Bank of America is raising its US base hourly wage to $24 starting in October, bringing the company closer to its goal of $25 an hour by 2025. This increase will impact thousands of employees, giving full-time workers an annualized salary of about $50,000. The bank has doubled its minimum wage since 2010, when it was $11.30 an hour. By contrast, the federal minimum wage remains at $7.25 an hour, unchanged for 15 years. Full Story: CBS News (9/10)
Recruiting & Retention
Looming workforce crunch as baby boomers retire Workers over the age of 65 have increasingly been plugging the gap in America's workforce as the phenomenon of shrinking generations weighs on the working-age population, a report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute shows. The findings also highlight a demographic shift in the workforce where the smaller Gen X cohort will be unable to fully replace retiring Boomers. Full Story: Supply Chain Dive (9/9)
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A global JLL survey found 44% of employers expect employees to work at the office five days per week, up from 34% in 2022. "There is now a broadly even split between those organizations which favor some form of hybrid workstyles and those expecting to see employees back in the office full time," stated the report, which found the percentage of employers allowing hybrid schedules has fallen from 77% two years ago to 56% today. Full Story: Human Resources Director (9/10)
Florida High School's High Tech Program helps prepare students with disabilities for the transition to secondary education or the workforce with career education and life skills training. The program, now in its 30th year, partners with local programs and employers to support students and is looking to double enrollment over the next four years, says president and CEO Allison Chase of program founder The Able Trust. Full Story: WFSU-FM (Tallahassee, Fla.) (9/8)
The HR Leader
Communication most crucial piece of workplace etiquette Respectful communication topped the list of the most essential workplace manners, according to a survey by Monster, with half of survey respondents ranking it as the top piece of etiquette. Vicki Salemi, a career expert at Monster, said priorities shifted after the COVID-19 pandemic: "With so many workers in fully remote or hybrid situations, professional dress codes have become less important on their etiquette list whereas communication in all forms is of utmost importance." Full Story: The Business Journals (tiered subscription model)/Biz Women/Chicago (9/9)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
Before being replaced by the National Terrorism Advisory System in 2011, Homeland Security had a color-coded Advisory System. Red indicated the highest threat level; what color was lowest?
I came at language standing on my head, turning words inside out in search of meaning, making a mess of it sometimes, but seeing truth from a very different viewpoint.
