Layoffs extend beyond high-growth tech sector | Va. lawmakers propose bill similar to Calif. FAST Act | KFC employees to have tuition covered at online university
Dow and IBM plan to lay off thousands of workers, a sign that economic uncertainty is driving cost cutting in sectors beyond high-growth technology. The layoffs could mark a change in sentiment among executives, who have hesitated for months to reduce staffing after a historically tight labor market caused recruitment and retention challenges. Full Story: The Wall Street Journal (1/26)
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Recruiting & Retention
Va. lawmakers propose bill similar to Calif. FAST Act Lawmakers in Virginia have proposed a bill similar to California's FAST Act, which would create a council to determine wages and working conditions for employees of quickservice chains with 100 or more locations. Unlike California's measure, which is on hold until a voter referendum, the Virginia proposal would further mandate that employers pay workers to take a course every six months that would explain their rights and protections. Full Story: Restaurant Business (1/26)
Workforce trends in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Explore insights from PwC's annual Saratoga workforce benchmarking survey that show how organizations are acting on their DE&I commitments. Get the eBook
Research examines benefits of exercise for aging muscles Recent research suggests that regular exercise can help "reprogram" epigenetic expression of muscle fibers to return to a more youthful state, and the findings could help in the development of medications that produce these benefits in people who cannot be physically active. Regular exercise can provide overall health benefits no matter the age at which a person starts, and Dr. Kevin Murach of the University of Arkansas called it "the most powerful drug we have." Full Story: Medical News Today (1/24)
Benefits & Compensation
Myths about the employee retention tax credit Restaurants and other small businesses may still be able to retroactively claim the employee retention tax credit, but there are certain myths to be aware of and other issues to consider, writes Bill Claffey, tax lawyer at Fiondella, Milone & LaSaracina. "The IRS has warned of opportunistic scammers looking to take advantage of businesses to make a quick buck," Claffey notes. Full Story: QSR (1/26)
The HR Leader
Want a productive team? Let them do some daydreaming Your team can get more done and produce more creative solutions and innovative ideas if they have time to daydream and take breaks from work that requires them to be hyper-focused, says Chris Griffiths, founder software company OpenGenius. "Being productive is not doing things in less time; it's doing the right things in more creative ways to be more efficient," Griffiths says. Full Story: Fast Company (tiered subscription model) (1/23)
I’m in San Antonio this week covering an education technology conference. Yesterday’s travel was interesting. I rode my bike to the airport. I often do this because parking is free for motorcycles and I get in and out of the airport much faster. (For those of you who wonder how I get a week’s worth of clothes, shoes and travel necessities on a motorcycle, drop me a line. It’s not hard). I’m halfway down the 101 freeway when it starts to rain -- not hard but my visor is quickly dotted with rain drops. Cursing Weather.com that promised me it wouldn’t rain until later in the day, I hit the throttle harder so I can get out of the county. I knew it wasn’t raining yet in LA. Sure enough, the rain clears in just a few miles. I get to the airport, check my bag and then join the herds going through TSA. After clearing security, I stop to grab a bite. That’s when I notice I packed the wrong credit card. Now I’m cursing myself. I hand over my personal bank card and make a mental note to switch some funds around so I’m covered for the week. I get to my gate just as it’s supposed to begin boarding. Supposed to. But, the gate sign is flashing "Delayed." The incoming plane was late and those passengers are just barely deplaning. They’ll need to clean the plane when that’s done. The gate agent says our flight will be 30 minutes late leaving. I check my American Airlines app to see how that could affect my connecting flight in Dallas. It will be a bit tight but I should be okay. Nope. We land in Dallas at 5:56 p.m. and my next flight leaves at 6:30 p.m. I have less than 20 minutes to get off the plane and sprint from Terminal A to Terminal D -- in Timberlands and a heavy Harley-Davidson leather jacket, with my backpack banging against my side. By the time I get to my gate, my face is red, my breathing is ragged and my calves are on fire. I glance at my smartwatch and see my heart rate is in the fat-burning zone. That’s a plus, I decide. We land in San Antonio. I’m ready for a hot shower and a good meal. I head to baggage claim to collect my bag. “We’re sorry Ms. Namahoe but your bag was loaded onto flight 1406. It will get here at 10:01 tonight.” I look over her shoulder. It’s 8:30 p.m. She offers to have my bag delivered to me the following afternoon. My nerves are shot. “That won’t work,” I say tensely. “I have meetings in the morning and will need to be wearing clothes for them.” “I’m sorry, Ms. Namahoe. You can get the bag tonight, if you like,” she says and her polite tonight pricks my conscience. She’s just doing her job. I take a deep breath, smile and say that will be fine. I decide I’ll go to my hotel, check in, drop my backpack and grab a bite before returning for my bag. Check-in at the hotel is going well until the clerk says there’s a problem with the card on file. All my travel is booked through our company travel department. I call the emergency number to see what happened and discover that someone neglected to send a form to the hotel’s accounting department. “We’re really sorry but we can’t do anything until tomorrow,” the agent says and gives me directions on who to contact to help expedite the process. I wish I could cry in moments like this. It would be a better response. But I’m tired, hungry and frustrated by the errors of the day. A volcano is boiling inside me. I look up at the hotel clerk, and I see worry on her face. She can see how upset I am. Silently, I hand over my personal card. She swipes it, slips a key into a folder, points to the elevators and apologizes again for the error. Still in jerk mode, I ignore her apology and ask if the restaurant is still open. She nods quickly and I turn and leave. I drop my bag in my room, grab my purse and head down to the restaurant. I slip onto a seat at the bar and ask for a menu. The whole day turns in an instant. It was near closing time but the staff was not put out by my late arrival. The young chef praised my choice -- “The organic chicken? That’s one of my favorites! I’ll make it for you,” -- and the bartender gave me a warm smile when he set my drink and a basket of warm bread in front of me. I felt the tension in my body start to drain away. My chicken arrived. It was gorgeous. And delicious. I ate with gusto, finally relaxed. I paid my check and ordered a Lyft back to the airport. On my way up to meet it, I made one stop at the hotel check-in desk. The clerk came out of her office. She looked nervous when she saw it was me. I smiled at her and put my hand on the desk. “I am so sorry for my temper and frustration earlier,” I said gently. “It was uncalled for. None of that was your fault. You did everything you could. I apologize for my attitude.” She shook her head and smiled saying my apology was unnecessary and that she was confident it would all be taken care of. I smiled at her again and bid her good night. My bag was waiting for me when I got to the airport. I grabbed it quickly and headed back out to my Lyft. The driver regaled me with funny tales about his three-year-old son and his Lego collection. By the time I got back to my hotel, I was good again. The day can bring anything, at home or on the road. I can do a better job of being intentional about my attitude, instead of letting circumstances drive my actions and words. That will be my goal for the week. What about you? Can you relate? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
