HRComatrix

I t has been a busy year as HR has seen many changes and will continue to live through many upcoming ones for 2017. Societal changes have greatly affected HR this year, apparently more than ©Ad_HRComatrix_2017HR ever. We are moving towards a multi-faceted approach to HR in a progressive world . To some it is promising. Others watch it develop with apprehension, along with a new era of Administration in the US. Businesses? They have to adapt if they want to be ahead, remain competitive, or just stay afloat. The biggest changes came from the happenings in regulations that stemmed from societal concerns: Benefits, OT, minimum/living wage issue. Now, business owners' pressure aim at reversing at least some of the changes. Changes are known to not be static; but should we rather think volatility? Let alone the fear for uncertain economy . Talking about a VUCA world! There were topics of peak interests, such as Technology , Analytics , and Big Data ; and topics of concerns...

I t's that time of the year again and I know that there are lots of talks about candy making in breakrooms. But wait a minute! I just came across a tweet about Nestlé today: chocolate with 40% less sugar is in the making! I love chocolate - it's the only candy I eat and I don't call it "candy" - so you can count me on that. .. Also, policy-wise, there is also quite a bit of buzz around Obamacare , well, call it " Healthcare ". Those are news; but this post is about a simple, down-to-earth subject that has bigger consequences.  My question of the day: where are we heading to as a society? This is about Public Health and HR. ©Ad_HRComatrix_PHR Counterintuitive Programs? When it comes to HR, it sometimes amazes me how much we do hurt ourselves without realizing it. (1) Why is it that we (companies, HR or local HR partners doing the execution) choose all kinds of indulging food as engagement initiatives? Think a little bit: we provide sometimes...

©AR_HRComatrix_Change STOP - As a last minute update to this big wind of change: less than two weeks before taking effect the new Overtime Rule is out to a halt . By evidence this will be a relief to small employers and procastinators. But by now, most businesses have taken steps to either "upgrade" or "downgrade" concerned positions. Minds have also somehow adjusted to the idea. This is therefore a wait and see situation for both employers and employees. Word of caution: do not reverse what you have changed since neither employees or the HR suite need to be put in an additional, emotional roller coaster, and be ready for more changes . Definetely a challenge. T he other day, I happened to see a scream from a HR professional following a SHRM post on LinkedIn. It was a shout for Social Media to stop talking about the president-elect. The SHRM post was not about the president-elect or politics: it was about the changes that the new Administration will bring t...

©Al_HRComatrix_ComEngt B ack to simple concerns to get a bit away from major choices that will impact forever the HR landscape . Halloween season is/was here. If you are like me, it might not be of great interest to you. But believe it or not, it could be a window of opportunity for you to reach some HR goals.  On this little side note, I would like to share my discovery of what it could mean to employees, and what you could make out of it for engagement. Make Halloween or any Other Event Part of Your Community Engagement Many businesses are so good at this: Community Involvement. Do you take advantage of the trend? Service Providers like to "put their names out there". Part of branding, part of Corporate Citizenship. Even in metropolitan areas, there is that sense of community: many people who work in some organizations have lived in that city for many many years, or have gone in schools in that city and stayed there. In a sense, those cities feel like a ...

I n some fields of work, we are told to learn to dissociate politics from work because it is the right thing to do. It is an ethical obligation. In the field of HR there could not be such differentiation since politics - in the form of legislation - interfere heavily with how we have to manage people and people's sentiments, attitudes and behaviors. So, again, what is HR to do? Is there anything as black and white, and do businesses really have  options as which path to take? © Al_HRComatrix_HROptions Does HR Truly Have Options? I n fact, it is very simple - or not that simple, as reality proves at times: To the issues of violence (domestic or others) we have to face workplace violence. Consequently, businesses have implemented Workplace Violence Policies and Business Continuity ; To the issues of calamities and catastrophic happenings (Hurricanes and others, Tornadoes, ...) we have to address workers' safety and well being. Businesses have put in place E...

News stories drew our attention more closely to the question of ethics, lately. In Science, there was the story of "building babies", coming true . Although it is not quite a new issue - the UK had introduced a law on the subject  a year ago, according to BBC - , its' coming to realization drew a renewed wave of huge uproar and controversies. The other story is the one of Wells Fargo allegedly allowing or enabling the creation of unauthorized accounts. Again, huge reactions .  Two different worlds, yet a similar issue: Ethics. In the case of Wells Fargo, a question was raised among the HR community: "Where was HR"?      ©Al_HRComatrix_HREthics Wells Fargo happens to be one case. It draws quite a bit of attention for the moment. But, let's be realistic: it is just one case among many others, big and small. Pushing for performance, sanctioning results can sometimes be a recipe for disaster. Of course every company wants to encourage stron...

©Al_HRComtx_GlobalBenefits E nrollment time: Hot topic lately. Also, popular among all talks these last few years has been the topic of Healthcare and benefits. Consequently, benefits have slowly but surely taken a new path in HR, apparently mimicking those offered globally . Eye Opening Chart: Who Stands out? L ooking at benefits on a wide scale, we know that they are, in fact, particular to each country . They differ widely from country to country . In fact, even the most common benefits among developed economies are far from being equal: Denmark and France are on top of the chart while Ireland and the U.S. are at the bottom , ranking respectively 7.3 and and 7.2 vs. 2.3 and 0.3  on a scale score of most to least generous,  the U.S being a benchmark ( Llewellyn Consulting Feb 2016 report). Different societies, different standards. Check it out here . Evidently, Europe is always leading but do other countries stand out as well? One could mistakenly...