House committee wants names in workforce investigation | Companies relax dress code to woo millennials | Costco faces union backlash over retirement benefits
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An investigation into the federal workforce seeks names of employees involved in union-related work. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, led by Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, has sent letters to agencies inquiring about employee activity, compensation and benefits. The committee's ranking Democrat, Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, says the investigation might be an attempt to intimidate agencies and workers. The Washington Post (tiered subscription model) (3/20)
How to Rid Your Company of Toxic Employees Difficult employees are a bigger drag on your business than you think, so much so that it's better to avoid a toxic employee than it is to hire a superstar. Learn more through research from Kellogg School of Management Professor Dylan Minor.
The Teamsters union is challenging Costco Wholesale's retirement benefits, recommending that workers reject the company's latest compensation proposal. The group is also hoping to help thousands of East Coast workers transition from a defined-contribution 401(k) to a defined-benefit plan available to California workers. The Motley Fool (3/19)
Regulatory & Legal Update
Privacy rules apply to wellness plans, HHS official says Company wellness programs that are part of an employer-sponsored health plan must abide by privacy regulations in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, says Jocelyn Samuels of the Department of Health and Human Services. Provisions of the law include requiring employers to protect personal health information and other health data obtained from wellness programs and to create firewalls and other security measures. Health IT Security (3/17)
Technology
Carl's Jr. chief eyes robotic customer service Carl's Jr. and Hardee's CEO Andy Puzder says he envisions a future in which robots perform most customer-service tasks in his restaurants. "With government driving up the cost of labor, it's driving down the number of jobs," Puzder said. "If you're making labor more expensive, and automation less expensive -- this is not rocket science. Tech Times (3/20)
If you're thinking the wrong way, it's hard to lead well, writes Marcel Schwantes. Whether your thought patterns are too extreme, too judgmental or too perfectionistic, it's important to recognize when your mental habits are holding you back. "These common thought patterns hold leaders back, destroy their self-esteem, and damage relationships in the workplace," Schwantes writes. LeadChangeGroup.com (3/18)
