A new Gartner study says the number of U.S. employees working remotely will surpass 50% in 2020. Therefore, it is imperative for managers to learn to manage the remote workforce and lead them to success. Communication, community, and career development are three areas for managers to focus to bring the best of a remote team. Remote work will get bigger in the coming years, Fortune reports.
Visible tattoos, casual dress, and unusual hair colors are more accepted at workplaces now. An Accountemps survey found that 91% of senior managers attribute acceptability to relaxed social norms and a work environment that caters to the younger generation of workers. Bad language, Pets in the office, and political images remain big offenses at the workplace.
Tesco said it has suspended its production at a factory in China because the factory was forcing prisoners. Allegedly, the factory was forcing foreign prisoners to help make charity Christmas cards. Reportedly, Florence Widdicombe in South London discovered a plea note among Christmas Cards. The company has started an investigation, The Guardian reported. Similar cases have been reported earlier.
World Economic Forum report says gender parity will not be attained for another 99.5 years. While Education and Health and Survival have the least gender parity gap (96% and 97%), economic participation, political empowerment, and educational attainment are far from coming to a close. Political empowerment is the farthest from parity at 24.7%. However, the sector showed a 1.8% increase in the past year.
Recruiters often seek soft skills in new hires. However, soft skills are hard to uncover in the recruiting process. Also, soft-skills can vary from role to role. Technical roles, for instance, may require collaboration and teamwork, other roles may require written communication skills. In-demand soft skills include adaptability, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence.
A new survey from Mojo Vision says 78% of employees are open to wearing extended reality headsets at their employer’s request. Another survey from Perkins Coie’s said 78% of execs and investors believe XR technology can be used for workforce development. XR could soon be seen being used for workforce development.
Resilience is important to combat workplace stress. According to the American Psychiatric Association’s Center for Workplace Mental Health, workplace stress causes 120,000 deaths and about $190 billion health care costs annually. Stress also contributes to many illnesses ranging from chronic depression to reduction in immune system functioning. Hence, organizations must take steps to help employees fight stress and find resilience.
A Flex jobs and Global Workplace Analytics report says creative jobs are no. 1 on the list of remote work. A previous report said in the past 10 years remote work increased by 91%. Painting, photography, music, web design and interior design; followed by bookkeeping; internet and e-commerce; K-12 online education; graphic design, etc. are top jobs among remote works, the report said.
A recent Robert Half survey found 67% of advertising and marketing managers want to hire mobile and web development talent in the first half of 2020. Reportedly, change in consumer behavior is leading companies to focus on digital innovation. Employers are also planning to increase the number of freelancers, the report said.
A group of CEOs has written to lawmakers and the President urging them to take prompt action on federal laws that would make family leave available to most American workers. The Business Roundtable suggests employers should have the flexibility to manage the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and those self-financing their plans are allowed to maintain them as long as they meet minimum requirements.
HR pros can play a strategic role by planning succession ahead of a crisis, HR Dive reports. The sudden departure of leaders can impact an organization and disrupt stability. In times like these, HR pros can step up to prove their strategic worth by guiding internal messaging and focusing on the company’s people. This also keeps the team engaged and the company ready for any transitions.
The 2019 holiday season could be challenging for HR, given that Hanukkah, Kwanza, and Christmas Day all occur during the week of Sunday, December 22. This may create issues for employers without the requisite policies and procedures, given the need to take care of religious accommodation duties as well as scheduling and leave administration.
The grounding of Boeing’s 737 Max has decreased the demand for foreign pilots among Chinese Airlines. Earlier pilots had options to choose from dozens of jobs that paid over $300,000. However, things have changed. Chinese carriers have largely stopped hiring foreign pilots for 737 Max after two lethal crashes. Only a handful of companies are recruiting for such jobs now.
A human rights legal organization has filed a lawsuit against Apple, Alphabet Inc, Microsoft, Tesla, and Dell in a federal court in Washington, D.C., alleging their outsized profits are generated off the child laborers in Congo. Reportedly, these children have suffered serious injuries and health issues due to dire work conditions, which Fortune reported as “Stone Age conditions”.
A new report from Forrester suggests employees should have the right to ignore workplace distractions like email and instant messages. Modern workplaces are a waking nightmare for any employee trying to focus on work. The report called for “employee experience bill of rights” necessary for business leaders to exhibit a commitment to establish a sense of security and long-term stability.
Kent Walker, Google’s top lawyer, set off a firestorm after he argued that Google has outgrown its data policy on allowing workers access to any internal document. Walker’s comment met with harsh responses. One employee called the data policy “a total collapse of Google culture, while another called it “arrogant and infantilizing”. Google has been vexed with internal conflicts for the last two years.
Only 46% of the U.S. employers have a vaping policy, an IFBP wellness survey report says. An increase in vaping-related illnesses and a warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is driving employers to reconsider their policies. Target and Walmart are leading the way by including vaping in their workplace tobacco policies and smaller companies are following suit.
A survey from Tallo says Gen Z workers favor traditional platforms like email (87%) or professional platforms like LinkedIn (63%) to connect with recruiters. Personal social media presence is important for Generation Z workers. However, they don’t want to be heard through those channels, the survey further revealed. Talent professionals must prioritize the candidate’s perception of recruiting processes.
As much as 76% of companies have plans to celebrate the holidays with office parties this year – the largest number since 2016, according to a Challenger, Gray & Christmas report. Despite employers’ confidence in the weakening economy, companies are extending party invitations to include ‘partners and families. Following a three-year decline, employer-sponsored parties increased by 10% in 2019.
Facebook and Google came at 23rd and 11th place respectively on the Glassdoor’s annual rankings “best places to work” in the U.S. The companies have previously held places among the top 10 places to work. Google was voted “best place to work” in 2015, while Facebook has been rated as the “best place to work” three times in the past 10 years.
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