Year-end bonuses fall 21% across industries | HR exec: Businesses can improve retention with badges | Are all your team members willing to speak their mind?
US workers are receiving smaller bonuses, with the average cash bonus paid in December down 21% from the previous year, according to payroll software company Gusto. Declining bonuses were seen in all industries, ranging from a 3.8% decrease in technology to a 36% decline in tourism and transportation companies. Full Story: Bloomberg (1/17)
Supporting pet ownership = happier employees Attracting, retaining and engaging quality employees of all generations are three leading challenges that companies face in today's employment landscape. Luckily, supporting pet-owning employees improves their work experience—and positively affects these key metrics for employers. Find out more.
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Recruiting & Retention
HR exec: Businesses can improve retention with badges Offering digital badging and microcredential opportunities can help businesses reskill or upskill employees and improve retention, writes Jeanne Cordisco, the chief people officer at O'Reilly Media. Cordisco explains best practices and calls the effort a win-win for employees and learning and development professionals. Full Story: Training Industry (1/18)
Report offers a glimpse of older adults' Rx costs An AARP analysis outlines how prices of prescription drugs changed from 2006 to 2020, with findings covering 943 medications typically used by older patients for chronic conditions. Researchers noted that the average annual cost for these drugs surpassed $26,000 in 2020. That amount equates to nearly 90% of Medicare beneficiaries' median income and more than one-third of the nation's median household income, and it surpasses the average Social Security retirement benefit by more than 40%. Full Story: AARP (1/17)
The HR Leader
How to help employees going through challenging times Employers who have workers going through challenging personal issues should "consider focusing on their overall job performance while being compassionate about their struggles," writes Johnny Taylor Jr., president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management. It's important to empathize with others and "consider setting realistic performance improvement goals and timelines, recognizing that personal issues may take time to resolve." Full Story: USA Today (1/16)
Workplace Chatter
What's in a wag of the tail? Tail-wagging is different in dogs than in other tailed animals and probably started in ancient dogs as a means of communication, but as humans selected dogs for docile traits, tail-wagging became a common trait, according to a review published in Biology Letters. Dogs may wag their tail on one side of the body or the other depending on whether it wants to approach or withdraw from something, and the beats per minute and tail carriage can signal that a dog is happy or ready to attack, researchers say. Full Story: Science (tiered subscription model) (1/16)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
John F. Kennedy wasn't hatless, but in fact was the last president to wear a hat at an inauguration. What kind?
How effective are you at resolving conflict? How do you get people to jump over the hurdle of ego and put their focus on what matters? My ex-husband David is in the advanced stages of cancer. Our son flew here to California Tuesday night to see him and to rally support from his dad’s family. We went to visit David last night. He is living with his girlfriend, Karen*, a nurse who is caring for him. She has been his primary caregiver over the last several months since he was first diagnosed. When we walked into the house last night, I could see the lines of stress and weariness etched on her face. “I need help. I need to sleep,” Karen told us. We all sat down to talk. Karen said she asked David’s family for support but got rebuffed. I was surprised. I had spoken with my brother-in-law and knew folks wanted to help. I also remembered reaching out several times to ask how I could pitch in and was told they didn’t need anything. Kiaha knew all of this as well. But we let her talk. Obviously, things had become messy and complicated. We couldn’t be distracted by that. We needed to get a clear picture of his status and needs. The conversation and visit ended well. Kiaha and I came up with a game plan on the way home. Establish priority. David’s health and comfort is our top priority. Period. That will be our guide. What he needs -- a hospital bed, a night nurse -- is the only thing that matters. Find the cool heads. “Start with Aunt Diane*,” Kiaha advised me. He knew she was level-headed, patient and respected by her siblings. She had also developed a friendly relationship with Karen. Perfect. She could convey information to others and help melt the icy walls of mistrust. That would go a long way toward getting long-term help for David. Be Switzerland (kind of). Kiaha has done a beautiful job of remaining objective and neutral in the situation. “My only loyalty is to my dad,” he has said over and over. He has curried the trust and respect of Karen and his aunts and uncles. He knows this will go a long way toward getting the support his dad needs. Have a thick skin but a sensitive heart. I have a feeling we will be exercising this one a lot in the next few weeks. Hearing some accusations about the family last night was hard, but we remained quiet. Karen is stressed and exhausted. Her emotions are running high. The best way to serve her and David right now is to listen and avoid the urge to argue. A time will come to address other issues. It’s just not right now. Right now we need to understand his needs and find a way to meet them. Navigating conflict is never easy, in our personal lives or the workplace. How do you do it? What would you add to my list above? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also. *Name changed to preserve privacy.
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