Ala. bill aims to help build female labor force | Gen Z comes to work with digital expectations | Why change is like a buffet: Don't overload the plate
The Women's Foundation of Alabama says the lack of affordable and accessible childcare is one of the reasons the state has one of the smallest female labor forces, 49th in the nation. The Alabama Childcare Tax Credit Bill will be introduced during this legislative session to give tax credits to employers and childcare providers and a fundraising tool for nonprofit childcare providers. Full Story: WBRC-TV (Birmingham, Ala.) (2/7)
Generation Z is joining the workforce and affecting operational technology security with their digital expectations, writes DJ Singh and Mark Trump of Capgemini. Legacy systems will need to be upgraded to retain these workers and maintain a competitive recruitment edge. Full Story: Dark Reading (2/2)
Loans to give employees struggling financially If employees are struggling financially and need help, there are a few ways you can give aid, like salary advances, personal loans, 401k loans or hardship distributions and pension-linked emergency savings accounts. In this article, Barbara Weltman discusses how each of these options should be approached and the precautions needed to safely loan out money to employees. Full Story: Big Ideas for Small Business (2/1)
Centennial School District in Minnesota is adapting to student interest and industry demand, introducing manufacturing pathways with courses in general metals, metals technology and Cougar Manufacturing. The program, designed to offer hands-on experience and career exploration, emphasizes partnerships with local businesses, ensuring students gain practical skills and confidence for future success in manufacturing and engineering. Full Story: Press Publications (White Bear Lake, Minn.) (2/6)
The HR Leader
Do you have HR personnel in the right roles? Employers should have enough HR personnel focusing on their company's most pressing workforce needs, which often include recruitment, retention, compliance and talent development, according to ADP research. "When you think about your HR team, ask yourself if you have the right people in the right places," says Leschke-Kahle, ADP's vice president of talent insights and innovation. Full Story: Employee Benefit News (free registration) (2/6)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
As noted in a diary entry published in a biography of writer Hunter S. Thompson, which cigarette might have been his favorite?
Everyone falls on hard times. Like when your water heater breaks -- a week before Christmas. Your home warranty only covers $100 of the $800 you will spend on it and installation will run north of $1,200. And then your spouse gets laid off. He doesn't get a severance and suddenly you're down a household income source. And then your daughter informs you she needs $400 to play in a holiday basketball tournament. "Today, Coach says," she tells you, with expectant eyes. And finally, your kitchen sink stops up and you have to call Carlos the plumber to come out. At first, it’s $99 to snake it. Then Carlos says the snake isn’t working and he needs a hydrojet to clean out the pipe. $395. But then that doesn’t work either and he brings out a team to figure out what’s wrong. Two hours later, Carlos says you need to replace 50 feet of pipe. “That will be $2,800,” he says, with a sober, mournful face. You believe him because he looks like he’s delivering a bad medical diagnosis. Life happens and right now, it’s happening at a higher price tag. In California, gas is over $5.00 per gallon. Bacon is $8.00. A dozen brown eggs will cost $7.00 (and that’s at a regular market; not Whole Foods). Folks are scrambling just to make ends meet. So I’m not surprised to see people draining their savings or tapping their 401ks to get money. Some of it is to handle the big emergencies. But sometimes, it’s just to sustain life. Is this an area where employers can lend support? Maybe, according to our Benefits & Compensation story today. Two-thirds of Americans --– 61% -- are living paycheck to paycheck, according to data from PYMNTS. Giving employees access to needed cash -- through salary advances, 401k withdrawals, personal loans and the like -- can help alleviate the strain and provide a cushion for them to catch up. Many times an employee makes enough money, but it’s having to wait a week or more for another paycheck that can throw them off. What do you think? Is your organization willing to try some of these tactics? Any of you out there doing something else to help support employees in financial straits? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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