Weeding out psychopaths
Julie Cook Ramirez, Human Resource Executive Online
“While references to history’s most famous psychopaths tend to focus on the most extreme cases, such as Henry VIII, Adolf Hitler and Ted Bundy, the vast majority of psychopaths live relatively normal lives and rarely, if ever, resort to violence to satisfy their own personal desires or greed. The label is frequently affixed to business leaders such as Enron executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, Ponzi mastermind Bernie Madoff and Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli, for example.
By no means are psychopaths limited to the C-suite. As in society at large, they exist throughout the workforce, at every level and in every industry and profession. But as volatility and uncertainty in the business environment grows — a trend many experts predict will continue — it’s as crucial as ever for HR to keep psychopaths out of their workplaces. The case becomes even stronger if you factor in the potential of these individuals to inflict widespread, long-lasting damage on their organizations and co-workers.”
Successful C-Suite Psychopaths
Michael J. O’Brien, HRE Daily
“Higher-than-expected levels of psychopathic traits exist among people found in the upper echelons of the corporate business sector, and companies should undertake psychological screening to help identify ‘successful psychopaths.’
That’s according to new research presented at the Australian Psychological Society’s Congress, which was recently held in Melbourne.”
50 forms of dysfunction in the workplace
lolly Daskal, Inc.
Every workplace has some degree of dysfunction, of course. Often the ones that are the healthiest think they’re the worst, and vice versa.
But dysfunction–in any form and any degree–comes at a cost, keeping us from effective outcomes, efficient results and successful conclusions.
At its worst, it can bring down an entire organization.
The first step is recognizing the problem.
Do any of these sound like your workplace? If so, you may need help getting the culture back on track.
Why psychological safety matters and what to do about it
Amy Edmondson, Jeff Polzer, Harvard Business School
” … interpersonal risk is a powerful barrier to collaboration and good decision making in organizations. This executive did not feel safe to share his conflicting opinion. Psychological safety describes a climate where people recognize their ability and responsibility to overcome fear and reluctance to speak up with potentially controversial ideas or questions. A lack of psychological safety can be found at the root of many noteworthy organizational errors and failures. In corporations, hospitals, and government agencies, our research has shown that reluctance to offer ideas and expertise undermines many decisions and harms the execution of work that requires judgment or collaboration.”
2016 Employer Health Benefits Survey
Kaiser Family Foundation
Annual premiums for employer-sponsored family health coverage reached $18,142 this year, up 3 percent from last year, with workers on average paying $5,277 towards the cost of their coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Education Trust 2016 Employer Health Benefits Survey. The 2016 survey includes information on the use of incentives for employer wellness programs, plan cost-sharing as well as firm offer rate. Survey results are released here in a variety of ways, including a full report with downloadable tables on a variety of topics, summary of findings, and an article published in the journal Health Affairs.
Managing food allergies in the workplace
Safety+Health
Food allergies, whether mild or serious, are medical conditions that affect up to 15 million people in the United States, according to Food Allergy Research & Education, a nonprofit organization. For workers, having a food allergy can present a number of challenges.
More HR News Briefs
- Can you require flu shots for your employees?
- Is the camera on your laptop a security risk?
- 5 social engineering scams employees still fall for
- The Consumer Reports 10-Minute Digital Privacy Tuneup
- Stress may counteract effects of a healthful diet
- Psychosocial Barriers in Returning to Work Following an Injury
- Shhh! America’s Most Common Workplace Injury Is Hearing Loss
- Snapshot of Where Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Stand on Seven Health Care Issues
- Workplace conflict: Is the workplace itself part of the problem?
- How to effectively manage disabilities in the workplace
- Are you spending more at the gas pump than you need to?
- Bill Nye Says Robots Aren’t Going to Kill Us, But They Still Might Kill Our Jobs
- Accountable Care Organizations, Explained
- The Seven Types of Email and How to Deal With Them
- LinkedIn Adds Chatbot, Customized News Feeds
- HR software is a game changer — but technology alone won’t improve engagement
Lighter side diversions
- Vocabulary Test
- The ‘Sunday Morning Breakfast Machine’ (video)
- Artist Draws Fantastical Creatures Interacting with Commuters on NYC Subway
- Your moment of Zen: kitten cam (video)