Articles tagged 'HR News'

HR News & Trends

Weekly Wrap: Don Rumsfeld’s 8 Rules For Successful Meetings

by on May 17, 2013, 12:20 PM  |  No comments yet
Illustration by istockphoto.com

Here’s a question I have heard repeated for years — does anyone out there actually like meetings?

I ask because in the world of business we seem to spend a lot of time in meetings, yet just about everyone I know, and every survey I’ve ever seen, indicates that most people say they would rather endure a root canal than be forced to attend yet another meeting.

John Cleese, the great comedian of Monty Python and Fawlty Towers fame, once did a corporate training video (several of them, actually) titled Meetings, Bloody Meetings, and Cleese, in his wickedly humorous way, did a great job capturing the many things that drive all of us crazy from all the meetings we’re forced to attend. Read more…

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HR News & Trends

Keynote by Hillary Clinton at SHRM Chicago Will Be Closed to Media

by on May 16, 2013, 12:40 PM  |  22 Comments
Hillary Rodham Clinton-JTM-024426

Just when I think I have seen just about everything happen when it comes to dealing with SHRM — the Society for Human Resource Management — something like this pops up and makes you wonder, “What could they be thinking?”

SHRM’s annual conference & exhibition, which is the single largest event in HR each year, will be held this year in Chicago June 16-19. Chicago native and former First Lady/Secretary of State/U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton will be the keynote speaker at the opening general session on Sunday.

However, SHRM says that the media will NOT be permitted to cover Secretary Clinton’s SHRM speech. Read more…

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Benefits, HR Management

How Far Can Employers Go In Mandating What Employees Eat?

by on May 16, 2013, 11:25 AM  |  2 Comments
123RF Stock Photo

I’ve yet to talk with someone about employee wellness without hearing about how an employer allows — if not actually provides — donuts or cupcakes or something similar at meetings.

The underlying message is this: the employer can’t be very serious about wellness if they’re still offering such junk food regularly.

I don’t disagree, but how far is too far? The comments on a post about junk food-free workplaces suggests barring people from bringing in their own food is simply a bridge too far. Read more…

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HR News & Trends, Legal Issues

Colorado Now the 8th State With a Workplace Social Privacy Law

by on May 16, 2013, 9:10 AM  |  No comments yet
123RF Stock Photo

By Eric B. Meyer

Over the weekend, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill making Colorado the eighth state to have a social media workplace privacy law. (The others are Maryland, Illinois, California, Michigan, Utah, New Mexico, and Arkansas).

You can view a copy of the new Colorado  law here.

The new law places three restrictions on employers with respect to access of employee and applicant social media accounts: Read more…

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HR News & Trends, Legal Issues

OSHA’s New Enforcement Approach: Regulation by Shame

by on May 15, 2013, 12:15 PM  |  No comments yet
osha_1

By Howard Mavity

When Jordan Barab famously admitted that OSHA was utilizing large penalties accompanied by harsh press releases to “motivate” employers to comply, I had mixed feelings.

Fear is a great motivator. Aggressive publication of legitimate noteworthy OSHA citations has a role in the “carrot and stick” process of safety enforcement. Moreover, I understand that the former OSHA Region IV Administrator first used the phrase, and frankly, I doubt that she misused the approach. Read more…

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HR News & Trends, HR Technology

Tech Startups Worry They Won’t Be Able to Find the Talent They Need

by on May 15, 2013, 10:25 AM  |  No comments yet
cover-startup-outlook-report

More technology start-ups will be looking to hire than at any time in the last four years, says Silicon Valley Bank, but they worry they won’t be able to find the talent they need.

Even as most leaders and founders of the firms surveyed by the bank for its annual Startup Outlook report say conditions in the U.S. are better this year than last, the number of them who report hiring talent is their biggest challenge has grown. Nine out of 10 executives report finding and hiring the talent they need is their biggest challenge.

The annual survey says 87 percent of the tech start-ups reported plans to add staff this year. That’s up four points from last year, and 14 points from the first survey conducted in 2010. Read more…

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Recruiting and Staffing

Getting Onboarding Right: Another Reminder That It’s Not Rocket Science

by on May 15, 2013, 9:12 AM  |  No comments yet
Onboarding

As HR and other leaders grapple with high turnover rates among the Gen Y/Millennial cohort (see last week’s post here), all kinds of issues get raised.

Is the turnover due to “special” characteristics inherent in Gen Y? Is the turnover due to lack of education and training opportunities? Naivete on the part of Millennials – the world of work doesn’t match their expectations? Could a lack of thoughtful onboarding play a part?

The Aberdeen Group published Onboarding 2013: A New Look at New Hires last month and author Madeline Laurano provides data that might help organizations become more effective in retaining the youngest of their workforce. Read more…

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HR News & Trends

Four States That Snubbed Health Reform Gaining Jobs From It

by on May 14, 2013, 11:30 AM  |  1 comment
© almagami - Fotolia.com

Four states that have snubbed the federal health law by defaulting to the federal government to build new online insurance marketplaces and not agreeing to expand Medicaid are getting new jobs at call centers that will help consumers understand their new coverage options this fall.

Up to 9,000 jobs are expected to be created at call centers to support the new federally run marketplaces. A Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman said some of them will be added to existing Medicare call centers in Phoenix, Chester, Va., Lawrence, Kan., and Tampa, Fla.– all states with Republican leaders who oppose the law.

A fifth center in Coralville, Iowa and a sixth in Corbin, Ky., will also be expanded, she said. Plans are still being finalized for other locations, she said. Read more…

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HR News & Trends, Recruiting and Staffing

2013 College Grads Will Find a Job Market About as Tough as 2012

by on May 13, 2013, 12:15 PM  |  No comments yet
College graduates

With only days left before this year’s college seniors become alums, those who don’t already have jobs are going to find it as hard to find work as last year’s grads did.

And for those in the liberal arts, three different surveys of hiring managers and recruiting leaders recently found that employers are only planning slight — if any –  increases in the number of entry-level grads they bring on board.

Most striking about the surveys is that while they measured different aspects of hiring plans, and talked to different types of companies and employers, the bottom line was the same: entry-level jobs in a grad’s field are few. Read more…

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HR News & Trends

FTC Warns Background Screeners For Possible Privacy Violations

by on May 10, 2013, 12:20 PM  |  1 comment
Backgroundchecks

Editor’s Note: Weekly Wrap is taking the week off to belatedly celebrate Cinco de Mayo. It will return next Friday.

The Federal Trade Commission recently sent letters to 10 data broker companies warning that their practices could violate the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) after a test-shopping operation by the FTC indicated the background screening companies were willing to sell consumer information without abiding by FCRA requirements.

It’s unclear what requirements they are accused of violating, but the commission included the following commentary in the release: Read more…

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