Before the pandemic, 80 percent of U.S. employees worked primarily from an external workplace; today, only 21 percent do. Coaxing employees to return to the workplace will be an uphill battle, with recent surveys, including one from Pew Research, suggesting that 54 percent of those who are currently working remotely want to continue spending at least some of their working hours … [Read more...] about Beware of privacy pitfalls when remotely monitoring telecommuters
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Tool: Model Remote Monitoring of Telecommuters Policy
Letting employees telecommute poses significant operational and management challenges to employers, not the least of which is ensuring that employees are actually doing their jobs and meeting expected productivity standards when working from home. Software, apps and other monitoring technology can go a long way in meeting this goal; but it can also get you into hot water under … [Read more...] about Tool: Model Remote Monitoring of Telecommuters Policy
Performance reviews: Dread them? Ditch them? Replace them?
By Lynne Curry Do you dread filling out annual performance reviews? Do you wonder about their effectiveness? You aren't the only one with doubts. A Gallup survey reports that only 14% of employees strongly agree their performance reviews inspire improvement.1 According to 58% of executives surveyed, their company’s current performance management system produces neither higher … [Read more...] about Performance reviews: Dread them? Ditch them? Replace them?
Staffers push back about returning to work
By Lynne Curry Question: We’re getting enormous pushback from our staff to an email we sent out last week stating that employees need to return to the workplace. At the same time, our organization, which is set up to serve clients, can’t survive if we let all the employees who want to work from home do so. It’s not fair to our clients or the employees who show up at … [Read more...] about Staffers push back about returning to work
5 unintended ways companies compromise their network security
By Ron Slyker Solid organization security is a considerable necessity in today’s world—that's not going to come as a surprise to anyone. Nonetheless, making and keeping an impenetrable organization is something that stays a slippery objective for some enterprises. Organizations of all sizes are continuously struggling with the battle of guaranteeing that each potential … [Read more...] about 5 unintended ways companies compromise their network security
More than one-quarter of employees say pandemic contributed to career setback
According to new research from a global staffing firm, more than one-quarter of professionals (27 per cent) said their career has stalled since the start of the pandemic—and that number jumps to 55 per cent for those ages 18 to 24. In a separate poll, 49 per cent of senior managers revealed that they postponed promoting top performers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and 61 per … [Read more...] about More than one-quarter of employees say pandemic contributed to career setback
Survey: 60 percent of US workers concerned about their mental health in pandemic’s aftermath
Amid growing anxiety about the pandemic’s impact on wellbeing, a new survey finds that US workers rank mental and psychological wellbeing as one of their biggest wellness concerns. Despite these worries, The Conference Board survey reveals that participation in programs including mental health resources and Employee Assistance programs has dropped. On the upside, the … [Read more...] about Survey: 60 percent of US workers concerned about their mental health in pandemic’s aftermath
Wage whispers: Can we stop salary talk?
By Paul Edwards When one employee finds out another employee makes more money, it can send ripples throughout your entire workplace. In light of the morale damage this kind of talk can cause, you may be tempted to tell employees not to discuss salaries at all. The problem is employees have a legal right to discuss their salaries with other employees because of existing NLRA … [Read more...] about Wage whispers: Can we stop salary talk?
People of color and women still underrepresented at law firms, progress slow
A survey by the National Association for Law Placement shows slow progress toward diversity at law firms. The survey, based on information from the 2020-2021 NALP Directory of Legal Employers (NDLE), shows that overall, women and people of color continued to make incremental progress in representation at major U.S. law firms in 2020 as compared with 2019. The percentage of … [Read more...] about People of color and women still underrepresented at law firms, progress slow
Who has OSHA responsibility for the health & safety of a temp?
What are your OSHA duties to temporary workers (“temps”) whom you hire from a temp agency to work at your firm? Stated differently, are you or the temp agency responsible for the temp’s health and safety? Here’s a set of scenario quizzes that illustrate how the rules work. SCENARIO 1: RESPONSIBILITY FOR HAZCOM TRAINING The Temps R’Us Agency (Agency) assigns an employee to … [Read more...] about Who has OSHA responsibility for the health & safety of a temp?