A rule that would have allowed companies to more easily classify workers, such as gig workers, as independent contractors rather than employees has been withdrawn by the Labor Department, effective Thursday. The department said the rule conflicted with the Fair Labor Standards Act, which covers compensation requirements among other provisions. Full Story: Reuters (5/6)
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Recruiting & Retention
900K jobs added in March Jobs added in March exceeded 900,000, and economists surveyed by Reuters say 1 million more likely were added in April. However, the National Bureau of Economic Research has yet to declare the US officially out of a recession, despite data indicating the fastest economic growth in about four decades. Full Story: Reuters (5/4)
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Adjust health benefits to fit remote employees' needs Employers expecting a permanent increase in remote employees should change their benefits strategy to better understand their telemedicine options, especially given local regulations. "Employees overall are now more comfortable with the idea of virtual care given the pandemic, and this will continue to be part of benefits," says Sarah Britton, senior manager of employee operations for Lever. Full Story: Society for Human Resource Management (tiered subscription model) (5/5)
Technology
Virtual learning requires ongoing help, study says Companies have learned during the pandemic that virtual learning often requires retraining for instructors, while learners benefit from ongoing help after the online classes end, as a Gartner study found employees are 1.5 times more likely to use virtually learned skills if they also were coached. Companies can use technology platforms such as CoachMe to help managers with busy workloads. Full Story: Society for Human Resource Management (tiered subscription model) (5/3)
The HR Leader
Most HR leaders are "Diplomats," workers want "Idealists" A Leadership IQ test taken by more than 1 million people reveals that 64% of HR leaders are "Diplomats" and 21% are "Stewards," while 51% of HR employees want an "Idealist" leader. "Too many HR leaders focus on making their people happy at the expense of challenging them to stretch, learn, and grow," explains Leadership IQ CEO Mark Murphy, who notes, "the majority of your employees don't want to be coddled." Full Story: TLNT (5/5)
About the Editor
Kanoe Namahoe
May is Asian-Pacific Islander month. In honor of my people -- I am Hawaiian-Chinese -- and our rich culture, I will be sharing stories, quotes, recipes and more with you throughout the month. My dad, Carl Namahoe, is my hero. I’ve leaned on his wisdom and advice many, many times. On my wedding day, he said something that has stayed with me. “I gave you a life and I gave you a name. Don’t tarnish either one of them,” he said. I remember being startled by the weight of those words. But they sank in and I work hard to live by them. What pearls of wisdom have you received from the heroes in your life? Tell me! And send this link to anyone you think should receive this brief.
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