Employers and employees are continuing to grapple over the future of work and how much of it will be done in an office environment, with some companies saying September will be key in establishing a return to a more normal schedule. "I have seen an increased resolve among executives to figure out what's next," says Sheela Subramanian, vice president of Future Forum. Full Story: The New York Times (8/28)
The rise of the virtual-first health plan The dramatic increase in telemedicine use seen early in the pandemic also fueled the rise of virtual-first health plans, an emerging model that is testing flexible, consumer-centric care for the digital health era. Register for this industry roundtable.
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Recruiting & Retention
Opinion: "Quiet quitting" not an option for most "Quiet quitting" is a strategy that doesn't work for most people in the long term, writes Zeeshan Aleem, columnist and editor for MSNBC Daily. Doing the minimum to keep a job is not an option for people who "cannot afford to risk voluntarily making themselves vulnerable to being fired or laid off in a society with a weak social safety net," Aleem points out. Full Story: MSNBC (8/28)
Level Up Your HR Team with a SHRM Certification Take your HR department's effectiveness to the next level with SHRM certification - from strategic thinking to applying best practices, your team will drive innovation, perform competently, and contribute to an inclusive workplace culture. Begin today.
Can White House convince public to get updated booster? The White House is pushing an early September release for the new COVID-19 booster aimed at warding off a fall rise in inflections, but it is facing public apathy. The booster is formulated to target the subvariants of Omicron, with the Pfizer booster available for those 12 and older and the Moderna for 18 and older. Full Story: The Hill (8/28)
Benefits & Compensation
Health care costs rise less than inflation Health care price increases over the past year were well below the rate of inflation, indicating the industry has been sheltered from the high inflation seen in other sectors, according to an analysis by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall prices grew by 8.5% from July 2021, while medical care prices rose by just 4.8%. Full Story: Healthcare Finance (8/26)
The HR Leader
Turn gossip into a lesson on giving proper feedback When you learn that people are spreading gossip about you in the office, talk with them about their concerns by addressing the content of their comments without shaming them for it, and then ask them to come to you directly next time, writes Joseph Grenny, co-founder of VitalSmarts. This approach shows "both openness to feedback and a willingness to hold others accountable in a way that might encourage them to make a better choice the next time they have concerns," Grenny writes. Full Story: Harvard Business Review (tiered subscription model) (8/26)
I was out with some girlfriends recently celebrating a birthday. One of the gals pulled me aside to talk. “Hey, there’s a problem with Claire.* She’s starting drama,” Angie whispered in my ear. I took a step back, cocked my head and raised an eyebrow at her. My friends know what I think about gossip. She explained quickly. It seems our friend, Claire, “helpfully” told our other friend, Bella, that Bella’s husband had been seen talking with some women recently at a local club. According to Angie, the information caused a nasty fight between Bella and her husband. Angie wanted me to intervene and talk to Claire about what she did. “She’s starting drama and needs to keep her mouth shut,” Angie said as she wrapped up the story. I sighed inside and pondered my words. I wanted to be kind but firm with Angie. “I hear what you’re saying,” I started, “but I wasn’t there and it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to get involved here.” “Yeah, but she’s doing this more,” she insisted. “She likes the attention. But she’s causing problems. Can you or Jan talk to her? Tell her to stop?” Angie is a smart, mature woman. I like her a lot. She’s not generally given to gossip, but I knew this alleged incident got under her skin because she and Bella are close. Nonetheless, I didn’t want to get sucked into this situation. It had all the markers of spiraling out of control and becoming a tornado of gossip -- with me in the middle of it. I wanted no part of it. “Angie, this is silliness and you and I -- and all of us really -- are above this,” I told her, gently. “Bella needs to talk to Claire. Directly with her -- a mature, frank conversation between adults. She should be brief but honest. If she does that, Claire will stop. She’ll be embarrassed and feel bad. She’s a good gal and doesn’t want to cause problems. But she gets ahead of herself sometimes. If Bella handles this right -- and she’s good at this -- Claire will stop.” To Angie’s credit, she nodded and agreed that was a good tactic. We then returned to our table and conversation quickly moved to better topics. Gossip is poison. Joseph Grenny outlines how to handle office gossip when it’s about you in today’s HR Leader story. I really appreciated his advice letting the person know that you will likely act on the information being passed along. It holds the other person accountable. It makes folks think twice before “helpfully” passing along information. Because gossip unchecked can set off a firestorm, dismantling teams and sowing seeds for mistrust among colleagues. None of us needs that. How can I serve you better with this brief? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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