Effective October 26, 2009 New York employers will be required to inform new hires in writing of their pay rates and pay day. Non-exempt employees must also be informed of  their overtime rates. A written acknowledgement must also be obtained from each new employee.

The New York City Council is also considering a proposal to require all employers, regardless of size, to provide paid sick leave to employees. San Francisco and Washington, D.C. already have such requirements.  Milwaukee passed a similar ordinance which was later declared unconstitutional.

Salt Lake City has passed an ordinance prohibiting private employers (i.e. those with 15 or more employees within the SLC limits) from discriminating in employment matters against “otherwise qualified” persons (both applicants and employees) based on sexual orientation or gender identity.  State entities (except SLC), religious organizations and “expressive organizations” are exempted from the ordinance.

Excellent article posted on the SHRM website recently tracking 401(k) enrollment trends.

Go to: http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/benefits/Articles/Pages/Standardin401ks.aspx.

Summary: 

The percentage of U.S. employers enrolling employees automatically into the 401(k) plan has risen significantly in just two years, from 34 percent in 2007 to 58 percent in 2009. Of those plans using automatic enrollment, 69 percent now default workers into a target-date fund, up from 50 percent in 2007, according to a study by consultancy Hewitt Associates.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Navigating the social and professional landscape can be difficult, but there are ways to avoid alienating colleagues with embarrassment or hurt feelings, career experts say. Co-workers who are also friends can exchange gifts off site, for example, and those who want to get the boss a present can go in as a group to be as inclusive as possible.

The first order of business for those looking to play Santa is to check the company handbook or consult its human-resources manager to see if there’s a policy on office gift-giving.

Many employers are erring on the side of caution these days in anything that could be construed as fodder for a lawsuit, and some may extend limits on gifts to and from business associates to the interoffice realm as well, said Deborah Brown-Volkman, a career coach in East Moriches, N.Y., and author of the forthcoming book “How to Feel Great at Work Everyday.”

Mellissa Boggs, vice president of consulting with Professional Staff Management, a human-resources and consulting firm in Indianapolis, said employers also are trying to head off morale problems that can arise inadvertently. (more…)

A study at the University of Alberta showed that people need a sense of purpose in order to feel engaged with their work. A ‘Spirit at Work’ intervention program for a group of long-term health-care workers boosted morale and job retention. This program urged employees to rethink their job, which reduced absenteeism by 60% and turnover by 75%.

“We discovered that people who are able to find meaning and purpose in their work, and can see how they make a difference through that work, are healthier, happier and more productive employees,” said Val Kinjerski, a University of Alberta PhD graduate who co-authored the study.
- E-science news gathered this information from the Journal of Gerontological Nursing.

By helping your people understand why they do what they do – you can increase happiness and productivity.

Here are few ideas that might help your employees/coworkers to connect with their work.

 Create Your Own Spirit at Work Intervention Program

1. Talk about positive stories
2. Have people share positive stories to be compiled for other employees
3. Listen to customer feedback
4. Find out what improvements your people would like to implement
5. Ask your employees how they want to celebrate great results

Your organization has an opportunity to create happier and more engaged workers with these easy to apply secrets that everyone should know, but many aren’t willing to try. (more…)