The average premiums for midlevel Affordable Care Act health plans will increase by about 25% next year, but subsidies will be available to cushion the blow for consumers. "The odds are good you'll find plans more affordable than what the public debate about the ACA might lead you to expect," says Kathryn Martin, assistant secretary for planning and evaluation at the Department of Health and Human Services. Bloomberg (10/24),The Washington Times (10/24)
Decision Making in a Crisis. What HR Leaders Need to Know Managing is a constant job. How managers make decisions in a crisis is even more important, because crises can create three related threats for organizations: public safety, loss of reputation, and financial loss. Learn more about rule of thumb (ROT) and crisis management as an HR leader.
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Recruiting & Retention
Startup matches women with flexible jobs A startup called Werk is designed to connect women with high-level job opportunities that feature flexible working conditions. "Leaning in is not enough if work environments remain stuck in the industrial era, when families were managed by a stay-at-home parent," said co-CEO Annie Dean. Forbes (10/24)
Coffee-mate® "Two Tempting!" Promo Coffee-mate introduces two tempting new on-trend flavors: Salted Caramel Chocolate and Nestlé® Toll House® Chocolate Chip Cookie Liquid Creamer Singles. Now through December 31, when you purchase one case of either flavor, you can receive one case of the other flavor FREE!
While employers are allowed to take stances on political issues or even endorse candidates, employees may have to be more careful about discussing their views since many First Amendment rights don't apply in the workplace, writes Jena McGregor. In many states, there's no legal protection from being discriminated against due to your political affiliation, says lawyer Debra Katz. The Washington Post (tiered subscription model) (10/21)
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SmartBrief Originals
Original news, insights, analysis and best practices from SmartBrief.com
Race plays role in gender pay gap, research shows Not all women face the same pay gap with men's salaries, and research shows the disparity is actually larger for black and Latina women. Meanwhile, studies indicate that black and Latino men earn less, on average, than white and Asian women. The Atlantic online (10/17)
Path to Workforce
Ala. district to implement job shadowing An Alabama school district is working to create a job-shadowing program for 11th- and 12th-graders to connect them to future careers. The program will be part of the district's work-based learning program that allows students to earn income at school-based work sites. The Decatur Daily (Ala.) (10/19)
The HR Leader
5 keys to re-engaging your employees Disengaged employees are the norm in today's workplaces, and Steven D. Goldstein offer five principles for restoring trust and engagement. They include transparency and prioritizing a few issues rather than many. Leadership Freak blog (10/24)
I think it's a mistake to ever look for hope outside of one's self.
