Once in a while we get great guest posts here at Astron Solutions's World of HR blog, but other times people send us great links. So thanks to Melanie who sent in this great link of 10 reasons employers should pay for lunches. Paying for employee lunches is a very "Silicon Valley"-type thing to do but it doesn't take a tech start-up to provide great benefits for employees that benefit your company.
A nice second option is to have a subsidized cafeteria. I'm currently working in a building with one and it makes it very tempting to just stay in the building to grab food. It's not free, but it's cheap enough and close enough to make it a great alternative. If you want employees to feel comfortable working through their lunches, then having an option in the building that is cheap, good and easy is the best way to do that.
But even if you work through your lunch, make sure that your employees know that if they need to, they can get up out of their desk, go outside and grab some fresh air. The last thing you want to do is burn out your employees and the best way to ensure they stay refreshed is to allow them to use that 30 minutes at lunch time to get out of the office, breathe in some fresh air, grab some food, and come back rejuvenated. This doesn't have to be an everyday thing; but make sure that employees know that this is an option even if there are great dining options (free or subsidized) in the building.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Astronology - The Fearful FLSA Audit
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Friday, February 18, 2011
The Vicious Cycle of Unemployment
For some it may seem easier to get a job if you're unemployed. Intuitively, the unemployed have more time to interview, are willing to accept lower salaries and have future employers who know they can start right away. But the large amount of unemployed in this recession has proven one thing: being unemployed is not a recipe for success in this economy. And the problem then becomes if you are unemployed and that prevents you from getting hired that the more this occurs, the further the unemployed fall from employability in many employer's eyes--it becomes a vicious cycle of unemployment.
This was recounted in a recent article on Yahoo! (H/T Wendy) which says that it's gotten so bad and so prevalent that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is trying to get "unemployed" as another factor you can't discriminate against a candidate: "With the number of Americans who have been out of work for six months or longer at a whopping 6.2 million, and with 4.7 unemployed workers for every job opening, advocates for the jobless say this growing form of hiring discrimination creates another hurdle for the increasingly desperate ranks of the unemployed. 'At a moment when we all should be doing whatever we can to open up job opportunities to the unemployed, it is profoundly disturbing that the trend of deliberately excluding the jobless from work opportunities is on the rise,' Christine Owens, who runs the National Employment Law Center, told the EEOC."
The article hints that it may also be a case of racial or age discrimination as many more of the unemployed are African American or older, the former of which would also violate civil rights laws. This is not an issue that is going away and yet many job postings online still prohibit those who are unemployed for applying. Do the skills actually go away? Does the fact that everyone was downsizing mean those laid off are actually the weakest link? Probably not but it gives employers a good excuse when the volume of resumes continues to pile up.
At the very least, articles like this should give HR professionals some pause and to rethink their hiring practices. Because while this is an employers market, the last thing you want is to get in trouble with the government because of your hiring practices.
This was recounted in a recent article on Yahoo! (H/T Wendy) which says that it's gotten so bad and so prevalent that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is trying to get "unemployed" as another factor you can't discriminate against a candidate: "With the number of Americans who have been out of work for six months or longer at a whopping 6.2 million, and with 4.7 unemployed workers for every job opening, advocates for the jobless say this growing form of hiring discrimination creates another hurdle for the increasingly desperate ranks of the unemployed. 'At a moment when we all should be doing whatever we can to open up job opportunities to the unemployed, it is profoundly disturbing that the trend of deliberately excluding the jobless from work opportunities is on the rise,' Christine Owens, who runs the National Employment Law Center, told the EEOC."
The article hints that it may also be a case of racial or age discrimination as many more of the unemployed are African American or older, the former of which would also violate civil rights laws. This is not an issue that is going away and yet many job postings online still prohibit those who are unemployed for applying. Do the skills actually go away? Does the fact that everyone was downsizing mean those laid off are actually the weakest link? Probably not but it gives employers a good excuse when the volume of resumes continues to pile up.
At the very least, articles like this should give HR professionals some pause and to rethink their hiring practices. Because while this is an employers market, the last thing you want is to get in trouble with the government because of your hiring practices.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Guest Post: What to Do When Work Burns You Out
Exactly two weeks ago we had a great guest post on not letting bad weather keep you down and today we have another guest post on what to do when you get overworked at work. As February winds down, the work is certainly going to ramp up. Think about it: December was the holidays, January is broken up by MLK Day and snow days, February you can enjoy the freezing weather with President's Day and Valentines Day, but the nitty gritty always seems to start as the shortest month of the year ends. Well then it's great timing once again to have this guest contribution submitted by Lauren Bailey, who specializes in writing about online colleges. Questions and comments can be sent to: blauren99 @gmail.com. Without further ado, here is Lauren's guest post:
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You begin your countdown to the weekend the minute you clock in at work. You find yourself unable to focus on any of the tasks assigned to you. You feel lost, confused, frustrated, and also entirely apathetic. All of these are signs that you may be feeling burnt out from your job. This is something that nearly every full-time working individual goes through at some point or another in their career. Luckily, the feeling of dread and unhappiness does not have to be permanent there are a few ways that you can combat feeling burnt out at work so that you can get back to enjoying your weekdays as well as your weekends.
Take a Break
When you're feeling overwrought and run over by your job, the best thing you can do is give yourself some space from it. Those who do not take regular vacation days tend to burn out faster than those who do, so consider using some of your vacation days and taking a break from the workday routine. Even if you only leave for a four-day weekend, it could be enough time for you to regroup and recharge. Take a trip somewhere new to give yourself a break from your usual routine. Even if you stay home, do something different during your time off, such as going to a new restaurant or visiting a friend you normally do not see. After getting some space from your job, you may be able to go back to it with some more clarity.
Plan a Future Break
Even if you cannot take a break at the moment, simply planning a future one can do wonders in lifting your spirits and giving you focus again. The promise of an upcoming vacation can add renewed energy into your work because now you have something exciting to look forward to other than just the weekend. Make it a point to plan at least one vacation each year even in-town vacations can be beneficial to your mental health.
Look for New Things to Do at Work
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You begin your countdown to the weekend the minute you clock in at work. You find yourself unable to focus on any of the tasks assigned to you. You feel lost, confused, frustrated, and also entirely apathetic. All of these are signs that you may be feeling burnt out from your job. This is something that nearly every full-time working individual goes through at some point or another in their career. Luckily, the feeling of dread and unhappiness does not have to be permanent there are a few ways that you can combat feeling burnt out at work so that you can get back to enjoying your weekdays as well as your weekends.
Take a Break
When you're feeling overwrought and run over by your job, the best thing you can do is give yourself some space from it. Those who do not take regular vacation days tend to burn out faster than those who do, so consider using some of your vacation days and taking a break from the workday routine. Even if you only leave for a four-day weekend, it could be enough time for you to regroup and recharge. Take a trip somewhere new to give yourself a break from your usual routine. Even if you stay home, do something different during your time off, such as going to a new restaurant or visiting a friend you normally do not see. After getting some space from your job, you may be able to go back to it with some more clarity.
Plan a Future Break
Even if you cannot take a break at the moment, simply planning a future one can do wonders in lifting your spirits and giving you focus again. The promise of an upcoming vacation can add renewed energy into your work because now you have something exciting to look forward to other than just the weekend. Make it a point to plan at least one vacation each year even in-town vacations can be beneficial to your mental health.
Look for New Things to Do at Work
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Astronology - The Office Romance Dilemma
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Thursday, February 03, 2011
Beware of Compliance Leaving Your Company
This is a very interesting video from the Wall Street Journal warning you to beware of compliance professionals leaving your company because it could be a large red flag (H/T Wendy)
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Cleaning Out the Links Part 6
The last part of our links clean out is upon us...let's check out the links:
First from the New York Times was a very depressing article from May that talks about the new poor and that some jobs from our economy are never coming back: "Millions of workers who have already been unemployed for months, if not years, will most likely remain that way even as the overall job market continues to improve, economists say. The occupations they worked in, and the skills they currently possess, are never coming back in style. And the demand for new types of skills moves a lot more quickly than workers — especially older and less mobile workers — are able to retrain and gain those skills. There is no easy policy solution for helping the people left behind. The usual unemployment measures — like jobless benefits and food stamps — can serve as temporary palliatives, but they cannot make workers’ skills relevant again."
Also from the New York Times, an article about a service charging $400 per hour to get 20-somethings off their couch to be coached in finding jobs.
Next from the Boston Globe is some advice for the job seeker on trimming down a resume that is too long. It's something that makes looking at a candidates resume a lot easier.
Lastly, from howtonailaninterview.com is advice on, well, how to nail a job interview.
First from the New York Times was a very depressing article from May that talks about the new poor and that some jobs from our economy are never coming back: "Millions of workers who have already been unemployed for months, if not years, will most likely remain that way even as the overall job market continues to improve, economists say. The occupations they worked in, and the skills they currently possess, are never coming back in style. And the demand for new types of skills moves a lot more quickly than workers — especially older and less mobile workers — are able to retrain and gain those skills. There is no easy policy solution for helping the people left behind. The usual unemployment measures — like jobless benefits and food stamps — can serve as temporary palliatives, but they cannot make workers’ skills relevant again."
Also from the New York Times, an article about a service charging $400 per hour to get 20-somethings off their couch to be coached in finding jobs.
Next from the Boston Globe is some advice for the job seeker on trimming down a resume that is too long. It's something that makes looking at a candidates resume a lot easier.
Lastly, from howtonailaninterview.com is advice on, well, how to nail a job interview.