HR Industry Brief

Fear can motivate people; but in the workplace, fear can lead to low self-esteem, poor morale, and high turnover, instead of productivity. Management by fear was once a popular concept among some organizations. However, this leadership style has largely been discredited; and it has been determined to deteriorate team relationships, increase stress and anxiety, and create a dysfunctional, tense workplace. When fear rears its head, it is usually a sign that something has gone wrong and needs to be fixed. Read the full article. … [Read more...] about (12/14) Does Fear Motivate Workers or Just Make Things Worse? — HR Executive

Looking ahead to 2019, there are some trends in healthcare worth watching. Expect to see more employers looking for ways to negotiate to get better health care deals for their employees. Elsewhere, watch for data-drive healthcare decisions, an increased role for chief medical officers, growing focus on behavioral health, new approaches to cost-sharing, and more. Read the full article.  … [Read more...] about (12/13) A Changing Landscape: What’s In Store for Healthcare in 2019 – Employee Benefit News

While low unemployment might be good for the economy, a Georgetown University Medical Center study found that it hurts care in nursing homes (NHs). The authors said that NHs likely have a harder time finding and keeping staff when unemployment is down. When the economy is good, the authors say, there is more competition for good workers and the physically and mentally taxing work in nursing homes may be less appealing to some. Read the full article. … [Read more...] about (12/12) In Times of Low Unemployment, Nursing Home Quality Suffers – Medical Xpress

US employers added 155,000 jobs in November, and the unemployment rate is at a 49-year low of 3.7%. The healthcare sector had among the strongest gains, adding 32,000 jobs. Nearly three-quarters (70%) of new jobs were with mid-sized businesses, and hourly earnings increased six cents to $27.35. Read the full article. … [Read more...] about (12/11) Hiring Remains Strong as 2018 Nears End – SHRM

The health care professionals job market experienced strong growth in 2018, according to a new report, with physician employment opportunities rising by 7%. Geriatrics is in the top 10 specialties most in demand for both physicians and nurse practitioners, with the highest need in California, Louisiana, Arkansas, New York, and Baltimore. While there is a general uptrend in practitioner compensation, regional differences will continue to impact supply and demand. Read the full report. … [Read more...] about (12/10) US Physician Employment Report 2018 — Doximity

An employee’s emotional well-being plays a major role in how successful that person will be and if they are a good fit for the company. Consider some interview questions to help determine if someone can overcome negative feelings, resolve conflicts appropriately, effectively overcome obstacles, and find healthy ways to manage stress. Their responses will tell you how they might act in high-pressure or difficult situations, if they have any feelings of anger, hostility, or resentment, and more. Listen and watch body language. Read the full article. … [Read more...] about (12/7) Behavioral Questions Help Screen Potential Employees – HR Daily Advisor

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a draft Strategy on Reducing Regulatory and Administrative Burden Relating to the Use of Health IT and EHRs. The document outlines three goals: reducing the effort and time required to record health information in EHRs for clinicians, reducing effort and time required to meet regulatory reporting requirements for clinicians, hospitals, and health care organizations, and improving the functionality and intuitiveness of EHRs. The agency is accepting public comment on the draft strategy until January 28, 2019. Read the full article. … [Read more...] about (12/6) Strategy on Reducing Burden Relating to the Use of Health IT and EHRs: Draft Released for Public Comment – HealthIT.gov

How engaged and enthusiastic employees feel may be connected not only to the company culture but to individual character traits. This explains why two people with the same job situation may have different engagement levels. Now a new study suggests that about half of workers’ engagement can be predicted by their personality, or more specifically, four traits: positive affect, proactivity, conscientiousness, and extroversion. Read the full article.   … [Read more...] about (12/5) Is Employee Engagement Just a Reflection of Personality? –Harvard Business Review

Noncompete clauses have long been used to retain executives and keep ex-employees from ‘stealing’ clients and company information. Now, in the midst of a serious caregiver shortages, restrictive agreements are gaining popularity for low-wage workers in the home health industry. The most common trends: agreements that let caregivers work for competitors but not take clients or co-workers with them and a financial penalty for customers who hire an agency caregiver directly. While such agreements may have some benefits, experts caution that they actually could drive caregivers to other industries or settings. Read the full story. … [Read more...] about (12/4) Home Care Companies Increase Use of Noncompetes, Other Contract Restrictions – Home Health Care News

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid will soon be releasing two new toolkits to promote employee retention. One will include an employee satisfaction survey that lets facility employees share their perceptions about team building, job satisfaction, management/leadership, scheduling/staffing, and more. The other kit will be a guide to improving nursing home employee satisfaction. Read the full article. … [Read more...] about (12/3) CMS Announces Tools To Help Nursing Homes Boost Employee Satisfaction–McKnight’s