New insights from the desk of our Human Resources Department!

Find out What's Out and What's In for 2018. From updated I-9 documents to pets in the workplace, we're sharing some of the biggest trends you can expect in the coming year!

Download the attachment below to learn what 2018 has in store!

The Alpha Group, Inc. reminds you to be safe this winter!

Winter in New England is always unpredictable. Take a moment to review some Winter Driving Safety Tips to help you and your colleagues travel to and from work safely.

Originally Published By: WCR Insurance

Winter Driving Safety Tips
 

Take a few minutes to cover a few basics

• Get an earlier-than-usual start and plan for the trip to take longer than normal.

• Clear your entire vehicle of snow. Snow left on the roof and hood can easily end up on the windshield or rear window, obstructing your view.

• Clear ice off all windows and side mirrors. Clearing just a peephole will get you out of the driveway faster, but will also obstruct your line of vision.

• Remove snow from your shoes before you get in the car to avoid fogging up the windows and creating slippery gas and brake pedals.

• Always use your seatbelt and insist any passengers do so as well.

By Dan Schawbel |

Companies need to understand what motivates Generation Y workers if they want to retain them and grow them into new leadership roles. The problem is that companies are still treating them like older generations and are losing them to competitors. The average Gen Y employee leaves after two years of working.  In the book, Happiness at Work: Maximizing Your Psychological Capital for Success, the authors unveiled new research by the iOpener Institute about this important demographic. They found that they are motivated to stay with their employer and are willing to actively recommend their company to friends based more on job fulfillment than pay. The survey of 18,000 Gen Y’s uncovered that a belief in the firm’s economic or social purpose, and pride in the organization and its work, had a strong correlation with staying at a company.  The report also confirmed that there was no connection between retention and compensation. Here are five things you can do to help them achieve more fulfillment at work:

A summary of best practices for maintaining employee back safety per OSHA requirements.

A few years ago, it seemed professionals couldn't go a day without hearing or reading the word "millennial." Whether it was advice about hiring them, managing them, developing them or simply dealing with them, everyone had opinions on this generation's presence in the workforce.

The death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia will have far-reaching implications for working people, especially public sector, home care, and undocumented workers. Here’s a look at upcoming cases before the court, cases making their way through lower courts — which may now be dropped — and cases that could be open to re-examination if the court’s balance of power shifts.

Spend time up front to nail the right hires, and build a strong, cohesive team.

Hiring is hard, regardless of your industry or the surplus of candidates in the job market these days. In 7.5 years in business at Metal Mafia, I have hired a lot of great people for my team--but I have also hired many more who were not the right fit. Somewhere after the fifth or sixth bad choice, I decided I must be doing something wrong in the hiring process and tried to figure out how I could recruit and hire more accurately.

Here's what I learned and how I modified our hiring process:

You have received an EMAC Supplement Liability Determination, what happens now? Mass.gov has provided the below materials on how you can begin the appeal process.

Have you ever provided suggestions which were subsequently ignored?

Have you ever provided critiques which were not well received?

Have you ever wanted to provide constructive feedback on something, but held back from doing so because you did not know how to convey your intentions across?

Today’s guide is on how to give constructive criticism to someone. Whether at work or in relationships, sharing (and receiving) feedback is part and parcel of improvement. If you have ideas on how someone can improve, don’t hold your ideas back – rather, share them in a constructive manner. (Provided the subject is something the person has asked to receive feedback on. Otherwise, you are merely imposing your judgment on others.)