Sunday, January 31, 2010

Morning people

Sleep experts say about ten percent of us are "morning people", twenty percent are "night owls", and the rest are somewhere in between, according to a recent Seattle Times article. Some tips to become a morning person: accommodate to how much sleep you require, get sunlight exposure as soon as you wake up, and adopt a consistent sleep schedule.
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Saturday, January 30, 2010

Domino's Pizza

The Domino's Pizza chain focused on its store managers to reduce worker turnover from a staggering 158% down to 107%, according to a StartupJournal.com article. To accomplish this, Domino's HR department deployed a store manager strategy of hiring more selectively, coaching them on how to create better workplaces, and motivating them with the promise of stock options and promotions.
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Friday, January 29, 2010

The Seven Habits

Management and leadership author Stephen Covey describes the Seven Habits model of management and leadership for personal and business growth. The Seven Habits of Covey include: be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek first to understand and then to be understood, synergize, and learn from previous experience.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Payroll services

Four major players, ADP, Paychex, Ceridian Employer Services, and PayMaxx dominate the U.S. market for payroll services. These four companies account for forty-four percent market share, according to a recent HRO Today article. The remainder of the payroll services market is shared by smaller regional companies that cater to employers at the local level.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Health care incentives

More companies are requiring employees who use tobacco to pay higher health insurance premiums, hoping to motivate them to stop smoking and lower health care costs for the company, according to a recent USA Today article. A general benefits survey of 950 U.S.-based employers showed that at least 41% used some form of financial incentives or penalties in their health care plans.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Places to Work

Houston-based homebuilder David Weekley Homes recently rewarded its employees with a celebratory trip to Maui. DW employees are also entitled to 10% off the purchase of a new DW home. These perks earned David Weekly number twenty-four on Forbes 100 Best Places to Work list.
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Monday, January 25, 2010

Eye stress and strain

More hours spent in front of computer screens is increasing incidents of eye stress and strain. Suggestions for reducing eye strain include: reduce glare by positioning computer monitors away from windows, position screens five to nine inches below line of sight, use drops for dry eyes or contact lenses, take a 20-second break every 20 computer work minutes.
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Sunday, January 24, 2010

Temporary executives

Executive and professional temps accounted for 11% of the temp workforce, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Temporary executives are usually hired to handle crisis situations, organizational transitions, or strategic shifts. According to a recent Wall St. Journal article, seasoned top-level executives command up to $2,500 per day in the U.S.
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Saturday, January 23, 2010

Society for Human Resources Management

The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) Annual Conference and Exposition is the world's largest conference devoted to human resources. The annual conference features almost two-hundred session topics, over one-thousand exhibit booths, and hosts over twelve-thousand HR professionals from around the world.
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Friday, January 22, 2010

Office romance

According to a recent Vault survey of over 1,000 professionals from across the U.S., forty-seven percent of workers have participated in an office romance and an additional 19 percent would be willing to do so if the opportunity arose. Thirteen percent of respondents said their employer had a policy regarding office dating.
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Thursday, January 21, 2010

Debit cards paychecks

An estimated twenty-five million American employees without bank accounts are unable to be paid via direct deposit. Increasing numbers of organizations are offering employees without bank accounts payroll cards, similar to debit cards. Electronically transferring funds to employees is estimated to be up to 75% cheaper than issuing traditional paychecks.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Barriers to productivity

The importance of productivity has never been greater for organizations competing in the global economy. Human resources professionals are assuming a greater role in the task of promoting worker productivity. Management surveys indicate that the three main barriers to productivity are insufficient management planning and control, inadequate supervision, and ineffective communication.
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

HR Quote of the Day

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, independent contractors accounted for 7.4% of total employment, up from 6.4% five years earlier. Other temporary staffing arrangements registered little or no increases during this same period. On-call workers accounted for 1.8% of total employment, temporary help agency workers accounted for 0.9, and contract workers accounted for 0.6 percent.
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Monday, January 18, 2010

The HR Recruiter

The HR Recruiter screens and interviews potential employees on behalf of the organization. They conduct pre-employment tests and reference checks as well as provide training and guidance to hiring managers on policies, process, and regulatory issues. Additionally, they may place employment advertisements and analyze reports and trends.
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Sunday, January 17, 2010

Compensation Analyst

The HR Compensation Analyst assists with producing the organization's compensation program. Their primary responsibility is the research and study to determine appropriate employee compensation. In addition, they evaluate predicted market trends, recommend revisions to company compensation plans, review job descriptions, and assist the Compensation Manager.
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Saturday, January 16, 2010

Relocation packages

Fully reimbursed relocation packages are becoming a thing of the past. According to a recent Atlas World Group corporate relocation survey, fifty percent of companies surveyed said they would offer full relocation moving expenses, compared with sixty-two percent a year earlier. Forty percent of firms said they would offer partial reimbursement, compared with 26 percent a year ago.
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Friday, January 15, 2010

The ten "Cs"

The ten "Cs" of human resources management are: cost effectiveness, competitive, coherence, credibility, communication, creativity, competitive advantage, competence, change, and commitment. The ten "Cs" framework was developed by Alan Price in his 1997 book "Human Resource Management in a Business Context".
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Thursday, January 14, 2010

Wasting away

According to a recent survey by America Online and Salary.com, the average worker admits to wasting away about two hours a day, not including lunch or breaks. The top three time-wasting activities: surfing the Internet, socializing with co-workers, and conducting personal business. The top three reasons for wasting time: not enough work, underpaid for amount of work, and co-worker distractions.
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Wednesday, January 13, 2010

American Society for Training and Development

The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) held its first annual conference in 1944. ASTD is the world's largest association dedicated to workplace learning and performance professionals. ASTD has 70,000 members and associates from more than 100 countries, representing thousands of businesses, government agencies, academia, consulting firms, and product and service suppliers.
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

First-time unemployment insurance claims

Each week, the U.S. Department of Labor issues its weekly report of first-time unemployment insurance claims for U.S. workers. Most economists agree that when first-time unemployment-insurance claims fall below 350,000 it is a positive sign that the economy is going well and hiring workers. If above 400,000 the economy is loosing jobs and is in potential danger of falling into recession.
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Monday, January 11, 2010

HR manager

The position of human resources manager ranks as the fourth best job in America, according to a recent list compiled by Money Magazine and Salary.com. The job rankings are based on salary and job prospects, as well as stress level, flexibility in work environment, creativity, and ease of entry and advancement in the field.
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Sunday, January 10, 2010

Glass ceilings

Glass ceilings will disappear in the coming years as increasing numbers of educated women enter the workforce. From 1979 to 1999, the number of women earning four-year college degrees increased 44%, from 444,000 to 640,000. The most cited issues for women in the workplace continue to be managing work-life balance, and finding the most effective way to communicate with males in the workplace.
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Saturday, January 9, 2010

Hubert H. Humphrey

“There are incalculable resources in the human spirit, once it has been set free.” - Hubert H. Humphrey.
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Friday, January 8, 2010

Aviaphobia

Fear of flying (aviaphobia) can have negative impacts on employees and employers. An otherwise excellent employee may avoid career opportunity or advancement due to aviaphobia. Experts agree that most people who are afraid to fly can be treated. Statistically, the average person would have to fly every day for 29,000 years before getting involved in a fatal airline crash.
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Thursday, January 7, 2010

Domestic partnership benefits

More organizations are offering benefit coverage to domestic partners. According to a recent Human Rights Campaign report, the number of companies offering domestic partnership benefits increased by nearly 13%. This trend is driven by several factors, including changing demographics, the desire to be fair, the need to diversify the workplace, and to improve employee morale.
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Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Unengaged

According to a recent study on workforce engagement, nearly one-third of the U.S. workforce fits the category of “unengaged.” Unengaged employees perform their jobs in ways that do not contribute to organizational success, performance, and profitability. The productivity loss of unengaged workers equals nearly $300 billion a year.
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Tuesday, January 5, 2010

BFOQ

BFOQ is a human resources acronym that stands for Bona Fide Occupational Qualification. A BFOQ is a job requirement that permits an employer to legally discriminate on the basis of sex, age, religion or national origin. BFOQ job requirements are very rare. Job examples include working in a women's locker room, modeling dresses, or playing the part of a woman in a play or movie.
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Monday, January 4, 2010

OSHA

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), employers must contact OSHA in the event of an accident involving either the hospitalization of three or more employees within 30 days of a work related incident or the death of an employee. Employers must contact the national or local OSHA office within 8 hours of the event.
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Sunday, January 3, 2010

Fair Labor Standards Act

The Fair Labor Standards Act was passed in June 1938. The main objective of the law was to establish minimum standards of living necessary for health, efficiency, and well being of workers. A major provision of the act was the establishment of a minimum wage, initially 25 cents an hour, along with a maximum workweek of 44 hours. Child labor standards were also enacted.
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Saturday, January 2, 2010

Health care costs

U.S. companies pay significantly higher employee health care costs in comparison to all other industrialized nations. U.S. companies take two approaches to address the higher costs associated with health care. They look for ways to reduce or eliminate health care costs through changes in coverage levels. They also try to reduce the number of individuals covered by eliminating jobs.
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