80% of employees have lied during job interviews | Navigating the aftermath of reporting workplace trauma | How to avoid disruptive thoughts for better focus
Eighty percent of employees admit to lying during job interviews, with 44% doing so frequently, and those with higher education are more likely to do so, according to ResumeLab. A separate Gartner survey reveals nearly 50% of job applicants use generative AI in the application process, and Gartner's Caroline Ogawa warns that lying during recruitment is leading to job mismatches and candidates backing out after offers have been accepted. Full Story: WorkLife (11/30)
Whether it is discrimination, harassment or some other form of workplace trauma, deciding to report it may not bring immediate relief and may do damage to your career, writes Deepa Purushothaman, the founder of the re.write, which is why you need to be aware of how the company handles such issues and what kind of support is required in the moment and perhaps long afterward. "Although the healing process is heavy and can be convoluted, there are success stories of people making a full comeback after facing a toxic situation," Purushothaman notes. Full Story: Harvard Business Review (tiered subscription model) (11/27)
AMA asks insurers to cover weight-loss medications The American Medical Association passed a resolution requesting that health insurance companies cover the cost of drugs approved by the FDA for weight loss, including GLP-1 agonists Wegovy and Ozempic. Federal law currently prevents Medicare from paying for weight-loss medications, and some employer plans do cover them, but some employers, such as the Mayo Clinic, have ended coverage due to the drugs' high cost. An October survey found that three-quarters of employer plans cover the drugs for diabetes treatment, but only one-quarter cover them for weight loss. Full Story: BenefitsPRO (free registration) (11/27)
Technology
What to know about the executive order on AI A recent executive order on artificial intelligence from the Biden administration calls on the Department of Labor to take several steps, including the publication of guidance for avoiding hiring discrimination related to the use of the technology, writes attorney Christopher Wilkinson of Perkins Coie. "Savvy employers require deep knowledge and understanding of how the DOL fits into the larger puzzle, as well as the nuts and bolts of the regulatory and policy landscape to determine what may actually get done," Wilkinson writes. Full Story: Bloomberg Law (11/22)
The HR Leader
5 signs you may be a toxic leader Disrespectful. Noninclusive. Unethical. Cutthroat. Abusive. These five attributes were most commonly mentioned as problems with toxic leaders in a study of more than 1.3 million Glassdoor reviews, notes consultant S. Chris Edmonds. Companies can avoid -- or end -- turmoil or toxicity by "eliminat[ing] these toxic cultural attributes from every corner of their organization," says Edmonds. Full Story: SmartBrief/Leadership (11/28)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
Nov. 30 is Computer Security Day. John Draper was one of the first notorious hackers, known by what hacker moniker?
My best friend Lisa* and I were having dinner one night. As we were catching up on each other’s lives, I asked about her kids. Her daughter Myra* used to play soccer with Kawai. “Well, actually,” she said slowly, putting her fork down. “Myra quit her job at the grocery store. She was getting sexually harassed by a co-worker.” Apparently, a young man named Sean* befriended Myra just after she was hired. He helped her through the training phase and became a go-to for questions she had. At first, Myra was grateful for his help. She enjoyed having a friend at work. But as the weeks went by, she became uncomfortable with conversations they had and compliments he paid her. “He was always telling her she looked good in certain outfits or asking about her relationship with Chris,” Lisa said. Chris was Myra’s boyfriend. “Like, he wanted to know if Chris appreciated how sexy she is.” Lisa urged Myra to report Sean’s comments to a manager. She did and soon after, Sean was reassigned to different shifts. Myra saw him less. She was grateful for that, but noticed a shift in how her manager and some co-workers became around her -- polite, but less chatty and sociable. And the shifts when she and Sean had to work together were awkward and uncomfortable. He didn’t say anything inappropriate, but it was clear that he knew she had reported him. “She finally quit,” Lisa said. “Chris told her to stay home, figure out what she wants to do and he would handle the bills. So that’s where we are now.” That conversation was more than 18 months ago. Myra just returned to the workforce last month. She’s now working at a restaurant near home. But the trauma from the harassment experience has lingered and it shows. She is still a sweet, friendly young lady, but she is now on medication for anxiety. She is also far more reticient about new people and trusting them. Lisa is hoping that much of this will go away as she gets into her new job and feels safe there. Healing after a traumatic workplace experience takes time, patience and courage, as we see in today’s Recruitment & Retention story. Deepa Purushothaman writes it for people who are going through the post-incident process, but it has enormous value for managers too. It details each phase of the process -- including timelines -- and offers tips for navigating them. It’s a practical, smart read -- one that I will print out and keep. Do you have tips for managing difficult situations like this? Or walking workers through the healing? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also. * Names changed to preserve subjects' privacy.
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