HR Industry Brief

At a time when staffing shortages are at an all-time high, employees are still reeling from a stressful, exhausting year, and grief and anxiety linger, bias and stereotypes can be more damaging than ever – leading to lost productivity, conflict, and turnover. Many companies have begun focusing on bias training, but the failure rate is high. Why? According to one study, the training is perfunctory and low quality, leadership support is weak or absent, management is ill-equipped to handles this task, and leaders don’t align training with the organization’s overall commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity. However, training can be effective when it’s based on believable real-life scenarios, offered in a judgment-free setting, supported by management, and championed by thought leaders. It also is important to include this training as part of a larger commitment that considers the organization’s specific structure and processes. Finally, it must be consistent, ongoing, and … [Read more...] about (8/13) How Unconscious Bias Training Improves Culture and Productivity

IT problems are a nightmare that cause angst, anxiety, and frustration for everyone. Now a new survey suggests that they also contribute to lost productivity:

• One in 5 employees say that poor-performing or broken IT equipment has caused a loss of productivity during the pandemic.
• Almost 4 in 10 say they’ve had to wait longer to get IT issues resolved while working from half. Half say they’ve waited at least three hours while an IT issue was sorted out.
• 57% say they experienced issues related to hardware replace during the pandemic.
• A vast majority of workers (over 80%) say they didn’t have but would have welcomed the option to pick up replacement equipment using a self-service system while their computer or other device was being repaired.
• Two-thirds of workers say they’ve had a bad experience with IT during the pandemic.

• Nearly half (44%) of workers say productivity … [Read more...] about (8/12) IT Issues Take at Least 3 Hours to Resolve for Half of US Workers

Some senior living leaders are calling the Elder Justice Reauthorization and Modernization Act of 2021 a “great first step” toward helping providers recruit and retain workers. Among the provisions that have people talking:

• It incorporates proposals from the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living’s proposals and provides a focus on workforce investment.
• It includes critical support that older adults and their caregivers need to avoid and prevent financial exploitation, physical and psychological abuse, and other unacceptable forms of elder abuse.
• It would provide funding for programs through fiscal year 2025.
• It aligns with the vision many have about how to make America a better place to grow old, according to LeadingAge.

According to a new survey, many American workers gave a lot of thought to their professional future during the pandemic:

• 36% of workers say that they have been thinking about what they really want to do and are planning to take a new job in the future.
• 32% say they plan to leave their current job because they dislike the culture at their organization.
• Nearly half of workers say they are more likely to quit without another job lined up now that they were before the pandemic.
• 43% say they wouldn’t accept a new job if they were required to go into the office every day.

  At a time when there is stiff competition for experienced workers, attracting retirees who have the ability and desire to return to work is an increasingly popular option. The benefits include their extensive experience, the ability to save time/money spent on training, and the opportunity to show older workers that the organization is inclusive and diverse. However, before you focus on hiring retirees, consider for key steps:

1. Define the role. Don’t assume workers don’t need onboarding, even if they worked at your company before. Make sure they understand what their role will be and what (if any) new skills or training they will need.
2. Be aware of personal/medical needs. Consider providing scheduling flexibility to accommodate medical appointments, spending time with or caring for grandchildren, and other needs.
3. Don’t stereotype. Don’t assume they don’t understand or can’t learn technology. Encourage younger and older workers to … [Read more...] about (8/9) Welcoming Back Retirees

Although the pandemic took a tremendous amount of attention, time, and money during the past 16 months, it’s time to attend to some business basics. Part of this is updating or bringing in new technology. To ensure that your teams embrace new tech and use it safely and to the best advantage, consider these three strategies:

• Start with users. Frontline IT staff who will be implementing the technology and training workers should be involved from the start. They can help identify and address issues before they create problems. They also can help staff feel more comfortable with confident in the technology. Realize that there is more to new technology than “plug and play.”
• Identify the right early adopters. Engage team members and thought leaders who are most receptive to new technology. They can help increase adoption by others.
• Mitigate the money barrier. There are many creative ways to obtain the money and other resources you need. These include … [Read more...] about (8/6) 3 Strategies for Rolling Out New Tech Within Your Company

Just 8% of U.S. companies have a dedicated strategy to attract, hire, and retain people with disabilities. These companies are enjoying several benefits – including superior business performance and a competitive edge -- from actively recruiting and retaining people with a disability. Research shows that diverse workplaces that embrace and empower disabled employees have better:

• Worker productivity
• Employee reliability and punctuality
• Staff satisfaction, job commitment, loyalty, and retention
• Individual and collective innovation leading to new product and services development
• Cultural inclusivity, workplace communication and transparency

To mandate or not to mandate? That is the question many employers and professional associations are wrestling with these days; and everyone is scrambling to create a policy. But what should go into it? If your organization has determined to mandate vaccines:

• Clearly identify the scope of the policy and what employees it applies to. If it doesn’t extend to remote workers, state this outright.
• Include the rationale for making the policy mandatory.
• Clearly identify the deadline by which employees must be fully vaccinated.
• Include details about the dates when vaccines will be available and at what locations.
• If employees are expected to get vaccines through a community-based third party, include information about where they can get the vaccine. State that the employer will pay for the cost of the vaccination.
• Communicate that time spent getting vaccinated in compensable.
• Clearly state the potential … [Read more...] about (8/4) What Should Be in a Vaccination Policy?

Increasingly, attention is being paid to ways to attract and retain direct care workers in long-term care, including home care and hospice. A new report from PHI suggests several strategies the federal government can take to transform the direct care workforce for a strong future. These include looking at ways to address the structural inequities that harm the lives and employment experiences of direct care workers who are women, people of color, and/or immigrants:

• Developing strategies to address systemic barriers and strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion within this job sector.
• Building the evidence base on equitable direct care workforce interventions.
• Bolstering supports for immigrant direct care workers.

Especially as COVID numbers rise again, more people than ever are feeling depressed, anxiety, and stressed; and more are talking to their bosses about their feelings. As a manager, you can help your employee by increasing your knowledge and staying on top of trends and resources. Toward that end, start with reading/listening list:

• We Need to Talk About Mental Health at Work (article)
• What Covid-19 Has Done to Our Well-Being in 12 Charts (article)
• Your Mental Health and Your Work (podcast)
• Make Mental Health Your #1 Priority (article)
• [Read more...] about (8/2) Navigating Mental Health at Work: A Reading List