Workers with the United Auto Workers Local 2250 Union strike outside the General Motors Wentzville, Mo., Assembly Plant. (Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
More than 453,000 employees in the US have taken part in 312 strikes so far this year, per a Forrester report, which is a warning to employers that growing unrest signals a need to focus on employee experience. "We suggest looking at strikes as part of a bigger phenomenon -- that of employee power, one of the four shocks reshaping the future of work in the next decade," advises J.P. Gownder, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester. Full Story: HR Dive (10/20)
Everything you need to know about engineering programs: If you're a tech savvy problem solver with a mind for innovation, an online engineering degree can be the gateway to a high-paying role in a high-demand industry. Build a better understanding about what an online degree in engineering entails. Read the Blog »
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Recruiting & Retention
Feel like a referee instead of a business leader? Robyn McLeod talks about how she evolved as a team leader to improve her relationships with co-workers who were often combative with each other. Stop holding one-to-one meetings behind closed doors, come up with goals with your team, and find ways to recognize individual achievements, McLeod says. Full Story: Chatsworth Consulting Group (10/19)
Using the snooze button doesn't harm sleep quality Hitting the alarm clock snooze button likely has little effect on sleep quality, and in some people, tapping the button multiple times over a half-hour period may actually have positive effects on alertness, investigators reported in a 1,732-person study in the Journal of Sleep Research. Researcher Marie-Pierre St-Onge -- who was not involved in the study -- said that when people hit the button and fall back to sleep, it tends to be a lighter sleep, so they are not being pulled out of a deeper stage of rest when they finally wake up. Full Story: NBC News (10/18)
Benefits & Compensation
More large firms offering MA retiree health benefits The percentage of firms with at least 200 employees offering Medicare Advantage plans as retiree health benefits climbed from 50% last year to 52% this year, and the number was higher among companies with at least 5,000 employees, at 62%, according to a KFF survey. Among firms not currently offering MA retirement benefits, 15% said they are likely to offer health benefits through an MA plan in the next two years, and the number was higher among companies with at least 5,000 workers, at 29%. Full Story: Becker's Payer Issues (10/19)
Leaders who aim to foster psychological safety in their organization may find that while it encourages creativity, it does not necessarily lead to implementable ideas, write Karin Hurt and David Dye, the CEO and president of Let's Grow Leaders. Adding clarity into the equation "creates an empowered ecosystem," which helps team members feel valued and makes it more likely their ideas can be turned into actionable solutions, they write. Full Story: SmartBrief/Leadership (10/20)
Experts discuss environmental liability, VPPAs Environmental liability (E-liability) introduces a simple, accurate, and verifiable calculation for the total cradle-to-gate emissions of any product or service. Karthik Ramanna from the University of Oxford explains the basics of E-liability and makes the case for why companies, standards setters and regulators all around the world should be familiarizing themselves with the concept of E-liability. Meanwhile, Vance Merolla from Colgate-Palmolive shares lessons learned from the process of sourcing energy for some of the company's operations via a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA). Full Story: Renewable Energy SmartPod (10/18)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
Internet Time is a construct that divides the day into 1,000 ".beats" lasting 1 minute, 26.4 seconds, and no time zones, but a new "Meridian" denoted as BMT. It was presented officially on Oct. 23, 1998, by which of the following?
