I’ll admit it. The legislative aspects of HR aren’t my favorite. But sometimes, we can’t ignore actions in our nation’s capital. In the last week, 3 items have come to the surface that impact compensation.
First, the Department of Labor is considering updating the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Portal-to-Portal Act to reflect new laws and court decisions. Items under consideration include excluding stock options from regular rate of pay calculations, tip wage credits, compensatory time off, and calculating overtime using the fluctuating workweek method. Want to voice your opinion on these changes? The public comment period runs through September 11th. Share your thoughts now!
In other news, the Paycheck Fairness Act is proposed legislation that warrants a second look. The goal of the proposed law is to end gender-based pay disparities between men and women performing comparable jobs. Experts expect the bill to soon win House approval. Of particular concern? The law would amend the Equal Pay Act to allow unlimited compensatory and punitive damages even for unintentional pay disparities. Experts do not expect the bill to fare well in the Senate. However, don’t leave pending legislation to chance. SHRM has asked its membership to urge their elected officials to vote “no” on the bill.
Lastly, there’s a new federal minimum wage - $6.55 per hour effective July 24th. Make sure your posters and payroll systems are up to date, and you don’t pay your employees below that amount!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Girls Gone Wild
A title sure to get some people's attention...
But we start off with an article from Fistful of Talent which has the author's worst interviews of all time including a story about a girl who went a little wild...and told about it: click here
Also from Fistful of Talent, an interesting article about Brett Favre wrecking a succession plan in Green Bay: click here
Next, Employee Evolution asks if it's worth it to blog about Generation Y? click here
McArthur's Rant rants about how to deal with Negative Nancies as Managers: click here
And an interesting Yahoo! Hotjobs Q&A about whether it's OK to lie on a job resume: click here
(Credit to Jim Stroud and Industry Radar for some of these fine Humpday links)
But we start off with an article from Fistful of Talent which has the author's worst interviews of all time including a story about a girl who went a little wild...and told about it: click here
Also from Fistful of Talent, an interesting article about Brett Favre wrecking a succession plan in Green Bay: click here
Next, Employee Evolution asks if it's worth it to blog about Generation Y? click here
McArthur's Rant rants about how to deal with Negative Nancies as Managers: click here
And an interesting Yahoo! Hotjobs Q&A about whether it's OK to lie on a job resume: click here
(Credit to Jim Stroud and Industry Radar for some of these fine Humpday links)
Layoff Instructions
With massive layoffs hitting all around the financial world (with Wachovia the latest victim yesterday) and trickling down through the rest of the economy, the Wall Street Journal provided instructions on how to deal with being laid off: click here
From the Six-Figure Learnings blog, the "Worse Than Enron Sweepstakes": click here
And lastly, from the Recruiter Review, a title that has a lot of people getting scared about their jobs and the job market "More Job Losses": click here
The New York Daily News provides some instructions on saving your job when your company is bought out: click here
Next, an old article from HR.com says beware of provisions in stock options because laying someone off may vest them: click hereFrom the Six-Figure Learnings blog, the "Worse Than Enron Sweepstakes": click here
And lastly, from the Recruiter Review, a title that has a lot of people getting scared about their jobs and the job market "More Job Losses": click here
Friday, July 18, 2008
Declining Value of a College Degree
Think that your $160,000 private school degree is setting you light years apart from others? Think again says the Washington Post who say that the value of a college degree is declining: click here
From the RecruitingCenter Blog, an entry stating that all we really have is our reputation: click here
Eccentric Employment is a site worth checking out if you're looking to get away from the boring 9-5 (including taking care of a monkey): click here
Word from TalentSpring that and amazing 39% of employees wanted to quit if their employers blocked Facebook: click here
Lastly, the Recruiter Guy gives a list of 100 Niche Job boards: click here
From the RecruitingCenter Blog, an entry stating that all we really have is our reputation: click here
Eccentric Employment is a site worth checking out if you're looking to get away from the boring 9-5 (including taking care of a monkey): click here
Word from TalentSpring that and amazing 39% of employees wanted to quit if their employers blocked Facebook: click here
Lastly, the Recruiter Guy gives a list of 100 Niche Job boards: click here
Thursday, July 17, 2008
What I’m Hearing…Benefits from the Economic Downturn
Listen to the news today, and you’ll undoubtedly become very nervous and / or depressed after just a few minutes. Based on the reports, it sounds like we’re headed for another Great Depression at any minute.
Taking a positive spin on things, The Omnia Group recently conducted a survey asking “What has been the best "hidden" benefit to the recent economic turndown to your business?” The results?
•Refocusing business priorities - 37%
•Reinforcing existing client relationships - 24.7%
•Finding and cutting unnecessary costs - 19.8%
•Overdue company reorganization - 8.6%
•Refinement/adding additional products and services - 6.2%
•Other - 3.7%
What can your organization do to take advantage of our current economy to come out even stronger? How about in your own department? We don’t have to take the poor economic reports as gospel. We can use them to our advantage, to excel and be ahead of our competition when times change for the better.
Taking a positive spin on things, The Omnia Group recently conducted a survey asking “What has been the best "hidden" benefit to the recent economic turndown to your business?” The results?
•Refocusing business priorities - 37%
•Reinforcing existing client relationships - 24.7%
•Finding and cutting unnecessary costs - 19.8%
•Overdue company reorganization - 8.6%
•Refinement/adding additional products and services - 6.2%
•Other - 3.7%
What can your organization do to take advantage of our current economy to come out even stronger? How about in your own department? We don’t have to take the poor economic reports as gospel. We can use them to our advantage, to excel and be ahead of our competition when times change for the better.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
What I’m Hearing…Desk Rage
I’ve heard of Road Rage and ‘Roid Rage. Today I learned about “Desk Rage.”
Desk Rage happens when employees are short-tempered, insulting to others, and nasty (at best). At its worst, Desk Rage spills into workplace violence. It makes you long for the days when employee ennui was the worst you’d have to deal with.
Search on “office rage” on YouTube and 232 videos appear. Desk rage has a smaller results page, but videos are there.
Experts claim that Desk Rage will be on the rise as employees worry about the economy, gas prices, credit card debt, mortgages, and job uncertainty.
As HR professionals, more responsibility will fall to us to mitigate the Desk Rage that creeps in our workplaces. What can we do to prevent such incidents from happening? Honest communication on organizational policies, practices, and business results should help. Reminders about key parts of the benefits program, including the EAP, should also be included. Don’t forget time for fun! We all feel stressed at work sometimes. A pizza party, ice cream break, or other fun event can help to diffuse the tensions that build and make sure Desk Rage doesn’t become a commonplace part of your organization.
Update from Andrew: This is one of my "favorites" in this category...not sure if it's staged. But it's quite an amazing video regardless: click here
Desk Rage happens when employees are short-tempered, insulting to others, and nasty (at best). At its worst, Desk Rage spills into workplace violence. It makes you long for the days when employee ennui was the worst you’d have to deal with.
Search on “office rage” on YouTube and 232 videos appear. Desk rage has a smaller results page, but videos are there.
Experts claim that Desk Rage will be on the rise as employees worry about the economy, gas prices, credit card debt, mortgages, and job uncertainty.
As HR professionals, more responsibility will fall to us to mitigate the Desk Rage that creeps in our workplaces. What can we do to prevent such incidents from happening? Honest communication on organizational policies, practices, and business results should help. Reminders about key parts of the benefits program, including the EAP, should also be included. Don’t forget time for fun! We all feel stressed at work sometimes. A pizza party, ice cream break, or other fun event can help to diffuse the tensions that build and make sure Desk Rage doesn’t become a commonplace part of your organization.
Update from Andrew: This is one of my "favorites" in this category...not sure if it's staged. But it's quite an amazing video regardless: click here
TXT MSG Monitoring
Fredrikson & Byron P.A. starts us off on All-Star Tuesday with an article about the employers right to monitor text messaging and e-mail being as strong as ever: click here
Following that note, Workforce Management says that Human Resources technology spending is still growing according to the recent studies of Towers Perrin and AMR Research: click here
In other news, the Staffscapes blog reports that the Federal Minimum Wage will increase July 24th: click here
The HR Capitalist talks about employees who hate employers but refer them anyways: click here
And Recruiting Trends asks if passive candidates can leverage superior job security terms: click here
Following that note, Workforce Management says that Human Resources technology spending is still growing according to the recent studies of Towers Perrin and AMR Research: click here
In other news, the Staffscapes blog reports that the Federal Minimum Wage will increase July 24th: click here
The HR Capitalist talks about employees who hate employers but refer them anyways: click here
And Recruiting Trends asks if passive candidates can leverage superior job security terms: click here
Friday, July 11, 2008
More recruiting articles...
We're not ready to call it a weekend just yet...
Rosie left us a comment on the last post with two great website links: click here and here
Work blogging has everything from cyberslacking to an upgrade for the Steelworker union: click here
Recruiting Nevada gives readers a little bit of everything as well from resumes on job boards to using Google: click here
The Windmill has alternatives to salary negotiations and advice on how to get hired by the Best companies: click here
How about some tips from/for the top recruiters? click here
And, lastly (and most importantly) go to our main website at Astron Solutions and find out more about what we do and who we are: http://astronsolutions.com
Rosie left us a comment on the last post with two great website links: click here and here
Work blogging has everything from cyberslacking to an upgrade for the Steelworker union: click here
Recruiting Nevada gives readers a little bit of everything as well from resumes on job boards to using Google: click here
The Windmill has alternatives to salary negotiations and advice on how to get hired by the Best companies: click here
How about some tips from/for the top recruiters? click here
And, lastly (and most importantly) go to our main website at Astron Solutions and find out more about what we do and who we are: http://astronsolutions.com
Bloggerific Recruiting
Taking you around the world of HR on this Summer Friday with some great Human Resources articles/blogs, mostly having to do with recruiting (with some props given to Jim Stroud of the Recruiters Lounge--click here--where we found a bunch of these)
First we start with "Invested, innovative, brilliant: Improving the recruiting experience" blog with articles on Gen Y and Facebook among other topics: click here
Riveting Rosie also has some ideas on reaching Gen Y'ers: click here
Personnel Today has an article on Video Game developers bring in HR to help with recruiting problems: click here
The Boston Herald has new on the in demand job perk that is helping to ease commuting pains and recruit more employees: click here
HR Files has a little bit of everything: click here
Recruiting Trends does also: click here
Lastly, ESPN.com has five new trends in recruiting...for top high school football candidates: click here
Have a great weekend and we'll be giving you more and more HR recruiting resources real soon
First we start with "Invested, innovative, brilliant: Improving the recruiting experience" blog with articles on Gen Y and Facebook among other topics: click here
Riveting Rosie also has some ideas on reaching Gen Y'ers: click here
Personnel Today has an article on Video Game developers bring in HR to help with recruiting problems: click here
The Boston Herald has new on the in demand job perk that is helping to ease commuting pains and recruit more employees: click here
HR Files has a little bit of everything: click here
Recruiting Trends does also: click here
Lastly, ESPN.com has five new trends in recruiting...for top high school football candidates: click here
Have a great weekend and we'll be giving you more and more HR recruiting resources real soon
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Supporting NY and the 'Stache
We find it hard to disguise our love of baseball here on the Astron Blog and with both Mets and Yankees fans on the team, we decided to give some extra help to those teams. We've added on the right side of the blog, a voting widget so you can vote for whoever you want (or Jason Giambi of the New York Yankees and David Wright of the New York Mets). We're located in New York, but won't give away who we're voting for (Giambi and Wright).
Amazingly, the Yankees and the American Mustache Institute (not even remotely kidding) have endorsed Jason Giambi as the AL candidate: click here
Giambi's mustache has gotten so popular it's become an icon at the
stadium: click here
And it even has it's own blog: click here
David Wright hasn't resorted to the 'Stache [yet], but we'll give him the nod, as well--for John.
It has nothing to do with HR...but we urge you to support New York...
Monday, July 07, 2008
What I’m Hearing…Apex Awards for Publication Excellence
We couldn’t keep the good news from you...
Today’s mail delivery brought us a wonderful surprise. Amid the bills and flyers was notification that our blog received a 2008 Apex Award for Publication Excellence! Thank you to our readers for contributing to our success. We’ll be sure to keep building on our past achievements to make the blog even more useful, fun, and interesting for you!
Update (from Andrew): Just wanted to post the link to the Awards List (click here) so that you can see our fearless leader, Jennifer's, name in lights (or at least in print). I would also like to extend my thanks to our readers and we hope you continue to read, pass it on to your friends, and check out all the things that Astron Solutions (click here) has to offer your company!
Today’s mail delivery brought us a wonderful surprise. Amid the bills and flyers was notification that our blog received a 2008 Apex Award for Publication Excellence! Thank you to our readers for contributing to our success. We’ll be sure to keep building on our past achievements to make the blog even more useful, fun, and interesting for you!
Update (from Andrew): Just wanted to post the link to the Awards List (click here) so that you can see our fearless leader, Jennifer's, name in lights (or at least in print). I would also like to extend my thanks to our readers and we hope you continue to read, pass it on to your friends, and check out all the things that Astron Solutions (click here) has to offer your company!
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Summer Interns
We were all at one point (or are now...or will be) summer interns and so we know the ups and downs of the trade. You come in feeling a little nervous, but excited about the summer that lies ahead. You get to meet some people and go out to happy hours and get wined and dined at times, but you soon learn you're the bottom of the food chain. There are certain things that flow downhill and you--much like Jack and Jill--have tumbled down to the bottom. But there is solace in the fact that it's for the resume/the wallet/college credits/just for fun. But alas, for better or worse, the summer is soon over and then it's back to school. You've made some contacts and done some networking, but you realize it's not enough. You go back to school and put it on the resume and hope that some of it sticks with you the rest of life.
How about some advice on those internships?
The Boston Globe (via Boston.com, Monster.com, the Hiring Hub, the HR Center, and the HR Blog) says that if you get a Google internship, fame will follow: click here
I tried for that elusive Google internship and failed in the pursuit...but judging by the experience one of my friends is having working there now, I truly missed out...
The Wall Street Journal (via CareerJournal, and "90 Days") has some tips on making the most of your summer internship: click here
And two more articles...
Back to the Journal which has an article on going back to school for career advice: click here
And back to the Globe for some advice on how that leadership experience in Fraternities and Sororities in college looks like: click here
How about some advice on those internships?
The Boston Globe (via Boston.com, Monster.com, the Hiring Hub, the HR Center, and the HR Blog) says that if you get a Google internship, fame will follow: click here
I tried for that elusive Google internship and failed in the pursuit...but judging by the experience one of my friends is having working there now, I truly missed out...
The Wall Street Journal (via CareerJournal, and "90 Days") has some tips on making the most of your summer internship: click here
And two more articles...
Back to the Journal which has an article on going back to school for career advice: click here
And back to the Globe for some advice on how that leadership experience in Fraternities and Sororities in college looks like: click here
What I'm Hearing...Caught on Camera
At SHRM last week, we captured this interesting pose from our colleage John Sazaklis. We wonder what his expression means! Here's where you can help...let us know what he's thinking. New Yorker magazine - watch out!
What I’m Hearing…Professional Dating
On a recent flight to Chicago, I read Continental Airline’s in-flight magazine (www.continental.com/magazine). The magazine had an ad for a service called It’s Just Lunch. According to the ad, “It’s Just Lunch is the dating service designed for the busy professional.” The service matches you up with other compatible individuals with whom you meet for a low pressure lunch to see if the relationship is worth pursuing.
The ad contains several facts to build the case for needing their services. Although the referenced studies aren’t cited by name, the “facts” are as follows:
1. Americans work the longest hours among industrialized countries.
2. Half of white-collar workers log fifty or more hours a week.
3. Americans take more than 405,000,000 business trips each year.
4. 42% of Americans work more hours now than they did 5 years ago.
5. Meeting someone special can be a full-time job.
The upshot? Time is precious and it’s never coming back. Waste a few hours on a bad date and your weekend is shot.
This got me thinking. First, if people are this busy, do they genuinely have the time to invest in a meaningful relationship? Or does the name truly say it all – it’s just lunch?
Second, why are we working this much? Do we work this hard because “we’re supposed to,” or do we work this hard because our work positively contributes to our lives and well-being, as well as the lives of those we impact?
Third, when did dating become a job? Isn’t it supposed to be fun? I never considered meeting someone special to be a business.
Perhaps if we took a little more time to enjoy a positive work/life balance, dating wouldn’t be as high risk an activity as the ad makes it out to be.
The ad contains several facts to build the case for needing their services. Although the referenced studies aren’t cited by name, the “facts” are as follows:
1. Americans work the longest hours among industrialized countries.
2. Half of white-collar workers log fifty or more hours a week.
3. Americans take more than 405,000,000 business trips each year.
4. 42% of Americans work more hours now than they did 5 years ago.
5. Meeting someone special can be a full-time job.
The upshot? Time is precious and it’s never coming back. Waste a few hours on a bad date and your weekend is shot.
This got me thinking. First, if people are this busy, do they genuinely have the time to invest in a meaningful relationship? Or does the name truly say it all – it’s just lunch?
Second, why are we working this much? Do we work this hard because “we’re supposed to,” or do we work this hard because our work positively contributes to our lives and well-being, as well as the lives of those we impact?
Third, when did dating become a job? Isn’t it supposed to be fun? I never considered meeting someone special to be a business.
Perhaps if we took a little more time to enjoy a positive work/life balance, dating wouldn’t be as high risk an activity as the ad makes it out to be.
Friday, June 27, 2008
What I’m Hearing…The Latest from SHRM
What a week it’s been! I’m back from the SHRM conference in Chicago. It was, as expected, a great time. The conference hosted over 14,000 HR professionals from around the globe. Sidney Poitier was one of the most popular keynote speakers. The exhibit hall contained over 50 rows of vendors! And the Tuesday evening concert with Lionel Richie was entertaining, fast paced, and fun.
The SHRM conference wasn’t all fun and games, however. The Special Expertise Panels kicked off two of SHRM’s largest and newest initiatives for the coming year. The first addresses the issue of Workforce Readiness. Out of 100 students currently in the 9th grade, only 18 will receive a Bachelor’s degree within 6 years, or an Associate’s degree within 3 years of starting a program. Many of today’s graduates do not have the skills needed to perform successfully in the workplace. SHRM has begun the process of developing a response and action plan to address this major concern.
The second area of interest is developing a competency model for senior HR practitioners. Specifically what are those non-HR competencies necessary for someone below the C-Suite level to be a successful business partner?
Stay tuned to SHRM and What I’m Hearing for updates on these critical initiatives that impact you and your organization.
The SHRM conference wasn’t all fun and games, however. The Special Expertise Panels kicked off two of SHRM’s largest and newest initiatives for the coming year. The first addresses the issue of Workforce Readiness. Out of 100 students currently in the 9th grade, only 18 will receive a Bachelor’s degree within 6 years, or an Associate’s degree within 3 years of starting a program. Many of today’s graduates do not have the skills needed to perform successfully in the workplace. SHRM has begun the process of developing a response and action plan to address this major concern.
The second area of interest is developing a competency model for senior HR practitioners. Specifically what are those non-HR competencies necessary for someone below the C-Suite level to be a successful business partner?
Stay tuned to SHRM and What I’m Hearing for updates on these critical initiatives that impact you and your organization.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Point/Counterpoint: How to Manage an Office Full of 20-Somethings
First we have US News and World Report who has their view of managing 20 somethings in today's office environment:
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2008/6/24/an-office-full-of-20-somethings.html
And on our counterpoint is the always-edgy and youthful Gawker who says that the people at US News and World Report have no clue what they're talking about: http://gawker.com/tag/work/?i=396983&t=how-to-manage-20+somethings-the-real-shit
-Andrew
Monday, June 23, 2008
Executive Decisions
We're sorry we missed some of these articles, but we want to get back to you in style her at the Astron blog...
First, an old article recently reprinted in the Wall Street Journal gives some hints about what employers are seeking in Human Resource Executives: click here
Human Resource Executive Online follows up with an article about disclosing executive-pay goals: click here
HR Daily Advisor follows up on a recent SHRM discussion about when safety and religion collide: click here
Job Journal has an article about America's declining job readiness, a topic we have discussed on the blog before: click here
And lastly, following up on one of our big stories from last week...Jerry Manuel, the New York Mets new coach now has called the Mets fans a big pile of fertilizer (courtesy of the New York Post via FOX Sports on MSN): click here
This is an organization that's in need of some work...
First, an old article recently reprinted in the Wall Street Journal gives some hints about what employers are seeking in Human Resource Executives: click here
Human Resource Executive Online follows up with an article about disclosing executive-pay goals: click here
HR Daily Advisor follows up on a recent SHRM discussion about when safety and religion collide: click here
Job Journal has an article about America's declining job readiness, a topic we have discussed on the blog before: click here
And lastly, following up on one of our big stories from last week...Jerry Manuel, the New York Mets new coach now has called the Mets fans a big pile of fertilizer (courtesy of the New York Post via FOX Sports on MSN): click here
This is an organization that's in need of some work...
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Letterman Weighs In
One more and then we'll leave the Mets alone for now:
From David Letterman, on the firing of Willie Randolph (via Jason Stark of ESPN.com's blog: click here):
From David Letterman, on the firing of Willie Randolph (via Jason Stark of ESPN.com's blog: click here):
- "Willie is pretty good about it. He said he's looking forward to spending more time at home being booed by his family."
A New Approach
This is a new approach from the old manager to say the least (third paragraph down):
So to get his player in line Jerry Manuel is going to threaten to cut them? Those in Public Relations and Human Resources everywhere are pulling their hair out...
-Andrew
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Accountability in the Clubhouse
More on the Mets after Jennifer's great post...
The headlines aren't pretty: click here and here
And even Jon Stewart and the Daily Show have gotten into it:
And the articles about how poorly this was executed were numerous to say the least: click here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here (we'll stop here to be nice)
Willie Randolph's mother even got her opinion in here via the Journal News: click here
Journal News Beat Writer Peter Abraham thinks (and has thought) that the Mets need a Vice President of Common Sense: click here
But maybe one of the topics we need to be talking about, especially as HR Professionals, are how little accountability gets taken in this situation. The truth is that the easiest person to fire in sports is always the manager or head coach. But why wasn't it the owners faults? Or the players faults? Or, most glaringly, the General Manager's fault?
In sports (unlike a lot of other places in life) players cannot be simply and cheaply fired. In baseball, hockey and basketball you can waive or buy-out players but you still need to pay the entire amount of their contract. Football players can be waved but certain parts of salaries and bonuses still need to be paid and a certain salary cap hit still applies. Since most players that would actually change the tone of an underachieving team are the biggest stars, this can be an expensive and usually cost-prohibitive method. Trading a player is always an option but if a player is overpaid and underachieving you either get back another overpaid underachiever or pennies to the dollar in value for the guy you want to shed. A lot of marginal or young players end up getting moved because of the flexibility they retain in having a small contract. So the truth is that while the players have the largest impact by far on the end-product, and in a normal business they would be the first to go, the star players usually can escape the blame.
Owners don't fire themselves both in real life and on sports teams so that's out. But they write the checks and approve the deals and hire the General Manager, Manager and coaches.
General Managers seem to have a greater lifespan than managers (who also last longer than their coaches--who become sacrificial lambs at times). Omar Minaya showed that in this case. Minaya built the team and served as the axeman...but seemed to bear no responsibility in the end, even blaming the media in the end.
So it's the manager that goes and it brings up an issue for Human Resources: when things goes wrong and nobody is obviously solely to blame: who do you blame? who gets fired?
Many people feel like Minaya is next but the truth of the matter is that he should go just for how he handled the situation. Letting someone go is never easy to do but it should never be this difficult and drawn-out and messy and public. At this point, they are making the Yankees look like model citizens.
The headlines aren't pretty: click here and here
And even Jon Stewart and the Daily Show have gotten into it:
And the articles about how poorly this was executed were numerous to say the least: click here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here (we'll stop here to be nice)
Willie Randolph's mother even got her opinion in here via the Journal News: click here
Journal News Beat Writer Peter Abraham thinks (and has thought) that the Mets need a Vice President of Common Sense: click here
But maybe one of the topics we need to be talking about, especially as HR Professionals, are how little accountability gets taken in this situation. The truth is that the easiest person to fire in sports is always the manager or head coach. But why wasn't it the owners faults? Or the players faults? Or, most glaringly, the General Manager's fault?
In sports (unlike a lot of other places in life) players cannot be simply and cheaply fired. In baseball, hockey and basketball you can waive or buy-out players but you still need to pay the entire amount of their contract. Football players can be waved but certain parts of salaries and bonuses still need to be paid and a certain salary cap hit still applies. Since most players that would actually change the tone of an underachieving team are the biggest stars, this can be an expensive and usually cost-prohibitive method. Trading a player is always an option but if a player is overpaid and underachieving you either get back another overpaid underachiever or pennies to the dollar in value for the guy you want to shed. A lot of marginal or young players end up getting moved because of the flexibility they retain in having a small contract. So the truth is that while the players have the largest impact by far on the end-product, and in a normal business they would be the first to go, the star players usually can escape the blame.
Owners don't fire themselves both in real life and on sports teams so that's out. But they write the checks and approve the deals and hire the General Manager, Manager and coaches.
General Managers seem to have a greater lifespan than managers (who also last longer than their coaches--who become sacrificial lambs at times). Omar Minaya showed that in this case. Minaya built the team and served as the axeman...but seemed to bear no responsibility in the end, even blaming the media in the end.
So it's the manager that goes and it brings up an issue for Human Resources: when things goes wrong and nobody is obviously solely to blame: who do you blame? who gets fired?
Many people feel like Minaya is next but the truth of the matter is that he should go just for how he handled the situation. Letting someone go is never easy to do but it should never be this difficult and drawn-out and messy and public. At this point, they are making the Yankees look like model citizens.
What I’m Hearing…The “Midnight Massacre”
Late Monday night, New York Mets fired their Manager Willie Randolph. While this news is not entirely surprising – the rumors had been flying for quite some time – the manner in which it was handled is enough to make any HR professional cringe.
First the team’s owners let Mr. Randolph begin a road trip on the West Coast. They decided to fire him the next day, 2,500 miles away from home. After the team won their game against the Angels. At midnight, local time (3 AM EDT).
Not surprisingly, the Mets lost their game last night.
Terminating an employee is never an easy task. But when did common sense, respect, and manners make a quick exit from the process? The team’s owner claims that Willie Randolph is still his friend, but this was strictly a business issue. I hope none of my friends ever treat me like that.
Certainly every employee relations issue has many factors influencing the termination decision. And in many cases, termination is the only viable option for organizational success. For the most part, though, no one wants to lose their job. Nor do most people want to terminate employees. The more respectful and swift the process, in a comfortable environment, the better the outcomes should be for everyone.
First the team’s owners let Mr. Randolph begin a road trip on the West Coast. They decided to fire him the next day, 2,500 miles away from home. After the team won their game against the Angels. At midnight, local time (3 AM EDT).
Not surprisingly, the Mets lost their game last night.
Terminating an employee is never an easy task. But when did common sense, respect, and manners make a quick exit from the process? The team’s owner claims that Willie Randolph is still his friend, but this was strictly a business issue. I hope none of my friends ever treat me like that.
Certainly every employee relations issue has many factors influencing the termination decision. And in many cases, termination is the only viable option for organizational success. For the most part, though, no one wants to lose their job. Nor do most people want to terminate employees. The more respectful and swift the process, in a comfortable environment, the better the outcomes should be for everyone.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Going To The Vault
We're sorry we've missed you...but we want to update you with all the latest news in Human Resources (links and info from Vault.com)
Weekly Jobless Claims (Seasonally Adjusted), Week Ending 05/31 (reported 06/05) 357,000
Weekly Jobless Claims Change from Previous Week (seasonally adjusted) -18,000
Payroll Employment (Nonfarm Jobs Created or Lost), May -49,000
Unemployment Rate, May 5.5 percent
Six Essential Interview Questions: Vault Blogs
by Judi Perkins
An interview is a two-way street. It's not only important for the interviewer to learn if you fit them, but you need to find out if the company fits you. You also need to know if there are potential problems lurking behind the scenes. Most job seekers go to an interview prepared with questions, but not the ones which will ferret out the type of information they need to know before they begin working there.
Below area few questions that should always be asked. Not only will they help you to ascertain if the job for which you are interviewing meets the criterion of your perfect job, but the answers, when put together, will give you a fairly accurate picture of what's going on behind the interview.
Read more on Vault: click here
Unemployment spike stirs stimulus talk
The dismal jobs report on Friday has prompted renewed calls for a second congressional effort to stimulate the economy. The Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate jumped to 5.5 percent in May from 5 percent a month earlier. It was the biggest monthly increase in more than 20 years. Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill said the report shows that Congress and the Bush administration need to do more to help workers and the unemployed. Read more: click here .
Hillary Clinton shattered a political glass ceiling
A new CBS News poll shows most voters think that by making a serious run for the Democratic nomination, Clinton made it easier for other women to run for president. Sixty percent of men and 76 percent of women agree with that statement. Among Democrats, 75 percent agree; among Republicans, it's 63 percent. Overall, 88 percent of voters agree with the statement "I am glad to see a woman as a serious contender for president." In 1984, when Geraldine Ferraro made history as the first female vice-presidential nominee for a major party, a CBS poll found only 62 percent of voters were "glad that a woman was nominated." Read more: click here
Some employers helping workers ease cost of commuting
A nationwide survey released last week found that 57 percent of employers offer some workplace program to ease commuting costs. The most popular: a condensed workweek of four 10-hour days, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an outplacement consultancy in Chicago. The survey of 100 human resources executives across a variety of industries also found that one in five companies organizes employee carpools, with 14 percent increasing their telecommuting options and 18 percent subsidizing the cost of public transportation. Read more: click here
Pentagon's latest recruits: professors
Military power requires brainpower, and the Defense Department is moving to engage a new generation of scientists and engineers to conduct research that may pay off in technological breakthroughs for the nation's military. The department last week announced the selection of six university professors who will form the first class of the National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellows Program. The professors will receive grants of up to $600,000 per year for up to five years to engage in basic research - essentially a bet by the Pentagon that they will make a discovery that proves vital to maintaining the superiority of the U.S. military. Read more: click here
A third of employed Americans do not take all the vacation days that they are entitled to
A global study by Expedia.com found that about a third of employed Americans usually do not take all the vacation days that they are entitled to, leaving an average of three days on the table. About a quarter of the workers in Britain do not take all their vacation time, and in France a little less. The only difference is that the British get an average of 26 days of vacation and the French about 37 - compared with our 14 days. 137 countries mandate paid vacation time. The United States is the only industrialized country that doesn't. About a quarter of all workers in the private sector do not receive paid vacation. And the number of Americans who said in April that they were going to take a vacation in the next six months is at a 30-year low, according to their regular consumer survey. Only 39 percent of those responding said they would go away on holiday over the next half year. Read more: click here (Free subscription required).
Helping teens find summer work
Only about one-third of teenagers 16- to 19-years-old will find a job this summer, a sign of slow economic growth and higher minimum wage for all workers in the U.S. In fact, their employment rate this season is expected to be the lowest in six decades, according to a study from the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University. Low-income and minority youths will have a particularly hard time finding work. For them, the study says, the job picture may look more like "a Great Depression." Some companies are cutting back or delaying summer hiring, while a tight job market is driving unemployed older workers into traditional teen jobs. Read more: click here
Some employers get tough on workplace gossip
In workplaces everywhere, gossip remains a daily fact of life. Around watercoolers, behind closed doors, and in e-mails, employees whisper about everything from office romances to rumored mergers and layoffs. Defenders insist that this chatter is often harmless, giving workers a window on legitimate news. Critics charge that it can be insidious and malicious, lowering morale. Read more: click here
Weekly Jobless Claims (Seasonally Adjusted), Week Ending 05/31 (reported 06/05) 357,000
Weekly Jobless Claims Change from Previous Week (seasonally adjusted) -18,000
Payroll Employment (Nonfarm Jobs Created or Lost), May -49,000
Unemployment Rate, May 5.5 percent
Six Essential Interview Questions: Vault Blogs
by Judi Perkins
An interview is a two-way street. It's not only important for the interviewer to learn if you fit them, but you need to find out if the company fits you. You also need to know if there are potential problems lurking behind the scenes. Most job seekers go to an interview prepared with questions, but not the ones which will ferret out the type of information they need to know before they begin working there.
Below area few questions that should always be asked. Not only will they help you to ascertain if the job for which you are interviewing meets the criterion of your perfect job, but the answers, when put together, will give you a fairly accurate picture of what's going on behind the interview.
Read more on Vault: click here
Unemployment spike stirs stimulus talk
The dismal jobs report on Friday has prompted renewed calls for a second congressional effort to stimulate the economy. The Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate jumped to 5.5 percent in May from 5 percent a month earlier. It was the biggest monthly increase in more than 20 years. Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill said the report shows that Congress and the Bush administration need to do more to help workers and the unemployed. Read more: click here .
Hillary Clinton shattered a political glass ceiling
A new CBS News poll shows most voters think that by making a serious run for the Democratic nomination, Clinton made it easier for other women to run for president. Sixty percent of men and 76 percent of women agree with that statement. Among Democrats, 75 percent agree; among Republicans, it's 63 percent. Overall, 88 percent of voters agree with the statement "I am glad to see a woman as a serious contender for president." In 1984, when Geraldine Ferraro made history as the first female vice-presidential nominee for a major party, a CBS poll found only 62 percent of voters were "glad that a woman was nominated." Read more: click here
Some employers helping workers ease cost of commuting
A nationwide survey released last week found that 57 percent of employers offer some workplace program to ease commuting costs. The most popular: a condensed workweek of four 10-hour days, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an outplacement consultancy in Chicago. The survey of 100 human resources executives across a variety of industries also found that one in five companies organizes employee carpools, with 14 percent increasing their telecommuting options and 18 percent subsidizing the cost of public transportation. Read more: click here
Pentagon's latest recruits: professors
Military power requires brainpower, and the Defense Department is moving to engage a new generation of scientists and engineers to conduct research that may pay off in technological breakthroughs for the nation's military. The department last week announced the selection of six university professors who will form the first class of the National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellows Program. The professors will receive grants of up to $600,000 per year for up to five years to engage in basic research - essentially a bet by the Pentagon that they will make a discovery that proves vital to maintaining the superiority of the U.S. military. Read more: click here
A third of employed Americans do not take all the vacation days that they are entitled to
A global study by Expedia.com found that about a third of employed Americans usually do not take all the vacation days that they are entitled to, leaving an average of three days on the table. About a quarter of the workers in Britain do not take all their vacation time, and in France a little less. The only difference is that the British get an average of 26 days of vacation and the French about 37 - compared with our 14 days. 137 countries mandate paid vacation time. The United States is the only industrialized country that doesn't. About a quarter of all workers in the private sector do not receive paid vacation. And the number of Americans who said in April that they were going to take a vacation in the next six months is at a 30-year low, according to their regular consumer survey. Only 39 percent of those responding said they would go away on holiday over the next half year. Read more: click here (Free subscription required).
Helping teens find summer work
Only about one-third of teenagers 16- to 19-years-old will find a job this summer, a sign of slow economic growth and higher minimum wage for all workers in the U.S. In fact, their employment rate this season is expected to be the lowest in six decades, according to a study from the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University. Low-income and minority youths will have a particularly hard time finding work. For them, the study says, the job picture may look more like "a Great Depression." Some companies are cutting back or delaying summer hiring, while a tight job market is driving unemployed older workers into traditional teen jobs. Read more: click here
Some employers get tough on workplace gossip
In workplaces everywhere, gossip remains a daily fact of life. Around watercoolers, behind closed doors, and in e-mails, employees whisper about everything from office romances to rumored mergers and layoffs. Defenders insist that this chatter is often harmless, giving workers a window on legitimate news. Critics charge that it can be insidious and malicious, lowering morale. Read more: click here
Thursday, June 05, 2008
What I’m Hearing…Alumni Networks
Say the phrase “alumni network” and most people are bound to think about college. However, more and more organizations are using alumni networks to their strategic advantage. They consider “alumni,” or groups of employees who used to work for the organization, a key source of potential future talent. That potential talent would be either the former employees themselves or people those individuals know.
The other night, I passed Cipriani 42nd Street here in Manhattan. They were hosting a special event for PriceWaterhouse Coopers and its alumni network. Cipriani doesn’t come cheap, so PWC must consider the expense of catering worthwhile in terms of recruitment and retention ROI.
The event got me thinking – is it possible to go home again? If an organization is good, why do people leave? There are, of course, situations like retirement, spouses’ relocation, personal or family’s health, etc. that wouldn’t close the door on returning to a former employer. These situations aside, however, can a new relationship be as good as or better than the first time? I have seen a few instances where this is true, so the risk of spending countless dollars courting alumni must be outweighed by the potential reward. Maybe with their 70s hit “Reunited,” Peaches and Herb had it right after all.
The other night, I passed Cipriani 42nd Street here in Manhattan. They were hosting a special event for PriceWaterhouse Coopers and its alumni network. Cipriani doesn’t come cheap, so PWC must consider the expense of catering worthwhile in terms of recruitment and retention ROI.
The event got me thinking – is it possible to go home again? If an organization is good, why do people leave? There are, of course, situations like retirement, spouses’ relocation, personal or family’s health, etc. that wouldn’t close the door on returning to a former employer. These situations aside, however, can a new relationship be as good as or better than the first time? I have seen a few instances where this is true, so the risk of spending countless dollars courting alumni must be outweighed by the potential reward. Maybe with their 70s hit “Reunited,” Peaches and Herb had it right after all.
Remembering Toby...
It's been two weeks since the Office season finale and I think I've finally digested all that happened. But after all the memories of jokes and pranks and marriage proposals, it's important to remember the main theme of the episode: Toby, the Human Resources of Dundler Mifflin Scranton left the show and is heading to Costa Rica.
Toby was Michael's foil the entire show and their juxtoposition was never more clear than in this final episode. And Michael's disdain for Toby and Human Resources in general was especialy present.
Toby's situation is a nightmarish one in many ways. He has an off-the-cuff manager who is totally politically incorrect and bordeline harassing at times to his employees. He has a workplace where employees date, bring in dead animals or weapons to work, talk back to the bosses, don't follow rules, and generally don't seem to like being there or like their fellow co-workers.
Worst of all, Toby seemed to have no power. Michael, the manager, was not only a non-help in creating a human-resource-compliant office, but he was also the cause and example of these violations. Anytime Michael or someone else should have been disciplined, Toby got overruled by someone else.
So Toby decided he had enough and made plans to leave for Costa Rica. There is a new human resource officer in town and we as human resource professionals hope that she has an easier time at it than Toby did.
Good-bye, Toby; we'll miss you.
Toby was Michael's foil the entire show and their juxtoposition was never more clear than in this final episode. And Michael's disdain for Toby and Human Resources in general was especialy present.
Toby's situation is a nightmarish one in many ways. He has an off-the-cuff manager who is totally politically incorrect and bordeline harassing at times to his employees. He has a workplace where employees date, bring in dead animals or weapons to work, talk back to the bosses, don't follow rules, and generally don't seem to like being there or like their fellow co-workers.
Worst of all, Toby seemed to have no power. Michael, the manager, was not only a non-help in creating a human-resource-compliant office, but he was also the cause and example of these violations. Anytime Michael or someone else should have been disciplined, Toby got overruled by someone else.
So Toby decided he had enough and made plans to leave for Costa Rica. There is a new human resource officer in town and we as human resource professionals hope that she has an easier time at it than Toby did.
Good-bye, Toby; we'll miss you.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
The start of mobile blogging
Welcome to the new age of the Astron Solutions' blog...mobile blogging
So we'll now be even more capable of bringing you the most up-to-date HR news out there...not that we think we were too shabby to begin with :)
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Eavesdropping in the office....
Last week I started to talk about eavesdropping in the office...but maybe it's time to have it's own blog article...
There are many types of eavesdropping in the office. One could occur when someone overhears your personal phone conversation with a family member or friend. Another could occur when two colleagues are talking about a third worker, a client, or a potential deal and are overheard by a third party. Yet another could occur when a coworker is talking to a client and you overhear this conversation.
All of these have great potential conflicts for Human Resources. In places like New York City where space is at a premium so offices are abandoned in lieu of cubes, people's phone conversations as well as conversations with other works can be easily overheard.
And these have implications beyond privacy issues. If an investment banker is talking about a deal with Material Non-Public Information (MNPI) and another employee eavesdrops on this and uses that information in their personal or professional life in an unethical way, this could lead to serious problems for a company.
Feelings get hurt or rumors get started when certain conversations are overheard. Client's personal information can get into the wrong hands. In medical organizations, HIPPA violations can occur when this happens. And conversations in a public place like an elevator can lead to eavesdropping by competitors.
Ladies Home Journal says to always watch what you're saying because you NEVER know who's listening and gives a few examples: click here
Almost three years ago a company named "Babble" came out with a product to help drown out eavesdropping as reported in this old CNN piece: click here
And, lastly, the US Department of Energy has some advice on those that think they are being eavesdropped upon by a competitor: click here
The lesson here for HR is to make sure to tell your employees (and, even more importantly, practice this to the utmost) to remember that Big Brother is always listening and to mind what they say when others can be listening...
There are many types of eavesdropping in the office. One could occur when someone overhears your personal phone conversation with a family member or friend. Another could occur when two colleagues are talking about a third worker, a client, or a potential deal and are overheard by a third party. Yet another could occur when a coworker is talking to a client and you overhear this conversation.
All of these have great potential conflicts for Human Resources. In places like New York City where space is at a premium so offices are abandoned in lieu of cubes, people's phone conversations as well as conversations with other works can be easily overheard.
And these have implications beyond privacy issues. If an investment banker is talking about a deal with Material Non-Public Information (MNPI) and another employee eavesdrops on this and uses that information in their personal or professional life in an unethical way, this could lead to serious problems for a company.
Feelings get hurt or rumors get started when certain conversations are overheard. Client's personal information can get into the wrong hands. In medical organizations, HIPPA violations can occur when this happens. And conversations in a public place like an elevator can lead to eavesdropping by competitors.
Ladies Home Journal says to always watch what you're saying because you NEVER know who's listening and gives a few examples: click here
Almost three years ago a company named "Babble" came out with a product to help drown out eavesdropping as reported in this old CNN piece: click here
And, lastly, the US Department of Energy has some advice on those that think they are being eavesdropped upon by a competitor: click here
The lesson here for HR is to make sure to tell your employees (and, even more importantly, practice this to the utmost) to remember that Big Brother is always listening and to mind what they say when others can be listening...
Monday, June 02, 2008
What I’m Hearing…Rising Gasoline Prices and Employers’ Responses
According to a recent Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey, U.S. companies have more than doubled their gas-cost related efforts as a means to attract and retain employees. With prices over $4 a gallon in New York City, and near $3.89 in Northern New Jersey, driving to work is costly. Some of the recent employer initiatives include providing higher pay raises, increasing mileage reimbursement rates, and awarding special bonuses. Other approaches to this thorny situation include encouragement for employees to use public transportation and buying buses and vans to take employees to and from work.
Interestingly, one item that didn’t make the list, but is starting to generate some buzz, is the use of compressed workweeks. Under a compressed workweek, employees work four 10 hour days, for example, to accomplish a full week’s work in fewer days. I’ve also started to hear of a three 12 hour day option.
Compressed workweeks can be tricky from several perspectives, including employee burnout and team member morale for those not working the special schedule. In addition, not all positions lend themselves to such a schedule. However, the more creative an organization can be in helping employees deal with this situation, the better their chances of attracting and retaining the talent needed for success.
Longer-term changes need to come from the broader societal and economic areas to remedy this oil situation. While individually it is difficult to make changes that impact the world, we as employers can do our part by helping employees through the short-term immediate issues, without creating negative impacts in the long-term. For instance, if we give everyone a 10% pay raise now, what happens when we stop giving those types of increases down the road? The short- and long-terms are equally at stake in this new economic climate.
Interestingly, one item that didn’t make the list, but is starting to generate some buzz, is the use of compressed workweeks. Under a compressed workweek, employees work four 10 hour days, for example, to accomplish a full week’s work in fewer days. I’ve also started to hear of a three 12 hour day option.
Compressed workweeks can be tricky from several perspectives, including employee burnout and team member morale for those not working the special schedule. In addition, not all positions lend themselves to such a schedule. However, the more creative an organization can be in helping employees deal with this situation, the better their chances of attracting and retaining the talent needed for success.
Longer-term changes need to come from the broader societal and economic areas to remedy this oil situation. While individually it is difficult to make changes that impact the world, we as employers can do our part by helping employees through the short-term immediate issues, without creating negative impacts in the long-term. For instance, if we give everyone a 10% pay raise now, what happens when we stop giving those types of increases down the road? The short- and long-terms are equally at stake in this new economic climate.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Follow Up on Direct Deposit...
Way back in February, Jennifer wrote a "What I'm Hearing" post on Direct Deposit: click here
Jennifer's conundrum dealt with putting a finger on a good reason people wouldn't use Direct Deposit...
Well this week at work, I've overheard three different conversations (office eavesdropping is for another post...) of people talking about direct deposit.
The first is an employee who is new but could not figure out how to set up the direct deposit. One of the things that employers, and especially Human Resources, need to make sure to do is to allow for an easy and simple process for employees to enroll in direct deposit.
The second was from an employee who has been employed for 9 months and is not enrolled in direct deposit talking to one who is a lot more tenured and is enrolled. The formers' said she was so happy it was not only a Friday, but a payday. The latter said that since they had direct deposit, they had no clue when a payday was coming up. This is one of the hesitations of people to getting direct deposit because they lose out of the joy of the paycheck coming every other week. Some of this is remedied by the bonus checks being delivered in person or in paper form.
The last was actually a conversation overheard on the work shuttle where someone commented that they were reducing their carbon footprint by enrolling in direct deposit. Getting rid of the paper trail of checks and opting out of paper statements is a great--albeit small--way to help out the environment...and check with your bank; there may be financial benefits for opting out of paper statements/checks also...
So there are some answers for you, Jennifer :)
Jennifer's conundrum dealt with putting a finger on a good reason people wouldn't use Direct Deposit...
Well this week at work, I've overheard three different conversations (office eavesdropping is for another post...) of people talking about direct deposit.
The first is an employee who is new but could not figure out how to set up the direct deposit. One of the things that employers, and especially Human Resources, need to make sure to do is to allow for an easy and simple process for employees to enroll in direct deposit.
The second was from an employee who has been employed for 9 months and is not enrolled in direct deposit talking to one who is a lot more tenured and is enrolled. The formers' said she was so happy it was not only a Friday, but a payday. The latter said that since they had direct deposit, they had no clue when a payday was coming up. This is one of the hesitations of people to getting direct deposit because they lose out of the joy of the paycheck coming every other week. Some of this is remedied by the bonus checks being delivered in person or in paper form.
The last was actually a conversation overheard on the work shuttle where someone commented that they were reducing their carbon footprint by enrolling in direct deposit. Getting rid of the paper trail of checks and opting out of paper statements is a great--albeit small--way to help out the environment...and check with your bank; there may be financial benefits for opting out of paper statements/checks also...
So there are some answers for you, Jennifer :)
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Scott McClellan's Exit Interview
I wonder if the White House does exit interviews or this is how their employees express their displeasure (via MyWayNews): click here
This is Human Resources worst nightmare. A former employee not only decides to air his displeasure about his former boss and many former co-workers, but decides to do so in a very public and scathing way. And this is not just any boss and any form of public rebuking, but but the President of the United States and a very well-publicized book about his behavior as the Commander-in-Chief.
US News and World report writes the McClellan is just another Dilbert, a powerless employee with a lousy manager: click here
This is not a normal employee-employer relationship where it can be easier for the former to complain about the behavior of the latter. But this certainly brings to light that employees have a hard time expressing their displeasure of their bosses while in the job but after they leave the position, feel more free and easy to express their real feelings.
Maybe Scott McClellan should have just had a good exit interview...
This is Human Resources worst nightmare. A former employee not only decides to air his displeasure about his former boss and many former co-workers, but decides to do so in a very public and scathing way. And this is not just any boss and any form of public rebuking, but but the President of the United States and a very well-publicized book about his behavior as the Commander-in-Chief.
US News and World report writes the McClellan is just another Dilbert, a powerless employee with a lousy manager: click here
This is not a normal employee-employer relationship where it can be easier for the former to complain about the behavior of the latter. But this certainly brings to light that employees have a hard time expressing their displeasure of their bosses while in the job but after they leave the position, feel more free and easy to express their real feelings.
Maybe Scott McClellan should have just had a good exit interview...
Friday, May 23, 2008
Career Couch
We're all New York Times for this blog...
Starting with the Career Couch, which says even though you have no internship yet, there's still time: click here
Next, also from the Times, their Preoccupation section writes about a "professional media transcriptionist": click here
Then, Shifting Careers tells you why leisure matters in a busy world: click here
We go back to the Career Couch which gives advice on a gainful way to use a sabbatical: click here
Starting with the Career Couch, which says even though you have no internship yet, there's still time: click here
Next, also from the Times, their Preoccupation section writes about a "professional media transcriptionist": click here
Then, Shifting Careers tells you why leisure matters in a busy world: click here
We go back to the Career Couch which gives advice on a gainful way to use a sabbatical: click here
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
What I’m Hearing…Winning Interview Techniques
According to a recent British study, 84% of candidates bring something lucky with them to job interviews. The most common item? Lucky underwear, used by 60% of survey respondents. Interestingly, many of these 60% note that the lucky underwear they’re wearing are unwashed. Apparently, washing removes luckiness. Who knew? Now I know the error of my ways all those years. In addition to using lucky items, 73% of candidates check their horoscope before a job interview.
Here in New York, we’ve been hearing lots about New York Yankee Jason Giambi’s lucky gold thong underwear. Granted, baseball is a sport rampant with superstition, but “lucky” thoughts undoubtedly occur in your workplace on a daily basis.
As humorous as the British study may seem, I suspect the results are fairly accurate. I personally get a different feel and attitude from different outfits I own, and select my outfit for the day based on what I need to be successful with the particular audience or group I’ll see that day. This study can provide some interesting break time discussion, allowing you to learn more about your employees and what makes them tick. Along the way, they may also learn that it’s their own innate talents and expertise, and not a “lucky” coin, picture, or outfit, that makes them great.
In other news, Clearview Cinemas announced yesterday that they are going back to discounted tickets for children and seniors. The bad press and public outrage were too much. Score one for keeping the cost of living down.
Here in New York, we’ve been hearing lots about New York Yankee Jason Giambi’s lucky gold thong underwear. Granted, baseball is a sport rampant with superstition, but “lucky” thoughts undoubtedly occur in your workplace on a daily basis.
As humorous as the British study may seem, I suspect the results are fairly accurate. I personally get a different feel and attitude from different outfits I own, and select my outfit for the day based on what I need to be successful with the particular audience or group I’ll see that day. This study can provide some interesting break time discussion, allowing you to learn more about your employees and what makes them tick. Along the way, they may also learn that it’s their own innate talents and expertise, and not a “lucky” coin, picture, or outfit, that makes them great.
In other news, Clearview Cinemas announced yesterday that they are going back to discounted tickets for children and seniors. The bad press and public outrage were too much. Score one for keeping the cost of living down.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Wall Street and Astronology
It's Astronology Tuesday (another Super Tuesday)...and while we encourage you to click on the link on the right and check out the newsletter, we have some other articles on our blog this Tuesday...
First from the Wall Street Journal, an article that states that relocation benefits are often negotiable: click here
Next, also from the Journal, some warning to Human Resources that when the job market improves, job hopping will heat up: click here
Lastly, Human Resources Blog, a division of Labor Law Center, has some Q&As about FMLA in small office (click here) and unfair treatment and wage manipulation (click here)=
First from the Wall Street Journal, an article that states that relocation benefits are often negotiable: click here
Next, also from the Journal, some warning to Human Resources that when the job market improves, job hopping will heat up: click here
Lastly, Human Resources Blog, a division of Labor Law Center, has some Q&As about FMLA in small office (click here) and unfair treatment and wage manipulation (click here)=
What I’m Hearing…Rookie Police Officer Salaries
Here in New York, one of the big news items this morning is the increase to rookie police officers’ starting salaries to $35,881. In 2005, a new contact cut rookie starting salaries to $25,100. The nearly 40% increase in pay should help to address the serious recruitment issues the NYPD faces. Among other negotiated terms in exchange for the higher pay, the number of vacation days for new hires will drop from 20 per year to 10.
Recently, the City of Seattle posted billboards luring officers to relocate across the country for higher wages. The starting officer salary in the Emerald City is $47,334. The Seattle Police Department will also put in an additional $5,000 for relocation costs.
Supply and demand for labor knows no geographic boundaries. Certainly, one must give credit to Seattle for their creative recruitment techniques. However, it is good to see that New York stepped up to the plate to make these adjustments in officers’ salaries. $36,000 a year is a small salary for those who risk their lives every day to make sure we can safely enjoy ours. Hopefully this increase is a step in the right direction for attracting new talent to the field of law enforcement, and retaining the current police force.
In other news, Clearview Cinemas on Manhattan’s Upper East Side announced that child and senior movie tickets would be the same price as an adult – $12.00 – even during matinees. One wonders how far that 40% pay increase will go.
Recently, the City of Seattle posted billboards luring officers to relocate across the country for higher wages. The starting officer salary in the Emerald City is $47,334. The Seattle Police Department will also put in an additional $5,000 for relocation costs.
Supply and demand for labor knows no geographic boundaries. Certainly, one must give credit to Seattle for their creative recruitment techniques. However, it is good to see that New York stepped up to the plate to make these adjustments in officers’ salaries. $36,000 a year is a small salary for those who risk their lives every day to make sure we can safely enjoy ours. Hopefully this increase is a step in the right direction for attracting new talent to the field of law enforcement, and retaining the current police force.
In other news, Clearview Cinemas on Manhattan’s Upper East Side announced that child and senior movie tickets would be the same price as an adult – $12.00 – even during matinees. One wonders how far that 40% pay increase will go.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Subway Series
We just completed the first part of the subway series here in NY...and now it's time to get you caught up on HR news on our blog....
First, from the Rules of Wealth Blog, and article about handling office romances: click here
While it may be hard to have an ongoing office romance, just remember that you may not have as much privacy as you think at work according to the Wall Street Journal Career Journal: click here
Going back to an old theme, Workforce says that abuse of leave tops FMLA concerns: click here
Another blogger tells us the dark side of Human Resource Management: click here
Lastly, HR Daily Advisor gives some advice on hiring based on internet searches: click here
First, from the Rules of Wealth Blog, and article about handling office romances: click here
While it may be hard to have an ongoing office romance, just remember that you may not have as much privacy as you think at work according to the Wall Street Journal Career Journal: click here
Going back to an old theme, Workforce says that abuse of leave tops FMLA concerns: click here
Another blogger tells us the dark side of Human Resource Management: click here
Lastly, HR Daily Advisor gives some advice on hiring based on internet searches: click here
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Workers Comp Comes Full Circle With HR
We start out here on this Tuesday (another Super Tuesday) with an article from the American Chronicle. Workers Comp always ends with Human Resources, but this article says that it also starts with HR decisions: click here
Next, the American Dream Project says that Corporate Social Responsibility needs HR: click here
Lastly, from the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), who does the work when an employee does FMLA leave: click here
Next, the American Dream Project says that Corporate Social Responsibility needs HR: click here
Lastly, from the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), who does the work when an employee does FMLA leave: click here
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Home Depot's HR Cuts
First, news from United Press International that Home Depot has cut their in-store Human Resources staff: click here
This is an effect of the housing crisis. Housing building is down, so Home Depot's sales are down and Home Depot decided to cut costs by cutting HR staff....
Human Resources Executive Online thinks that this decision by Home Depot is a good idea: click here
Lastly, Guru Focus asks what took so long for Home Depot to make this decision: click here
This is an effect of the housing crisis. Housing building is down, so Home Depot's sales are down and Home Depot decided to cut costs by cutting HR staff....
Human Resources Executive Online thinks that this decision by Home Depot is a good idea: click here
Lastly, Guru Focus asks what took so long for Home Depot to make this decision: click here
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Back to the Strikes?
The Washington Post starts us off with an old theme, with new players. The Screen Actors Guild is now threatening to go on strike: click here
The Boston Globe follows up with an article about corporate volunteers reaching worldwide: click here
Next from the Globe, advice to answer the boss' criticism as if it were true: click here
Lastly, word also from the Globe, that after an interview, the thanks should go both ways: click here
The Boston Globe follows up with an article about corporate volunteers reaching worldwide: click here
Next from the Globe, advice to answer the boss' criticism as if it were true: click here
Lastly, word also from the Globe, that after an interview, the thanks should go both ways: click here
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
How to Strengthen Your Organizational Communication Practices
It's Astronology Tuesday!!!!
Today's Astronology is about Strengthening Your Organizational Communication: click here
You also get to find out a lot more about Astron and what is going on in the HR World so I HIGHLY recommend signing up for the newsletter. It's once every two weeks and it's some of the best information you can get. And better yet, it's free!
Today's Astronology is about Strengthening Your Organizational Communication: click here
You also get to find out a lot more about Astron and what is going on in the HR World so I HIGHLY recommend signing up for the newsletter. It's once every two weeks and it's some of the best information you can get. And better yet, it's free!
Monday, May 05, 2008
Employers as Babysitters
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
First, we have an article from US News and World Report's "The Inside Job" which says that although employers end up playing babysitter for their employees, they're increasingly getting in trouble for doing so: click here
This is a very interesting view on the situation which, in effect is saying to Americans "grow up"
Next, from Human Resources Executive Online, an article about what workers want from the President: click here
Also, from the Salt Lake Tribune, word on what happens if you hire undocumented workers and get caught: click here
Lastly, from a blog that is titled "Team Building is for Suckers", a question of "where in the world is SHRM [the Society for Human Resource Management]"? click here
First, we have an article from US News and World Report's "The Inside Job" which says that although employers end up playing babysitter for their employees, they're increasingly getting in trouble for doing so: click here
This is a very interesting view on the situation which, in effect is saying to Americans "grow up"
Next, from Human Resources Executive Online, an article about what workers want from the President: click here
Also, from the Salt Lake Tribune, word on what happens if you hire undocumented workers and get caught: click here
Lastly, from a blog that is titled "Team Building is for Suckers", a question of "where in the world is SHRM [the Society for Human Resource Management]"? click here
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Mayo
As we move into May, the flowers are blooming and we're churning out the articles for you here on the Astron Solutions blog...
First...from the Wall Street Journal...an article about how stay-at-home moms are filling the executive niche: click here
Next, also from the Journal, word about an interesting office perk--getting paid to volunteer: click here
Lastly, from the Baltimore Sun an article breaking down the job data that recently came out: click here
First...from the Wall Street Journal...an article about how stay-at-home moms are filling the executive niche: click here
Next, also from the Journal, word about an interesting office perk--getting paid to volunteer: click here
Lastly, from the Baltimore Sun an article breaking down the job data that recently came out: click here
Friday, May 02, 2008
What I’m Hearing…Saving for Retirement
I met the other day with my financial planner. Among the various items we discussed was saving money for retirement. Long story short, if I want to work until 65 or 70, I’m on track. Early retirement at 55? I’ll need to save another $20,000 a year, every year. My jaw dropped when I heard that.
I’ve always been a saver. And I always thought I wanted to retire “early.” Now I’m not so sure. If I retire early, what will I do with my time? I crawl the walls after being home for more than 2 days in a row. So I’d probably end up starting another business, but that’s not “retirement” per se.
My experiences then got me thinking about the general US population. As HR professionals, we definitely need to encourage our employees and co-workers to save for retirement. Many people save little or any money. We all know that Social Security payments will be minimal at best. It is up to each person to look out for his or herself.
However, at what point do we cross the line between being cautious and missing out on life? Could I live in a lower cost of living area, or reduce the number of dance lessons I take each week? Sure. But the tradeoff of having to work a few extra years because of enhancing life now, while still being financially cautious, doesn’t sound so bad. Life is relatively short and unpredictable. Preparing for rainy days is vitally important, but it doesn’t rain every day of the year in New York City.
I’ve always been a saver. And I always thought I wanted to retire “early.” Now I’m not so sure. If I retire early, what will I do with my time? I crawl the walls after being home for more than 2 days in a row. So I’d probably end up starting another business, but that’s not “retirement” per se.
My experiences then got me thinking about the general US population. As HR professionals, we definitely need to encourage our employees and co-workers to save for retirement. Many people save little or any money. We all know that Social Security payments will be minimal at best. It is up to each person to look out for his or herself.
However, at what point do we cross the line between being cautious and missing out on life? Could I live in a lower cost of living area, or reduce the number of dance lessons I take each week? Sure. But the tradeoff of having to work a few extra years because of enhancing life now, while still being financially cautious, doesn’t sound so bad. Life is relatively short and unpredictable. Preparing for rainy days is vitally important, but it doesn’t rain every day of the year in New York City.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
What I’m Hearing…HR Certifications
As many of us may know, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), though its subsidiary the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI), offers three national and two state specific Human Resource certifications – PHR, SPHR, GPHR, PHR – CA, and SPHR – CA. Currently, to sit for the PHR or SPHR certification exams, the candidate needs to have two years of exempt level HR experience.
HRCI is considering changing the exam eligibility experience requirements. The years of experience required would vary depending on which exam the person is sitting for, and what degree (e.g., Associates, Bachelor’s, and / or Master’s) the person holds. HRCI has conducted external benchmarking against other credentialing programs, considered the current experience of levels of certified professionals, and led focus groups with credential holders, employers, and SHRM chapter leaders. HRCI is currently in the process of surveying more individuals through an invitation to comment period, which closes on May 16th.
HR certification has come a long way since the time when I sat for the PHR exam (and passed!) as a recent college graduate. No longer do other HR professionals ask me what SPHR after my name means. HRCI’s steps towards elevating the experience requirement for SPHR should better align the test content with the candidates’ experiences, and truly reflect the “Senior” in SPHR.
Those considering the SPHR exam who have only 2 or 3 years of exempt level experience may want to take the exam in the Fall / Winter 2008 testing window, before the new requirements, if approved, take effect. HRCI has not stated when the new requirements would go into effect. However, why not take the initiative today and enhance your professional skills, your résumé, and your earning potential by working towards earning the certification?
HRCI is considering changing the exam eligibility experience requirements. The years of experience required would vary depending on which exam the person is sitting for, and what degree (e.g., Associates, Bachelor’s, and / or Master’s) the person holds. HRCI has conducted external benchmarking against other credentialing programs, considered the current experience of levels of certified professionals, and led focus groups with credential holders, employers, and SHRM chapter leaders. HRCI is currently in the process of surveying more individuals through an invitation to comment period, which closes on May 16th.
HR certification has come a long way since the time when I sat for the PHR exam (and passed!) as a recent college graduate. No longer do other HR professionals ask me what SPHR after my name means. HRCI’s steps towards elevating the experience requirement for SPHR should better align the test content with the candidates’ experiences, and truly reflect the “Senior” in SPHR.
Those considering the SPHR exam who have only 2 or 3 years of exempt level experience may want to take the exam in the Fall / Winter 2008 testing window, before the new requirements, if approved, take effect. HRCI has not stated when the new requirements would go into effect. However, why not take the initiative today and enhance your professional skills, your résumé, and your earning potential by working towards earning the certification?
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
What I’m Hearing…National Volunteer Week
If you haven’t already heard, this week (April 28 – May 2) is National Volunteer Week. How many times have we taken volunteers for granted? Although volunteers are unpaid, so many non-profits function effectively in the community because of their volunteers’ contributions. What would happen to your local hospital, library, or school, if the volunteers stopped helping? Volunteer recruitment, retention, and motivation are no less challenging than for paid team members. If you haven’t said “thank you” lately to the volunteers you encounter in your professional and personal lives, be sure to say something this week.
In addition to thanking those who help us, have you examined the volunteer opportunities in your life? If you haven’t been active, now is a great time to get involved. I suspect I do more than most when it comes to volunteering. Between sitting on the board of HR/NY (New York City’s SHRM chapter), helping out with special HR/NY projects, serving a 3-year term with SHRM’s Total Rewards Special Expertise Panel, and giving back as a peer reviewer for SHRM and WorldatWork publications, I sometimes think that my volunteer activities could make up a full-time job! However, giving back to the professional community, networking, and making a difference in others’ lives make the time and talent contribution worth it. Start small – either professionally or personally – and see how good it feels to give back. Once you start, you’ll be hooked.
In addition to thanking those who help us, have you examined the volunteer opportunities in your life? If you haven’t been active, now is a great time to get involved. I suspect I do more than most when it comes to volunteering. Between sitting on the board of HR/NY (New York City’s SHRM chapter), helping out with special HR/NY projects, serving a 3-year term with SHRM’s Total Rewards Special Expertise Panel, and giving back as a peer reviewer for SHRM and WorldatWork publications, I sometimes think that my volunteer activities could make up a full-time job! However, giving back to the professional community, networking, and making a difference in others’ lives make the time and talent contribution worth it. Start small – either professionally or personally – and see how good it feels to give back. Once you start, you’ll be hooked.
Isiah Wins Again By Losing
Isiah Thomas lives in a fantasy world. If the former NBA star-turned NBA coach-turned NBA executive was governed by normal workplace rules, he'd probably be brought out back and shot. He's made one the NBA's most important franchises a laughing stock both on the court and off of it, lost his organization millions of dollars, and even more in bad publicity he incurred through a lovely sexual harassment lawsuit. He was bad at a GM, so they made him coach...now he's fired from both...and what's he doing now?
He's been reassigned to the team as an advisor, according to ESPN (click here), but has been banned from contacting the players...lest he try to meddle some more...
So he screws up the team as GM, gets to take on the team as coach and GM...doesn't do any better there...and gets a 3 year contract extension...then he really, really does poorly...and the team fires him...but keeps him on as an advisor....
Are you kidding me? What is he going to advise on? How to lose money? How to get sued? How to lose basketball games? How not to manage a cap? How to acquire bad players? How to not coach?
The Daily News tries to explain with a great headline reading "Isiah Thomas is not fired, just banned": click here
But Deadspin, always a good source of honest reporting and a laugh, said it perfectly in their heading "Isiah Is Smarter Than All Of Us: Isiah Thomas Pretty Much Got a Promotion": click here
The best part of the article being: "that makes Isiah a tremendously well-paid secretary (and coffee boy for Jim Dolan). Isiah is making $18 million to stay away from his employers. The man was a genius all along!"
If you are in HR...look at the history of this man and the Knicks and teach it to your colleagues as a cautionary tale
He's been reassigned to the team as an advisor, according to ESPN (click here), but has been banned from contacting the players...lest he try to meddle some more...
So he screws up the team as GM, gets to take on the team as coach and GM...doesn't do any better there...and gets a 3 year contract extension...then he really, really does poorly...and the team fires him...but keeps him on as an advisor....
Are you kidding me? What is he going to advise on? How to lose money? How to get sued? How to lose basketball games? How not to manage a cap? How to acquire bad players? How to not coach?
The Daily News tries to explain with a great headline reading "Isiah Thomas is not fired, just banned": click here
But Deadspin, always a good source of honest reporting and a laugh, said it perfectly in their heading "Isiah Is Smarter Than All Of Us: Isiah Thomas Pretty Much Got a Promotion": click here
The best part of the article being: "that makes Isiah a tremendously well-paid secretary (and coffee boy for Jim Dolan). Isiah is making $18 million to stay away from his employers. The man was a genius all along!"
If you are in HR...look at the history of this man and the Knicks and teach it to your colleagues as a cautionary tale
Monday, April 28, 2008
Blow That Whistle
We're in the middle of the NBA and NHL playoffs...but the most important whistleblower story may be in Human Resources...
The Washington Post starts us off this an article about the whisteblower's unending story: click here
Next, from Michigan Live, some news about a lost whistleblower case in Detroit and a document on a computer: click here
And lastly, from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, word about a hospital's large payout following whistleblower's kickbacks: click here
The Washington Post starts us off this an article about the whisteblower's unending story: click here
Next, from Michigan Live, some news about a lost whistleblower case in Detroit and a document on a computer: click here
And lastly, from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, word about a hospital's large payout following whistleblower's kickbacks: click here
Friday, April 25, 2008
Blogroll pt. 3
The last entry of our blogroll has some great blogs for you to check out on the Astron Solutions blog...
First, the Laconic Law Blog has a lot of great legal information for Human Resources Professionals including news on joint employers and FMLA violations: click here
Next, Thinking HR blog has some great information for HR including this one about the IRS raising the Mileage Rate for 2008 (via BLR): click here
Bootstrapper has the top 100 HR Bloggers and we hope to be on this list if they do it again in 2008: click here
Workforce Management's Workforce Blog "The Business of Management" has some great articles including one about rethinking charging workers for smoking: click here
Lastly is Workplace Attitudes who we fixed their link (sorry about that) and provide to you for great information on articles such as why jerks kill creativity: click here
If you have any other suggestions for our blogroll, please let me know...
First, the Laconic Law Blog has a lot of great legal information for Human Resources Professionals including news on joint employers and FMLA violations: click here
Next, Thinking HR blog has some great information for HR including this one about the IRS raising the Mileage Rate for 2008 (via BLR): click here
Bootstrapper has the top 100 HR Bloggers and we hope to be on this list if they do it again in 2008: click here
Workforce Management's Workforce Blog "The Business of Management" has some great articles including one about rethinking charging workers for smoking: click here
Lastly is Workplace Attitudes who we fixed their link (sorry about that) and provide to you for great information on articles such as why jerks kill creativity: click here
If you have any other suggestions for our blogroll, please let me know...
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Blogroll Pt. 2
We're on to part 2 of 3 of reviewing our Blogroll here at Astron Solutions World of HR blog...
We start with Jim Stroud who changed the name of his blog from JimStroud to "The Recruiters Lounge" and has a new look and a new address but the same great information: click here
Also in recruiting is the Recruiting Fly Blog which today gives some diversity resumes and interview advice: click here
We have another WorldAtWork blog here for Ryan Johnson who has a lot of interesting topics including this one about Performance Reviews from a few weeks ago: click here
The HR Capitalist has a lot of interesting topics (Human Resources and not), but this recent one provides a scenario if the author had a few million dollars...they would aggregate references of a candidate: click here
And last on this list is the Industry Radar which has given us a few nice links on their website and has some great HR news on Benefits, Retirement, Health, among other topics: click here
We start with Jim Stroud who changed the name of his blog from JimStroud to "The Recruiters Lounge" and has a new look and a new address but the same great information: click here
Also in recruiting is the Recruiting Fly Blog which today gives some diversity resumes and interview advice: click here
We have another WorldAtWork blog here for Ryan Johnson who has a lot of interesting topics including this one about Performance Reviews from a few weeks ago: click here
The HR Capitalist has a lot of interesting topics (Human Resources and not), but this recent one provides a scenario if the author had a few million dollars...they would aggregate references of a candidate: click here
And last on this list is the Industry Radar which has given us a few nice links on their website and has some great HR news on Benefits, Retirement, Health, among other topics: click here
What I’m Hearing…The Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
Compensation came to the forefront of the nation last night, as Democratic Presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton interrupted their campaigns to return to Washington, D.C. to vote on pending legislation. The topic at hand? The Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The legislation failed to pass in the Senate, with a 56-42 vote. The bill is likely dead for the rest of 2008.
The Ledbetter Act’s main focus was to extend the statue of limitations for filing pay discrimination claims. Had the law been passed, individuals would have been able to file such lawsuits years and decades after the alleged discrimination occurred.
I don’t disagree with the need to ensure equal pay between the sexes. With all other factors being equal, paying someone less simply because she is a woman is wrong. However, the concept of statute of limitations is an important part of our legal system. We cannot allow new legislation on matters including and beyond Human Resources to erode this foundation. Otherwise, our already litigious society will become even more so, with far reaching effects including higher insurance costs, increased money spent on legal fees, greater court backlog, and general ill will. Let’s instead focus our time on preventing such discriminatory actions from occurring in the first place, and proactively remedying any that may have unfortunately already occurred.
The Ledbetter Act’s main focus was to extend the statue of limitations for filing pay discrimination claims. Had the law been passed, individuals would have been able to file such lawsuits years and decades after the alleged discrimination occurred.
I don’t disagree with the need to ensure equal pay between the sexes. With all other factors being equal, paying someone less simply because she is a woman is wrong. However, the concept of statute of limitations is an important part of our legal system. We cannot allow new legislation on matters including and beyond Human Resources to erode this foundation. Otherwise, our already litigious society will become even more so, with far reaching effects including higher insurance costs, increased money spent on legal fees, greater court backlog, and general ill will. Let’s instead focus our time on preventing such discriminatory actions from occurring in the first place, and proactively remedying any that may have unfortunately already occurred.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
What I’m Hearing…Administrative Professionals Day
Every day in America is a celebration of some sort, ranging from the traditional, like Mother’s Day, to the amusing, like National Waffle Day. Today’s celebration, Administrative Professionals Day, is an important one not to be overlooked. Effective administrative professionals keep our workplaces running smoothly and efficiently manage the details. Without them, our days would be longer and our work harder. Be sure to say thank you to the administrative professionals in your workplace. They are essential to success!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Saluting Our Blogroll Pt. 1
It's time to take a look at the fellow bloggers we link to on the right and give you a little idea of what they're writing about...
Blogs for Job hasn't had a post in a while, but shows that employees can be found in odd places (including one who just left a comment): click here
We realized we had an error in the address for Cara Welch's Public Policy Perceptions blog for WorldAtWork so we've relinked to there (click here) and ask you to check out her Earth Day article on Earth Day 2008: click here
Cheezhead talks about a theme we discussed recently and takes you in their latest article beyond Facebook and MySpace recruiting: click here
CollegeRecruiter.com has a great humor article today about 10 ways that the job market resembles Matzah: click here
Which reminds us...Happy Passover!!!
George's Employment Blawg touches on a subject we'll be getting into in a later post...but with the job market how it is, internships are becoming more and more important: click here
HR Web Cafe give you a full menu of articles about everything from spear phishing to bring-your-gun-to-work-day (or permanently): click here
Lastly for today, we go to HR World who asks if male and female owned businesses differ? click here
We'll be back with more tomorrow...enjoy!!!
Blogs for Job hasn't had a post in a while, but shows that employees can be found in odd places (including one who just left a comment): click here
We realized we had an error in the address for Cara Welch's Public Policy Perceptions blog for WorldAtWork so we've relinked to there (click here) and ask you to check out her Earth Day article on Earth Day 2008: click here
Cheezhead talks about a theme we discussed recently and takes you in their latest article beyond Facebook and MySpace recruiting: click here
CollegeRecruiter.com has a great humor article today about 10 ways that the job market resembles Matzah: click here
Which reminds us...Happy Passover!!!
George's Employment Blawg touches on a subject we'll be getting into in a later post...but with the job market how it is, internships are becoming more and more important: click here
HR Web Cafe give you a full menu of articles about everything from spear phishing to bring-your-gun-to-work-day (or permanently): click here
Lastly for today, we go to HR World who asks if male and female owned businesses differ? click here
We'll be back with more tomorrow...enjoy!!!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Deepening the Downturn
Updating our post from yesterday is an article from the New York Times which says that workers are getting fewer hours, deepening the downturn: click hereThis is a huge problem as not only are workers being laid off, but the ones who are still employed are getting less overtime and taking in smaller paychecks--which the Times cites as a worse problem than the layoffs....
And those layoffs continue, especially in the financial sector. After Merrill Lynch announced 4000 layoffs yesterday, Citigroup went more than double that with a planned 9000 layoffs: click here
This is going to create a big problem for the United States economy. With a weakening dollar, low interest rates and rising inflation, smaller salaried and laid off workers are going to be spending less. Less consumer spending will lead to less money going to companies. And companies taking on losses will be more likely to layoff more workers. Something needs to happen to stop this cycle from worsening soon or there will be quite a situation on our hands.
If you happen to be at a company that is currently trying to grow and expand, you've hit the jackpot. There are a lot of skilled workers increasingly having their wages cut or being laid off and these people will be more than willing to line up to be hired. Not only will this allow you to get the best workers, but probably pay a lot less in the process.
If you look at the graphs to the right, you can see how this has been playing out in the United States and get some idea of where we are going in the future if this continues.
Stay tuned to see how this situation continues to develop...
UPDATE: A really good point from a fellow blogger: click here
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Facebook and the Office
What happens when social networking and the office combine? Well...it can be an awkward situation, as written here in the Boston Globe: click here
Let's say that situation does come up--you are a boss and one of your subordinates tries to friend you on Facebook or MySpace or one of the other social networking websites or you are an employee and your boss sends you a friend request...what do you do?
Well first things first, whether you are a high school student, college student, young professional or "old" professional, you should scrub your social networking profiles. You never know who is looking at it.
If you think you're exempt because you are a student...just check out some of the articles from this Google search: click here
And if you think you're exempt because you're in the job world, just check out some of the articles from this Google search: click here (or, if you prefer, Myspace: click here)
And as I wrote way back in July 2006 for Astronology, the New Age of Background Checks has moved on to social networking websites: click here
So the truth is, make sure that everything in your profile is Kosher because the last thing you want is to have something meant from your friends, end up in your workspace: it could end up costing you your job.
Let's say that situation does come up--you are a boss and one of your subordinates tries to friend you on Facebook or MySpace or one of the other social networking websites or you are an employee and your boss sends you a friend request...what do you do?
Well first things first, whether you are a high school student, college student, young professional or "old" professional, you should scrub your social networking profiles. You never know who is looking at it.
If you think you're exempt because you are a student...just check out some of the articles from this Google search: click here
And if you think you're exempt because you're in the job world, just check out some of the articles from this Google search: click here (or, if you prefer, Myspace: click here)
And as I wrote way back in July 2006 for Astronology, the New Age of Background Checks has moved on to social networking websites: click here
So the truth is, make sure that everything in your profile is Kosher because the last thing you want is to have something meant from your friends, end up in your workspace: it could end up costing you your job.
Dissecting the Current News
Sometimes it's best to just dig into the current events and find out how it applies to Human Resources...so we'll get right to that..
First, the economy. A topic that should be the hot-button of the presidential race, especially if this downturn (read: recession) in the market continues, took another turn with today's job numbers, as reported by Bloomberg: click here
This is going to have a ripple effect on the entire economy. As people continue to foreclose on homes and pay higher prices for gas, one thing they certainly cannot afford is to be out of work. This will lead a lot more people to switch out of industries such as housing which are in a lull right now and cause even more competition in other fields. This, combined with a class of '08 graduation will create even more turmoil in the economy. So while we may not be predicting the next Great Depression...let's just say: hold on to your seats.
This next story from the New York Times has HIPAA violations written all over it: click here
HR Professionals should definitely check in with their health insurance plans to make sure that their employee's information is not leaking out to the world or they will have to start lining up at the courthouse for lawsuits
Lastly, in a story that doesn't seem to go away, sexual harassment in the workplace is not necessarily confined to just the traditional workplace. As People Magazine reports, this Rob Lowe story isn't going to end anytime soon with accusations and counter-accusations and claims of abuse and extortion: click here
The lesson to be learned here for HR is that even if you don't have a traditional workspace, there may still be sexual harassment issues and a proactive approach is always the best way...
First, the economy. A topic that should be the hot-button of the presidential race, especially if this downturn (read: recession) in the market continues, took another turn with today's job numbers, as reported by Bloomberg: click here
This is going to have a ripple effect on the entire economy. As people continue to foreclose on homes and pay higher prices for gas, one thing they certainly cannot afford is to be out of work. This will lead a lot more people to switch out of industries such as housing which are in a lull right now and cause even more competition in other fields. This, combined with a class of '08 graduation will create even more turmoil in the economy. So while we may not be predicting the next Great Depression...let's just say: hold on to your seats.
This next story from the New York Times has HIPAA violations written all over it: click here
HR Professionals should definitely check in with their health insurance plans to make sure that their employee's information is not leaking out to the world or they will have to start lining up at the courthouse for lawsuits
Lastly, in a story that doesn't seem to go away, sexual harassment in the workplace is not necessarily confined to just the traditional workplace. As People Magazine reports, this Rob Lowe story isn't going to end anytime soon with accusations and counter-accusations and claims of abuse and extortion: click here
The lesson to be learned here for HR is that even if you don't have a traditional workspace, there may still be sexual harassment issues and a proactive approach is always the best way...
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
References
We start off in another direction and go with the Karen Burns, Working Girl blog's article about why references are still relevant: click here
Did you have a good April Fools prank in your office? Human Resource Executive says to grin it and bear it: click here
The Career Diva has some interesting (read: extreme) ways to get a job: click here
Online Colleges and Universities tells you why career management is right for you: click here
Lastly, the Providence Journal leaves us with an article about HR and continuing education: click here
Did you have a good April Fools prank in your office? Human Resource Executive says to grin it and bear it: click here
The Career Diva has some interesting (read: extreme) ways to get a job: click here
Online Colleges and Universities tells you why career management is right for you: click here
Lastly, the Providence Journal leaves us with an article about HR and continuing education: click here
Monday, April 14, 2008
What I'm Hearing...Salary "Surveys"
If your Sunday newspaper carries Parade magazine, you undoubtedly read their annual report What People Earn. The story contained some interesting information, as well as some facts and comments that I, as a compensation professional, already know.
I had a few concerns with the story, though. First, I did not see any quotes or source material from compensation or benefits firms. I’m left wondering where the author obtained the data she used.
Second, as this was a nationally distributed piece, there should have been some discussion around how salaries differ. One of my clients recently called this “your mileage may vary.” To read the story, I might think that my pay should be the same as, or higher than, what’s reported. However, so many factors influence pay – performance, tenure, compensation philosophy, geography, etc. – it is misleading to the general public to not mention such factors.
What did you think of Parade’s story? Take a peek and let us know!
I had a few concerns with the story, though. First, I did not see any quotes or source material from compensation or benefits firms. I’m left wondering where the author obtained the data she used.
Second, as this was a nationally distributed piece, there should have been some discussion around how salaries differ. One of my clients recently called this “your mileage may vary.” To read the story, I might think that my pay should be the same as, or higher than, what’s reported. However, so many factors influence pay – performance, tenure, compensation philosophy, geography, etc. – it is misleading to the general public to not mention such factors.
What did you think of Parade’s story? Take a peek and let us know!
Friday, April 11, 2008
How to Make 2008 Great---Employment Branding
First we link you to our Astronology for this week about Employment Branding: click here
If you're not already signed up for Astronology, make sure to click on that link and do it ASAP
Next, from Yahoo! Finance and US News and World Report, an article about what to do with a boss like Michael Scott from The Office: click here
And here's something that would eternally annoy all your co-workers: click here
If you're not already signed up for Astronology, make sure to click on that link and do it ASAP
Next, from Yahoo! Finance and US News and World Report, an article about what to do with a boss like Michael Scott from The Office: click here
And here's something that would eternally annoy all your co-workers: click here
Monday, April 07, 2008
10,000 Visitors!
You like us...you really, really like us...
We just reached 10,000 hits on our site which is big news for us here at Astron Solutions. Thank you for making our blog a part of your Human Resource news!
We just reached 10,000 hits on our site which is big news for us here at Astron Solutions. Thank you for making our blog a part of your Human Resource news!
Doing Some Moving....
....and that's why I've been a bit tardy on the posts...but I'm going to try to keep you updated with everything big in Human Resources....
First, from HR Daily Advisor, an article about how to detect and deal with FMLA fraud: click here
The Washington Post follows up with some advice to be encouraged by boss's attempts to grant vacation requests: click here
Lastly, we have word of another Human Resources blog entering the blogosphere: click here
First, from HR Daily Advisor, an article about how to detect and deal with FMLA fraud: click here
The Washington Post follows up with some advice to be encouraged by boss's attempts to grant vacation requests: click here
Lastly, we have word of another Human Resources blog entering the blogosphere: click here
Thursday, April 03, 2008
What I’m Hearing – Tolerating Poor Performance
If you follow basketball, you know that the New York Knicks have not been doing too well the past few years. Between numerous losses and the Anucha Browne-Sanders sexual harassment case, it’s been rough for the team and the fans.
Yesterday, the Knicks’ owners announced that Donnie Walsh will take over Isiah Thomas’ role as President of basketball operations for the team. Word on the street says that Mr. Walsh will also become Head Coach, ending Isiah Thomas’ tenure.
Undoubtedly in our own organizations we have an “Isiah Thomas,” someone whose attitude or poor performance drags down the department or the organization as a whole. Should we allow these individuals to stay on in their roles long after it has become obvious that the employment relationship isn’t working to everyone’s advantage?
Watson Wyatt has conducted research showing that top performing organizations terminate employees who perform unacceptably. Certainly, losing an employee can put additional strain on the remaining group. However, in many cases the team works more effectively after removing negativity and ineffective relationships. Why then do we tolerate poor performance?
Let’s hope the Knicks fare better next season, and that we use their experiences to better our own organizations.
Yesterday, the Knicks’ owners announced that Donnie Walsh will take over Isiah Thomas’ role as President of basketball operations for the team. Word on the street says that Mr. Walsh will also become Head Coach, ending Isiah Thomas’ tenure.
Undoubtedly in our own organizations we have an “Isiah Thomas,” someone whose attitude or poor performance drags down the department or the organization as a whole. Should we allow these individuals to stay on in their roles long after it has become obvious that the employment relationship isn’t working to everyone’s advantage?
Watson Wyatt has conducted research showing that top performing organizations terminate employees who perform unacceptably. Certainly, losing an employee can put additional strain on the remaining group. However, in many cases the team works more effectively after removing negativity and ineffective relationships. Why then do we tolerate poor performance?
Let’s hope the Knicks fare better next season, and that we use their experiences to better our own organizations.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
So That's What Those Pirates in that Commercial Were Singing About!
The FreeCreditReport.com guys will be happy with this article from Forbes which says that you should get your Credit Report checked before your employer does: click here(Well at least they should pay those guys so they don't have to be pirates anymore...)
Next, from the Sun-Times News Group and the Naperville Sun, an article about a Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) that warns that no one is immune from sickness: click here
Lastly, from USA Today's On Deadline section (referring to a 2006 Forbes article),would you like to bring your baby to work every day?: click here
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Colbert Fills In
We usually like to try to give you some Jon Stewart and Daily Show for your Tuesday, but today we're going with Stephen Colbert of the Colbert Report...
First, from Indecision 2008, Stephen looks at the controversial issue of...Southsourcing:
Next, Stephen has a note for those striking outside his studio:
And then sings them a song with some famous guests:
First, from Indecision 2008, Stephen looks at the controversial issue of...Southsourcing:
Next, Stephen has a note for those striking outside his studio:
And then sings them a song with some famous guests:
Monday, March 31, 2008
Judgment Calls
Harvard Business School and the Conde Nast Portfolio Insight Center starts us out on this Monday as we close out March with an article about making difficult judgment calls: click here
The Boston Globe continues with an article about employers using personal references to attempt to limit liability: click here
The Washington Post picks up our strike coverage with the actors (not the writers this time) who are facing some opposition: click here
The Boston Globe continues with an article about employers using personal references to attempt to limit liability: click here
The Washington Post picks up our strike coverage with the actors (not the writers this time) who are facing some opposition: click here
Friday, March 28, 2008
What I’m Hearing…Going Topless
This morning the radio announcer shared an interesting story out of Silicon Valley. Apparently, 40% of firms in the Silicon Valley area have gone “topless.”
It’s not as risqué as it sounds. The policy bans using mobile communication devices, such as laptops, Blackberries, cell phones, and the like, in meeting rooms.
Kudos to the firms that have instituted such a policy. When individuals use their high tech devices during a meeting, they are distracting to their colleagues, disrespectful of others’ time, and rude to the meeting facilitator. These individuals also send a message, consciously or not, that they and their business are more important than the meeting. Checking voicemails during a meeting break is one thing. Text messaging someone during a meeting is another.
Imagine how much more productive and faster meetings would be if all organizations had a policy of going topless. Hopefully more organizations will move in this direction in the coming months.
It’s not as risqué as it sounds. The policy bans using mobile communication devices, such as laptops, Blackberries, cell phones, and the like, in meeting rooms.
Kudos to the firms that have instituted such a policy. When individuals use their high tech devices during a meeting, they are distracting to their colleagues, disrespectful of others’ time, and rude to the meeting facilitator. These individuals also send a message, consciously or not, that they and their business are more important than the meeting. Checking voicemails during a meeting break is one thing. Text messaging someone during a meeting is another.
Imagine how much more productive and faster meetings would be if all organizations had a policy of going topless. Hopefully more organizations will move in this direction in the coming months.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
To Tattle?
The Washington Post, in its "How to Deal" section, has an article that says that when asked to tattle, to tell the truth: click here
The Washington Post follows up with an article that says the rising healthcare costs are cutting into workers wages: click here
Lastly, the New York Times has an article about tension building (and it's almost Monday): click here
The Washington Post follows up with an article that says the rising healthcare costs are cutting into workers wages: click here
Lastly, the New York Times has an article about tension building (and it's almost Monday): click here
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
It's about 30 degrees but many miles away, in Japan, the baseball season started today. We here at Astron are made up of a few loyalties. But the majority of us root for the Yankees. So let's hope that Joe Girardi can be a good manager (had to add in the HR theme) and get the Yankees to the World Series.
So we'll go and start with the New York Times today where we have an article which says that health plans put the onus on the insured: click here
Also from the New York Times, their Home Front section talks about those determined to find a new beginning: click here
Lastly, from the Christian Science Monitor, if you're going to start an office romance, first sign a contract: click here
Monday, March 24, 2008
Getting Back to the Swing of Things
Sorry for being away from a while, but we're back here at the Astron Blog and we're dipping into the Vault for some depressing news on jobs...
First, from the New York Times, word that Silicon Valley is losing middle wage jobs: click here
The Christian Science Monitor says that the best U.S. factory jobs are increasingly in jeopardy: click here
Next, from the Wall Street Journal, an article that says that for some, suburban jobs prove subpar: click here
From USA Today, news that the housing slowdown puts day laborers in limbo: click here
Hopefully your job news is a little more optimistic than this...
First, from the New York Times, word that Silicon Valley is losing middle wage jobs: click here
The Christian Science Monitor says that the best U.S. factory jobs are increasingly in jeopardy: click here
Next, from the Wall Street Journal, an article that says that for some, suburban jobs prove subpar: click here
From USA Today, news that the housing slowdown puts day laborers in limbo: click here
Hopefully your job news is a little more optimistic than this...
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Talking About Addiction
The Wall Street Journal starts us off with an interesting article (actually a reprint from 2006) about talking to your boss about alcohol abuse: click here
This article from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) talks about the Mental Health Bill and how SHRM sees its merits: click here
Lastly, the Gothamist has an article about the court upholding the firing of a guy who must have been addicted to surfing the web: click here
This article from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) talks about the Mental Health Bill and how SHRM sees its merits: click here
Lastly, the Gothamist has an article about the court upholding the firing of a guy who must have been addicted to surfing the web: click here
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
What Not To Say Pt. 2
We had Part 1 back in November, but this HR Daily Advisor article says what you can't ask in an interview...and how to get around that: click here
Next, from Freelance Writing Jobs, on the same token, if you're in an interview, do you correct the interviewer?: click here
From Human Resource Executive Online, an article about talent and transformation: click here
Workplace Violence News, a fellow blogger, says that screening should be taken to the next level: click here
Lastly, from CoachBlog...is coaching really working? (I think I know where they'll side): click here
Next, from Freelance Writing Jobs, on the same token, if you're in an interview, do you correct the interviewer?: click here
From Human Resource Executive Online, an article about talent and transformation: click here
Workplace Violence News, a fellow blogger, says that screening should be taken to the next level: click here
Lastly, from CoachBlog...is coaching really working? (I think I know where they'll side): click here
Laughing About the Writer's Strike
Jon Stewart and the Daily Show's views on the writer's strike and how it affected the Daily Show:
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Of Bad News and B-ball Pools
We start you out this week with an article from CondeNast Portfolio and the Harvard Business School which talks about a better way to deliver bad news to your employees: click hereNext, an issue you will have to deal with this week is talked about in this New York Times article about dipping into the betting pool and the NCAA basketball tournament brackets in your company: click here
I agree with the idea that this helps people meet and brings them together, but it also has to be for a small amount and done in a way that makes people all feel welcome and comfortable. You never know if someone is getting over a gambling issue, has a financial issue, or is feeling left out by not being asked to be in the pool (among other issues) so as a Human Resource Professional, this could be a tough issue to deal with.
Lastly, from the Boston Globe BostonWorks Hiring Hub, advice on the best way to terminate high level employees: click here
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Executive Privilege
Did I say every Tuesday? I meant every week on a day that starts with "T":
Imagine a man works at a place where his work is assessed and the process by which he makes controversial decisions has to be justified or there will be consequences...
Thousands of illegal aliens demonstrate their fierce desire to work in this country by taking the afternoon off.
Enjoy!
Imagine a man works at a place where his work is assessed and the process by which he makes controversial decisions has to be justified or there will be consequences...
Thousands of illegal aliens demonstrate their fierce desire to work in this country by taking the afternoon off.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Podcasting!!!
Adding to our Web 2.0 personality here at Astron Solutions, we have our first podcast courtesy of Workforce Management about managing the unpredictability of talent in today's world: click here
From the Business Wire, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) will be surveying presidential candidates on key workforce issues: click here
Also, make sure to check out some other podcasts on Daxle's website of business podcasts...some good stuff there: click here
Lastly, the Baltimore Sun's "On the Job" has an article about sick and vacation days all being in the same bank: click here
And since we decided we needed some representation between New York and DC, we're adding the feed of the Baltimore Sun's career section on the right...
From the Business Wire, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) will be surveying presidential candidates on key workforce issues: click here
Also, make sure to check out some other podcasts on Daxle's website of business podcasts...some good stuff there: click here
Lastly, the Baltimore Sun's "On the Job" has an article about sick and vacation days all being in the same bank: click here
And since we decided we needed some representation between New York and DC, we're adding the feed of the Baltimore Sun's career section on the right...
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