Allergies seem to be at a peak this year.  Pollen season has started earlier and earlier in the past years, especially exacerbated by the mild winters.  Generally, allergy season is April to June, but it continues to start earlier and end later.  A study published in the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2021 found that the North American pollen season starts earlier and lasts longer than it did in 1990, with higher concentrations of pollen. Not good...

It just takes one bad apple…so the saying goes. One negative employee can have a significant impact on the work environment and the morale of other employees. Here are some ways in which a negative employee can affect work:

Do you ever feel like you have more things to do than there is time to do them? You’re not alone. It can be tough to maintain productivity when you are managing multiple tasks.

We are officially in a post pandemic workspace now.  What does that mean?  We probably are managing remote teams, figuring out smarter ways to work, and meeting more efficiently. 

Employee development is essential for organizational success and long-term sustainability. Organizations that invest in employee development initiatives can expect to see increased productivity and improved morale.

In a world where the labor participation shortage is not going away, employers are looking for real ways to drive productivity, performance, retention of talent, and new strategies for attracting incoming generations. Just paying employees more is not driving major improvements and may not be financially sustainable over time. What else can be done?

Organizations faced hard decisions in Q4, and the downsizing continues into 2023.  The question now is who the lucky ones really are. The employees who are left or the ones that got the ax?

Presenteeism is when employees come into work even when they have a justifiable reason to be absent, such as a physical or mental illness.  Absenteeism occurs when employees don't show up for work.  Presenteeism is largely an issue of workplace culture.  Take the right steps to combat presenteeism at your organization.

November is the best month to plan and prepare for the new year.  December is consumed by holidays, parties, and things winding down.  January tends to find people hibernating, lower energy, and not picking up the pace until the month is almost over. November is the best time to set clear goals for hitting the ground running in 2023.

Many organizations have had to adjust their return to office plans due to employees revolting. Rather than compete with the home office, try embracing it by creating an office that builds off of what your employees love about working from home.

What does eating frogs have to do with productivity at work? No, I am not talking about frog legs, which can be found on restaurant menus.

 

In isolved's second-annual "Voice of the Workforce" survey, 50% of respondents admitted to getting the "Sunday Scaries" before returning to work after time off while another 40% indicated they struggle with "Imposter Syndrome."

As the pandemic has put immense pressure on government employees to deliver public services, new research finds that teleworking has improved team performance. 46% of government employees who telework—both fully remote and hybrid employees—say their team’s performance improved during the past two years. Only 35% of in-person government workers say their team’s performance has improved during the period, according to new research from Eagle Hill Consulting.

Having fun at work is proven to increase engagement and results in healthier and happier employees. It’s where most of us spend a majority of our day, so why not make it fun!

Can you have too much of a good thing? Yes. Executives at Microsoft studied their employees and found that too much collaboration actually decreases engagement and productivity.