Why it is important to have multiple ways to report harassment
Michael Haberman, Omega HR Solutions
“When you craft your harassment policy there are two important aspects of the policy that many companies miss. First is there has to be a way for someone to report the harassment. Secondly that reporting method has to have alternatives available for the person reporting the harassment. Let me explain why that is important.”
Decoding leadership: What really matters
Claudio Feser, Fernanda Mayol, and Ramesh Srinivasan, McKinsey Quarterly
“Our most recent research, however, suggests that a small subset of leadership skills closely correlates with leadership success, particularly among frontline leaders. Using our own practical experience and searching the relevant academic literature, we came up with a comprehensive list of 20 distinct leadership traits. Next, we surveyed 189,000 people in 81 diverse organizations4 around the world to assess how frequently certain kinds of leadership behavior are applied within their organizations. Finally, we divided the sample into organizations whose leadership performance was strong (the top quartile of leadership effectiveness as measured by McKinsey’s Organizational Health Index) and those that were weak (bottom quartile).
What we found was that leaders in organizations with high-quality leadership teams typically displayed 4 of the 20 possible types of behavior; these 4, indeed, explained 89 percent of the variance between strong and weak organizations in terms of leadership effectiveness (exhibit).”
Wake-up Call: Why Everyone Needs More Sleep
Knowledge@Wharton
“Years’ worth of studies show that real dangers come with one’s deficit in the amount or quality of sleep. Circadian, the Massachusetts firm specializing in staffing, scheduling, training and risk-management issues relating to worker fatigue, lists among them: slower response times, increased errors and mispronouncing or slurring words; driving impairments; an increase in risky behavior, and an inability to develop new strategies based on incoming information. These kinds of concerns have long been known to employers like trucking firms, train operators and medical institutions, with long shifts and lives hanging in the balance. But worry has now spread into the white-collar realm.”
Related: Stress, Fatigue and Reduced Productivity: The True Cost of Sleepless Workers
Hospital-Based Active Shooter Incidents: Sanctuary Under Fire
Eli Y. Adashi, MD, MS; Hans Gao, BA; I. Glenn Cohen, JDJAMA
“Apart and distinct from federal law, most states have enacted laws with an eye toward protecting health professionals. Some states (Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, South Carolina, and Texas) as well as some local governments have recognized hospitals and other medical facilities as gun-free zones by prohibiting the carrying of concealed weapons on such premises. Even the state of Texas, often thought of as hostile to restrictions on gun use, has limited the carrying of concealed weapons in hospitals conditional on posting appropriate signage. These state statutes add both tangible and symbolic dimensions to the recognition that health professionals occupy a uniquely beneficent position in society deserving of such protection.”
Related‘ The dynamics of violent behavior in the workplace
Be Careful What You Promise Employees Who Leave Your Employment
Angela Bohmann, Stinson Leonard Street
“Clients sometimes like to ease the transition for employees who are retiring or whom the client would like to encourage to leave. One strategy is to continue the employee “on payroll” for a period of time with the expectation that all benefits will remain in place. However, the practice makes benefits lawyers nervous because the benefits that are supposed to continue may be offered under plans that do not recognize an employee who has stopped working as eligible for continued benefits.”
Millennials in Charge
Andrew R. McIlvaine. Human Resource Executive
“Generation Yers, or millennials — generally, those born between 1980 and 1999 — may be one of the most-studied generations in history. In the United States, they’re 80-million strong and will soon represent the majority of the active workforce. This is not a cause for celebration among all, however: A 2013 survey by New York-based consulting giant EY found 36 percent of managers from multiple generations described millennials as difficult to work with.
The good news is many of those survey respondents perceive Gen Yers as tech-savvy and smart about ways to leverage social media. They’re also seen as inclusive leaders who can build “culturally competent” teams. And they’re seen as enthusiastic, adaptable and interested in knowing just how well they’re performing.
“Millennials are used to getting lots of feedback and tend to want lots of it — lots of positive, constant feedback,” says Ilene Siscovick, a partner and human capital consultant at New York-based Mercer.”
Take The ACE Quiz — And Learn What It Does And Doesn’t Mean
Laura Starecheski, NPR
“An ACE score is a tally of different types of abuse, neglect, and other hallmarks of a rough childhood. According to the Adverse Childhood Experiences study, the rougher your childhood, the higher your score is likely to be and the higher your risk for later health problems.”
Workplace sanity is withing reach
S. Chris Edmonds, SmartBlog on Leadership
“Leaders need to place as much importance on workplace sanity and civility as they do on workplace productivity. When leaders invest time, energy, and passion in the health of their team or company’s work environment, amazing things happen. There is undeniable proof that when work environments demonstrate trust, respect, and dignity to every player in every interaction, engagement goes up, customer service goes up, and results and profits go up.”
Caregiver stress equals higher healthcare costs for employers
Sue Salach, TheWorkingCaregiver
“One out of three American workers is also managing the care of an older relative. Loss of productivity resulting from time off to care for an aging relative is estimated at $6100 per employee per year. Caregiver stress accounts for a 27% increase in use of company health insurance benefits. Seventeen percent (17%) of caregivers quit their jobs to provide care for aging family members, and another 15% reduce their work hours to assist their loved ones.
This shocking loss of employee productivity is hitting businesses very hard as more Boomers have senior parents who require caregiving.”
Brief Takes
- It’s March 2015. The DOL’s Model FMLA Forms Expired Just Days Ago. Now What?
- How can I stop softening the message in tough conversations with my staff?
- Evening Routines of successful people
- Fewer Women Run Big Companies Than Men Named John
- Why we’re all becoming independent contractors
- Providers tackle opioid addiction with new policies, mindsets
- 5 Standout Ways to Transform Underperformers Into Superb Employees
- HR and Employment Trends for 2015
- A view of King v. Burwell from inside the courtroom
- The Company Where Everyone Knows Everyone Else’s Salary
- The Business Case for Workplace Safety
- Paid sick leave laws on the rise
- Can Your Severance Agreements Withstand an EEOC Challenge?
- How to tell if you’re a jerk at work
Wellness
- Stair climbing: get fit without trying
- Walk A Little Faster To Get The Most Out of Your Exercise Time
- What to make of the new proposed dietary guidelines
- Exercise May Prevent Depression—Not Just Alleviate It
- Timeline for health benefits after quitting smoking
Looking for the most comprehensive and effective wellness program for your employees? ESI TotalCare Wellness pairs Behavioral Health Clinicians with certified Wellness Coaches to provide employees and their families with the help, motivation, tools and support to make changes and improve their lives. Call 800-535-4841 for more information.