HR Industry Brief

According to a new survey, American workers expect to work more and party less this holiday season:

• 70% of full-time employees surveyed say they don’t plan to travel out of state for the holidays.
• 38% plan to take less paid time off than in holiday seasons past.
• Employees say they’re working harder; and 61% say they feel pressured to respond to work messages at all hours. The vast majority (82%) say they’ve been contacted on a personal device after hours regarding a work matter.
• 56% say that their employee experience is more important to them going forward.
• 40% say company culture means more to them than it used to.

Just as staffing in senior living isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition, neither is the help states are providing during this challenging time. Here are some of the steps states are taking to help shore up staffing for their senior living and long-term care communities:

• In New Hampshire, Gov. Sununu reactivated a $300 weekly stipend through yearend for frontline healthcare workers at assisted living communities and other long-term care facilities that care for Medicaid beneficiaries.
• In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf is requesting reauthorization for the deployment of the PA National Guard to support long-term care facilities on the frontlines during the pandemic. The National Guard in the state has been used to provide staffing support such as helping with resident care and support services (such as meal preparation and cleaning).
• In Delaware, the state Department of Health and Social Services is creating five teams to help assisted living and other … [Read more...] about (11/19) States Use Varying Approaches to Address Staffing Shortages in Senior Living During Pandemic

According to a new study, employers and employees share a workplace but see very different things:

• While 85% of employees say they’re working more during the pandemic, 50% of employers actually believe that their employees are working less.
• Only 32% of workers say they’re being given more flexibility, while over half (55%) of employers say they’re giving people greater choices and opportunities.
• Two-thirds (62%) of employers say they’re investing in employee wellbeing, but—according to workers—they have a way to go. Only 36% of employees say they feel valued by their employer.
• About half (49%) of employers report that worker safety is a top priority. However, 40% of employees still don’t feel safe returning to work.
• While childcare and schooling challenges are a reality for many people during the pandemic, no one seems to want to talk about it. According to this study, 1 in 3 employees don’t feel comfortable taking about … [Read more...] about (11/18) New Research Exposes Major Gaps in How Employers and Employees View Work

A new survey shows that remote workers are struggling and working hard but getting few kudos from management. Among the findings:

• Over half of 2,000 respondents say they haven’t felt much gratitude from their bosses or other higher ups.
• 70% say they are working harder than ever before.
• 68% report feeling unmotivated as the pandemic drags on. About a third (29%) say they only do what’s expected of them, while 26% report taking their time completing assignments.
• 79% say that some expression of appreciation would boost their daily mental health.

Times are tough, and negativity can creep into the workplace. When you have workers who are expressing grievances, complaining generally, and just holding a negative attitude about everything, you need to take charge of the situation:

• Arrange a one-on-one. Focus on your conversation with the negative/complaining worker. Don’t take phone calls or allow interruptions. Listen, ask questions, and resist the urge to interrupt with judgments and evaluations.
• Don’t take it personally. Another person’s negative mindset isn’t about you, even if they use it to criticize or attack you.
• Stay focused on the problem. Acknowledge the worker’s complaint or grievances with professionalism and respect; but don’t let the person derail the conversation and turn it into a rant of accusations or insults.
• Empathize but stay firm. It’s appropriate and acceptable to be empathetic; but be firm about the person’s need to work with you to handle the situation and … [Read more...] about (11/16) Respect but Don’t Accept Negative Employee Attitudes

As the pandemic rages on, you can’t afford to lose experienced workers. Yet many working moms are having to choose between their jobs and their families; and, not surprisingly, families are winning. Take heart, there are a few fairly painless things you can do to keep working moms on the job:

• Provide as much certainty as possible. Working moms want to know they have some job security and they won’t be fired if they have to miss work to care for a sick child or help home-school their kids.
• When possible, provide certainty. Be clear about job expectations and performance standards and where there might be some flexibility.
• Set realistic job expectations. Help working moms juggle home and work responsibilities by offering flexible schedules, shorter shifts, and opportunities to work part-time or job-share. Put all this writing with family-friendly scheduling policies.
• Be empathetic. Even if you don’t have kids at home, try to understand the … [Read more...] about (11/13) 3 Ways Companies Can Retain Working Moms Right Now

Saying ‘yes’ can open some doors for you. However, if you don’t learn when to say ‘no,’ it can drag you down, stress you out, and ultimately damage your career and maybe even your health. It may be hard, particularly when you’re a team player and eager to please, but pledge to say no to:

• Opportunities when they don’t suit you. Resist the urge to take on tasks or projects that don’t fit in with or will distract you from your professional goals and objectives.
• Traditional networking. Instead of agreeing to participate in all networking or business-social events, pick and choose opportunities to target and connect with people who inspire you and can help you reach you career goals or who are experts who can share information and advice over time.
• Working too much. You can be a dedicated, productive worker and valuable team member without being a workaholic. Working to the point of exhaustion or burnout won’t help you or your organization.
… [Read more...] about (11/12) 7 Things Successful People Say ‘No’ to at Work – Every Single Time

Right now, more than ever, your workers are looking to you for leadership, support, and inspiration. Consider five phrases that you need to use honestly but also frequently:

• “I noticed that you’re really showing up.” When life is busy and chaotic, people can feel invisible. Remind your workers that you see them and that they matter.
• “You really went above and beyond.” Acknowledge when people go that extra mile or make a special sacrifice, such as working extra shifts or taking on tasks outside of their job description to help others.
• “I was really impressed with your work on X.” Let your employees know that you’re paying attention to what they’re doing, especially when they’re juggling home and work responsibilities or facing other struggles.
• “Hey, we’re only human.” Admit your own mistakes and take responsibility. At the same time, be patient and forgiving of others (as possible) and don’t nitpick or have unrealistic … [Read more...] about (11/11) What Your Team Needs to Hear From You…Now More than Ever

Issues of ageism have arisen during the pandemic, and hiring professionals are struggling to deal with this. In a recent survey of 100 such professionals:

• 92 say that age discrimination is a problem. Recruiters say they’re being asked to source “energetic” candidates. Some even say they’re encouraged to seek candidates who are “young and pretty.”
• 87% of respondents say they know colleagues who have discriminated against candidates based on age,
• Over half of hiring professionals say they’ve been told at some point to pass on a candidate because of age, although three-quarters say they’ve never done this.
• 24% of American workers believe employers have turned them down because of their age.

According to a new study, disruptions in workers’ morning routines causes them to be less productive and breaks their focus and concentration. The authors found:

• Morning disruptions cause employees to feel less engaged over the course of the entire day.
• People are less calm and more depleted mentally on days when morning routines are disrupted.
• Because routines automate basic elements of daily life, they help conserve energy that employees can put into achieving goals.
• Establishing and maintaining a morning routine is key to productivity.
• When disruptions are unavoidable, it is important to get back to a routine as soon as possible.