US employers added 339,000 jobs to the nation's payrolls in May, while the unemployment rate rose to 3.7%, from 3.4% in April, according to the Labor Department. It also revised upward March and April's totals for a net gain of 93,000 jobs, illustrating the ongoing strength of the labor market despite rising interest rates and persistently high inflation.

Violence against teachers has increased since the return to in-person learning in 2021, with limited data due to inconsistent tracking. From September through May, more than 1,350 assault-related workers' compensation claims were filed at 2,000 schools in the US, a five-year high -- and the highest level of frequency, severity, and complexity for assault claims in the last four complete school calendar years, according to Gallagher Bassett, a claims and risk-management services firm.

Become aware of how the "food police" or rigid rules and social cues may be influencing your relationship with food and make healthful changes to listen to your internal hunger and satiety cues, say registered dietitians, who offer tips on improving habits including disengaging from media messaging promoting overly restrictive eating patterns. "We can challenge the food police by remembering there's no such thing as 'good' or 'bad' foods," says RD Jillian Lampert.

Setting "summer hours" that give your employees more free time during the week for recreation, childcare or other pursuits can boost morale, writes Laura Vanderkam. "As a business you can have unhappy people who are watching the clock and sneaking out as soon as they can ... or you can appear magnanimous by giving a benefit and getting the exact same amount of work out of people," Vanderkam writes.

Company meetings are sometimes considered unproductive, but it may be possible to improve them by implementing certain changes. Start by keeping the objective as narrow as possible and inviting only the people who can directly contribute to the goal.

Check your answer here.

My friend Rick* is a campus supervisor at a local high school. He patrols his side of campus on a golf cart. A group of boys were out of class and hanging out near a deserted area of the school. When Rick drove up, one of the boys tried to wave him away and used a profanity and racial slur. Rick immediately got off his cart and confronted the group. 

 

“I’m sorry, what did you say? What did you call me?” he asked the student. The boy tried to look defiant, but his bravado withered as Rick stood over him. The other boys stood quiet, waiting to see what would happen. Rick asked the student again to repeat what he had said. This time the student stepped back, waved his arm at Rick and clicked his tongue.

 

“Yo, whatever man. Whatever bro,” he mumbled, turning away. His friends shoved their hands in their pockets and followed. Rick watched the group shuffle down the hallway toward their classrooms.

 

This kind of defiance is becoming increasingly commonplace in our schools, as we see in today’s Recruitment & Retention story. It’s sickening. Teachers and principals are getting taunted, sworn at, pushed, shoved and even punched by their own students. What used to be rare is now becoming frequent.

 

“That’s upsetting, Kanoe, but how is this an HR/workforce topic?”

 

Because schools are workplaces and educators are fed up with the disrespect and violence and lack of support in situations they’re confronting daily. As a result, many are leaving -- or considering leaving -- the profession. And we don’t have more coming in to take their spots. Schools of education across the country note a drastic drop in enrollment.

 

Employers, this will absolutely become an issue for you. Employees who have children may see new schedules at their schools, which will affect their work hours. Workers whose children are suspended or disciplined for their behavior may have to take time off work. Children who have been traumatized by school incidents may need to do virtual school -- and their parents, who work for you, will be affected by this. So will you, if that parent needs to work from home or take a leave of absence.

“So what are you saying, Kanoe?”

 

First, support educators. If you know a teacher or a principal or school administrator, take the time to thank them for their work. It may seem a small thing, but it’s not. Many educators today don’t feel their communities support them. Show them that you do.

 

Second, work with the parents in your organization. Avoid punishing them for situations they can’t control, such as bus routes or school schedules that change and throw off a parent’s routine.

 

And know that good parents can have a kid go off the rails. If you have a good employee whose child seems to be pushing the disciplinary envelope, don’t judge. That parent is already at his or her wit’s end, trying to figure out a way to end the drama. Exercising compassion and understanding can go a long way with that worker. 

 

How can I serve you better with this brief? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.

*Named changed to preserve subject's privacy.