Report: Workforce safety part of wildfire risk management | Employers needed for DOD military spouses jobs program | Use this technology to run strategy scenarios beforehand
Smoke from wildfires can post a threat to workforce safety. (SOPA Images/Getty Images)
Companies need to be aware of the growing secondary impacts of wildfires, such as prolonged smoke exposure, which can disrupt business operations and present health risks to employees across various industries, Aon says in a report. Steps that organizations can take to better protect their workforce after a wildfire include providing clear communication, flexible work policies and disaster relief programs, the report says.
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The Department of Defense is looking for more employers to join its Military Spouse Career Accelerator Pilot program, initiated by the DOD in late 2022, which has resulted in job offers for 600 of the 703 participating military spouses. The program tackles the persistent 20% unemployment rate among military spouses by providing funded 12-week fellowships, with the goal of securing full-time employment.
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Staying competitive in the future job market necessitates strategies such as community collaboration, early talent cultivation and diverse career pathways. Ford's investments in EV technology training highlight industry efforts to address skill shortages. Public-private partnerships and initiatives like Michigan's Talent Action Team support workforce development.
Employers can support employees who have experienced trauma by setting a minimum salary, giving employees control over their workplace choices and allowing them to collaborate with co-workers, says Stephanie Lemek, who created the Wounded Workforce training program. "Regardless of whether or not you've experienced trauma, regardless of whether or not you recognize how that trauma may be showing up for you at work, the way we build our cultures, our processes and our systems, supports those individuals and helps them and the organization be successful," Lemek says.
Walmart aims to maintain the size of its workforce while adopting new technologies over the next decade, says Chief People Officer Donna Morris, who adds employees likely will learn new skills. "When I look at the people function, I firmly believe that there will be some areas where we have to embrace generative AI, and that it will lead to wholesale changes for jobs within the people function, too," Morris says.
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Trauma is real. We see its impact on the lives of people who have been jolted by it. They can carry their bruises into their work, friendships, marriages and relationships, child rearing and more. It can affect how they respond to people and situations, especially those that are stressful and challenging.
So, what’s the role of employers in this issue? How much responsibility should they assume in supporting employees who are dealing with this?
According to Wounded Workforce training program creator Stephanie Lemek, in our Benefits & Compensation story today, employers should build a culture that is sensitive to those who have been affected by trauma. Her program focuses on seven principles -- safety, trust and transparency, community, collaboration, empowerment, humility and responsiveness -- and how employers can nurture these principles through policy and procedure.
But what does this look like in practice? Well, it could be a minimum salary for all employees, which supports the principle of safety, including financial safety. A company called CHANI that produces an astrology app boasts an $80,000 salary floor -- #LivingWagesForAll -- in its job description for all positions.
“If someone’s worried about their livelihood, being able to care for themselves and their family, it’s really very hard to feel safe,” says Lemek in the story.
I get Lemek’s point, and I think we should have healthy workplace environments. Where she and I part ways is the execution of these initiatives.
Salary floors? Nope. I’m for fair compensation commensurate with the workload, required experience and job expectations. I also want sustainable solutions.
Letting people choose where they want to work and how they want to get that work done? Sure -- as long as it makes sense for the job and does not disrupt workflow and revenue efforts.
Trauma awareness is good, but these efforts should support -- not interfere with! -- the purpose and function of the organization. That should be common sense. In my experience, this is the only way these types of efforts succeed and survive.
Thoughts? Agree? Disagree? Drop me a line and let me know.
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