“Companies that are more diverse and inclusive perform at a higher level, are more innovative and are successful at attracting and retaining employees”, says Tao Leung, counsel at Hogan Lovells. However, employers are falling short in their diversity and inclusion efforts. Many employment forms ask employees to designate whether they are male or female, rather than making their forms gender-inclusive.
A new report from BBC suggests workers at Amazon fulfillment center are burdened with work during Christmas. Amazon, however, claims it pays industry-leading wages to its workers and the working conditions at its warehouses are very good. Meanwhile, employees at Facebook are worried about being fired. The company, however, paints a different picture.
A Nov.20 study by Research and Markets says employers’ increased focus on continuous learning is driving demand for learning management systems. Organizations of different sizes have started using the corporate learning management system as a tool for employee training, employee orientation knowledge retention, and other multiple uses, the study said. Employers are using LMS for skills gap assessment, gamification of training, and personalization of learning.
After announcing layoff plans on Nov.18, Tata Steel Europe, on Wednesday, said it had begun talks with its workers on a “transformation program” that involves 3,000 job cuts. This move has sparked anger in union leaders. Reuters reports the company plans to lay off 1600, 1000, and 350 people in Netherlands, Britain, and elsewhere respectively.
Hiring managers are prioritizing shared values, similar backgrounds, and even chemistry with themselves over specific job skills while hiring employees, defeating the purpose of hiring for diversity and inclusion. “Demographic diversity is necessary, but not sufficient for the diversity of thought”, says Tom Schoenfelder who holds a Ph.D. and works as principal scientist at the employment-assessment firm, Caliper. Along with demographics, companies should look for “experiences, strengths, backgrounds, and perspectives".
Open office design is the most preferred office layout among workers, a survey conducted among 1,500 employees by Resume Lab found. A hybrid mix of open and private workspaces brings high employee morale, workers with high job satisfaction rate reported. Private offices followed by cubicles were the most satisfying personal workstations, the survey said.
Audi will cut 9,500 jobs of its 61,000 jobs in Germany by 2025, Forbes reported. The announcement came after talks between labor representatives and Audi. The company will save $6.6 billion in the process and plans to invest in the free-up fund in electric vehicles. Audi will create 2,000 new jobs specializing in digitalization and electric cars, Forbes says.
A recent Robert Half survey found that more than half of workers are planning to shop online during the coming holiday season. Nearly 44% of workshoppers said shopping at work hampers on-the-job productivity. For tech teams, it a matter of concern, as security threats increase. Men are more inclined toward online shopping than women, HR Dive says.
A Peakon report says managers can improve employee engagement and build workers’ trust by greeting them when the workday begins. Saying ‘good-bye’ at the end of the workday, asking employees how their weekend was on Monday morning can further increase engagement, the report said. These gestures may not improve results right away, but will occur over time, Peakon said
Older IT workers are being passed over by employers even as IT job openings are soaring. Workers aged 22 to 44 account for 61% of the workforce in the IT sector, but only 49% of the workforce across all occupations. Further, workers aged 45 and above represent 38% of all IT employees in the U.S companies, in contrast with 44% in other sectors.
A national survey by Cancer and Careers says 88% of workers are concerned about their ability to support co-workers grappling with health issues. 69% of respondents are unaware of the kind of emotional support to offer and how much to offer, and 59% of respondents want to know the ways they ask their co-workers about their medical condition, as chronic illnesses can be a sensitive topic in a workplace.
Nearly 3,200 workers at Canadian National, the country’s largest rail operator, went on a strike on 19 November to protest against chronic overwork and unsafe conditions. “Nobody likes being on strike, but we’ve been bargaining here for seven months. Our back is against the wall.” Christopher Monette, a representative at Teamsters Canada, says. The talk between union workers and management is continuing without progress, reports the Guardian.
KPMG International survey says HR function will become irrelevant if it doesn’t modernize its approach to workforce planning. HR departments aka pathfinding organizations that shape the workforce of the future, create strong employee culture, and generate insights from data will thrive in the future, HR Dive reports. Pathfinding organizations are more likely to have a dedicated HR role focused on culture and purpose.
Diversity at workplaces and the increasing number of millennials in leadership roles are changing the way employees work, Fortune says. Employees are less tied to their desks than in the past. According to a study by Upwork, the number of freelance workers in the United States has increased by 4 million, making up 35 percent of the U.S. job market.
Around 200 Google workers gathered outside the company’s San Francisco office to protest the company’s decision to place two employees on administrative leave and increased restrictions on access to information. Protesters denounced a range of actions by the tech giant, describing them as intimidation tactics and efforts to suppress an open culture. Reportedly, the company has hired an anti-union consulting firm.
WeWork, following its failed initial public offering (IPO) attempt, said it will lay off nearly 20% of its workforce, Reuters reports. “As part of our renewed focus on the core WeWork business, and as we have previously shared with employees, the company is making necessary layoffs to create a more efficient organization,” a company spokeswoman said in a statement. However, the employees will receive severance and continued benefits during this critical period of career transition, the report said.
Interviewers pay less attention to facial imperfections when the interviewees acknowledge them upfront, a study from Rice’s University and the University of Houston’s Hilton College says. Facial features affect the interview process amidst strict laws that preclude it. As a resolution, researchers at Penn State University and Columbia University have unveiled an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool to detect discrimination based on legally protected classifications, HR Dive Reports.
On Friday, November 22, Google employees are planning a rally in San Francisco demanding an end to the escalating pattern of intimidation. The organizers of Friday’s rally portray the administrative leave of two workers as a brute force intimidation attempt and call for the reinstatement of their colleagues, Forbes Reports.
Employees who change jobs internally stay longer on board, data from LinkedIn shows. Further, employees who are promoted after spending 3 years on staff have a 70% chance of staying on board, while those who made a lateral move have a 62% chance of staying. Those who remain in their position have a 45% chance of staying on board.
42% of American employees have been involved in political talks at work, Fortune says. Though it is expected of workers to leave political talks at the door when they come to work, the reality is far from expectation. 56% of workers think political talks have been increasing at work and becoming more polarizing, a survey from the Society of human resources management says.
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