InFront on the Workforce

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Use Internal Audits to Prevent Wage Woes

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Wage and hour violations are on the rise. Avoid headaches, risks with internal audits.

In 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recovered a record $304 million in wages from employers for wage and hour law violations. These kind of “wage theft” accusations continue to present a huge risk for employers. Internal wage and hour audits can enable you to manage this risk. Specifically, they will help uncover areas of risk you need to address and provide or contribute to a “good-faith” defense to wage and hour claims.

Don’t Ignore Stress; Embrace It for a Happier Workplace

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In an exclusive interview, best-selling author Peter Hanson, MD, talks HR, stress, and modern life.

Physician and author of The Joy of Stress Peter Hanson, MD, puts stress into perspective. While it’s true that we are faced with an explosion in technology, a fast-changing world, a rapidly evolving healthcare system, and challenges balancing work and family, he reminds us that our forefathers dealt with life-threatening plagues, famine, and environmental dangers. “Our ancestors were being attacked by wild animals, while we complain because we our Wi-Fi is slow,” he says. When you think about it that way, he suggests, our stresses seem eminently manageable.

Making a Home at Work for Internet of Things

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From smartphones to connected thermometers, focus on the Internet of Things in HR and beyond.

Whether you realize it or not, the Internet of Things (IoT) has made its way into your organization; and experts predict that more than half of new businesses will run on IoT technology by 2020.

What is IoT? Generally, it’s pretty much everything connected to the Internet, from simple sensors to smartphones and tools such as Alexa and Home. Partnering these connected devices with automated systems enables organizations to collect and analyze information and devise action plans accordingly. IoT empowers companies to be more efficient, saving time and money while increasing accuracy and quality.

Three Obstacles to Stellar Employee Performance

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There are obstacles that have the potential to derail even the best employees, and you need to identify these hurdles to get over them.

My article last week talked about eight areas of inquiry to help assess performance and give the manager the information required to not only enhance performance, but also to create dialogue and increase commitment.

Here, we will explore three common performance obstacles and how to address them.

Study Provides Insights into Employee Engagement Factors

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Several psychological benefits spark employee satisfaction and loyalty, according to researchers.

Organizations invest billions of dollars every year in employee engagement tools, but too often they miss the mark. Now a new study offers some insights into the psychological factors that promote employee engagement. “Delivering the Psychological Benefits That Drive Employee Loyalty,” which involved a survey of 1,466 full-time employees at mid- and large-size U.S. companies, suggests that five types of psychological benefits drive employee engagement.

Minimum Wage Raise Proposed: What This Means for Employers and Employees

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Talk about raising federal wages moves to action, but barriers remain.

Late last month, Congressional Democrats introduced legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. The bill, the Raise the Wage Act of 2019, calls for a gradual increase, reaching $15 per hour by 2024. Six years after enactment, and each subsequent year, the minimum wage would increase based on the percentage increase, if any, in the median hourly wages of all employees. The bill would also would phase out sub-minimum wages for tipped, youth, and disabled workers.

Employees See Flexibility as Key to Health, Happiness

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According to a recent survey, employees feel strongly that flexible job arrangements have a positive impact on their mental and physical health.

When 1,200 employees were asked an array of questions about how their work life affects their mental and physical health, as well as their relationships, stress level, and other issues, 89% said that flexibility would help them take better care of themselves. At the same time, 87% said it would enable them to spend more time with family; and 81% said it might even make them a better spouse or partner.

Survey: Visionary HR Digital Leadership Needed

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Identifying, implementing cutting-edge digital tools and resources should be at the top of your to-do list.

A global survey of 1,200 HR executives suggests that visionary professionals are embracing innovative digital resources and ideas to redefine HR in 2019 and beyond. But it also showed that many HR people have a less-than-clear vision about the digital future and are clinging more to the status quo.

Assess Employee Performance with These Eight Conversations

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Once an organization has developed a comprehensive performance management system, each manager tasked with assessing employee performance needs the abilities to build constructive dialogue.

By addressing eight key areas for inquiry in the performance management conversation, you can demystify the process and have meaningful interactions.  The underlying assumption is that long-term and post-acute care providers understand the relationship between enhanced performance and healthy retention.

Keep the Heart of Your Company Beating Strong

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February is American Heart Month, and it’s the perfect time to help employees get heart healthy by making disease prevention part of your company culture.

Start by ensuring that your wellness program includes education and activities focused on heart health and how to control various risk factors. Help employees identify and address lifestyle changes with some creative programs and innovative ideas.