February 27, 2007

Asleep at the switch
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 3:12 PM

Some of you may have seen the recent reports coming out that napping - even during the workday - may be beneficial to your health:

Harvard University gave workers the excuse they were looking for last week when they said a nap after lunch may reduce the risk of heart attack.

But time-conscious managers may have a rebuttal: Though much forgotten in the press, another Harvard study, published several years earlier, made its own news splash by arguing that naps are associated with a higher incidence of heart attack.

So, who to believe?

To find the answer, read the piece from Workforce Management magazine.

And ask yourself: would you institute a siesta policy at your firm? Find out more at - yes, napping.com.

...

 

February 22, 2007

Goodyear case highlights risks, rewards in recruitment record keeping
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 10:14 AM

If your company has contracts with the Federal government, you will want to take heed of this report from Workforce Management magazine:

Employers received a harsh reminder of the importance of consistent recruitment practices and record-keeping policies when an administrative law judge approved a consent decree requiring Goodyear Tire & Rubber to pay $925,000 in back wages to 800 female job applicants who alleged hiring discrimination. Solid data collection practices during the hiring process can ensure compliance with federal regulations and help track recruiting results.
- - - - -
This significant jump in monitoring and enforcement activity was fueled in part by the OFCCP’s [Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs] new active case management system, which uses statistical tools to prioritize reviews of recruiting and employment practices at companies with federal contracts. The OFCCP is reviewing a much larger portion of the federal contractor universe than it has in the past.

Read the full piece.

Also, see how BostonWorks can help you comply with Executive Order 11246 regarding OFFCP.

...

 

February 20, 2007

College recruiters hope to avoid signing bonuses
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 12:49 PM

Human Resources Executive online reports that most college recruiters expect to hire this spring without the aid of signing bonuses:

Despite escalating competition in recruiting top talent from the nation's colleges, most companies expect to forgo signing bonuses for this spring's graduates.
- - - - -
"We're not seeing any significant move toward using signing bonuses this year," says Marilyn Mackes, executive director of Bethlehem, Pa.-based NACE [National Association of Colleges and Employers]. "In fact, more than three-quarters of those who plan to use signing bonuses reported that they will use them selectively. They won't be offering them to all candidates."

Read the whole piece.

...

 

February 15, 2007

BostonWorks + Monster = Big News
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 5:00 PM

Many of you may have already seen the news that came out yesterday that the New York Times, parent organization of the Boston Globe, has entered a strategic alliance with Monster.com in the online jobs space:

The Monster-Times Co. alliance brings together a leading online employment network boasting 25 million unique visitors a month with 19 Times Co. papers with strong positions in their markets. The deal will create co-branded helped-wanted and recruitment sites within the websites of Times Co. papers, including the Globe and The New York Times.

For example, readers of Boston.com, the Globe's online affiliate, will be able to click through to the co-branded site, offering advertising, job listings, and features from both the Globe's BostonWorks and Monster.com.

As a Boston area employer or recruiter, you'll get the best of both worlds: the local focus and commitment to the Boston market of BostonWorks, the Boston Globe, and Boston.com, combined with the power, reach, resume database, world-class technology, and brand recognition of the online recruitment industry leader, Monster.com.

We've prepared a short piece addressing frequently asked questions, available here. If you want to learn more you can also read yesterday's New York Times press release announcing the alliance.

We're very excited about this move and the possibilities it brings to BostonWorks and our customers. We'll be providing more information as the time draws nearer - later this spring - when we'll make the transition to Monster's technology and services.

...

 

February 12, 2007

Patrick seeks to limit background checks
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 10:18 AM

The Globe reports today that newly installed Bay State Governor Deval Patrick is revisiting the issue of background checks by employers:

Governor Deval Patrick, returning to one of the more contentious issues of his campaign, has begun quietly putting together a plan to limit employers' access to the criminal records of potential employees.

Aides have been meeting with lawmakers and advocates working to limit the scope of the Criminal Offender Record Information law, which gives many employers broad access to criminal records. Activists argue that many applicants are rejected for jobs based on minor criminal convictions, crimes unrelated to the post, or records that contain errors.
- - - - -
Patrick has not yet settled on specific legislation, an aide said, but wants to give employers access only to criminal information that is relevant to the job being sought. Under current law, employers approved by the state's Criminal History Records Board can review an applicant's entire record.

Read the whole article here.

To see what others feel about this controversial issue, and to contribute your own thoughts on it, visit the Boston.com message board on this topic.

...

 

February 8, 2007

Big business, unions, call for universal healthcare by 2012
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 11:09 AM

An alliance of big business, including Wal-Mart, AT&T, Intel, and others, and labor unions is calling for a major overhaul of the healthcare cost system in the US. Specfically they want to shift the bulk of the coverage away from businesses and achieve universal coverage - in the next five years:

"We need to change the current system and we need to start now," Wal-Mart chief executive H. Lee Scott said yesterday at a news conference in Washington. "Business shouldn't have to pay a disproportionate share of healthcare costs."

Members of the alliance want the current system, in which most Americans rely on their employers for healthcare coverage, replaced by an undefined system paid for by the federal government, businesses, and workers.

Read the full piece from today's Globe.

...

Got an internship program?
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 9:39 AM

It's that time of year when many college students are out pounding the (icy) pavement looking for next summer's internship. I should know - my daughter is a college junior and in the process of making contacts right now.

As Workforce Management magazine reports, internship programs are not only important for the students as a way to get needed job experience in their field of interest. They are an increasingly important recruitment vehicle for the hiring firms as well:

Many college students used to spend lazy summer afternoons at the beach or working at amusement parks. Now, it is more likely that undergraduate college students will spend the summer working in an experiential education program, receiving performance reviews along the way and a job offer when they finish.

College internships make up the largest segment of these types of programs, and they have become increasingly popular as a strategic method for recruiting students prior to their graduation. Managers favor internships for building pipelines of talent and like the opportunity to "audition" the students for a period of time prior to extending offers, according to Steve Pollock, president of Wet Feet, a recruitment solutions provider and research company based in San Francisco.

Is your internship program up and running for this coming summer? Are you out actively recruiting now for young talent that could form a key component of your future workforce?

Read the whole piece. (And if you're looking for a bright, energetic communications major to help you out this summer, let me know.)

...

 

February 5, 2007

The U.S. is a world leader - NOT!
Posted by Diane Danielson at 11:38 AM

At least not when it comes to being family friendly.  According to a new study from Harvard and McGill Universities, the U.S. trails most nations on family-oriented workplace policies.

Among the study's findings:

• Fathers are granted paid paternity leave or paid parental leave in 65 countries, including 31 offering at least 14 weeks of paid leave. The U.S. guarantees fathers no such paid leaves.
• At least 107 countries protect working women's right to breast-feed; the breaks are paid in at least 73 of them. The U.S. does not have federal legislation guaranteeing the right to breast-feed at work.
• At least 145 countries provide paid sick days, with 127 providing a week or more annually. The U.S. provides unpaid leave through the Family and Medical Leave Act, which does not cover all workers; there is no federal law providing for paid sick days.
• At least 134 countries have laws setting the maximum length of the work week. The U.S. does not have a maximum work week length or a limit on mandatory overtime per week.

...