SHRM Blog

The end of summer, start of the school year, beginning of the football season and the celebration of employees everywhere—it all says September and Labor Day. If you observe its historical origins, this month would be marked by “a picnic, an abundance of cigars, and lager beer kegs.” That’s how the media of the day characterized one of the first Labor Day celebrations about 130 years ago.

At SHRM, we make it a point to recognize and applaud the contributions of every worker—and the human resources professionals who have helped that employee succeed, whether at work or in...

From last time…in the next post, we’ll talk more about what we tried on our team:

We began “42projects” as an experiment to stimulate innovation by empowering employees to contribute in more meaningful ways. The overall goal was to liberate the tremendous talent and motivation on the team by exploring the relationship between people, culture and innovation.  The effort continues, constantly calling for attention in the midst of the “day job.” So often, the “people stuff” gets lost in the tactical operations – and it’s usually the most important component of our work. As we...

Each month, Next will feature a must-read book for today’s business leaders on the ever-changing workplace and workforce. SHRM’s We Know Next is a resource for business leaders, HR professionals, and policy leaders to stay ahead of emerging workforce trends. If you have suggestions for future book club features, please email us or let us know on Twitter @weknownext. We hope you enjoy our first pick and that you’ll tell us what you think!

Flexibility in the workplace is imperative. It should be seen as a result-based business strategy—not a benefit.

With the variety of employee demographics now in our workforce, the importance of workplace flexibility becomes even clearer. For instance, millennials prefer flexible working arrangements and consider them in accepting employment. But boomers need flexible options as they take on care of their aging parents.

Implementing work-flex programs doesn’t have to be burden. Arrangements can be informal—individuals and teams can be offered occasional, day-to-day accommodations, in accordance with changing business, customer, or personal needs. Or, the programs can be more...