in and day out. In fact, the stresses have grown so great that workers are starting crack under the pressure.
Employees are reporting thoughts of suicide, violence against co-workers and mental breakdowns at the highest rates seen in three years, according to Harris, Rothenberg International (HRI), a provider of employee assistance program (EAP) services.
A side effect of HR professionals taking on more leading, visible roles in business could be becoming the target of workplace bullies.
“When you are the top person in your profession, even if you do everything right, you can have a bad day that brings it all down,” said Dr. Jack Stark, a psychologist who has counseled professional athletes and worked with Fortune 500 company leaders.
After almost 36 years, she’s still loving it.
Patricia Sowell Harris, chief global diversity officer for McDonald’s Corp., started working at the global foodservice retailer’s headquarters as an administrative assistant in the legal department. After stints as an assistant to the president of the company, as a compensation analyst and as an HR generalist, she was asked to join the company’s affirmative action department.
So much for keeping your germs to yourself. Most respondents to a recent CareerBuilder survey—72 percent—said they typically go to work when they are sick.
