In this HR News Roundup, learn about the right and wrong way to do humor at work, creating cooperative multigenerational teams, financial stress and more
The right and wrong ways to approach workplace humor
Rebekah Iliff, Ragan Communications
According to Gallup, more than 90% of “engaged” employees report that they “smiled and laughed a lot” throughout the week—a proportion that falls precipitously among “actively disengaged” employees.
Humor can make employees happier and more productive, but it takes a thoughtful, strategic and respectful approach. Otherwise, what could be a powerful asset can quickly become a serious liability.
10 Ways To Create A Friendlier Workplace For Your Multigenerational Team
Young Entrepreneur Council, Forbes
The workplace should feel safe and welcoming for all employees. However, as more businesses hire and work with multigenerational teams, it can be difficult to appeal to everyone. If you feel generational rifts starting to form in your office, ask yourself what you can do to make the environment a better fit for each worker.
To help you get started, we asked members of Young Entrepreneur Council for some strategies to make your workplace friendlier to employees of all backgrounds and generations. Their best answers are below.
Employees are stressed about finances. How employers can help
Kathryn Mayer, Human Resource Executive
Not only does financial stress take a big toll on employees’ health—it can result in everything from depression and anxiety to migraines, ulcers and heart issues—but it also takes a hard hit on employers, too. Employees with money issues typically suffer from presenteeism and absenteeism and are less productive, Stewart explained. In fact, American businesses are losing $500 billion per year due to employees’ personal financial stress, according to a survey of more than 10,000 Americans by Salary Finance.
(Reminder: As part of its EAP, ESI offers Certified Financial Coaching as well as a variety of training and consultation tools to help employees with finanicial issues ranging from debt restructuring plans to retirement planning. We also offer a Personal Finance & Education Center that includes more than 200 online courses covering a wide range of money issues.)
How Freelancing Is Influencing A Generation Of Employees
Jon Younger, Forbes
But, beyond the growth of freelancing as an individual career choice, the freelance revolution has another, more nuanced, impact: its influence on today’s Millennial and Gen-Z employees, and the organizations that employ them. Here are the top eight ways that freelancing is impacting the work and workplace of traditional employees, and how employers are adapting.
21 Workers’ Compensation Insurance Facts to Know Before Buying Coverage
Katie Dwyer, Risk & Insurance
Note: This is a great primer on workers comp that would be valuable learning tool for managers and supervisors to learn about this often misunderstood coverage.
Workers’ compensation insurance is a necessity for almost every business, but it can be complex. Before you buy, know what kind of coverage you need, how to get it, and how to keep your costs low by keeping employees safe.
More HR News Roundup: Quick takes
- The US labor shortage, explained
- How to Manage an ICE Site Visit
- It is an inexcusable sin for an employer NOT to have an anti-discrimination policy
- 10 Free Tools Recruiters Can’t Live Without
- How to Be More Productive at Work: Avoid These 7 Things
- How you can support a friend through cancer
- Ways to support someone who is grieving
- Sexual Harassment Versus Gender Discrimination: What’s the Difference?
- Can an Employer Discriminate Against Smokers?
- This company hired anyone who applied. Now it’s starting a movement
- 70% of Occupational Violence Occurs in Healthcare Industry
- The Jobs Really Most Threatened by Machines
- Waking up to the risks of workplace fatigue
- How to avoid hydroplaning – and what to do if it happens
- Why You Need a Password Manager. Yes, You.
HR News Roundup: From the lighter side…
We think the best communication is direct and clear but people often use euphemisms when talking about uncomfortable topics. In links above, we posted about how to support and talk to people when suffering a loss or dealing with an illness like cancer. But many people avoid plain communications. This account posts examples of alternative phrasings for the word “died” in as portrayed in clippings from obituaries and other sources.
In hiring as in other aspects of life, first impressions can be wrong. In the spirit of “first appearances can be deceptive”, we offer a few Twitter posts from the ever-amazing natural world:
- How octopuses use camouflage in the wild
- The amazing cuttlefish
- You have to really look hard to see the Baron caterpillar
It’s no secret that here at ESI EAP, we think training is very important in the workplace. We were charmed to see this article about how working dogs are trained to be service dogs. As part of the training, they are brought to the theater to sit through a performance and the photos are adorable.
And in another remarkable example of training, we offer this clip …
Prior editions of HR News Roundup: