October 2012 Jobs Report

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released the numbers for the month of September.  It outlines how the economy is going and shows that unemployment rate decreased to 7.9% and total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 114,000.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

Human Resource's influence during a Merger and Acquisition

Disney recently announced they are buying LucasFilm for $4.05 billion in stock and cash.

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/30/disney-buying-lucas-films-for-4-billion/?smid=tw-nytimes

          A company that decides to venture into a merger or acquisition is making a risky decision.  However, the financial return from a successful merger or acquisition can be enormous for a company's bottom line.  A company has the ability to “offer a wider range of products and services to customers, broaden geographical reach and achieve greater economies of scale.” (Griffin, et.al. 2002)  According to the Associate Press (2005), “bankers put together $2.7 trillion dollars worth of announced mergers and acquisitions or about 32,900 deals.” 

Because of the great financial impact of this decision, companies have viewed lawyers, financial analysts and accountants as the top people on their management team capable of providing significant input into the process.  They use these individuals to develop the strategy from the onset.  For that matter, companies usually involve human resources professionals at the integration phase and the implementation phases, which are the two last phases.  In these phases, they likely would not have a significant decision- making role.  The first two stages are where it counts. 

Companies should be reminded that the success of a merger or acquisition cannot solely rest on involving just a few members of the core management team.  Companies also need to focus on the human capital that they will acquire during this process and Human Resources are the right people to involve from that aspect of the merger and acquisition.  The human resource perspective can influence areas supporting human capital that are sometimes mildly dismissed.  They are skilled in dealing and understanding the people issues that evolve in a company and can bring this knowledge and expertise to a very important business transaction.  In addition to the traditional HR duties concerning organizational structure, total rewards, workplace management and legal issues, there’s cultural integration, the communication strategy and change management perspective that needs to be addressed before the merger or acquisition can be successful. This is where the confidential Human Resources Business Partner can help.  The HR impact is where the process is streamlined, made more efficient and bringing them on early can help save money with their collaboration.  They can provide the knowledge, strategy and capabilities to provide a smooth transition process. 

As always, prioritize, set boundaries and live!

Sources:

The Associate Press, “Record year in mergers, acquisition forecast”, www.msnbc.com, February 28, 2006.

Giffin, Andrew & Schimdt, Jeffrey A., “Why HR can make or break your M&A”, February 2002, http://www.towersperrin.com/tp/getwebcachedoc?webc=TILL/USA/2002/200206/2002052308.pdf

Happy Boss's Day!!

Hope you have a stress free, employee's do everything perfect day!!

Here's a great read from Jill Geisler: Ten Secrets your Great Boss never told you!"

http://www.poynter.org/how-tos/leadership-management/what-great-bosses-know/191542/ten-secrets-your-great-boss-never-told-you/

What has been some great advice that you've learned over the years!

PwC Saratoga upcoming webinars

I have been a fan of the PwC Saratoga Institute for years now.  I enjoy reading the information that’s distributed.  It’s informative, focused and relevant.  In the month of October 2012, there are some upcoming webinars that I thought would be useful for HR professionals.   Here is some information on how to sign up:

Saratoga Webcast - Key trends in human capital 2012: A global perspective - Oct. 24 – http://bit.ly/VRqvqQ 

Saratoga Webcast - HR Dashboards - Oct. 30th - 1 PM EThttp://bit.ly/R0u7Rl 

Continue to use current I-9 form

Updated information from USCIS regarding the Current Form I-9 for for Employment Eligibility Verification


Until further notice, employers should continue using the Form I-9 currently available on the forms section of http://www.uscis.gov. This form should continue to be used even after the OMB control number expiration date of August 31, 2012 has passed. USCIS will provide updated information about the new version of the Form I-9 as it becomes available.

Employers must complete Form I-9 for all newly-hired employees to verify their identity and authorization to work in the United States.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=0adbf7c555b2e210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=0adbf7c555b2e210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD



As always Prioritze, Set Boundaries and Live!

Don't Lie On Your Resume!

Simply put…don’t lie on your resume.  It may come back to haunt you.  Yahoo’s former CEO, Scott Thompson resigned this week amidst claims that he lied on his resume.  It was something as simple as lying about details of his bachelor’s degree.  He claimed that he received his bachelor's degree in both accounting and computer science from Stonehill College.  He only received it in Accounting.  It is unfortunate that someone in a leadership role would make that type of mistake and jeopardize the integrity of a company.  Company should really take a closer look at the ways that they vet candidates that they want to recruit into their company.   From Executives to candidates who will play a supportive role.  As HR professionals, it is important that we protect the company at all times.  We need to protect the integrity of the recruitment process.  The background check process is the ideal way in which to do so. 

Read more about this at: http://money.cnn.com/2012/05/13/technology/yahoo-ceo-out/index.htm

As always, prioritize, set boundaries and live!

Women increasingly fill prominent defense industry positions

This is surely enlightening for women who want to be recruited for defense industry positions.  Marjorie writes about a recent shift and the announcement of a female to a CEO position at General Dynamics.  More female executives are rising to the top levels of the largest defense companies, setting a standard that industry officials say may help encourage more women to enter the field.

This week, Phebe N. Novakovic is set to become president and chief operating officer at Falls Church-based General Dynamics after serving as executive vice president of the company’s marine systems group...by Marjorie Censer for the Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/women-increasingly-fill-prominent-defense-industry-positions/2012/04/28/gIQAo5XEqT_story.html

As always, prioritize, set boundaries and live!

Facebook warns employers not to demand passwords

Employers, here's an opportunity for you to educate your managers...I don't even know why this is happening in the first place. 

NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook is warning employers not to demand the passwords of job applicants, saying that it's an invasion of privacy that opens companies to legal liabilities.

The social networking company is also threatening legal action.

An Associated Press story this week documented cases of job applicants who are being asked, at the interview table, to reveal their Facebook passwords so their prospective employers can check their backgrounds.

In a post on Friday, Facebook's chief privacy officer cautions that if an employer discovers that a job applicant is a member of a protected group, the employer may open itself up to claims of discrimination if it doesn't hire that person.

"If you are a Facebook user, you should never have to share your password," Erin Egan wrote.

From Yahoo news: http://news.yahoo.com/facebook-warns-employers-not-demand-passwords-141726769.html

As always, prioritize, set boundaries and Live!

Things I learned at the 2012 SHRM Employment Law and Legislative conference

I attended SHRM’s Employment Law and Legislative Conference held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Washington, DC from March 4-7, 2012.  For information on what SHRM has to offer and on additional conferences, go to: (http://www.shrm.org) or on twitter for the Law & Legislative conference: #SHRMLeg

NLRB updates

Attorney Paul Salvatore’s presentation during the conference, “The Obama NLRB sends a wakeup call to HR”, focused on a number of new developments in Labor Relations.  Some of the things that Salvatore discussed during his session were the following:

a.  NLRB posting guidelines:  The mandatory NLRB posting requirement has been extended to April 30, 2012. All postings should take place by this date.

b.  Social media cases: New guidance provided in a recent report by the Acting General Counsel to the HR profession on social media cases. The report was a result of recent decisions on a number of court cases that affected social media and union activity.

Two main points from that report:

●      Employer policies should not be so sweeping that they prohibit the kinds of activity protected by federal labor law, such as the discussion of wages or working conditions among employees.

●      An employee’s comments on social media are generally not protected if they are mere gripes not made in relation to group activity among employees. Cited from: https://www.nlrb.gov/news/acting-general-counsel-issues-second-social-media-report

c.  Union Election Process: There are election process changes that will take effect on April 30, 2012.  You can also go to the NLRB’s website to read more about these changes (https://www.nlrb.gov/node/3608).  Highlights of the changes are below: 

●      Defining the scope of the pre-election hearing

●      Limiting post hearing briefs

●      Consolidating pre and post-election appeals

●      Eliminating the 25 day waiting period

●      Establishing a standard for interlocutory appeals.

d. NLRB Board appointments:  There were 3 recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board.  There is also litigation currently ongoing as to whether these appointments are constitutional or not. District Court for the District of Columbia- Nat’l Assoc. of Mfr. v. NLRB, 11-1629 and  Paulsen v. Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC, 12cv350.

For more information on the structure of a union, how they are formed and the governing body for all  Labor Relations in the US, please go to the National Labor Relations Board main website: https://www.nlrb.gov/nlrb-process

Recruitment and social media

I attended Eric B. Meyer’s (Twitter: @eric_b_meyer)presentation on “Social Media for HR: Practical Guidance from a Generation Y attorney”.   Meyer provided a great overview of case law, real life examples where the use of social media by employees became problematic, and advice on the use of social media in the workplace. 

Social media is now becoming one of the major tools used during recruitment.  Meyer mentioned that employers use tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to vet and recruit candidates.  As cited from www.jeffbullas.com , 1 in every 9 people on Earth is on Facebook; YouTube generates 92 billion page views per month, Twitter is adding nearly 500,000 users daily; and Google + was the fastest social network to reach 10 million users at 16 days. Meyer says that if you are using social media to recruit you should consider the following:

                                                               i.      Who owns the social media account? The recruiter or the company.

                                                              ii.      Is it for business or pleasure?

                                                            iii.      Is the employer identified in the account?

                                                            iv.      How will you evaluate the program? Feedback, recognition? What’s the ROI?

Social media policies

Eric Meyer provided some insightful observations on social media and policies.  He says that every organization should develop a social media policy and provide guidelines for the use of it during or outside of the work day.  You can’t get away from it.   Meyer mentions that social media impacts the company with 1. The image it produces of the company. 2. Employee morale—what are they saying about your company. 3. Productivity—are employees on there all the time? 4. Intellectual Property—is this being shared without your knowledge or 5. Confidentiality—what  does that look like? If a policy is implemented, he advises that the policy be clear and be reviewed by an employment law attorney. 

Some of my tips: Build connections to people you know on LinkedIn. Learn the hashtags (#) for the areas you are recruiting for on Twitter.  Join popular groups to increase your visibility and meet more of a candidate base that you are recruiting for on LinkedIn or Facebook.  Use proper etiquette, be friendly and try to respond to all requests whether they are good or bad on all social media sites.  I believe that social media and recruitment is the wave of the future.  Social media is growing and will be around for a while.  Why not jump on the bandwagon.

For the NLRB, employees and employers should understand that process and their rights.  During this election season, there will be an interest in both parties on what this process should look like, different changes that should be made, and the composition of the governing body, so it’s important to stay abreast of what’s going on.

As always, prioritize, set boundaries and live!

10 Best Human Resources Apps

It’s all about the Apps!   Apps that make life in the HR world just a tad bit easier.  So, this is my list of the 10 best HR Apps out there. Do you agree? Did I miss any?  What are some you would consider and why?

1.        GoToMyPC (Free) (Android)

a.       Not that I’m a big condoner of taking work home…but if you have no choice, this can help.  It also helps if you’re teleworking. You can remotely access your work computer from anywhere.  Need I say more.

2.       GoToMeeting (Free) (Ipad, Iphone)

a.       Need to attend an online meeting…on the go.  We got an App for that.  This GoToMeeting App is an easy way to attend online meetings.

3.       HBR Tips: Management tip of the day (Free) (Iphone, Android)

a.       I’m a big fan of the Harvard Business Review.  It provides sound management advice for all levels.  New business tips are delivered 5 days a week.  This is a free App that you can use to get quick tips.  It’s a no brainer!

4.       Payroll Guru ($4.99 on the Android Market)

a.       Calculate, email and see paycheck pie-chart with most accurate Payroll Guru app.

b.      Payroll Guru calculates net paycheck amount from gross wages for Salaried and Hourly paid employees.

c.       For Salary calculation just enter Gross Pay amount, and put nothing into rate and hours fields. For Hourly enter hourly rate, hours, overtime and doubletime if applicable.

5.       Business Plan App ($7.99) (Android)

a.       Do you want to develop a business plan and don’t know where to start? This App can help.  You can create the plan, save it to PDF and email it. 

6.       Project Viewer ($9.99) (Android)

a.       If you use MS Project to get your work done, this may ease the process if you’re on the go.  It opens MS Project, provides Table views, Gantt Charts to scroll and zoom into, has a build in browser and links directly from the web to name a few.  There are other project management tools out there, so you’ll have to do a quick search to find out the one that works best for you.

7.       OSHA’s workplace heat safety App (It’s free)

a.       Thought I’d throw in an App that helps with Workplace Safety. The App allows workers and supervisors to calculate the heat index for their worksite, and, based on the heat index, displays a risk level to outdoor workers. Then, with a simple "click," you can get reminders about the protective measures that should be taken at that risk level to protect workers from heat-related illness—reminders about drinking enough fluids, scheduling rest breaks, planning for and knowing what to do in an emergency, adjusting work operations, gradually building up the workload for new workers, training on heat illness signs and symptoms, and monitoring each other for signs and symptoms of heat-related illness. I didn’t find too many from the Federal Government, but this is a great first start!

b.      To download this free App, go to: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/heat_index/heat_app.html

8.       PHR Human Resources Exam prep ($3.99) (Blackberry, Android, Iphone)

a.       When I passed the PHR exam years ago, I took one of the recommended HRCI prep courses.  This would have been great as a supplement while I was on the go!

b.      The PHR Exam Prep is Upward Mobility’s focused exam preparation Android app for HRCI’s Professional in Human Resources (PHR) Certification Exam. This module contains a targeted curriculum of 150 questions with explanatory answers, dealing with the successful knowledge required for early-career Human Resources Professionals.

c.       Your satisfaction is important to us and we have a no questions asked refund policy for all our Android apps.

9.   Monster.com Interviews (It’s Free) (Iphone)

a.       Cool app for those job seekers out there.  Also, a great addition to any resources  that you provide employees that are leaving your company.  Monster.com Interviews (for iPhone) gives entry-level job seekers the tips and tools they need to prepare for and excel in that first interview.

10.   ZocDoc (It’s Free!!) (Itunes, Android)

a.       One of those apps that you can’t live without.  An app that can help you find doctors, read reviews, and make your appointment right from your Android, Blackberry or iPhone.  I say get it!  It’s a great app that your employees can use to locate doctors in their network. 

As always, prioritize, set boundaries and live!

2012 is a year of Life Enrichments

2012 serves as a year of release and relaxation for me! What does the year 2012 mean to you? Like so many, I am excited that 2012 is finally here. There was so much anxiety about the economy, about the way the market was going, about Congress being able to fix the economy, layoffs and the viability of some of our companies to remain afloat and competitive in the marketplace. So much anxiety. So much stress. We all were thinking, “When will relief come?” :-/

Instead of waiting for relief to happen, Prioritize, set boundaries and live! That’s been my motto for such a long time. And what does that truly mean? It means taking a plunge. Taking a plunge to do something that you have been thinking about that is fun and comes naturally. Perhaps an alternative to your 9 to 5 but something that reinvigorates you and motivates you in some way. Do something that you know at the end of the day will make you feel fulfilled. In order to get to that point, focus on a strategy and elect to use “division planning” –the idea of looking at planning as a pie chart and dividing the different areas and placing them in the categories where they need to be. Try isolating the areas that you are successful in and making moves to build and develop yourself in that area.

For example, you are an accountant with a wife, two kids and a dog...but you enjoy photography. Well, place your family in one category, your job in another and your love for photography in another. (There may be other pieces of the pie that you can add to make it complete.) To accomplish what you enjoy, take a photography class, get a professional camera and start snapping pictures. Put portfolios together, work on a concept for a blog highlighting your work, or even go as far as to provide services for events. At the end of the day, you are prioritizing (focusing on something that you love photography), setting boundaries (making time to attend photography classes) and living (enjoying what you really want to do outside of the 9 to 5)!

All in all, let 2012 mean a year of new beginnings to you. A time to explore new things that focus on life enrichment.