After our long winter, everyone is most likely ready for some nice, warm weather.  Accompanying the warm weather may be “work-dread” days where employees would rather be spending time outside than in the office, precipitating a higher volume of sick call-ins.  What are some reasons (besides nice weather) that may generate increased absences, which in turn cost your company money?

• Legitimate Illnesses.  This is real life, so we know some employees will become ill.  Many companies have instituted wellness programs to educate and encourage their workforce to make healthier choices, whether through formal or informal programs within their organization.  A recent survey conducted by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index indicated absences as a result of employees with chronic health conditions accounts for a yearly bill of $84 billion in lost productivity.  That may provide enough motivation to take a look at offering some type of wellness initiative.
• Low Morale.   Let’s face it.  Some employees just don’t want to be at work…for a variety of reasons.   You may gain some insight by opening dialogue with employees on a regular basis to find out what they like or don’t like about their job or the company.  Provide options for employees to voice their concerns, perhaps through a suggestion box or small group meetings with supervisors and management.  The important thing to remember is to listen and respond.  If you solicit feedback, you don’t necessarily need to implement every idea but you should find some opinions that warrant further consideration.
• Work Environment.  Perhaps the cause for the sick day call-in is to avoid dealing with another coworker, attendance at a school function for a child, or a problem supervisor.  If either of these are the case, some changes in work environment may be the solution.  Personnel issues, whether between coworkers or supervision, need to be addressed timely and appropriately.  Oftentimes providing flexibility in work schedules can solve other issues regarding scheduling time off for family events.

Whatever the reasons are, absences are expensive for employers.  Hopefully the above items will generate some ideas to reduce absenteeism and still provide opportunities for employees to enjoy the warm summer days.

Over the past year and a half, we have been following the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) proposal which would have required virtually all employers to post a notice about employees’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).  Those blogs can be found at these websites.

http://www.hrnblog.com/2012/01/06/hr-fact-friday-nlrb-poster-deadline-postponed-again/

http://www.hrnblog.com/2011/10/21/hr-fact-friday-nlrb-posting-deadline-delayed/

The rule, which was issued in 2011, was never implemented because of court challenges.  After going to the appeals court, a ruling was issued on May 7 that the Board exceeded its authority in its effort to require employers to post a notice of employee rights under the NLRA.  Probusiness groups are cheering, as the notice posting rule was expected to lead to more unionization and continued NLRB enforcement activity, especially for nonunion groups.

Will the NLRB appeal to the Supreme Court?  It is possible that could happen.  For now, however, employers no longer need to worry about the NLRB posting rule.  We will keep you updated on any future developments.

HR professionals say that the three biggest challenges facing HR executives over the next 10 years are retaining and rewarding the best employees (59%), developing the next generation of corporate leaders (52%), and creating a corporate culture that attracts the best employees to organizations (36%). This research also explores investment challenges, talent management tactics, evolvement of the workforce, and critical HR competencies and knowledge.

Do you share these concerns? HRN solutions and consulting services can help. Check us out and request additional information.

Source: SHRM. To review the complete report go to www.shrm.org.

It’s getting close to merit time and employees are scrambling to figure out how to get projects done, goals completed, and earn a stellar rating on their performance review.  The reward?  Hopefully a merit increase towards the top end of the scale.

But what if getting a raise had nothing to do with performance, but rather having a tattoo?  Not just any tattoo, though.  A tattoo in the shape of your employer’s logo.   If you are an agent for Rapid Realty, you could receive a raise of 15% for touting the company’s logo on your body.  The restrictions are few:

• Tattoo can be any size
• Tattoo can be anywhere – on the thigh, bicep, ankle, wrist, behind the ear and elsewhere
• Tattoo can be customized; some have only the RR logo while others actually spell out “Rapid Realty”

Out of the 1,100 agents that work for Rapid Realty, 40 have visited the local tattoo parlor to get the 15% raise.  As these employees are commissioned agents, the 15% kicks in every time they complete a deal.

I may be old fashioned, but loyalty to a company doesn’t mean sporting a tattoo.  Rewarding an employee for a tattoo doesn’t seem to match the “pay for performance” philosophy that has been so engrained for many years.  Granted, the tattoo may be “free” advertising and lower the turnover rate.  But does it do anything to spike performance or commitment to an organization?

For the time being, I am going to stick with my philosophy of rewarding employees for doing a good job, meeting goals and objectives, and demonstrating professionalism in the workplace.  Those may not appear as physical tattoos, but definitely can be seen and identified.

I’m always interested in hearing what the outlook is for college graduates.  In the recent years due to the downturn in the economy, the outlook hasn’t been too bright but the last couple of years have indicated a stronger job market.  That’s good news for recent graduates, employers, and those parents who have been investing money in their child’s education with the hopes of securing a steady job (and being removed from mom and dad’s payroll).

The annual Harris Interactive© nationwide survey, conducted from February 11 to March 6, 2013, indicated that more than half (53%) of US employers plan to hire recent college graduates in 2013.   This represents a significant increase from 2010 where only 44% of employers reported the same.

You may be wondering how this varies by industry, so here are the stats:

• 65% – Information technology employers
• 63% – Financial service employers
• 56% – Health care employers

What kind of earnings can a new college graduate anticipate these days?  It seems to be fairly evenly distributed between $30k to > $50k:

• 25% – Less than $30,000
• 29% – $30,000 to < $40,000
• 20% – $40,000 to < $50,000
• 25% – $50,000 and higher

The top areas for college graduates are focused primarily in two areas:  front-line customer and client facing roles (such as customer service and sales), and jobs that require specific technical knowledge such as IT, finance, or health care.

The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive© on behalf of CareerBuilder, interviewed over 2,000 hiring managers and human resource professionals.  Although the jobs are increasing, it still is a competitive market so new grads should remember to network, do homework on the company they are interviewing with, and also include “non-work” experience in their resume such as internships, volunteer work, and involvement in outside activities.  Welcome to the work world, 2013 graduates!