HR Industry Brief

There are issues in your workplace. People may be tense, unhappy, and/or stressed out. The breakroom is quiet, and people fear making mistakes or getting blamed for a problem. Turnover is high, and moral is low. Do you have a toxic workplace? Here are some signs:

• Communication doesn’t flow. Nearly half of employees say bad communication –between managers and among coworkers –is common in toxic workplaces.
• Burnout is common year-round.
• Leaders hide out at home or in their offices.
• There is no clear hybrid/remote plan.
• Celebrations are rare.
• Technology is troublesome, and employees have problems sharing information and/or completing tasks.

• Make a plan for regular communication from upper management, encouraging feedback from employees and regular interactions between managers and team members.
• Encourage managers to watch for … [Read more...] about (7/16) 7 Signs You Have a Toxic Workplace – and How to Fix It

Researchers surveyed 2,200 employees to study how digital communication affects work stress, work-life balance, health, and sleep. They found:

• 21% of respondents said their supervisors expect them to respond to work-related communications after work hours.
• 55% said they have sent digital communication related to work in the evenings.
• 30% said they send work-related digital communication to colleagues on weekends and expect a same-day response.
• Employees who said their supervisors expect them to respond to messages after hours reported high levels of psychological distress (70.4%) and emotional exhaustion (63.5%). Nearly one-fourth (22.1%) admitted to physical health symptoms, such as headaches and back pain.
• Workers who feel obligated to respond to work messages in off hours also report high levels of psychological distress (75.9%), emotional exhaustion (65.9%), and physical health symptoms (22.1%).

Mental healthcare providers are reporting tremendous increases in employees seeking care and support; and surveys suggest that many feel depressed, anxious, and/or burned out but are afraid, unable, or unwilling to get help. The good news is that many companies have started introducing a variety of programs to improve employee mental health – everything from free counseling to gamification. However, it is important to realize that there are some people with serious issues that may contribute to suicidal thoughts and actions. Make sure your emergency action plans are updated and enable quick response to such a concern. Some key steps include:

• Treat suicide risk as a potential safety threat for others – not just the employee.
• Follow your gut. Watch for warning signs of self-harm, including increased alcohol use, lack of motivation, poor communication and/or withdrawal, poor hygiene, and/or increased aggression or agitation. If you have strong reason for … [Read more...] about (7/15) 7 Dos and Don’ts When an Employee Is at Risk for Self-Harm

A recent survey found that 52% of 2,000 employees plan to look for a new job in 2021, a 35% increase over a year earlier. To prepare for the turnover tsunami, it’s important to understand why people are leaving:

• 36% say they want better compensation and corporate benefits.
• 25% are looking for better work-life balance.
• 16% are frustrated by lack of recognition for their work.
• 8% are seeking a better corporate culture.
• 5% say their current company’s values don’t align with theirs.
• 5% lack a strong relationship with their peers.
• 5% say they are considering a job change but don’t know why.

More than ever, words matter. Workplace morale and employee retention are strongly connected to how people are treated and how their supervisors and colleagues make them feel. It’s important to think about words and phrases you use that could unintentionally hurt motivation, confidence, and engagement:

1. “You can do better than that.” This invalidates what the person is doing and comes across as patronizing and critical. If your goal is to inspire someone, try something like, “I am confident that you will do your best on this project.”
2. “Right…Now back to the matter at hand.” Instead of dismissing a person’s unrelated idea, promise to get back it after you finish discussing the issue on the table.
3. “I actually like that idea.” Never act like you’re surprised that someone has a good idea. If you do, they’ll likely never to share another one with you.
4. “Everyone knows that.” This is belittling and inaccurate. You don’t know what everyone knows. … [Read more...] about (7/12) 6 Condescending Phrases People Say at Work Without Realizing It

With worker shortages not going away any time soon, organizations need to find ways to attract and keep great employees. One promising idea is to focus on the needs of single working parents. The U.S. has one of the highest rates of children living with a single parent. These moms and dads have been under tremendous stress during the pandemic, and some were forced to leave the workforce altogether. To bring them back and attract and retain others, consider these simple strategies:

• Make a concerted effort to hire and promote single parents. Recognize that all workers have responsibilities outside of work and need a work-life balance. Make it clear that specific responsibilities need to be met but (when possible) give workers some flexibility and when and how.
• Reward people for the quality of their work, not the hours they put in. Don’t punish working parents because they can’t always work evenings or on weekends.
• Make company culture inclusive. … [Read more...] about (7/9) How Companies Can Support Single Parents

According to a recent survey from Paychex, organizations have some work to do when it comes to improving team morale. Among the findings:

• While 36% of workers say COVID-19 has improved team relationships, 20% say it made these relationships worse; and 44% say there’s been no change. When divided by job level, 49% of managers say morale has improved, compared to only 18% of workers.
• Employees were more likely to feel closer to their team if during meetings they were allowed to talk about current events, asked how they were doing outside of work, could acknowledge stress or burnout, and encouraged to vent or talk about work frustrations.
• Workers were more likely to report high moral if they know their co-workers well.
• Workers were more likely to feel productive and have high morale if they had flexible work schedules.
• COVID-19 is still a concern, and half of employees who recently returned to work admitted they are worried … [Read more...] about (7/8) Team Events Did Little for Morale During Pandemic, Survey Finds

The tight job market isn’t going to improve any time soon. Employers need to prepare for two things: the changing needs of job candidates and a potential wave of turnover. Here’s how:

• Review your succession plan. Losing a leader is disruptive, but you can plan to ways to attract leaders who are aligned with your culture and can hit the ground running on strategic projects.
• Audit your employer branding. Be sure to incorporate the elements employees want – a sense of purpose, a sense of opportunity, and a sense of success.
• Make a plan to retain top talent. Do you have a counteroffer process? Are you willing to revise the work environment permanently? Do you have a good line of sight around each individual’s personal needs outside of work?
• Hire third-party support. Consider the benefits of hiring a professional search firm to help you attract the best people for your organization.

Even during a crisis or emergency, you have to keep your organization working. Here are six tips to keep work on track and workers focused, engaged, and connected:

• Develop an emergency communication plan. This should detail how employees will keep in touch with their employer, colleagues, and others in the event of an emergency. Address various scenarios and what will happen in those situations. The plan should include contingencies for how you will communicate if, for example, wifi or phone lines are down.
• Assign tasks ahead of time. Don’t wait until a crisis to determine who will do what. Coordinate your response team is advance, and make sure all team members knowstheir roles and responsibilities and have the tools and information they need.
• Be flexible and understanding. While you need clearly defined plans, processes, and protocols, it is important to be flexible. Disasters can be stressful and challenging for everyone. Don’t set rigid or … [Read more...] about (7/6) How To Keep Working Through a Pandemic and a Natural Disaster

In a new report from LeadingAge, the organization identified what it sees as ways to address the top workforce challenges in long-term care:

• Expand the caregiver pipeline by targeting recruitment efforts to nontraditional workers.
• Strengthening education and training via the incorporation of competencies, public/private partnerships, etc.
• Facilitate career advancement. Make sure workers have opportunities to advance their careers and take on new roles.
• Increase compensation. Provider workers with the financial security they need.
• Prepared universal workers by providing flexibility to work across settings and across states.
• Reform the long-term services and supports financing system.