In case you missed it, here’s what happened on We Know Next this week.
Facebook itself reported that in the last few months it has “seen a distressing increase in reports of employers or others seeking to gain inappropriate access to people’s Facebook profiles or private information,” according to Erin Egan, chief privacy officer, policy, with Facebook, in a March 23, 2012, posting. The potentially illegal practice of demanding passwords is being heavily criticized in light of recent media coverage.
Remember 2011’s strong start? From February to April 2011, U.S. employers created an average of 239,000 jobs per month. Then from May to July 2011 that rate fell by two-thirds; only an average of approximately 78,000 jobs per month was added during that time frame, according to data tallied by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Is the U.S. job marketing finally starting to thaw or is this déjà vu?
SHRM and AARP jointly conducted this survey which asked HR professionals about their organization’s strategic workforce planning activities in preparation for the potential skill gaps that may occur as younger workers enter and older workers exit the workforce. Nearly three-quarters of HR professionals (72%) described their organization’s loss of talent due to older workers retiring/leaving their organization as a “problem” or “potential problem.
The brains of young people growing up “hyperconnected” to the Internet might be wired differently from those of their elders, suggests a recent survey of technology experts from the Pew Research Center and Elon University, who were split on whether the newfangled wiring is desirable according to researchers.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires that each state establish a health insurance exchange for individuals and small businesses by 2014, or the federal government will establish one for them. Even if the U.S. Supreme Court were to declare unconstitutional the PPACA's so-called "individual mandate," requiring individuals to purchase health insurance or pay a penalty, many expect that other provisions of the sweeping bill, including those covering the creation of state health care exchanges, would survive.
One of the most popular trends in the IT world right now is the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) approach, where employees use their own mobile device at work. Its another case of new technology creating new problems. Before implementing a BYOD policy, you need to weigh the risks against the cost benefits.
We Know Next is the leading resource for business executives, policymakers and human resource leaders to explore and discuss the latest workforce and workplace trends—providing the in-depth research and insights needed to adapt and take advantage of what’s next.