Quick Hits - February 19, 2020 - American Society of Employers - ASE Staff

Quick Hits - February 19, 2020

Quick Hits

Talent shortages growing:  Talent shortages in the U.S. have more than tripled in a decade with 69% of employers struggling to fill positions up from just 14% percent in 2010, according Manpower’s Closing the Skills Gap: What Workers Want survey.  Some of the findings include: Gen Zs (age 18-24) are ambitious, hungry for cash and career development, yet already, women and men have differing priorities. When looking for a job, women look for competitive pay twice as much as their next priority – flexible hours – while men say a strong brand, diversity, and good health insurance are most important.  Millennials (25-34) want more pay, flexibility, and challenging work. They understand they have a career ultramarathon ahead of them and want to achieve a life balance for the long run.  Younger Xers (35-44) start to see balance kick in. Men prioritize flexibility as much as women. They want a flexible start and finish to their day, the ability to work remotely, and they want their share of parental leave.  Boomers (age 55-64 and 65+) are also driven by pay, challenging work, and flexibility. The boss they work for and the people they work with matter a great deal too. Older workers want to pay it forward: those over 65 are also motivated by purpose.  Source; Manpower, CCH 2/11/20

I don’t want to be a manager:  At many companies, "climbing the ladder" usually means one thing: getting promoted to the managerial ranks.  But there are plenty of valuable, talented employees who have no interest in managing others or being responsible for a team's work. For them, a promotion to leadership can mean an unhappy shift away from what they enjoy and do well.  Such a move up can also hurt employers if the person they promote isn't happy or skilled in management. After all, bad managers are often why employees underperform or quit.   Nevertheless, individual contributors who don't want to be managers still want to ascend in terms of pay, professional prestige, and what they produce. Companies that don't offer growth opportunities could risk alienating some of the best talent, said Danny Nelms, president of the Work Institute, which studies employee engagement and retention.  Anyone who doesn't want to manage should ask potential employers directly, "Do you have alternative routes to make more money and achieve more prestige in this role?" advises Marcus Buckingham, the head of people and performance research at the ADP Research Institute.  Source:  CNN 2/6/20

Job hopping may become a thing of the past:  According to a study by Zapier, roughly three-quarters of Millennial (ages 24-39) employees (76%) and almost two-thirds of Gen Z (ages 18-23) employees (64%) work in knowledge-based jobs — including professional, managerial, or administrative work. Millennial employees plan to stay at their current job for a total of 10 years, on average, compared to Gen Z employees who plan to stay for a total of six years, on average.  More than 3 in 5 Millennial employees (62%) and nearly half of Gen Z employees (49%) say they have direct reports. The majority of young managers refuse to hire candidates with no basic computer knowledge, and younger employees are willing to walk away from a job with bad tech. Young workers also see automation as a way to get more done.  Further, the issue of pay and promotion should be addressed, otherwise good intentions won’t keep employees from leaving the organization when an opportunity arises regardless timing of tenure.  Source: Zapier 1/27/20

Flexible jobs have mental health benefits:  FlexJobs’ Work-Life-Relationship survey asked 3,900 people about how work impacts their personal health, stress levels, work-life balance, and family and romantic relationships. Of this group of respondents, 2,100 people identified themselves as having a mental illness, such as anxiety or depression. A large majority of that group—84%—reported that having a flexible job would help them better manage their mental health.  Additionally, 35% of the overall pool of 3,900 respondents said they have had to take a break from work because of difficult personal circumstances (i.e., death, divorce, serious physical or mental illness of themselves or a loved one, etc.). Of those, 88% said that if their job had offered flexibility during those circumstances, they would have been able to remain in the workforce. Other findings include: 54% of respondents with flexible work options said their work-life balance was either great or very good, compared to only 29% of respondents without flexible work options who reported the same thing; and 21% of respondents with flexible work options say they’re currently stressed by their level of work-life balance, while more than double (43%) working without flexible options said the same thing.  Source: Flexjobs.com 2/10/20

New York City extends EEO protections to contractors and interns:  Effective January 11, 2020, the protections under the NYCHRL now apply to independent contractors, including freelancers. That means, under NYC law: It is now unlawful to discriminate, harass, or retaliate against an independent contractor, based on any protected class.  Businesses must provide reasonable accommodations, including for needs related to pregnancy, lactation, religious observances, sexual offenses, or stalking. Businesses must engage in a “cooperative dialogue” with any contractor seeking an accommodation and must provide a written determination of any accommodation that was granted or denied. Businesses must follow the Fair Chance Act requirements before taking any adverse action based on the results of a criminal background check, including providing a written Article 23-A analysis. Businesses cannot inquire about salary history and cannot perform a credit check. Businesses may need to provide sexual harassment training to contractors, depending on the number of hours worked.  The change is to Section 8-107(23) of the NYCHRL. The law applies to businesses in New York City that had four or more workers, including independent contractors, at any time in the previous 12 months.  Source: Baker Hostetler LLP 2/10/20

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