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October 31st will be here in a few short days. As it approaches, HR departments may be presented with an interesting challenge. Is it possible to celebrate Halloween at work without unintentionally upsetting some employees? Some may think the answer is no. However, with a look into the tradition and understanding why some employees may have concerns, it is possible to strike a balance between having a celebratory atmosphere with professionalism. Perhaps this year, your organization can come up with a creative way of meeting this challenge!...
Astron Solutions | 505 8th Avenue | Suite 2200 | NY | NY | 10018 |
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Astronology: Halloween At Your Place of Employment
Slashing OT and Hiring Freeze Hits Everything
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
What I’m Hearing…Your Hearing May Be in Danger
Scary.
The study got me thinking. If someone listens for longer periods each day – like many of our Gen X and Gen Y colleagues in our offices – will he or she go deaf sooner?
Free will is an important part of life here in America. If someone wants to risk their hearing to listen to music, that’s his / her choice. However, as HR Professionals, what can we do to help our employees make informed choices? What should we do? I’m thinking about going beyond traditional policies that restrict the use of musical devices in the workplace. We currently provide opportunities to educate employees about wellness, financial planning, and other topics. Perhaps preserving one’s hearing should be included in that mix. If we don’t – and this study’s results turn out to be true – our workplaces and ways of doing business will radically change in the next 10 or so years. Being bilingual in American Sign Language is one aspect that comes to mind. What are your thoughts?
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Social Security, GM Layoffs and More
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Can green jobs save us?
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14551.html
-Andrew
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
NYT: Across the Country, Fear About Savings, Job Market and the Economy
Thursday, October 09, 2008
More Job Market Data
| Jobless claims drop from 7-year high but remain elevated due to weakening economy By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER AP Business Writer 547 words 09:26 am, 10/09/2008 Associated Press Newswires English (c) 2008. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. WASHINGTON (AP) - New applications for unemployment benefits dropped last week from a seven-year high, the Labor Department said Thursday, though they remain at elevated levels that indicate recession. Initial claims for jobless benefits dropped 20,000 to a seasonally adjusted 478,000, the department said, the same level that Wall Street economists expected. The department said Hurricanes Ike and Gustav were responsible for adding about 20,000 claims on a seasonally adjusted basis. That's down from approximately 45,000 the previous week. The four-week average, which smooths out fluctuations, rose to 482,500, the highest since October 2001. The number of Americans continuing to claim unemployment benefits rose to 3.66 million, above analysts' estimates of 3.6 million. That's the highest total in more than five years. Meanwhile, the financial markets are expected to rise in early trading in response to comments by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and other administration officials indicating the government is considering taking ownership stakes in troubled U.S. banks. The move would be intended to unclog the credit markets that have made all kinds of loans, from interbank lending to consumer loans, harder to get. Some economists have argued for such a step as a way to more directly provide capital to ailing banks, as opposed to the administration's initial bailout plan of buying bad mortgage-related assets from the banks. The housing slump and resulting credit crisis has hit the economy hard, causing consumers to cut spending and businesses to eliminate jobs. In response to what has become a global credit crisis, the Federal Reserve and six other central banks on Wednesday announced a coordinated interest rate cut. The Fed reduced its target interest rate to 1.5 percent from 2 percent. The Fed's cut means borrowing money becomes cheaper. Home equity loans, credit cards and other floating-rate loans all fluctuate depending on what the Fed does. Jobless claims have come in above 400,000, a level economists consider a sign of recession, for 12 straight weeks. Claims stood at 316,000 a year ago. The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday joined a chorus of private economists and predicted the U.S. economy will contract in the final quarter of this year and the first quarter of 2009, meeting one classic definition of a recession. Many economists expect that consumer spending, which accounts for two-thirds of economic activity, will decline in the July-September quarter. That would be the first quarterly decline in 17 years. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said on Tuesday that economic activity will likely remain "subdued" for the rest of this year and into next year. The Labor Department said in a separate report last week that the economy lost 159,000 jobs in September, the fastest pace of job cuts in five years. Employers have eliminated 760,000 jobs so far this year. The unemployment rate remained at 6.1 percent in September, up from 5.7 percent in July and 4.7 percent a year ago. Several companies announced job cuts in the past week, including eBay Inc., Kraft Foods Inc. and MetLife Inc. APRS000020081009e4a9004ve | ||
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What I’m Hearing…Take a Vacation, Get a New Career
Vocationvacation.com takes the adult learning experience a step further by allowing participants to get a preview of what it’s like to have that “dream job.” Want to test drive being an alpaca rancher? How about a sword maker? Or a country music singer? Here’s your opportunity to try something new in a relatively risk free environment. According to vocationvacation.com, 20% of participants switched their careers as a result of their experiences.
I’ve always been a fan of learning new things, so the idea of a “working vacation” appeals to me. Reading about vocationvacation.com got me thinking about 2 broader possibilities for the HR space:
1. What can we as HR professionals offer through the vocationvacation.com process to others who might think of our organization as a dream job?
2. How can we capture the excitement a learning vacation offers in our own organizations? Mentoring is a start as we look to even broader experiences.
Given the choices on vocationvacation.com, it’s a tossup between Forensics and Meteorology for me. Something to think about for starting that second career after retirement.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Astronology: Democrat/Republican HR Positions - Election Preview
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Earlier this year, Monday, October 06, 2008
Hiring and Firing
A Human Resource Management Solutions article following up on a HR World article for our next entry on five quick hiring tips: click here
The Houston Business Daily has next for us a Human Resources Guide to employment issues resulting from Hurricane Ike: click here
The Gazette of Colorado Springs says that everyone, especially the employer, benefits by handling layoffs fairly and honestly: click here
Lastly, the Orlando Business Journal cites a study that says that most workers are puzzled about their benefits: click here
Friday, October 03, 2008
Some More Financial Jobs News
UBS to cut 2,000 more jobs, scale back investment-banking arm
Last Update: 10:02 AM ET Oct 3, 2008 |
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Job Data continued...
Job Data
By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER
AP Business Writer
430 words
09:08 am, 10/02/2008
Associated Press Newswires
English
(c) 2008. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
WASHINGTON (AP) - New applications for unemployment benefits rose slightly last week to a seven-year high due to a weakening U.S. economy and the impact of Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, the Labor Department said Thursday.
The department reported that initial claims for jobless benefits increased by 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 497,000. That's significantly above analysts' estimate of 475,000. The total is the highest since just after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The hurricanes, which hit Texas and Louisiana earlier this month, added about 45,000 claims from the two states for the week ending Sept. 27, the department said.
The hurricanes have led to higher claims for several weeks. As a result, the four-week average of claims, which smooths out fluctuations, jumped to 474,000, up 11,500 from the previous week.
In the week ending Sept. 20, Texas reported a 22,235 jump in claims, while Louisiana said claims rose by 9,671.
The number of people continuing to receive benefits increased to 3.59 million, up 48,000 and higher than analysts' estimates. That's the highest total in five years.
Jobless claims are at elevated levels even excluding the hurricanes. Weekly claims have now topped 400,000 for 11 straight weeks, a level economists consider a sign of recession. A year ago, claims stood at 324,000.
The economy is struggling with the financial crisis and slowing consumer spending, leading to increased layoffs by the nation's employers.
Economists expect a separate Labor Department report Friday on payrolls to reflect further weakness in the labor market. They predict the report will show that the nation's employers cut 100,000 jobs last month. That's on top of 605,000 jobs that were eliminated in the first eight months of this year.
The report is expected to show that the jobless rate remains at 6.1 percent. The rate jumped above 6 percent for the first time in five years in August.
The financial crisis will likely cause greater job cuts in the coming months. Several large, troubled banks have been bought by competitors and layoffs are likely.
Citigroup Inc. on Monday purchased Wachovia Corp., which had about 120,000 employees. JPMorgan Chase & Co. last week bought Seattle-based Washington Mutual, which employed roughly 43,000.
Several companies have announced layoffs in the past week, including aluminum company Alcoa Inc., auto retailer CarMax, Inc. and chicken producer Pilgrim's Pride Corp.
APRS000020081002e4a20024z
| © 2008 |  |
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Happy New Year
What I’m Hearing…Plastic Surgery to Get the Job
According to the piece, people who go this route most often opt for Botox or other filler type procedures, followed by surgery. The two women profiled in the story said that using Botox would make them a more viable candidate in the job market because they appear younger.
This got me thinking. It’s undeniable that there is a quiet appearance bias in America. However, I find it hard to believe that a small wrinkle near the corner of someone’s mouth would prevent him or her from getting a job. What happened to the strength of one’s résumé and experience? Given the choice between a great looking candidate and one who has the knowledge and experiences I need for the position, I’m opting for the latter.
After all, laugh lines often come along with wisdom and experience.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
What I’m Hearing…Executive Compensation
Presidential election notwithstanding, it is time for Americans to look more closely at executive compensation, and to make sure that pay is truly for performance – positive performance. While the average American may think they can’t control what happens at a Fortune 500 company, it’s time to think again. The power of consumers is great. Vote with your spending and dollars, and see how quickly changes and accountability come to organizations that previously seemed untouchable.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Could Pre-Employment Tests Have Saved Lehman and Merrill?
NY Unemployment
| NY unemployment rises to 5.8 percent but remains below the national average 153 words 04:57 pm, 09/18/2008 Associated Press Newswires English (c) 2008. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 5.8 percent in August from 5.2 percent in July, even as private-sector employers added 3,000 jobs. The state Labor Department says it was the largest month-to-month increase in the unemployment rate since January 1991. New York City's unemployment rate rose even more sharply, coming in at 5.8 percent in August compared with 5 percent in July. That was the largest monthly increase since 1976. At the same time, the national unemployment rate rose to 6.1 percent from 5.7 percent. Over the past year, the Labor Department says the state added a total of 39,700 jobs, with education, health care tourism and government posting the biggest gains, and the manufacturing, finance and construction industries shedding jobs. APRS000020080918e49i0086o | ||
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Thursday, September 18, 2008
What I’m Hearing…What You’re Thinking
Kerr and Sonstein then opened the discussion to members of the listening audience. The listeners' takes on wearing a plunging neckline in the workplace were much rawer, eliciting comments that wearing such clothes tells men that women are thinking “do me in the copy room now” and “do me on my desk.” I’m not making these comments up – the male callers actually said them, and thought they were amusing, too.
The question of the propriety of a plunging neckline in the workplace aside, is this what people are truly thinking? I’m shocked to think that this could be happening! As HR professionals, we must be sure to address such thoughts and attitudes to ensure a non-hostile environment for everyone. While of course everyone is entitled to their private thoughts, work-related thoughts should be the primary focus of 9-5, not extracurricular activities.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The Financial World and the Job Market
It'll be interesting to see the fallout in the job market from the current financial crisis, but some effects are already seen...
The first article is from the New Jersey Law Journal and probably won't work for most of you...but the important part is just to read the title and then find a way to get your hands on the article: Pru Appeals in Suit Charging it Paid Off Plaintiffs' Lawyers: click here
Next, an interesting lesson from Yahoo! News via the AP on what can happen with mergers/takeovers and job layoffs as HP surprises Wall Street in this article: click here
(H/T to Wendy for those)
The Wall Street Journal (with a nice, new look) continues with an article sure to cause a little head scratching to most of America...the Executive job market is still healthy: click here and a video here
Next from the Journal is a very interesting article about trying to get Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's employees to stay as the mortgage giants go through some difficult times: click here
Going quickly to the Boston Globe's, Boston.com Monster.com HiringHub HR Center HR Blog, word that this isn't your father's job fairs--something new is in the air: click here
Lastly, in an article form the Journal, we learn that GMAT scores are being canceled...a lesson to employers that sometimes test scores aren't really all that reliable: click here
We've also added a great new feed from the WSJ on our right: click here
Friday, September 12, 2008
What I’m Hearing…Chutes and Ladders
Mr. Fandray’s assertions are right on the money. In today’s work environment, we have to recognize that not all employees are looking for that traditional climb up the corporate ladder. Sure, some people are, but that’s not everyone. To attract, retain, and motivate the talent necessary for success, we have to customize career opportunities to meet the needs of our organization and our employees. This means adopting a flexible total rewards mentality. Thinking differently about career moves will be beneficial for all parties involved. So if that means we’re playing Twister instead of Chutes and Ladders, all the better.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Small Packages Doesn't Always Equal Good Things
Some say that good things come in small packages...but not all small packages are good things...
Take for example this beer from Heartland Brewery from last night where Jennifer--author of the very popular "What I'm Hearing" series on this blog--and I had dinner (with the salt and pepper shakers in the background as perspective)
Wow...
If you're looking for the HR tie-in, keep looking; this was off of the regular HR path...well...why not?
"Small business feel" is one way people often describe companies, especially in job descriptions, but while good things can come from small business (like Astron!), sometimes small business doesn't equate into good things (trust me, I've been there).
What I’m Hearing…Twittering
No, it’s not as risqué as it sounds.
For those unfamiliar with the process, Twitter.com is a site that takes blogging a step further. You post instant microburst updates on your latest happenings and thoughts on your own Twitter site.
Since it’s relatively new, people primarily use Twitter for social networking purposes. However, the site holds many possibilities for management in general and HR in particular. Looking to keep a project team up to date on the latest happenings? Want to inform your employees of exciting new things coming? Twitter can help you achieve them, in an easy to use manner. The Gen Y employees in your organization most likely either use Twitter already, or follow someone on the site. Why not communicate with these employees using a method they’re comfortable with?
(Warning – shameless promotion ahead) Astron needs followers on Twitter! If you like our blog, you will enjoy this peek into our daily activities at Astron HQ. Visit our site at https://twitter.com/astronsolutions, sign up, and become one of our followers! We’d love to have you as part of our Twitter family.
Finance Getting Hit, Too
Update 11:50 AM: Missed it, but thanks for pointing out...sell-side also has information: click here
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Millenials and Word from the Journal
We start off on this Tuesday (an Astronology Tuesday) with a blog entry from the Boston Globe Monster.com HR Center HR Blog about Millenials: click here
Next, from the Wall Street Journal's Career Journal, advice on how to get better pay after years of a lower salary: click here
Also from the Journal, word that the same old technologies that worked in the past are proving successful today for productivity (see chart on right): click here
Lastly, as a special to the Journal a Q&A that addresses the ways to get out of negative thinking at work: click here
What I’m Hearing…Office Space
Yesterday evening I overheard a conversation between three healthcare professionals. They were discussing how they have to fight for office space in order to conduct their work. It appears that the space they were fighting for wasn’t particularly glamorous either. Tiny, dark, and without doors would best describe it.
One of the women mentioned her techniques for making her small space the envy of her colleagues. She added plants, a fountain, and a curtain against a wall that makes it look like the wall opens up onto a beach. Pretty clever!
Those of us who work in offices may often take for granted the importance of space and privacy for being effective members of an organization. While we can’t always guarantee a private office for each employee – buildings do have space constraints – we should do our best to make each person’s space feel as warm and inviting as possible. A small investment in some décor – living or faux – will help to make employees feel welcomed and appreciated. With those feelings should come greater organizational loyalty. With the cost of turnover as high as it is, purchasing a few plants or pictures seems relatively inexpensive in comparison.
Friday, September 05, 2008
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