Seth Grossman likened it to “designing a new world.” As vice president of people and external relations at American University (AU) in Washington, D.C., he has been faced with challenges he never anticipated during the coronavirus pandemic. Like other HR leaders, he has had to manage vaccination mandates, establish a remote workforce and debate mitigation
One of the most famous lines in movie history comes from the 1967 picture “Cool Hand Luke.” After the prison warden (played by Strother Martin) uses a club to strike a rebellious convict (played by Paul Newman), the warden looks at the other convicts on the chain gang and says, almost apologetically, “What we’ve got
Employers will continue to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic in 2022. Some may try to limit the spread of infections by requiring workers to get booster shots or postponing return-to-workplace plans. These employers will face certain legal questions as they formulate their policies. Other legal challenges coming in 2022 could include the U.S. Department of
The employee retention credit (ERC), also referred to as the employee retention tax credit (ERTC), was created in March 2020 to encourage eligible businesses to keep employees on payroll. It had been set to expire on Jan. 1, 2022, but the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law in November accelerated the end of
High-trust cultures enjoy 76% higher employee engagement, 50% lower staff turnover, and stock market returns two-to-three times higher than average. Clearly, prioritising a high-trust culture is a no-brainer. And it has become increasingly important in recent times. COVID-19 has intensified the huge shift that was already happening in the world of work, driving employees to
As companies ramp up their ‘return to work’ strategies, tensions are rising in the battle to decide who works where. Many employers want their teams back in the office while many employees are confident that they’re fully capable of doing their jobs remotely from their location of choice. Play fair In the past few months,
The spotlight is on climate change as the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) approaches, kicking off on 31st October. Leaders from around the world will be gathering to discuss accelerating action towards climate change mitigation goals. Environmentalists around the globe hope it will reaffirm commitment to a shared cause and set a precedent that
We have an increasingly ageing population, and corresponding ageing workforce. In light of this a review of the literature was recently completed considering: the ageing workforce; how organisations are changing to accommodate an ageing workforce; the impact of workforce and organisational changes on older employees in the future. Some background to the ageing workforce and
As we slowly emerge from the pandemic and begin to process the seismic change the world has seen over the past year, what can we do to ensure that we create a meaningful, engaging and frictionless work environment? In March 2020, just after the UK went into lockdown, I posted a blog about handling the
Although we collectively lived through a global pandemic in the past 18 months, employee experience across different countries varied. Western European workers may have had the benefit of an increased focus on employee wellbeing, but they’ve come out of it less engaged. How can this be and what can HR and leadership teams do to
