HR Industry Brief

Here are five things you need to know to model and promote a work-life balance that attracts and keeps top employees: ·         Flexibility doesn’t always mean better work-life balance. Remote and part-time workers may experience isolation; or they may spend more time in their off-hours addressing work-related issues via phone, text, email, social media, and other platforms. Look for ways to make these workers feel like part of the team, and encourage them to disengage from work devices when they are off the clock. ·         Paid family leave and/or childcare support can seem unfair to other employees. Consider offering benefits such as summer hours and time off for volunteering and career advancement that everyone can utilize. ·         Most employees who have access to flexible work arrangements hesitate to use them. Help applicable workers understand the pros and cons of flexibility and help them make the best personal choices and decisions about … [Read more...] about (8/12) Better Work-Life Balance Starts with Managers

A good employee comes into your office at the end of the day and hands in a resignation. You are disappointed, maybe even surprised; but do you really know what’s behind the person’s decision? It’s in the company’s best interest to find out why employees leave, and here are steps you can take: ·         Look at how employees resign. Whether they are gracious and thankful, quit impulsively, or express anger and resentment can tell a lot about how they (and likely others) feel about the organization. ·         Find out what co-workers say. Talk to colleagues of employees who resign. Not only might they have fresh insights into why someone left, but they can help you identify changes you can make to keep other employees from leaving. ·         Learn from where employees go after they leave. Whether they go back to school, take a similar job elsewhere, or go into a completely different field can speak volumes. This information can help you identify benefits that might attract and … [Read more...] about (8/9) Do You Really Know Why Employees Leave Your Company?

Robots aren’t coming to replace home care or other workers; however, technology can support these individuals in their efforts to provide quality care for their patients: ·         Support training and skills development through efforts such as E-learning, which can be cost-effective and done when and where people have time to participate. ·         Use assistive technologies to augment direct assistance with activities of daily living. ·         Employ technology to facilitate interdisciplinary communication. Make it easier for home care workers to record, report, and share their observations and concerns in a way that prevents information from falling through the cracks. ·         Use hiring technology (including online matching service registries) to recruit and manage workers who are compatible with your clients and their needs. ·         Maximize safety and benefits by choosing proven technology and ensure everyone (including patients and families) knows how to (and … [Read more...] about (8/8) Leveraging Technology to Support – Not Supplant – the Home Care Workforce

According to a new study, nearly three-fourths of registered nurses (RNs) working in nursing homes say they’ve left work unfinished due to lack of time or resources to complete the task at hand. Among other findings: ·         Three in 10 report high levels of burnout or job dissatisfaction. ·         Unfinished work most commonly involved talking to and comforting patients, teaching patients and family members, and care planning. ·         Only 4% of nurses reported failing to do pain management due to lack of time. ·         Nurses who reported feeling burned out were five times more likely to leave unfinished care than those without burnout. ·         The most common reasons reported for job dissatisfaction are poor or lack of tuition and retirement benefits, but half of nurses say they are unhappy with their pay. [Read more...] about (8/7) Nurses in Nursing Homes Say They Can’t Finish Their Work and Many Feel Burned Out

According to a new study, forgiving the boss for mistakes boosts workers’ own job satisfaction. The study showed that: ·         By its nature, the act of forgiveness means investing something positive into the relationship. ·         Staff who have better quality relationships with their boss initially are more likely to forgive him or her when there is a mistake or problem. ·         The positive impact of forgiveness varies according to the seriousness and frequency of the boss’s mistake. ·         Relationship-building is especially important for employees who interact with a limited number of people on the job. Read the full article. … [Read more...] about (8/6) Forgiving Your Boss Can Increase Job Satisfaction

While Generation Z workers are the most tech-savvy group ever to hit the workforce, they value soft skills as much as technological abilities. According to one survey: ·         40% of employees believe that companies should provide soft skills training when it comes to speaking to customers, clients, and/or patients. ·         Only 44% of employers are offering these soft skills. ·         94% of Gen Z employee who receive regular job-related training say they deliver better customer/patient care and service as a result. ·         94% of Gen Zers say they are motivated by learning opportunities; and 37% say they would leave their current employer if they don’t get the training they want/need. ·         40% of Gen Zers want instructor-led, in-person training. ·         42% of Gen Z employees say they have avoided asking for training for fear of reprisals. ·         70% of employers don’t incentivize training; when they do, they are more likely to offer gift … [Read more...] about (8/5) Survey Finds Soft Skills Training Important to Gen Z

Investment in training may be wasted if it doesn’t resonate with employees and have a lasting impact. However, it can be challenging to engage people in training activities, especially when they are already feeling overworked and short on time. Here are four ways to ensure your training is relatable and effective: ·         Review the relevance of your training programs/materials. Are you using cutting-edge technology and information? Are the program objectives still relevant? Are there missing pieces or gaps you need to fill? ·         Consider role-playing. Studies show that hands-on training results in learning that lasts over time. Make these efforts as realistic as possible and relate them to special concerns employees have. ·         Leverage the impact of personal experiences. Encourage trainers to share real-life stories related to the information they’re sharing. These should be familiar and relatable, set the stage for a problem or conflict, describe a training … [Read more...] about (8/2) 4 Creative Ways to Make Your Training Relatable

An alarming new study shows that asthma sufferers are missing about one-tenth of work hours due to symptoms. Their illness, these individuals say, not only hurts their productivity but also negatively impacts their emotional wellbeing. Highlights of the study:

• 74% of workers say they are unable to work to their full potential because of their illness
• 42% experience a “prominent” reduction in productivity.
• Workers report feeling “challenged” by their asthma symptoms, as well as the fatigue, mental strain, and weakness caused by the illness.
• Overall, total work productivity dropped by 36% due to asthma.
• Workers report feeling inferior and disadvantaged because of their condition, and over two-thirds say it negatively affects their work activities.
• The authors suggest a solution lies in a coordinated approach by clinicians, employers, and occupational health teams.

Several states are looking at raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour to help attract more employees to home care and other post-acute and long-term care settings. However, some facilities in these states are pushing back, saying that the rate hike will make it difficult—if not impossible—to hire all of the direct care staff they need. In some areas, pay rates have gone up naturally as providers seek to attract and retain good people. However, in states like Massachusetts, wages have been stagnant for over 10 years; and despite this, many organizations claim to be struggling to stay open. While officials in Massachusetts have agreed to include an additional $50 million in the budget for Medicaid funding, providers are still seeing a Medicaid shortfall of more the $300 million, which they say has kept them from increasing wages. Read the … [Read more...] about (7/31) Staffing Groups Call for Wage Increases, Higher Direct-Care Ratios

According to a new study, workplace sexual harassment of women and its negative impact are down, but there is still progress that needs to be made. Women report fewer incidences of sexual harassment, including unwanted sexual attention, staring, leering, and unwelcoming touching; and they say that this harassment’s impact on their self-esteem and self-doubt has declined. They suggest that the #MeToo movement has made it easier for them to connect with women who have had similar experiences. These opportunities to share and commiserate, they say, have reduced their feelings of shame and isolation. However, they also indicate that incidents of gender harassment—crude comments and jokes, for example—are on the rise. Read the full article. … [Read more...] about (7/30) Women at Work: Changes in Sexual Harassment Between September 2016 and September 2018