Soft Skills: Definitions and Examples
Soft skills are personality traits and behaviors. Unlike technical or “hard” skills, soft skills are not about the knowledge you possess but rather behaviors you display in different situations.
Let a tough problem marinate overnight.
Write it down before you go to bed. Let your mind turn it over, and then write more in the morning.
Who used this method? Thomas Edison. He once said: “Never go to sleep without a request to your subconscious.”
— Adapted from “10 Things the Most Successful People Do Every Day,” Eric Barker, Time.
Leadershipbreifings.com
U.S. Department of Labor Releases Long-Awaited Overtime Rule
Originally Published By: Troutman Sanders LLP on March 12, 2019
Last week, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) issued its long-awaited proposed change to the minimum salary threshold for the white-collar exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The new minimum salary threshold is $35,308/year (or $679/week).
This new rule is not finalized nor in effect now. Rather, the new rule is open for a notice and comment period, with the DOL accepting public comments for 60 days after the rule is published in the Federal Register. The Department of Labor predicts that the new rule will likely become effective in January 2020.
4 Ways To Create A More Stable & Healthy Work Environment
As a leader, it’s your job to make sure your employees are happy, healthy and enjoy working at your business. Turnover is expensive, and too much of it will create a very difficult environment to work and exist each day.
However, there are a few particular ways you can create a more stable atmosphere in the workplace that will help your employees keep their mental and physical wellbeing in check. The worst decision you can make is to look the other way and take no action at all for improving the conditions at your office. Hoping the situation will get better on its own isn’t a wise approach, so it’s worth your energy to figure out how you can help.
8 Expert Tips To Having A Healthy Company Environment
Originally Published By: John Rampton on February 18, 2015
Arguably one of the most important elements in motivating and engaging employees is by having a healthy company environment. But, how exactly can you make an environment where team members are productive, happy, encouraged and accepted? Try these eight valuable tips and you’ll be on your way to having a healthy company environment.
1. Build Trust
According to 90% or workers, honesty, trust and fairness are considered the most important attributes valued in the workplace. But, how exactly can you establish trust in the workplace? According to Eva Rykrsmith on QuickBase, an organizational psychologist and HR/OD leader, you can begin by doing the following:
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Numerous studies show that job stress is far and away the major source of stress for American adults and that it has escalated progressively over the past few decades. Increased levels of job stress as assessed by the perception of having little control but lots of demands have been demonstrated to be associated with increased rates of heart attack, hypertension, and other disorders. In New York, Los Angels and other municipalities, the relationship between job stress and heart attacks is so well acknowledged, that any police officer who suffers a coronary event on or off the job is assumed to have a work-related injury and is compensated accordingly (including heart attack sustained while fishing on vacation or gambling in Las Vegas).
This 5-Day Workplace Meditation Challenge Will Make Everyone in Your Office Happier
Posted by Human Resources DepartmentThis 5-Day Workplace Meditation Challenge Will Make Everyone in Your Office Happier
PUBLISHED ON: FEB 6, 2018 By Matthew JonesContributor, Inc.com
You don't know yourself.
You spend your life pretending to understand yourself, others, and the world. But the truth is that you have no idea--you're just doing what everyone else does: going with the flow instead of engaging in meaningful introspection.
But you want something more.
You're aware that, despite your limitations, there's still plenty of fulfillment to be discovered in this lifetime. So, you're trying to walk the fine line between professional success and personal fulfillment.
A Guide To Hiring Recruitment Firms
Originally Published By: Ken Sundheim, Forbes.com
Hiring the right employees for any size company can be extremely difficult and very time consuming. Nevertheless, recruiting top workers should be a priority for every firm and your company should be no different.
Since staffing talent can take significant effort and internal HR costs can prove expensive, many organizations consider using a recruitment company.
As an employer, if you're considering this route, the following guide should help you:
When Should Your Company Hire a Recruiting Firm?
There are a few circumstances in which your company could utilize recruiting services. Most often, employers use recruiters when one or more of the following is the case:
The Alpha Difference!
Posted by Payroll DepartmentOnline job boards are the easiest way to attract new applicants to your open positions. But, finding the perfect match for your company goes deeper than just selecting a resume.
It’s an employee’s market, so you need The Alpha Difference. Download below!
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
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Get an earlier-than-usual start and plan for the trip to take longer than normal.
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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.
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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.
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Remove snow from your shoes before you get in the car to avoid fogging up the windows and creating slippery gas and brake pedals.
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Always use your seatbelt and insist any passengers do so as well.
Originally Published By: Zoë B. CullenRicardo Perez-Truglia
Pay inequality is common in most workplaces. You get paid significantly more than your subordinates, your boss gets paid more than you, and your boss’s boss gets even more. In many large organizations, some employees can take home paychecks tens or hundreds of times more than others.
Whether you like it or not, your employees have wondered at some point about your salary — and their peers’. Should you be worried about that? Our recent research sheds light on this question, and our findings may surprise you.
We conducted an experiment with a sample of 2,060 employees from all rungs of a large commercial bank in Asia. The firm is quite representative of most companies around the world across some key dimensions, including its degree of pay inequality and non-disclosure policy around salary.
Workplace Stress: A Silent Killer of Employee Health and Productivity
Posted by Human Resources DepartmentOriginally Published By: Greg Okhifun
Having a job in many ways improves an individual’s health and overall attitude toward life. However, many people face significant stress in the workplace that it outweighs any possible benefits and even poses a threat to their health.
The United States’ National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health defines job stress as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Job stress can, in turn, lead to poor health and even injury.
Many workers report experiencing work-related stress at their jobs and this compromises their performance and health. A recent survey by Northwestern National Life revealed that about 40% of workers reported that their jobs were extremely stressful. In another survey by Yale University, 29% of workers reported feeling extreme stress because of their jobs.
10 Important Things HR Experts Want Employers to Know About Employee Benefits
Posted by Human Resources DepartmentForbes Human Resources Council
CommunityVoice
POST WRITTEN BY: Expert Panel, Forbes Human Resources Council
Several years ago, organizations clamored to fill their offices with ping pong tables, bean bag chairs and a pantry full of snacks, because that's what they believed millennial employees valued most. While those types of perks may be viewed as fun, they're not necessarily the things that will get a team member to stick around for the long haul.
So what do your employees really want to get when they come to work for you? We asked a panel of Forbes Human Resources Council members to weigh in. From flexible work options to a simple sense of belonging, here's what they had to say.
From the Desk of H.R. - New MA Law Updates Veterans Day Leave Entitlements
Posted by Human Resources DepartmentChanges to the Law on Leave for Veterans
By Michael C. Birch of HRW October 24, 2018
On August 28, 2018, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed into law An Act Relative to Veterans Benefits, Rights, Appreciation, Validation and Enforcement (the “BRAVE Act”). The BRAVE Act goes into effect on November 7, 2018. Among other things, the law changes the requirements for employers to grant leave to veterans on Veterans Day and Memorial Day.
THE OLD LAW
The old law, which only went into effect in 2016, required employers to grant veterans time off on Veterans Day and Memorial Day to participate in an exercise, parade, or service in their community. The law also required employers with 50 or more employees to pay veterans for leave taken on Veterans Day.
From the Desk of H.R. - Back to Basics: A rookie's guide to the FMLA
Posted by Human Resources DepartmentThe Family and Medical Leave Act protects workers' jobs under four sets of circumstances, but employers and employees must earn eligibility before the law can cover them.
