Starbucks to enforce 3 days a week of in-office work | Walmart adds onsite child care to support office return | Collaboration among leaders key to solving construction challenges
Starbucks has announced that, starting in January, the company will enforce a "standardized process" to ensure that corporate employees comply with a policy that includes being in the office at least three days a week. The move comes shortly after Amazon ordered its employees to be in the office five days a week, starting at the beginning of next year. Full Story: Bloomberg (10/28),My Northwest (Seattle) (10/29)
Recruiting & Retention
Walmart adds onsite child care to support office return Walmart has opened a childcare center at its new home office campus in Bentonville, Ark., to assist employees returning to in-office work. "When those opportunities present themselves to connect back with their child during the work day, (employees) are happier," said Meghan Klosterman, senior manager of program management at Walmart. Full Story: WorkLife (10/28)
Young workers seek parental help with health insurance A survey from Justworks reveals that 57% of Gen Zers and 44% of millennials rely on their parents for help in choosing employer-sponsored health insurance plans. The survey also found that 51% of both millennials and Gen Zers have blindly chosen plans due to confusion over terms, leading to regret for 46% of them. Full Story: Newsweek (tiered subscription model) (10/28)
Path to Workforce
Bridging skills gap key to Industry 5.0 success Industry 5.0 is transforming manufacturing by focusing existing Industry 4.0 technologies around the needs of human workers to deliver efficiencies. However, the moves have created a significant skills gap, writes connected working expert Andrea Masterton. Addressing this gap is crucial if manufacturers are to benefit from modern technologies and maintain a skilled, dynamic workforce. Full Story: American Machinist (free registration) (10/24)
The HR Leader
Bridge generational gap with effective workplace coaching Effective management of young employees involves helping them see on-the-job coaching as a valuable investment, writes Dave Martin of BankMechanics. A survey found that a vast majority of corporate managers think new graduates need etiquette training, Martin writes, suggesting that clear communication of company culture and expectations can ease onboarding for new employees, who often lack interpersonal experience due to technology-focused learning environments. Full Story: American Banker (10/29)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
Mathematician and prolific inventor Charles Hinton's original intention was to teach people about the fourth dimension, so he filed and won a patent for what seemingly unrelated invention?
Picking a health insurance plan is tricky and confusing for some young professionals, as we see in our Benefits & Compensation story today. Many are turning to their parents for guidance in making a choice. Good for them! I was confused, too, when I got my first “big girl job” and had to dig through the mountain of paperwork from HR to understand my options. I am pretty sure I asked my mother for help. And I helped my son when he got his first full-time job and had questions about flexible spending plans, HMOs versus PPOs, 401ks and other employment benefits. These young folks aren’t lazy. They don’t know the process and slogging through the language can be tough. Asking for help is wise. Employers can help by offering support during open enrollment. My company has workshops during which we can ask questions, but I know that one-on-one help is also available. How do you help your staffers navigate their benefits options? Any tactics you’d like to share with your peers? Let me know! Do you love this brief? Share it with others. Want different stories? Something about it bug you? Tell me. In the words of Frasier Crane, “I’m listening.”
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