HR Industry Brief

According to a new survey, 83% of employers say they’re not considering a vaccine mandate for their workers. This is up from 64% in January. At that time, 27% said they were still undecided about whether or not to impose a vaccine requirement. Among other findings:

• Most employers (75%) say they are encouraging workers to get vaccines.
• Of those employers not mandating vaccines, 32% say they want to avoid running afoul of anti-discrimination laws; and 54% say they believe that workers who are willing to be vaccinated have gotten their shots.
• Only 13% say that they are unsure about whether or not to mandate vaccinations.
• Only 7% of employers say they’re unsure if they will encourage workers to get vaccinated.
• 18% say they’re not interested in encouraging their workforce to get vaccinated.

According to a new survey of nearly 4,000 profession women, 62% say that their ideas are ignored unless a man repeats it. Respondents also said:

• Their suggestions for improvements were often dismissed. However, sometimes these ideas turned up later and were credited to someone else.
• “He-peating” is very common. Women say they tried to get around this be enlisting an outside consultant or female colleagues to ampliy their ideas.
• Some have been driven to quit their jobs because they didn’t feel valued or appreciated. Some said working for themselves is the only way they can they can move their ideas forward.

Walking the walk on diversity and inclusion requires more than workshops and policies. D&I need to be part of who you are as leaders and as an organization. Try these four steps to start being about diversity:

• Be rooted in empathy. You can show empathy even if you don’t have shared experienced with another person.
• Normalized difficult conversations. Realize that you may need to have uncomfortable conversations about a variety of subjects you’re not used to discussing. Be willing to listen and understand. Be open and honest.
• Get all hands on deck. Get real input from people at all levels and from different backgrounds.
• Be a proactive ally and shut down microaggressions. Use your position to address colleagues who are being reckless or irresponsible with words.

Experiences with a toxic workplace can scar workers even after they leave their environments. What does this mean?

• Workplace-induced trauma can be caused by racism, bullying, poor work-life boundaries, and other issues. Research suggests work-related trauma is increasingly common.
• Because the workplace plays a significant role in our psyches, a toxic work environment can take a tremendous toll, especially if it isn’t recognized and addressed.
• Those workers who have experienced past traumas are more likely to struggle in toxic work environments.

• Give workers a safe space to talk about their feelings, their concerns, and their past experiences.
• Push for culture change. Build actual pathways to reform a toxic workplace and communicate these to workers.
• Work to create better work boundaries and promote work-life balance.
• Make sure workers have access to mental health … [Read more...] about (6/1) Why Long-Term Workplace Trauma Is a Real Phenomenon

Did you lose great leaders during the pandemic? A new study suggests that there was a “big drop” in leadership skills training, formal assessments, and feedback during 2020, compared to previous years. According to the study, men are more likely to receive transition support than women. For instance, they are 13% more like to get leadership skill training, 19% more likely to receive formal assessments, and 22% more likely to have a formal mentor. If you want to avoid a “lost generation” of leaders, you need to crate a clear picture of what success looks like, provide constructive formal assessments, offer training and resources, and give ongoing feedback. It is important to recognize when employees are struggling and get them the help and support they need. If these efforts were put on hold during the pandemic, it’s time to re-prioritize them. Read the full article. … [Read more...] about (5/31) Pandemic May Create a ‘Lost Generation’ of Leaders, Report Says

At a recent Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) experts and caregivers stressed the importance of a dementia-competence workforce and advancement opportunities for these individuals to ensure better quality of life for patients and their families. Statistics regarding Alzheimer’s disease are alarming and driving an urgent need for solutions. For instance, healthcare costs for AD and related dementias in the U.S. alone is expected to soar to $1.1 trillion by 2050, up from $355 billion today. At the hearing, Mark Supiano, MD, chief of the Division of Geriatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine and executive director of the University of Utah Center on Aging, said, “there is a special need to support hands-on caregivers and direct care workers – in the home and in the long-term care settings – to equip them to care for persons with dementia.” This support, he added, “should include ensuring living wages, benefits and paid family … [Read more...] about (5/28) Dementia-Competent Workforce, Career Advancement Keys to Improving Alzheimer’s Care: Senate Committee

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 offers 100% premium assistance for individuals under COBRA for a six-month period. What does that mean to you? Here are a few basics:

• Eligibility extends to employees and their family members who lost coverage due to involuntary termination or reduced work hours. These individuals do NOT qualify for premium assistance if they are eligible for other group plan coverage or for Medicare.
• Employees aren’t required to elect coverage retroactive to the date of their qualifying event or other date prior to April 1, 2021. However, they are responsible for notifying the plan of changes to their eligibility status.
• Employers, insurers, or plan administrators are required to issue several new notifications to impacted employees. This is in addition to standard COBRA notification requirements.
• Employers must pay the full cost of the COBRA premium, plus administrative fees. They will receive reimbursement in the … [Read more...] about (5/27) What Employers Need to Know About the New COBRA Subsidies

Despite the best schedule tools and your managers’ attention to detail, staffing shortages occur. Follow these three steps to help a staffing situation from taking you by surprise:

• Look at past trends to predict staff coverage needs. Are there certain times of year or month where you’ve tradition been short staffed. Have adequate coverage scheduled, particularly for things like cold and flu season or holidays.
• Design your schedule around peak business days. Instead of starting your schedules at the beginning of the calendar week, think about starting them on a busy day. For instance, if you have the most new admits on Tuesday, create your schedules starting on those days.
• Plan schedules as far in advance as possible. Share these with your team so they have time to see it and plan accordingly. Communicate schedules regularly so vacations or days off don’t fall off the map, are misunderstood, or get lost in the shuffle.

Good, constructive feedback leads to better performance. Here are four steps you can take to get the best out of your team members:

1. Review expectations, especially if someone has missed goals or deadlines. Ensure you have a shared view of success.
2. Plan a two-way conversation. This means referring to specific issues or concerns, including examples (i.e., ‘You missed two meeting last month and didn’t contribute at any of the ones you did participate in.’).
3. Agree on understanding. Make sure you’re on the same page before you end a conversation. Review what was discussed and confirm that the employee understands and shares your plans for moving forward.
4. If the first conversation doesn’t work, have another. Make sure you are clear about what your concerns are and what actions you expect the employee to take. Put a timeline on your expectations and discuss repercussions of not meeting those goals.

Whether you have 10 remote workers or 100, managing them can be like corralling cats. You can’t control everything, but you can help break bad habits that negatively impact morale, engagement, and teamwork:

• Set ground rules for videoconferences. For instance, instruct everyone to stay on mute until it’s time for them to talk and ask them to keep their video on throughout the call. Seek engagement and input for all team members as possible. While rules for these virtual meetings are important, be flexible and understanding there are interruptions or tech glitches. Remember that everyone is working hard and multitasking.
• Jump in with a one-on-one meeting as soon as you notice someone’s productivity or engagement is down. Don’t call them out in front of other colleagues, and don’t wait until the person is so far behind that it’s impossible to catch up. It’s important to give people fair warning and find out what’s behind their poor performance.
• While … [Read more...] about (5/24) How Managers Can Address These 5 Bad Habits of Remote Workers