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Workology > NCS WorkWatch |
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NCS WorkWatch is published every Monday.
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| 1. The power of praise | A new Shamu-inspired book by management guru Ken Blanchard tells how to keep workers willing to jump through hoops. The book's message in a nutshell: Positive reinforcement really works, and it can improve a manager's bottom line, both at work and at home. |
| 2. Workplace flexibility could be key to corporate success | Changes in technology, economics and labor force demographics have led to changes in the way work is done. In their new book, "The End of Work as We Know It," authors Nadine Mockler and Laurie Young argue that flexible work options are key to corporate success. |
| 3. Expert says flexibility, balance work best for meeting needs of abused workers | When an employee is being abused at home, her employer might want to jump in and save the day Superman-style or instead may choose to ignore the situation, considering it a personal matter. Both approaches are misguided, a domestic violence consultant told BNA. |
| 4. Invest in workers for high rate of loyalty in return | It's one of the most precious commodities a small business can have, but it's one many company owners don't try hard enough to keep -- their workers' loyalty. |
| 5. The ultimate team builder | Author Laurie Beth Jones writes that modern leaders can emulate four methods that Jesus used to nurture, teach and motivate his team: He excited them, he grounded them, he transformed them, and then he released them. |
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| 6. Employees should be resource, experts say | When the economic seas turn choppy, slashing payrolls makes about as much sense as a sea captain throwing sailors overboard in a storm, two prominent authorities on business organization contend. |
| 7. Screen before selecting star candidates | Putting the right person into the right job is a cornerstone of workforce stability. It is a very difficult part of the puzzle however. A much easier task is to avoid putting the wrong person into the wrong job. |
| 8. Admissions of dishonesty: High- vs. low-risk applicants | When comparing the admissions of "high risk" and "low risk" job applicants, it becomes most obvious why some applicants are considered a hiring risk and others are not. |
| 9. HR-XML Consortium approves new XML resume specification | The new specification makes resumes easier to search, index, match, and manage. |
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| 10. Put muscle in retirement plans | The legislation that
regulates the way in which 401(k)s are structured and administered is seriously flawed. |
| 11. US pay raises holding strong, far ahead of inflation (Free registration may be required) | Wages rose an annualized 3.5% in the first quarter and are projected to rise just over 3% for the full year. |
| 12. 'Perfect storm' brewing in health insurance | As companies try to cope with skyrocketing premiums over the next several years, millions of workers and retirees will find themselves uninsured or paying a greater share of their health insurance costs. |
| 13. Health premiums predicted to cost nearly half of entry-level salaries by 2007 | "Employers and employees have limited resources and limited tolerance for further escalations in health care costs. If all these trends continue, soon neither the company nor the worker will be able to afford the cost of coverage." |
14. Study: Work/life benefits hold steady despite recession |
A new survey of major U.S. employers finds that nearly all forms of work/life programs enjoyed modest growth in prevalence over the past year. |
| 15. Survey: Dental benefits still valued part of prospective employer's total compensation offer | A new nationwide poll shows that despite growing concerns with the nation's healthcare system, demand for employer-sponsored dental benefits remains high. |
| 16. Case
study: Large employer's use of MCO to provide mental health and substance abuse benefits lowered costs |
The study concludes, "Clearly, increased management of health services offset parity's increase in benefits." |
| 17. HMOs losing mental health appeals in Texas | A striking pattern of insurers wrongfully denying mental health care has emerged in a new study showing that Texans who appeal HMO decisions usually win. |
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| 18. Employees seek workers' comp for on-the-job stress | Workers are pressing employers to pay for mental and physical ills they say are triggered by on-the-job stress. |
| 19. Majority of employers pay mileage expenses | Few workers carry the cost of driving their own cars on company business, as 98% of employers surveyed say they compensate workers for business-related use of a personal vehicle. |
| 20. US companies to give workers more responsibility for health care benefits | U.S. workers can expect to take on more responsibility for their own health care needs and costs as companies re-evaluate how they manage and administer their benefits programs, according to a new survey of large employers. |
| 21. College quest gets Marvin Windows help | Unlike many workplace education programs, where students pay tuition and get reimbursed by their company if they get satisfactory grades, Marvin Windows pays upfront for the students -- averaging $600 for tuition and books for each eight-week class. |
| 22. Public sector comp time: Model for private-sector change | Compensatory time off in lieu of overtime works in the public sector; there's no reason it shouldn't work in the private sector -- perhaps with some tweaking. |
| 23. Coalition of business groups asks Congress not to pass patients' rights, mental health parity measures | On May 15, the Health Benefits Coalition asked Congress not to pass patients' rights and mental health parity legislation, or "any other bill that would increase health insurance premiums." |
| 24. Fixing the broken part of pensions | As we saw in the Enron case, 401(k) plans can be a big problem when pension holdings are concentrated in the company's own stock and the company prevents the worker from diversifying. But that's only the most extreme problem. |
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| 25. New solutions for ensuring a drug-free workplace | The future of workplace drug testing is job-site and walk-in occupational health screening solutions that offer a comprehensive single package. |
| 26. HR professionals most likely to act on Web ads | The Web and e-mail are the most effective tools for advertisers who want to reach a specific audience, according to a new study of HR professionals. |
| 27. A decade later, Anita Hill's impact is still felt | When Anita Hill testified against Clarence Thomas, the old "boys will be boys" approach to dealing with sexual harassment took a beating -- and employers were served a wake-up call. |
| 28. Lawsuits don't overlook overseers | In recent years, corporate directors and top officers consistently have been reminded in court that those who ignore or botch their supervisory roles may incur personal financial liability on the losing end of lawsuits. |
| 29. EEOC offers fact sheets to prevent backlash discrimination | The EEOC published on Wednesday two fact sheets -- one for employers, the other for employees -- addressing frequently asked questions about the employment of Muslims, Arabs, South Asians, and Sikhs. |
| 30. Study: Employees on international assignment often feel 'left on their own' | Faced with growing uncertainty about their health and safety while on international assignment, a majority of expatriates feel that not enough is being done to help them cope, a new workplace survey says. |
| 31. Evacuation kit addresses employees with disabilities | Many building evacuation plans overlook the employee group that might be in greatest need of help should disaster strike: individuals who are living with a disability. |
| 32. Many employees say focus on diversity benefits only some | Many employees think corporate diversity programs benefit only African-Americans, according to new research. |
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| 33. Online career sites attract job seekers in April | Surfers job hunting online caused a surge in Web traffic to career development and employment sites in April. |
| 34. Job-loss pinch felt less by managers | Unemployment among managers and professionals fell to 2.8% in April from 3.0% in March. That compares with a 6% unemployment rate among the entire US workforce. |
| 35. How much is a living wage? | Inside the movement to boost minimum pay: It may ease poverty, but does it also cause job cutbacks? |
| 36. Survey: Loyalty does not pay, say job seekers | In an employment trends report released Tuesday, The New York Times Job Market reported that job seekers believe loyalty does not necessarily pay, even in the current difficult economic climate. |
37. Jobless claims up slightly |
The number of new jobless claims rose in the latest week, staying above 400,000 for two months, the government said Thursday. |
38. Unemployment rising faster for blacks than whites |
Black unemployment shot up to 11.2% this April, nearly double the rate for whites and up half a percentage point in one month. |
| 39. More temp jobs opening up around U.S. | Temporary-employment agencies -- in a severe slump just a few months ago -- are seeing a surge in business, possibly signaling the economic recovery is indeed under way. |
| 40. Despite economy, voluntary departure rate among IT workers remains high | In tough economic times, the gainfully employed typically stay put. Not so in tech, according to an annual study released today by META Group, Inc. |
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| 41. Use it or lose -- better yet, use if before you pay it | Most of us know that if you don't use all the money that you've set aside in your medical flexible spending account, you'll lose it. But you may not realize that you could still lose what you contributed if you don't spend your money before you get laid off or quit your job. |
| 42. Bad boss? Sometimes it's best to leave | Do you have a boss who is off the wall -- so crazed that he or she is a menace to your mental health? If it's any consolation, take comfort in knowing that you have lots of company. |
| 43. Will pension bill help workers? | This is the year American workers go on a retirement-investing binge. At least that's what the nation's political leaders hope. |
| 44. When e-mail comes back to haunt you | Convenience and the appearance of impermanence have proven a durable lure to unwary e-mail users who continue to record their most intimate -- and incriminating -- thoughts on their computer keyboards, only to find the words thrown back at them in court. |
| 45. Bosses may snoop into your medical files | There is a growing possibility that prying eyes at work will see your confidential medical files and may not keep what they learn to themselves. |
| 46. Performance plan could help you salvage your job | If your boss gives you a written notice that you must improve your performance or be fired, should you simply start looking for another job? In many cases, the answer is probably yes. But it may be possible to salvage the situation -- and in today's bleak job market, it's worth considering. |
| 47. Entreneurship is fun. Then there's the day job. (Free registration required) | Starting a business has always been part of the American dream, but more entrepreneurs are hedging their bets these days, preferring to keep their day jobs as they gain both confidence and business. |
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| 48. Personal beliefs can divide, unite workers | Mixing politics with profits is not new, but it raises legal concerns -- and, perhaps more important, concerns about morale -- for employees who do not agree with or practice the beliefs that underlie what suddenly becomes a corporate mission. |
| 49. Easing
the trials of women who travel (Free registration required) |
As more businesswomen fly to conferences, rent cars, check into hotels and have power lunches, the travel industry is taking notice and starting to address their problems. |
| 50. Survey: Most employees profess poor work/life balance | A new survey has found that 70% of employees do not think there is a healthy balance between their work and their personal life. |
| 51. Why an alternative keyboard? Think productivity! | Even for those who haven't experienced any painful side effects during computing, experience has shown that switching to ergonomic input devices can increase productivity, while the reduced effort expended on computer work can boost morale. |
| 52. Rising health care costs might spark resurgence of HMOs among consumers | Cost considerations -- not whether people are healthy or sick -- play a major role in privately insured people's decision to enroll in health maintenance organizations when they have a choice of health plans, according to a study. |
| 53. Tough job, bad marriage can cause hypertension | Here's a study that confirms what most of us suspect -- a bad marriage and a stressful job can give you high blood pressure. |
| 54. Higher education can pay off for a lifetime | According to a new study, the average high school graduate will earn an estimated average annual income of $30,109 and $1.2 million in a lifetime. The average college graduate stands to net nearly twice as much. |
| 55. Moms find flexibility in owning own businesses | Robin Fischer is typical of millions of women who have started their own businesses in part to gain the flexibility they need in raising a family. |
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Workology > NCS WorkWatch |
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