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Don’t Panic—Prepare; Experts Predict Cybersecurity Challenges for New Year

By Joanne Kaldy / December 5, 2018

Buckle up, because cyber security issues aren’t going away in 2019. In fact, they may increase and take some challenging new forms. However, there are some steps you can take to prepare.

Cybersecurity is on everyone’s mind these days, as businesses and individuals alike recently saw their private information exposed by a Marriott and Starwood security breach that affected millions. In the 12 months from March 2017 to 2018 alone, there were 2,216 data breaches and more than 53,000 cybersecurity incidents reported in 65 countries. By understanding the challenges ahead, you can be ready.

How Holidays Can Improve Worker Productivity, Satisfaction

By CC Andrews / December 4, 2018

Despite the distractions of festivities and other commitments, a recent survey says that workers actually claim to be more productive during the holiday season.

In a survey of more than 2,800 workers, 65% say they are more productive during the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. The study suggests Miami, Chicago, and San Francisco are the most productive cities during the holidays, while St. Louis, Des Moines, and Boston are the least productive. In the same survey, workers offer some common barriers to holiday productivity. These include personal and social commitments, greater year-end workloads, cold and flu season, and holiday shopping.

Survey Shows Magnitude of Harassment in the Workplace, Offers Workable Solutions

By CC Andrews / December 3, 2018

HR can take the lead on successfully addressing harassment in the workplace.

According to a recent study, workplace harassment plagues many companies and affects how employees feel about their jobs and their employers. However, there is much health care organizations and other companies can do to protect employees and minimize complaints.

In a survey of 500 US full-time employees, 35% of respondents said they feel that they have been harassed at work. The number is higher among women, 41% of whom made this claim. Three-quarters of those who said they were harassed identified the harasser as a male, and over 70% said they were victimized by someone in a senior position. However, workplace harassment isn’t limited to bosses and employees. Nearly one in five (17%) of survey respondents identified their harasser as a customer or vendor.

Would Your Safety Incentive Program Violate OSHA Standards?

By Joanne Kaldy / November 30, 2018

Safety incentive programs have great intentions but can be a legal risk if employees feel silenced.

Safety incentive programs can be dodgy business, especially if employees feel compelled to keep quiet about incidents in order to preserve the clean record of their unit—or their manager.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued clarifications on its Workplace Safety Incentive Programs and Post-Incident Drug Testing interpretations, first issued in May 2018.

Successful Succession Planning in All Departments

By Joanne Kaldy / November 29, 2018

HR directors play a crucial role in helping C-suite executives plan for the next generation of corporate leadership, but don’t forget about the other departments.

Succession planning is often viewed as a company’s plan for assuring business continuity and brand strength when a member of the C-suite retires or leaves. But smart HR leaders will extend succession planning concepts across the company, especially for key positions within each department.

Substance Abuse in the Workplace

By Joanne Kaldy / November 28, 2018

Think your staff is blessedly free from addiction and drug abuse issues? Statistics say you’re probably wrong, especially about the growing opioid crisis.

Maybe an employee takes a stimulant to get through that 12-hour shift. Or pops a prescription pain killer, originally given for a back injury but now used to “feel better.”

Drug abuse in the workplace doesn’t look like it used to. Today, one of the fastest-growing substance misuse categories is actually medication prescribed by a doctor—including the highly addictive opioids.

How do these trends impact your workforce, and what can you do about it?

How to Perk Up Your Perks

By Joanne Kaldy / November 27, 2018

When it comes to perks, there’s a big disconnect between what employees want and what employers offer.

With unemployment at nearly an all-time low, HR departments can expect a tougher battle for quality talent. One way to entice applicants is to offer perks that will differentiate your corporate culture from others who are competing locally for the same employee pool.

When designing perks, the biggest mistake employers make is assuming they know what their employees value most. There’s actually quite a disconnect between what employers think are good perks and what employees actually want, notes global HR giant Robert Half, which surveyed more than 1,500 employees and 600 HR managers about corporate culture and perks.

Why Your ATS System isn’t the Holy Grail

By Joanne Kaldy / November 26, 2018

Artificial intelligence applicant tracking systems are supposed to cut the work, but one major U.S. company discovered they also were cutting valid candidates.

In 2014, e-commerce giant Amazon began experimenting with its own software to streamline the process of sorting through piles of applicant resumes. The program had built-in artificial intelligence to look for the skills the company valued and then rank applicants with one to five stars.

“Everyone wanted this holy grail,” an unnamed source at Amazon told Reuters. “They literally wanted it to be an engine where I’m going to give you 100 resumes, it will spit out the top five, and we’ll hire those.”

But recently, Amazon’s tech gurus discovered a problem: The system seemed to be docking applicants for being female.

HR Managers Will Get New Staff Management Tools from CMS Initiative

By Joanne Kaldy / November 23, 2018

The practical tools will include staff competency assessments, training guides and workforce quality improvement goals.

A new initiative from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will provide HR and managers in skilled nursing settings a portfolio of tools to assess workforce skills, care quality and the quality of life for residents.

CMS is developing a series of work products for nursing home professionals, including staff competency assessment tools, instructional guides, training webinars and technical assistance seminars, notes a CMS press release announcing the new program.

The Widening Role of HR as C-Suite Advisors