Workplace gamification trends – Monster Thinking notes: “With the rise of the mobile workforce and the plugged-in employee, how can human resource professionals keep employees engaged and productive? Many HR pros are looking to solve those problems by using innovative practices, such as gamification — bringing game-like elements to non-game tasks — to increase engagement and productivity among employees. Other HR areas in which gamification can be of help include training, communication, attracting and retaining top talent.” They’ve linked to 5 articles on how HR is employing gamification in the workplace.
Paid vacation declines – According to a recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percent of private employers offering paid vacation has declined from 82% in ’92-’93 to 77% today. The biggest declines occurred for people working part time and for people working at establishments with fewer than 100 employees. For most other kinds of paid leave, though, employees’ access has increased.
HR role in oil & gas industry – According to a recent Price Waterhouse Cooper survey, Human Resources roles in the oil and gas industry are gaining in importance: “Eighty-three percent of oil and gas chief execs surveyed say their talent management strategies need to change, but most feel they don’t have the human resource data they need, PwC reported in its 14th Annual CEO Survey. / Oil and gas companies are increasingly shifting their human resources (HR) operations from a back office function to a key partner in corporate strategy, PwC noted in the report. An oil and gas company’s ability to gather comprehensive hard data in a central system has become increasingly critical as companies face a shortage of talent, complex workforce needs and a large number of Baby Boomers exiting the workforce.”
Work Fatalities Drop – According to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary, 2012, the total of worker fatalities in 2012 was the second lowest since 1992m when the census started. A preliminary count of 4,383 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2012, down from 4,693 fatal work injuries in 2011. Despite this good news, there were some population that suffered reversals: Fatal work injuries involving workers under 16 years of age nearly doubled; fatal work injuries in the private construction sector increased 5%, and fatal work injuries in the private mining sector rose in 2012, led by an increase in fatal injuries in oil and gas extraction industries rose 23 percent to 138 in 2012, reaching a new high.
Cancer survivors and depression – Survivors of cancers of the head and neck, including those of the tongue and thyroid, often suffer from depression but rarely seek treatment, according to a new study. “Doctors are increasingly recognizing depression in cancer survivors, according to lead author Dr. Allen M. Chen, though it’s still unclear exactly how common mental health issues are following cancer treatment.”
Addressing employee grief – Blogger Justin Lee writes about a difficult topic that may be helpful to supervisors or co-workers who are dealing with a colleague who recently suffered a loss. It can be very difficult to find the right words or know the way to help. See his post: My mom just died. Here’s what you should say.
At-risk population – In The American Prospect, Monica Potts notes that for most Americans, life expectancy continues to rise — but not for uneducated white women. She discusses this in ther article: What’s Killing Poor White Women?: “These women can now expect to die five years earlier than the generation before them. It is an unheard-of drop for a wealthy country in the age of modern medicine. It is an unheard-of drop for a wealthy country in the age of modern medicine. Throughout history, technological and scientific innovation have put death off longer and longer, but the benefits of those advances have not been shared equally, especially across the race and class divides that characterize 21st–century America. Lack of access to education, medical care, good wages, and healthy food isn’t just leaving the worst-off Americans behind. It’s killing them.”
News Briefs
- Victims of Domestic Violence Now Entitled to Protected Leave in New Jersey
- Top 5 Warning Signs of Firefighter Depression, Suicide
- Why Being Rude Is Bad For Business (And What To Do About It)
- Why I Keep My Bipolar Disorder Secret at Work
- One Simple Question That Can Change a Manager’s Relationship with Staff
- In U.S., Most Would Still Work, Stick with Same Employer, Even If They Won Millions
- 7 Tricks To Help You Remember Anything
- A (Retirement) Plan Sponsor’s Responsibilities – Tips from the IRS
- How to Give Great Feedback (Without Sounding Mean)
- Work Makes People Miserable
- What To Do When You Get Angry
- Under the ADA, Even a 15-Minute Task May Be an Essential Job Function
- Brainstorming Sessions: Don’t Be Afraid to Judge
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