Florida lawmakers are considering legislation to streamline the process of building housing for agricultural workers. The industry is understaffed, and worker housing is subject to local regulations, but the legislation will create uniform guidelines for landowners to follow. Full Story: WFTX-TV (Cape Coral, Fla.) (1/24)
Recruiting & Retention
US firms may be losing trillions via unhappy workers Unhappy workers cost US firms almost $2 trillion in productivity losses over the past year, according to Gallup research. Attributed to a feeling of detachment after the COVID-19 pandemic, just one-third of survey respondents reported feeling engaged at work and about half reported putting minimum effort into their jobs. Full Story: Bloomberg (1/23)
Close the gender pay gap with these 5 steps Small businesses can be part of the solution to the gender pay gap problem by adopting equitable pay policies by taking a look at compensation structures to identify where pay gaps may occur between men and women in similar positions and creating pay transparency when hiring -- even if it's not required by law in your state. Standardized compensation for positions and flexible time off benefits help decrease salary discrepancies. Full Story: Big Ideas for Small Business (1/19)
Technology
Tapping the power of a connected workforce Connected workers are essential to harnessing the full benefits of Industry 4.0. Connected workers can leverage digital tools such as mobile apps, electronic devices, automation, and AI to enhance their productivity, safety, and efficiency on the factory floor, taking full advantage of digital technologies like automation, robotics and data analytics. Full Story: Forbes (tiered subscription model) (1/22)
The HR Leader
How HR can support employers' focus on productivity Employers are putting a greater emphasis on productivity, which HR can support by concentrating on employee skills and training, better HR technology, artificial intelligence and hybrid work arrangements, Josh Bersin writes. "We have to refocus on leadership development, spend more time and money on first line managers, and continue to invest in culture and inclusion," Bersin adds. Full Story: Josh Bersin blog (1/19)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
The rover Spirit landed on Mars on Jan. 4, 2004, and on Jan. 25 another one landed. What was this rover named?
Folks, let’s talk about happiness today, shall we? Our Recruitment & Retention story talks about employee happiness and engagement. According to a Gallup survey, US workers are increasingly unhappy in their work and the plight is costing employers heavily in lost productivity -- $1.9 trillion in 2023 alone. About 50% of respondents admit they do the bare minimum of their assigned work. That’s some sobering data. Who’s responsibility is it to fix? Employers need to take the lead, say workplace experts. Employers can improve engagement by finding more ways to connect with their teams, offer work that is meaningful and better support work-life balance programs. They also need to make sure that workers understand what’s expected of them. Employers drive the train of worker happiness. Okay. I understand this argument. BUT. I’d like to present an alternative perspective. Meet Maria. Maria is a campus supervisor at a local high school. She has been working in that role for 22 years. A senior role is opening up this year and she expects to receive it because of the time she’s spent in the district. That would be a mistake. Maria doesn’t like her job. She complains often and does shoddy work. She has a sour attitude toward the students and her co-workers. When another campus supervisor mentioned an idea he had for engaging students with behavior issues, Maria quickly squashed it. “That’s not your job,” she told him abruptly. “We just maintain security.” Engagement efforts are wasted on Maria. She doesn’t want to connect with her campus community and is not interested in doing meaningful projects. Her idea of work-life balance is doing the bare minimum and then going home. Now meet Diane. Diane is an editor. She has been a journalist for more than 30 years. She’s gifted, creative and energetic. She embraces her job, every day (and not in a phony, irritating way. She is legit; she is a professional). She does high quality work and never misses deadlines. Her peers like her and respect her. Diane is a good employee engagement investment. She take advantage of programs and resources. She pursues opportunities. She doesn’t sit in the shadows, grousing. She has her eyes open and when new projects come down the pipeline, she’s among the first to put her hand in the air. What’s my point? Just this. When it comes to employee happiness, employees need to come to the table. They need to do their part. They need to make an effort at engagement. They need to participate in programs. They need to raise their voices -- and not just with complaints, but with actual ideas. Anyone can gripe. Real professionals work toward solutions. What say you? Are you struggling with Marias? Have you been able to turn a Maria into a Diane? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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