A Stanford professor of organizational behavior makes an interesting observation about certain employer lay off practices. He believes when certain industries start laying off employees in anticipation or reaction to a perceived business downturn that in many are just copying off one another rather than reducing their workforce by necessity.

Are your employees passionate about a cause or do they want to volunteer at their kids’ reading day for an hour?  Then it’s time you look at offering VTO – Volunteer Time Off.  It is proven to improve employee engagement and productivity.  It is also great for your brand.

If you have a teenager in your home, you’ve likely heard many of their terms….and maybe had to ask them what it means or secretly google it.  This year, Gen Z will turn anywhere from 11 to 26 years old.  This means many of them are now bringing their slang to the workplace.

There has been a lot of discussion recently around ChatGPT and how it affects HR and the workplace.  So, as an experiment I tried it.  I asked ChatGPT to write me 500 words on the effect of ChatGPT on HR.  This is the unedited response it generated:

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. 

A recent article on Safeguardglobal.com shared some quotes from leaders on their thoughts about the future of work. With our upcoming Future of Work panel discussion at the HR Conference on March 16th, I thought I would share some of the quotes shared in the article as well as some from our panelists.

Just as companies have adapted to remote work, a new development in workplace flexibility may be on the horizon: the four-day work week. In fact, two recent studies have shown that this work arrangement could offer significant benefits for both employers and employees.

By now, many have heard of ChatGPT and the efficiency it has provided for many. ChatGPT was created by OpenAI, an AI and research company.  ChatGPT is a chat box which uses natural language processing driven by AI technology in an open environment.  Currently it is free to use, but eventually it will likely be monetized because the actual computing costs are high.  ChatGPT in its current form can provide answers to questions, write emails, compose essays, and write code. 

The layoff tidal wave is growing.  The downsizing of Q4 continues into the new year as companies slash staff.  This is the last thing employers and employees want to see happen. It means financial uncertainty for all parties involved. The reality is that sometimes these measures must be taken.  Let’s define the differences, the pros, and cons.

A survey conducted by Human Resource Executive (HRE) in late 2022 revealed that the top five things keeping HR up at night includes hiring and retention, stress, culture, technology, and learning and development.

In ASE’s most recent survey of employer holiday practices, 68% of respondents reported they will be hosting an in-person holiday event this year. For many employers and their employees this may be the first company social event held in years so let’s review employer safety and liability concerns.

Gartner surveyed more than 800 HR leaders across 60 countries and all major industries to identify their priorities and challenges for 2023. The largest share of respondents put “leader and manager effectiveness” on their list, but many HR leaders also prioritize organizational design and change management, employee experience, recruiting, and the future of work

Holiday parties are making a comeback! According to ASE’s 2023 Holiday Schedule and Practices Survey, after two years of COVID-related interruptions, 68% of organizations plan to hold an in-person 2022 holiday party compared to last year’s 42%.

Year in and year out, buzzwords seem to take on a life of their own.  They do have benefits – buzzwords or corporate jargon often unify employees as a team.  Some employers even publish a list for employees to look up and understand when acronyms and buzzwords are widely used.  

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.