The City Council in Seattle has passed a "first-in-the-nation" PayUp policy that will offer protections for gig workers, including a minimum wage, access to transparent job information, and the freedom to select jobs and shifts without penalty. Shipt, DoorDash and Instacart were among companies that lobbied against the policy, while Mayor Bruce Harrell stated, "Gig workers deserve a fair shake and a fair wage." Full Story: GeekWire (5/31)
The Employee Benefit That Changes Lives Taking time off to care for a foster child is the most cited reason families are unable to open their homes to youth in need. Join companies nationwide that are creating a supportive workplace for foster parents by implementing sensible policies that promote flexibility. Learn more.
Kevin Leichtman, co-founder of TLC Education, developed the Leichtman Burnout Scale -- a four-stage framework to help educators determine their level of burnout. In this article, Leichtman describes the four levels and their indicators: passionate but overwhelmed, overwhelmed and becoming cynical, cynical and approaching exhaustion and lastly, complete exhaustion and breakdown. Full Story: Edutopia (5/26)
Facts, Without Motives "I was skeptical of your claim to present unbiased news, but 1440 delivers! Finally a news source which is neither left nor right." Join for free today.
Businesses shift again toward student-debt repayment A popular tax break has incentivized companies that want to help their employees pay back student-loan debt. Benefit packages have shifted amid the pandemic to providing immediate employee financial assistance, but some in the corporate world now also are offering to help with education debt to compete for workers. Full Story: The Washington Post (tiered subscription model) (5/28)
Path to Workforce
Ben & Jerry's leads job program aimed at at-risk youths Ben & Jerry's is working with the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice on "Unlock Potential," a program aimed at providing career opportunities to youths who are at risk of incarceration, write Matthew McCarthy, CEO of Ben & Jerry's, and Celia Ouellette, CEO of Responsible Business Initiative for Justice. "Preventing this group from becoming economically disenfranchised by the justice system will have a tremendous impact on racial equity," they note. Full Story: Fast Company (tiered subscription model) (5/31)
The HR Leader
3 ways to incorporate the long view into your thinking Leaders need to take a long view of the future to set strategies that lead to sustained success, writes Larry Robertson, an author and innovation adviser. Robertson offers three examples of companies, including Google, that have incorporated such strategies and describes how leaders can think creatively about the future. Full Story: SmartBrief/Leadership (5/31)
About the Editor
Kanoe Namahoe
Burnout is a thing. We’ve talked about it before in the brief and this column. But today’s Recruiting & Retention story gives us a really great scale, developed by professor Kevin Leichtman, for gauging our burnout levels. The story is geared at educators, but the scale can easily apply to anyone. I believe I’m a level two. I’m not cynical toward my profession (I genuinely love what I do and the markets I serve), but in the last 2 to 3 months, the workload has become increasingly heavy. And as that’s happened, I’ve been more tired, irritable and stressed than any other time in my career. Leichtman advises getting a mentor to help manage the burnout load. This is a great idea and one I plan to pursue. When I applied this to some colleagues and teachers I know, I put them at a level three. They frequently feel paranoid about their managers and policy. They are increasingly alienated from peers and reluctant to engage in staff training. They are skeptical about organizational goals and their ability to reach them. Burnout has soured them on their work. Reducing their workload and providing access to mental health resources can be a huge support. I encourage you to gauge your burnout level. And then maybe have a trusted friend use the scale to assess you also. Did you both come up with the same results? Any surprises? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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