Do your marijuana policies comply with state law? | Sept. jobs report surprises with 336K positions added | Hybrid workers are "coffee badging" to limit office time
As more states implement new laws governing the use of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes, employers must ensure that their rules and practices comply. Employers should consider their duty to accommodate, exemptions, restrictions for inquiries and drug testing, and disciplinary action and firing. Full Story: Bloomberg Law (10/6)
Recruiting & Retention
Sept. jobs report surprises with 336K positions added The US economy added 336,000 jobs in September, nearly twice as many as the 170,000 economists had expected, as the unemployment rate remains unchanged at 3.8%. The hot jobs report could fuel further consternation on Wall Street as the labor market remains resilient to the high-interest-rates environment. Full Story: CNN (10/6),The Wall Street Journal (10/6),CNBC (10/6)
Elevate HR Strategy & Leadership Skills Become a better strategic partner for your workforce with skills gained from a SHRM Seminar. With in-person and live online offerings, select the time, topic and learning style that's right for you! Explore our many topics today!
Weave personal development into your leadership Leaders can boost their team's personal development by thinking about how their own actions reflect the behaviors they want to see in their employees, writes Dale Carnegie President and CEO Joe Hart. Guide your team to set goals with intention and use active listening to develop more meaningful relationships, Hart advises. Full Story: Training magazine (10/4)
Benefits & Compensation
Extreme temperatures an issue for many US workers OSHA is in the process of developing new standards for indoor and outdoor employee safety, but they have not yet been released, and in the meantime, millions of Americans are working in conditions where extreme heat is an issue. A few states such as California have enacted standards mandating rest and relief for employees whose jobs expose them to high temperatures. Full Story: The New York Times (10/5)
Perfecting the habit of deeply listening to others means focusing on what's being said, asking them to go deeper on topics they mention frequently and summarizing what you heard to bring clarity and closure, writes Jim VandeHei, a co-founder and CEO of Axios. "This is a masterful way to show you were listening -- and to make sure you heard with precision what the other person was trying to convey," VandeHei writes. Full Story: Axios (10/5)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
"Lisztomania" describes the Beatles-like fanaticism elicited by composer Franz Liszt at performances. It's also a tune by Phoenix and a 1975 Ken Russell film that critic Gene Siskel deemed "just boring," rating it 1 on a scale of 1 to 4 (4 being best). How many stars did critic Roger Ebert give it?
I’m a good talker, but I want to be a great listener. It’s a work in progress. In the days following my dad’s passing, my sister and I stayed in Kona to help Mom with some of the post-death tasks and planning. For the most part, things went smoothly. But, as can be the case with sisters -- especially during times of tension and grief -- we had a couple minor tussles. And as we all know, tussles are rarely about the situation that caused it; they’re usually about a deeper issue boiling under the surface. Fortunately, my sister and I didn’t let the tussle become a volcano. We talked about it the evening that it occurred. Mom sat at a nearby table, hands folded in her lap, watching and listening. At first, she was tense. I could see it in her posture and eyes. I knew she was remembering the arguing that had occurred among her and her sisters at their father’s funeral. She couldn’t bear watching that happen with her own daughters. It didn’t. My sister and I both manage teams and know the importance of listening. (She’s better than I am at it.) We dug into our professional bag-of-tricks and pulled out the skills we use with our teams. It worked. We stopped interrupting each other and laid down our weapons of passive-aggressive jargon. We listened – really listened. And then we apologized – and meant it. Mom was stunned. “My goodness, you girls are amazing,” she said, smiling through tears. “I wish my sisters and I could do what you folks just did.” We smiled at her and nodded. Our listening tactics worked well in that moment, but I know I still have room to grow. Our HR Leader story today has some excellent tips for improving listening skills. My favorite was “Put a sock in it -- confidently.” I’ll be working on this one and a few others. What helps you listen and truly hear others? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
Sharing SmartBrief on Workforce with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free.
