Aggressive behavior at work may cost you | Employers share how they are handling WFH, RTO issues | When there's no "I" in team, everyone has room to shine
Aggressive employees' behavior in the workplace may be linked to losses in their pay, reputation and authority, according to research by Crucial Learning. Significant repercussions were seen whether the staff members were men or women, and gaps between male and female behavior perceptions may be narrowing, investigators noted. Full Story: BenefitsPRO (free registration) (1/22)
Employers share how they are handling WFH, RTO issues Six executives describe how their companies are addressing work-from-home and return-to-office issues this year, with some offering hybrid arrangements and others sticking to a fully remote plan. Owl Labs CEO Frank Weishaupt says some large employers that tried to enforce post-pandemic RTO mandates encountered significant staff resistance, noting that "people weren't as willing to work at a company that required them go into the office full-time, [and] many employees would still make sacrifices to achieve flexibility in where they work." Full Story: Employee Benefit News (free registration) (1/18)
Prolonged sitting at work may increase mortality risks Prolonged workday sitting may raise the risk of early death by 16%, compared with not sitting at work, supporting other research linking sitting to health concerns, according to a study in JAMA Network Open. Adding 15 minutes to a half-hour of daily exercise outside of work may help reduce risks, researchers said. Full Story: HealthDay News (1/20)
Benefits & Compensation
Health premiums increasingly cut into workers' pay Research reported in JAMA Network Open suggests that families with employer-sponsored health insurance have had to pay out as much as an extra $125,000 over 30 years due to rising plan premiums. KFF research shows that the average cost of family coverage was nearly $24,000 in 2023, and employers paid about three-fourths of that. Full Story: Axios (1/17)
The HR Leader
Opinion: Proactive HR leaders can help in cybersecurity Courtney Mauge of NFP offers ways HR leaders can be proactive in cybersecurity efforts and training employees to recognize threats to organizations. HR can also be a target for attackers, Mauge writes, adding that incidence response and policies for remote workers are critical. Full Story: Employee Benefit News (free registration) (1/18)
In an Abbott and Costello comedy routine, they're tasked with returning a box of hats to the Susquehanna Hat Co. because they're the wrong kind. What kind?
I recently counseled a young person on handling a tense issue at work. “Keep your words spare and your voice normal and controlled,” I said. “Avoid words like ‘always’ and ‘never.’ Decide your top 1-2 issues and make your point. Don’t go on and on. You want him to remember the important things and you don’t want him to get bored or think you’re being overly emotional.” I thought back to my early years in publishing when I learned this lesson. I was young and fiery. Ego and emotion drove my actions in conflict. I would express my argument with long wordy emails or heated debates in meetings. People listened but no real change happened. Fortunately, I got a mentor who advised me to temper my words and the tone of delivery. She was right. I followed her advice and saw a difference in how people responded to me and the situation. Nancy Smith, researcher and vice president at Crucial Learning, echoes the wisdom of this approach in today’s top story. “You can advocate strongly for your beliefs as long as you’re in control. It’s those men and women who can exhibit passion without aggression who will find more listening ears than those with less civility,” says Smith. It’s just that simple. Cool, calm and collected wins ears and respect. And earned respect paves all kinds of good pathways. What about you? Are you the volcano -- or the calm ocean? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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