Government jobs Indianapolis

 

As an Indianapolis recruiting firm, we are always keeping updated on the world of recruiting. We try to stay on top of trends in order to serve our customers and candidates better. So here are a few developments in recruiting that we have noticed in recent months:

1. Social media has become more important in the recruiting effort: More college graduates are using social media to search for jobs and bolster their online profiles. Similarly, recruiters and hiring managers continue to use social media to search for candidates and promote job openings.
    
2. Temporary staffing is the new norm: That’s Good HR has seen an increased interest in temporary staffing needs among our Indianapolis clientele, particularly in areas of administration, accounting / finance and health care. Companies that are reluctant to hire permanently continue to use temporary staffing to test the waters before hiring permanent staff. Meanwhile, candidates seeking full-time positions have benefited from temporary or contract positions to pad their resumés in between jobs.
    
3. A hiring boom is imminent: The unemployment rate continues to drop in many regions, including in the Indianapolis jobs market, which is an indicator that more companies are hiring. We see this job hiring trend increasing in the coming months.
    
4. Outsourcing is in: With less time to focus on recruiting efforts, companies further develop relationships with outsourced partners such as staffing agencies in order to stay ahead of hiring trends and focus on internal training, retention and support.
    
5. Government issues will impact HR: Hiring managers will need to keep updated on changes in legislation and public policy issues such as tax, health care and immigration reform, and a potential minimum wage increase in 2013.  Companies may need to adjust compensation or benefits to offset these changes, and be prepared to address these issues to potential hires and current staff.
    
6. Employees are demanding a more flexible work environment: Employers who recognize the need for workplace flexibility will benefit from opportunities to attract and retain employees and increase employee satisfaction, among other benefits.

What trends have you noticed impacting your hiring or job search efforts? Feel free to comment below.

We have noticed that our clients are always looking for sharp, recent graduates that are ready to get their feet wet and work hard! So the team at That's good HR has been out and about this winter, meeting potiential candidates at several Indiana career fairs. 

This month, we attended the 5th annual Kelley Career Fair on Feb. 12, sponsored by the Kelley School of Business-Indianapolis Student Government and the Kelley Career Planning Office, and the Collegiate Career Expo on Feb. 21, sponsored by College Career Center Consortium. Members of the That's Good HR team included Kate Schipp, Amber Crosby and Tasha Rush. Aside from recruiting firms such as ours, we saw other Indianapolis employers, from small to large companies, in attendance.

All in all, both events were a success. We met several students graduating in May 2013, seeking positions upon graduation. We noticed that several HR and Marketing majors approached our table. That seemed to be the “hot” degree this year.

We also met with several accounting students looking for opportunities after graduation. On the accounting side, we are looking for candidates with great internship and education experience that they can apply to a position with our clients. As we typically see fewer accounting professionals at job fairs, we are always actively seeking accounting and finance graduates and professionals to fill various client positions.  

 

According to U.S. News & World Report, for the next 20 years, 10,000 people each day will reach the retirement age of 65. With many Baby Boomers leaving the workforce, others have been forced to remain working due to the financial restraints of a struggling economy. Yet employers aren’t worried – a study by HR consultancy firm Hewitt Associates indicates that 61 percent of U.S. companies have or plan to establish employment programs targeted at retirement-age workers (Boomers or Seniors).

As an employer, what are the benefits of hiring Boomers and Seniors?

• Experience: Boomers and Seniors have extensive work experience that spans decades. From surviving previous economic downturns to managing a variety of employees effectively, your company could benefit from the knowledge and varied skill set of the Boomer and Senior generations.

• Loyalty: Older generations are half as likely to switch employers as generation X or generation Y employees, according to a 2012 MetLife survey. These employees tend to be appreciative of their jobs and less concerned about promotions.

• Reliability: You can generally count on Boomer and Senior workers to show up on time every day and perform their jobs in a consistent manner. This may be due to the fact that Boomer and Senior workers may have grown children and are thus not as distracted by parental duties or family distractions.

• Less Dependent on Benefits: Because of Social Security and Medical benefits available to this generation, older workers are less concerned about employee benefits as part of their employment packages, when compared with younger workers.

• Technology Awareness: Although Boomers and Seniors have had to learn how to incorporate new technologies on the job, and may require training in this area, don’t assume they are clueless when it comes to technology use.

• Great Service Professionals: These generations grew up in a tradition of respect, where people made eye contact with one another, smiled, and communicated effectively with others. Thus many employers are hiring Boomers and Seniors for customer-facing positions such as sales or customer service.

• Perfect for Part-time or On-Call Staffing Needs: Many retirement-age workers prefer part-time, seasonal or on-demand positions to supplement their income without the demands of a full-time job. For employers looking to supplement their employment gap during peak production schedules, Boomer and Seniors may be the perfect fit.

As you can see, the older generation of Baby Boomer and Senior workers offers more to an employer than wisdom and experience. Consider hiring these candidates as part of your diverse workforce, and help Boomers and Seniors gain meaningful jobs while you benefit from their loyalty, flexibility and hard-working spirit.

 

Staffing Industry Analysts released a jobs market report this past month from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Employment Statistics program*. The results are in – and they are positive for the Central Indiana job market.

According to the report, the best state markets by volume job growth were: Texas, Indiana, Florida, California, Illinois, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. In addition, Texas, Indiana, Arizona, Kentucky, and Oklahoma ranked among the top ten states on both a volume and percent basis.

Here is how Indiana fared in the findings:

Indiana Job Market Rank: #5

Growth Score: 69 (offered as an indicator of the relative overall robustness of staffing trends in each labor market)

Percent Employment Growth:

• 12 months: 2.3%
•  6 months – 1.1%
•  3 months - .07%

Total Non-farm Employment: 2,900,000

The Indianapolis-Carmel job market also ranked the 15^th best by volume growth score among the largest major metropolitan areas, with an average 12-month change of 1.5 percent, and ranked 19^th out of all major U.S. metro job markets.

Columbus, Indiana also received the top score for the smaller U.S. Metro area with the most exceptional percentage-wise growth, with a 12-month change of 8.7 percent. Elkhart-Goshen, IN also ranked well in this category.

As an Indianapolis staffing agency, we at That’s Good HR are pleased to see that Indiana continues to experience job growth and a robust labor market.

Source: Staffing Industry Analysts: November 2012

* This analysis and ranking of growth trends was based on total nonfarm employment among the 393 U.S. Metropolitan Statistical areas, using figures through September 2012. Data surveyed included 150,000 businesses and government agencies, representing roughly 390,000 individual worksites.

 

With the first snowfall of the year we are reminded of the importance of being prepared as the weather takes a turn for the worse. I thought I was prepared, as I pro-actively purchased yet another snow scraper for my car well over a month ago. This is a fancy one with a retractable handle and double brush. This would be the shining star of my snow scraper collection. Yesterday, upon emerging from my warm office at the end of the day to brave the snowy drive home; it occurred to me that while was proactive in the purchase of the snow scraper, my failure to leave it in my car rendered it useless to me in my time of need. Lesson learned.

My hope for you is that  my weekly news updates contribute to your ability to be prepared for HR and legal issues and challenges as they develop. Preparing for a storm is one thing, but staying on top of the daily maintenance of small issues before they become big ones is just as important (if not more important). Here are some of the top HR and legal news updates I came across this week.
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20 States to See Tax Hike on Employers: Federal unemployment taxes will rise for employers in 20 states and the Virgin Islands. Those employers are losing part of a credit on federal unemployment taxes in 2011 because their state governments have unpaid balances for two or more years on federal funds borrowed to pay state unemployment claims. (Staffing Industry.com)

Checking Social Media on a Potential New Hire? Here are some Tips: According to this recent SHRM survey, only 18 percent of companies have used social media to screen job candidates. Most cite the legal risks of screening candidates as the reason for not implementing a social-media background check. (tlnt.com)

Bill to extend payroll tax cust to be introduced by Democrats: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Monday that he plans to introduce legislation this week that would extend the payroll tax cut that is due to expire at the end of the year. (benefitnews.com)

Why more folds are waiting to Retire: A recent Wells Fargo survey of 1,500 Americans between the ages of 20 and 70 reveals that 20% of them believe that they will “need to work until at least age 80” to live comfortably into retirement. (recruiter.com)

A current snapshot of the Indianapolis/Marion County economy is now available for you to view.  Inside you will find current economic indicators including: Employment Statistics, Current Real Estate Statistics , Recent Jobs Announcements (developindy.org)

Good Tips here on How NOT to fire someone: 5 common mistakes: Unless you're a natural bully, firing someone is never fun. It is, of course, a necessary part of being a manager, and it's a skill that can be honed. (cbsnews.com)

Employer Reactions to Internet Use at Work: Though it’s expected that workers will use the Internet for non-work purposes during breaks, lunch hours, and in moderation, Web activity spilling into work time is when many employers put their collective feet (adorned with 50 percent off Black Friday Blowout shoes, thankyouverymuch) down. (thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com)

Do you Measure Performance? Some: Management gurus like Peter Drucker have long since put to bed the idea that measuring performance really does improve performance significantly more than if you don’t measure. But this isn’t the reason driving most people’s participation in performance measurement. Let’s look at a few of the most common reasons, and see how compelling they are. (staceybarr.com)

Office Distractions - 6 of the Biggest: When productivity is high, your business provides better service and you are most likely making more money. But when it is low, or there are distractions among your staff, it can have a big impact not only on productivity, but on customer service, team morale and the overall state of your business. (openforum.com)

Free Guide by the NLRB Teaches Employers about Social Media Policies in the Workplace: A new employer guide entitled, “Can I Fire This Twit Over That Tweet?. Theisguide will assist HR managers in understanding social media labor laws and what behaviors at work constitute employee misconduct. (recruiter.com)

Emotional Intelligence, Title-only promotions, liars, remote workers, the impact of positive attitudes and upcoming Macroeconomic trends all caught my eye in the news this week. Seems like the rule is to keep your employees happy, healthy and informed about what to expect and what is coming next. Some of these concepts are fairly new and some have been around for awhile but we are just now understanding them. Remember when the HSA was new? Seems that there is still a lot about HSA's that your employees still may not understand. What is not new is that the Obama and the healthcare law are still making headlines. Next week, I will be taking a small break from the weekly news update to spend time with family and enjoying a certain turkey. I hope you will be doing the same.

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Many Benefits to Tapping into Employee Emotional intelligence: The concepts of emotional intelligence (EI), self-worth, authenticity and employee meditation rooms might conjure up thoughts of new age healing centers. But the benefits of tapping employees' emotional happiness mean the ideas are now being picked up by mainstream corporations. (CNN.com)

Navigating Legal Aspects of Title-Only Promotions: Experts say that cash-strapped companies are increasingly rewarding employees for their strong work ethic and performance with a change in title, but no bump in pay. While this may be a morale booster for the worker, small business owners can find themselves in legal hot water for giving promotions without any monetary benefits, according to experts. (foxbusiness.com)

Beware, You are Surrounded by Liars: Don’t look now, but the person reading this over your shoulder is a liar. So is the barista who just served you coffee. So are you. We’re all liars. In fact, studies have shown that we’re regularly told anywhere from 10 to 200 lies each day—up to 12 an hour. From white lies to whoppers, more than three-quarters of these go undetected. (smartblogs.com)

Highs and Lows of Unemployment in the Midwest: Over the past year, the Midwest has exhibited a range of divergent unemployment rates, with many metropolitan areas experiencing unemployment far above or below the national average of  9.0 percent. (recruiter.com)

Why it is a Good Idea to Tell your Employees to Take a Hike: It’s good for them (and your company, too!). Be careful how you tell your employees to take a hike, though. This article is not about employee termination but rather wellness and good health. (rockethr.com)

Supreme Court to take on Obama healthcare law: The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to decide the fate of President Barack Obama's healthcare law, with an election-year ruling due by July on the U.S. healthcare system's biggest overhaul in nearly 50 years.

The Importance of Proper OnBoarding for Remote Workers: It’s more important than ever to ensure that new hires become engaged immediately upon entering their new place of employment through a well-designed onboarding process. Successful onboarding programs aren’t just a paperwork-filled orientation: They create a connection between employees, their work and the goals of the organization. Here are a few best practices from companies that effectively onboard remote workers. (mashable.com)

The Upcoming Decade will bring these 5 Macroeconomic Trends: How Will the Workforce be Impacted?: The following are five major macroeconomic trends that are going to play out within the workforce within the next decade; by being aware of these trends and shifting one’s talent recruitment strategies to work in coordination with them, an organization stands a better chance of taking on the talent it requires to succeed. (recruiter.com)

How Positive is Your Attitude? Did you know it can be linked to work success? Five ways to improve your happiness quotient:  Predicting an employee's future success at a company has traditionally stumped experts, and relying on metrics, such as IQ level, only tells 25% of the story. What makes up the other 75%, according to Shawn Achor, Harvard researcher and positive psychology expert, is the belief that your behavior matters, a positive social support system, and whether you view a challenge as a stress or an impetus to improve. (ebn.benefitnews.com)

Growth Prospects Not Clear for 2012: U.S. and global growth prospects for 2012 are “muddled,” with decelerating consumer spending, a rollback in government spending and weak export growth as key factors in the uncertainty, along with volatile economic conditions in Europe. (staffingindustry.com)

Educate Employees about the benefits of HSA’s to bolster participation: Consistently encouraging employees to contribute to a health savings account (HSA) will only go so far. The best way to max out HSA participation rates is to stress its effectiveness as a retirement tool. (hrmorning.com)

Important tips on creating great internship programs: The quantity of internship programs may be skyrocketing, but the same can't always be said about their quality. From complaints about the low or non-existent pay and lack of mentorship to reports that recession-rattled staff are too busy to shepherd interns, internships often fail young people, the company or both (and many of them even manage to be illegal). (CBSnews.com)

This week focuses on Talent. Don't think I am crazy giving away trade secrets here. Engaging a staffing resource to support you in these efforts will always give you a leg up, but we are also here to support and educate our clients on how to find the best talent. While we are at it, we are also here to support them in their efforts to retain the top talent. Some might think that is counter-productive to our business, but I beg to differ. The more value we provide to our customers around the investments they make in talent acquisition that will stick around, the more loyal those customers are. Besides, some of our best customers have been some of our best placements who moved up to become hiring managers. I also threw in at least one hard core HR news article just to give you some variety. With open enrollment coming up, we could all use a little advice. Have any questions or ideas about what you read in this week's news update? Send me a comment, would love to hear from you!
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Look for These Five Signs to Retain Your Top Talent: Highly skilled engaged employees are invaluable to an organization’s bottom line. With the costs to hire and train new workers soaring through the roof, it’s important for businesses to retain valued employees. (recruiter.com)

Don't Overlook Veterans in Your Talent Search: New research by RightManagement, the talent and career management experts within ManpowerGroup, suggests that many employers largely disregard the unique skills and experiences of military veterans when considering a candidate for a position. This unfortunate oversight leads to missed opportunities in acquiring top talent. (Recruiter.com)

Monthly Expenses keeping Employees up at Night more than retirement savings: Keeping up with monthly expenses was the biggest financial worry, cited by 21% of those surveyed, followed by saving enough for retirement, which was cited by 18% of employees as their biggest financial concern. (Benefitnews.com)

Picasso never went to meetings: You're going to way too many meetings.:  And yes, I do mean you. In fact, I'm thinking about you as I'm writing this. It's exactly 5.27am and I can picture your schedule for the rest of the day. All those meetings - in your office, in their office, in meeting rooms, 'conferenced in', synchronous, asynchronous, vital, tedious, overlapping and running long...always running long. (Predictablesuccess.com)

82% of Recruiters, Hiring Managers, HR, Find Evidence Of Discrimination Against the Unemployed: “I am very disturbed when I hear that employers don’t want to even look at resumes of people that have been out of work for 6 months or just (are) unemployed,” said Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis at Facebook’s announcement for their Social Jobs Partnership with the US Department of Labor, N.A.C.E., State Work Force, and Direct Employers. “It’s as though people have created this problem themselves, and that’s just not true.” (Recruiter.com)

18 of Your Burning Social Media Questions, Answered: Great follow up questions following a webinar all answered here. Valuable insights for any company engaged in social media...or even those just thinking about it. (The Hiring Site)

Wondering Why you are not able to Hire Effectively?: The problem might be you. To be sure, not every candidate is a rock star. But if you keep turning up dud after dud, the problem may not be the applicant pool. In a quest to find the best workers, entrepreneurs sometimes wind up adopting hiring practices that are actually detrimental to their companies. (inc.com)

Open Enrollment making you Sick?- Seven lessons this benefits pro has learned about staying healthy at the most stressful time of year: Open enrollment is often one of the busiest times of the year for most benefit professionals. After finishing all of the plan updates, budgets and the communication strategy, we have the open enrollment meetings. With any luck, you won't find yourself in a crowded room of people at the height of flu season. (Benefitnews.com)

Think you Know What Job Seekers Want? Think Again.: Is your recruitment process based on what you know about job seekers…or what you think you know about job seekers? (thehiringsite.com)

Tips for a new hire’s first 90 days on the job : The first 90 days are crucial when it comes to a new hire. If the fit is right, it can be the beginning of a successful long-term work relationship that benefits both employee and employer. If the fit is wrong, it can cost a company a great deal – both in time and money. (theglobeandmail.com)

Careerbuilder’s Q4 Hiring Forecast: Caution and seasonality are influencing hiring expectations for the fourth quarter as employers assess ongoing barriers to economic growth and wrap up 2011. Consistent with trends typically seen in the tail end of the calendar, employers anticipate a moderate slowdown in hiring. Twenty-one percent of hiring managers reported that they plan to hire full-time, permanent employees in Q4, down from Q3, but on par with 2010. (Careerbuilder)

This week, I bring you all kinds of secrets and insights around finding, hiring, maintaining and retaining employees. I am even bringing up the "E" word (Engagement) because although it may be one of the annoying buzzwords that needs to be eliminated (according to one article below), it remains an important aspect of talent management (as mentioned by another article below). I am also sharing some great insights around working with staffing services from the American Staffing Association. What would a news week be these days without something being "Occupied"? Lastly, I included some good old economic news, as you can never have enough of that.
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Thinking about engaging a Staffing Service? Here are Five Tips you should know: According to the American Staffing Association, there are over 17,000 companies in the United States offering staffing services.  Services include a variety of temporary, contract, permanent placement, and HR consulting services. (recruiter.com)  

What HR Professionals Need to Know if your Employees decide to "Occupy Wall Street": The “Occupy Wall Street” protests are gaining steam across the country. Could employees who participate risk losing their jobs? Recent events show that the answer to this question is “yes,” at least in certain circumstances. (shrm.org)

October 2011 Economic Briefing: In September, Marion County’s unemployment rate decreased by 0.3 percent from 9.3 percent in August to 9.0 percent. (Developindy.com)

Employee Engagement still a Concern in : Seventy-one percent of American workers are "not engaged" or "actively disengaged" in their work, meaning they are emotionally disconnected from their workplaces and are less likely to be productive. (Gallup.com)

Working with Employees that are just not nice: Insubordinate behavior, such as refusing to carry out a direct order, is grounds for termination. But before any action is taken, HR leaders should ensure that company policies explain what constitutes insubordination and make sure incidents are well-documented. (hreonline.com)

What The C-Suite Wants From HR: I don’t have a secret window into the world of executive leadership, but I do have a strong opinion on what the C-Suite wants and — more importantly — doesn’t want from Human Resources (weknownext.com)

7 Business Buzzwords That Need To Die: Once we’re bothered by something, we tend to notice it more. So it could be that the business buzzwords that make me cranky are no more significant than the guy who bumps my chair when he walks past--which, on second thought, isn’t a big deal, he’s been doing it for years. (fastcompany.com)

You May be Surprised About What is holding back your Wellness program:  What is it? Nope, not your vending machine/cafeteria options. Not employee engagement (or lack thereof). It’s your desk. (benefitnews.com)

Conducting Winning Interviews: Although more emphasis tends to be placed on the interviewee rather than on the hiring manager, both roles are equally important. As the interviewer, the employer is looking to you to hire the right person for the job and sometimes sell the candidate on the position. (recruiter.com)

Job Seekers Require Employers to be more Forward-Thinking: A recent study conducted by CareerBuilder and Inavero indicates that over the past several years, job seekers have developed a highly complex, multi-faceted approach to the job search, in which they utilize today’s sophisticated technology to their advantage. (thehiringsite.com)

Healthcare costs will rise for some smokers, obese: In recent years, a growing number of companies have been encouraging workers to voluntarily improve their health to control escalating insurance costs. And while workers mostly like to see an employer offer smoking cessation classes and weight loss programs, too few are signing up or showing signs of improvement. (reuters.com) 

You Might be Missing our on exceptional talent: In retrospect, the biggest blunders often seem inexplicable. Four different book publishers, for instance, passed on J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter novel. A weird story about the adventures of a juvenile wizard and his friends just didn't seem worth a $5,000 advance. Oops. (fortune.cnn.com)

Trick or Treat?

This question can apply to many of the hottest HR and employment issues I came across this week. Social Media, Social Security, Healthcare, Unions, Benefits, Hiring trends and Productivity killers. Tricky? You better believe it. Treats? Only if you mange them correctly. How to do it right? Back to being Tricky. Makes you want to just bury your head in a big bag of Halloween candy, doesn't it.  Well, hopefully some of the news of the week will help you chase some of those HR ghosts away this weekend.

Happy Haunting!
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Make sure you Manage your Online Profile: Why do employers conduct background checks?  Employers are concerned with negligent hiring practices. They confirm potentially false or inflated information, abide by federal and state laws and acknowledge the age in which we live – the ‘information age.’ (womenofhr.com)

Social Security Rigor Mortis - through the eyes of the Millenials: According to a poll of 642 18- to 29-year-olds conducted by the Strategic Research Institute at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis., 50% don’t believe Social Security will exist by the time they become age-eligible for the program at 67. Another 28% think the program will be around, but will provide a much smaller benefit. Just 5% expect benefits to be the same as they are to current beneficiaries. (benefitnews.com)

Shifting Costs of Perks and Benefits: As the economy sputters and health-care costs rise, businesses large and small are eliminating benefits they consider nonessential and shifting more costs to employees for the benefits that are offered. (wsj.com)

Soon-to-be Retirees get some Good News: Social Security benefits to rise 3.6% next year: Social Security retirement benefits for about 55 million people will go up by 3.6% next year, the first cost-of-living increase since 2009, the U.S. Social Security Administration said last week. (benefitnews.com) 

Indiana panel recommends right-to-work legislation: A committee of Indiana lawmakers is recommending their colleagues approve "right-to-work" legislation when they return in January for their 2012 session. (ibj.com)

DOL issues final rules on 401(k) investment advice: Defined contribution plans may offer advice from a third-party as long as that entity receives level fees regardless of their recommendations, or through a certified computer model. (benefitnews.com)

Hiring Activity for October Appears Weak: Continuing a recent pattern of weak job growth in the United States, hiring in October will be limited in the manufacturing sector and will fall in the service sector compared with a year ago, according to the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE) survey for October 2011. (shrm.org)

Hire With Purpose: Q&A With Small Business Expert Jay Goltz: “I’m not looking for great storytellers. I want to figure out what makes people tick and how they operate on the job.” (thehiringsite.com)

Skilled Worker Shortage or Training Shortage?: Even with unemployment hovering around 9%, companies are grousing that they can’t find skilled workers, and filling a job can take months of hunting. Employers are quick to lay blame. Schools aren’t giving kids the right kind of training. The government isn’t letting in enough high-skill immigrants. The list goes on and on. But I believe that the real culprits are the employers themselves. (tlnt.com)

Productivity Killers at Work: Americans may be spending more time at work, but they're also becoming much less productive. Workplace productivity dropped 0.3% in the second quarter, following a decline of 0.6% in the first three months of the year, according to the Labor Department. It was the first back-to-back decline in productivity since the second half of 2008. (The Street)

Rising Government Layoffs Overshadow Private-sector job growth: Crippled by plunging tax revenues, state and local governments have shed over a half million jobs since the recession began in December 2007. And, after adding jobs early in the downturn, the federal government is now cutting them as well.

Unemployment Discrimination: Monster.com Has It Right, People (Job Boards are PLATFORMS)...: Repeat after me: Job Boards are PLATFORMS, not arbitrators of quality, fairness or morality. What's a platform?  A platform is where the masses can come and use technology in a variety of ways.  Think Facebook, think Amazon. (hrcapitalist.com)

How about we mix it up and have a little fun this week? With the gloomy weather and the less than encouraging news on the economic front, it is important to stop and reflect on things that make us smile now and then. Not to worry, I  have still included some of the important, serious stuff so you will not feel like you are wasting time and enjoying yourself too much. I have, however, included some whimsical, amusing and interesting features to lighten up your week. Enjoy...and watch out for that penguin.
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Is Shy Bladder Syndrome a Disability?: Does being unable to pee on cue qualify as a disability?  That question came up recently in an informal opinion letter from Peggy Mastroianni, a lawyer with the EEOC. And, apparently, the answer could be “yes.” (hrmorning.com)

SHRM's update on the Health Reform's Long-Term Care Program: On Oct. 14, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced in a letter to Congress that the 2010 health care reform law's program to provide long-term care insurance through the workplace was unworkable and would not be implemented. (SHRM.org)

Do Flexible work strategies work for employers with a nonexempt workforce? Hourly and nonexempt workers - already traditionally lower paid - tend to have additional constraints placed upon them without the aid of flexibility to balance their responsibilities. (benefitnews)

Expressions of Compassion for your Downsized friends...: I was in a Hallmark store looking for a sympathy card recently and you'll never guess what I found. For $3.49 you can now send an "I'm sorry you lost your job" card. (fistfuloftalent)

What's in a Title? Not enough to make you a Leader...  You earn followership based on your own ability to contribute value to the process, people and performance. (passiononpurposeblog.com)

Death and Taxes - a Visual exercise: Data is not useful until it becomes information, and that's because data is hard for human beings to digest. This has a very cool graphic called “Death and Taxes” that you should take a look at. (Seth Godin)

YouTube Insult Generator Makes it so much easier to be Mean: Some YouTube commenters have turned rudeness into an art form, and a new “search engine for insults” lets you easily harvest the fruits of their ludicrous invective. (wired.com)

Too many workers leaving 401k matching dollars on the table: Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. this week issued an investor alert urging the roughly 30% of American workers who are not contributing enough to their 401(k) plans to receive a full employer match to step up their contributions in order to meet their eventual retirement needs.(benefitnews) 

What Makes Great Employees G: Everyone knows great employees are dependable, reliable, proactive, great team players, have strong work ethics… all the standard (yet often uncommon) qualities. (bnet.com)

Bye Bye Baby Boomers? Not so Fast: The long-awaited retirement of the hordes of 76 million baby boomers born between 1945 and 1964 has begun.  But some employees aren't ready to say goodbye to their cubicles or labs, and some companies don't want to lose valuable employees. (management.fortune.cnn.com)

Protect Your Nest. Criminal' penguin caught on film: The team, filming for the documentary Frozen Planet, spent four months with the penguin colony on Ross Island, Antarctica. The footage they captured shows a male penguin stealing stones from its neighbour's nest. (bbc.co.uk)

I don't know about you, but I am confused. FOUR separate articles in the news this week about jobs and the economy. One talks about increased unemployment in September, the other is about more jobs than expected in September and a third discussing a slowdown in hires in October. Follow that up with an article telling you why you should stop debating the recession and get on with life. Read them all and come to your own conclusions. In a word, things seem to be looking up, looking down and looking flat all at the same time these days. While the economy decides what it wants to do (see blog post from earlier this week about the recession and the staffing industry), this is a good time to stay on top of the key HR issues that will effect your business either way. Attracting key employees, providing benefits and of course, dealing with difficult people are all in the news this week.
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Give your employees time to consider benefit options: Employees need time to make big benefits decisions. Most benefits managers know this; what might not be known is more communication methods are needed to allow for the best decision making. (Benefit News)

Leveling Pay on a Global Scale: Multinationals are increasingly trying to use global leveling to standardize pay and facilitate talent-management strategies throughout the world. But, experts warn, it's easy for such levels to become overly cumbersome as well as bump up against some cultural issues. (hreonline.com)

U.S. and local governments crack down on employers who pay workers as contractors: If your independent contractors clock in and follow your instructions for completing their tasks, maybe you’re requiring too much of them. Maybe they should be considered employees and not independent contractors, government labor experts say. (washington post)

Increase in Unemployment in September: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has recently reported that total non-farm payroll employment has increased by 103,000 positions in September. While the gains are significantly higher than last month’s dismal numbers, the increase in employment is partially inflated by the return of 45,000 telecommunications workers who were on strike in August. (recruiter.com)

More Jobs Than Expected Added in September: From zero to 103,000 in 30 days… What sounds like the tag line of a lame Nicolas Cage action movie (redundant?) actually describes the change in the number of jobs created since last month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which released September’s Employment Situation Report this morning. (thehiringsite.com)

Dealing with Difficult People? Here is the Secret: It's About You: Our core emotional need is to feel valued and valuable. When we don't, it's deeply unsettling, a challenge to our sense of equilibrium, security, and well-being. At the most primal level, it can feel like a threat to our very survival. (hbr.org)

Hiring managers expect a slowdown in new hires: The Society for Human Resource Management's quarterly Jobs Outlook Survey says 34 percent of HR managers surveyed have some confidence in the economy and expect job growth in the fourth quarter, down from 57 percent in the second quarter. (bizjournals)

Critical-skill employees are becoming more difficult to attract: With the U.S. economy still unsteady, many companies are finding it relatively easy to attract or retain workers, with one major exception: critical-skill employees. A new survey from Towers Watson and WorldatWork shows that for the second consecutive year, the number of U.S. companies having difficulty finding and keeping critical-skill workers has increased. (benefitnews)

Are you still debating the Recession? It is time to Stop.: These days, with a 24/7 multimedia mega-wired world and lots of space and airtime waiting to be filled, there's an obsession with two questions just as unanswerable as angels-and-pins: "Are we in a recession?" and, "Are we in a bear market for stocks?“ (fortune.cnn)

I recently participated in a Webinar presented by the American Staffing Association (ASA) on the topic of "The Economy". I know, who isn't talking about the economy these days? As a matter of fact, who has not been talking about the economy since it began to tank in December of 2007? This presentation was unique, however, because it discussed the economy in terms of the staffing industry being a key economic indicator and provided examples of past recession and recovery cycles to support that theory.

We started with a grim look at the sheer impact of the recent recession in comparison to the previous recessions. Basically, they described it as " the worst recession since World War II; some say worst since Great Depression". Wow. We survived a cumulative decline of 5.1% in GDP. The previous worst decline was -3.7% in 1957. The charts and graphs to illustrate this story really put things into perspective to me. 8.7 million jobs disappeared and 44% of unemployed people have been without work for more than 6 months. I was happy to still have a job, my car, my house....many others did not fare so well.

So, are we out of it? Hard to tell. The American Staffing Association reports that "at the pace of job growth in the first half of 2011, nonfarm employment will return to its 2007 prerecession peak at the end of 2016". They also report that the Wall Street Journal estimates that - at the current pace of job growth and labor force expansion, the unemployment rate would still be near 9% in June 2012, 3 years into recovery and would remain above 5% until December 2024.

So, what is the current view of Staffing and the Economy? According to the ASA, the staffing and recruiting industry is "hyper cyclical" meaning its business cycle tends to be exaggerated during economic expansions and contractions. They also state that "Staffing employment is a conincident economic indicator and a leading employment indicator". What does all of this mean? Based on the extensive research and data collected by the ASA for their reporting, the trends show that changes in temporary help employment precede changes in nonfarm employment by one to two quarters and overall, is a solid indicator 3 to 6 months forward of where the economy is headed.

Now the good news. The Staffing industry is currently demonstrating and projecting steady growth through 2012. Not huge growth, but at least it is not a decline. As a leading indicator, this is much better news than looking at the graph with a line that continues to decline. Does this mean we are out of the grip of the recession? Not yet. There are many realizations that employees and employers need to stay focused on to ensure that as jobs grow, we are ready with the right skills and education required to fill these needs. Currently, job growth is concentrating in high-skill, high-wage jobs and low-skill, low-wage jobs. Those with college degrees are earning 95% more than high school graduates. Middle-skill white and blue collar jobs were hit the hardest. The sectors with the greatest potential for job creation appear to be consulting and business services, constructions, health care, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing and retail.

Staffing companies will play a key role in the future of economic growth by helping businesses identify and secure talent when needed in an efficient and economical way. Good information to have and important information to consider as companies develop their long term strategies on where and how to get the skills they need when they need them. Read more about this topic on the ASA website here.

Fall is officially upon us. As the days get shorter and the air cooler, we all just want to pick some apples, carve a pumpkin or wrap up in a blanket by a fire and take a big nap. My job is to free up some time to allow you to do just that by boiling down the news of the week to a few pertinent items that will make you sound like a genius. This week I have focused on some interesting HR recruiting, interviewing, on boarding and development tips. Of course, there has to be some social media focused news in there too. So, get out those marshmallow roasting sticks because this will be a great weekend to use them.

Are Prospective Employers Looking at your Facebook page? You bet they are.. Creativity, Well-Roundedness, & 'Chastity‘: We all know that employers Facebook stalk us before hiring us (or before deciding not to hire us). In an oft-cited survey released by Microsoft Research in 2010, 70% of recruiters said they’d rejected applicants based on info they found online. (forbes.com)

The Importance of Social Media from the perspective of Richard Branson: Where most corporate blogs still house formal announcements, the Virgin Group website hosts a blog written with Branson’s first-person flair. Many of them read like diary entries. (mashable.com)

How Companies Utilize Telecommuting as a Retention Tool: Companies that allow or encourage their employees to telecommute rather than come to the office are more interested in maintaining a happy workforce than achieving any direct cost savings, experts and corporate executives say. (cnbc.com)

"Pay For Performance" May not be what Generation Y is Looking for: Many money-motivated Millennials (and they do exist) will bolt to new opportunities as soon as the great recession of 2007-20?? eases up...unless you happen to be an organization that recognizes their potential. (fastcompany.com)

The Best Recruits May Not Be Who You Think: When I hired him, Shaq was barely qualified to use a computer, let alone conduct detailed forensic examinations on hard drives that later had to stand up in court and pass the rigors of cross examination. (wsj.com)

Job Interview putting you to Sleep? Try asking about their Dreams: Sometimes all it takes is one question to spring the lid open and let the personality fly out.  As someone who interviews people for a living, I have a few favorites.  And this one is my all-time, absolute, works-every time, ace up my sleeve: “What dream came true for you when you said ‘yes’ to your last job offer?” (hrcsuite.com) 

Helping new hires adjust to your unique culture: New hires may fail because of unrealistic expectations. But there’s another big reason some don’t make the grade: They just can’t grasp your organization’s culture, so they never learn to operate successfully in it. (rapidlearninginstitute.com)

HR Needs To Be The Department of Errors and Corrections...: To be successful HR needs to move from the department of enforcement to the department of corrections.  I’m cereal folks, super cereal. (fistfuloftalent)

US Labor Department launches economic and employment statistics app: The most up-to-date employment data and economic news releases from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics and its Employment and Training Administration now can be viewed using a new mobile application. (dol)

October Employment Outlook from Simply Hired: Today, SimplyHired.com released its October employment outlook highlighting national and local market forecasts, and industry and employer trends. (simplyhired.com)
 
Problem Employees: Keep them or Kick them to the Curb? We call an unmanageable employee (UE) an employee who exhibits constant, repeated, unproductive behavior. Everyone has a bad day, a bad week, sometimes even a bad month, depending on what’s going on in their life. But we’re talking about someone who’s constantly, repeatedly – on a fairly long-term basis – unproductive. This book is about helping managers uncover what they need to put UEs back on track. (thehiringsite)

I hope everyone enjoyed the Labor Day weekend as we paused to recognize the importance of those who work and worked so hard to make this country what it is today. I came back to so much going on in the news that is was difficult to keep the length of this update reasonable.

There are several employment trend updates that have good information for HR professionals. Wish the news was brighter, but it looks like hiring is still expected to be slow for Q3 2011. Don't let that stifle your innovation, however, because Thomas Friedman tells you in his new book that this could be fatal to your business. The number of independent workers in the US is on the rise as employee confidence declines and people strive to take control of their career options. There is some great information about who HR professionals should be working closely with in your organization and why these relationships are so important. If you are outsourcing your payroll function in any way, be sure to read the article about some red flags to look out for. 

Enjoy the update and feel free to post a comment about your point of view on any of these topics, we would love to hear from you!
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New Book by Thomas Friedman Says "Innovate Or Else": The blockbuster author and New York Times columnist talks with Fast Company about his new book, "That Used To Be Us," which contends that prioritizing innovation can turn around America's free-fall from superpower status. (Fastcompany)

More Layoffs, Slow Hiring Expected at Close of Third-Quarter 2011: Job growth for September 2011 will fall behind the rate recorded for September 2010 in the manufacturing and service sectors, according to the results of the latest Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE) survey released Sept. 1, 2011, by the Society for Human Resource Management. (SHRM.org)

IRS warns employers about payroll outsourcing fraud: In a tax tips email, the IRS referred to recent prosecutions of individuals and companies that pretended to be payroll service providers and instead stole funds intended for payment of employment taxes. (Benefit News)

16 Million Independent Workers in the US: There are some 16 million independent workers in the U.S. today and 28 million Americans are considering becoming independent within the next two years, according to a report released today by MBO Partners Inc. (Staffing Industry)

The Importance of Working closely with Legal: An attorney offers eight rules for HR leaders for working with outside counsel. In short, the HR/counsel relationship can and should be effective, rewarding and mutually beneficial. (HREonline)

Are you Leaving Job Candidates with a Negative Impression? Over the past few years there seems to be a change in the candidate experience, and it isn’t a positive one. (ERE.net)

On Vacation? Tips for Transitioning Back to Work: Here's what I've done in the past: Stay up late the night I return, trying to go through everything, answer all my emails, and create a long to-do list of everything that accumulated while I was away. But that's a mistake. (hbr.org)

Why Government Incentives Won't Spur Much Hiring: Small business owner Bill Thompson says he doesn't need a government plan to get him to hire more workers—what he needs is for the economy to get back on track. (cnbc.com)

HR and the CEO Should Be Joined at the Hip. Here's Why: Today, with declining loyalty and greater job hopping, it is critical that CEOs partner with HR. Four good reasons. (weknownext)

Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on August employment numbers: The private sector added 17,000 jobs in August, but those gains were offset by the loss of 17,000 government jobs. Total non-farm unemployment, therefore, was unchanged last month. The unemployment rate also remained unchanged at 9.1 percent. (dol.gov)

Employee confidence dropped 6.8 points in August, its third monthly decline, according to survey results from SFN Group Inc. (NYSE: SFN), released today. (staffingindustry)

It has been a big week for gathering great HR information if you were fortunate enough to attend the Annual Indiana HR Conference held in Downtown Indianapolis. If you were unable to participate in this educational and social event, be sure to get it on your calendar for 2012! I decided to mix it up a bit this week with some business news as well as some articles that might be personally interesting to you. We have to lighten it up a bit here and there and as we are heading into a holiday weekend, here is some reading material to keep you sharp. Happy Labor Day!
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Is Less Really More? It Seems Some Think so: How keeping things simple can bring success. (fastcompany)

Look out for these LinkedIn Mistakes you should not make: I see many people making fundamental mistakes as job seekers that actually work against them in this aspect. If you’re going to spend time putting together a LinkedIn profile, I assume you want to maximize your chances of being contacted by the right people, right? (New Grad Life)

NLRB Sides With Unions In Three Cases: The National Labor Relations Board sided with unions in several cases involving rules for organizing workers, in a set of decisions likely to further rile business groups and Republicans. (Wall Street Journal)

It is Good For you to Work with People you Like:  Social support at work leads to a longer life, according to a new study. HR can help facilitate that by adding a little levity to the workplace and allow people to socialize with one another -- within reason, of course. (hreonline)

The Best Opportunities You Aren’t Taking Advantage Of: Job seeker behavior has changed remarkably in the past few years. So why hasn’t your recruitment strategy? (The Hiring Site)

How To Handle the Grumpy Employee: In a volatile world, anxiety and uncertainty make people a little testy. Cranky people can drag everyone else down by spreading negativity and sowing seeds of doubt just when leaders need commitment. (Harvard Business Review)

Employment, training & the economy: At a briefing Monday, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis spoke about the need for more employment opportunities for the 9.1% of Americans out of work and the role government can play in facilitating job creation. (Benefit News)

Social Networking and Retention: Staffing Industry Analyst Blog: Here is what we know; people are using social networking sites, meaning your employees are on those sites regularly. (Staffing Industry Analyst)

What Perks Do Employees Really Want?: Making us all more productive at work can be hard for employers—but perks and benefits often ease the battle. (Forbes)

Organize Your Inbox In 10 Simple Steps: Be honest. Are you ruled by your e-mail inbox? How many minutes a day do you spend a checking your e-mail, sorting your inbox and deleting spam? (Open Forum)

Healthier Workplace = Lower costs: Creating a culture of health in the workplace isn’t easy, but the results that can be obtained — both a personal benefit to the individual and a cost and productivity benefit to the organization — are making value-based health care an appealing initiative for employers across the country. (Benefit News)

The Quiet Worker should not be Ignored: There's an unnoticed population of employees in business today. Strangely enough, they're also the majority. (hbr.org)

If you have not seen at least 600 articles about Steve Jobs this week than I am sorry to disappoint, but you will not see one here.  I assume you are up to date on the "Jobs" topic, but there was a lot of other important business and HR news out there this week that you might have missed. I hope you consider this news update your "apple a week" to keep the mind healthy and strong. Health care (always in the news), Social Media, Economic news (not so good), EEOC (interesting stuff), local business updates and of course some cool stuff about staffing and recruitment are all hot this week.  Speaking of "jobs", things have been exceptionally BUSY here at That's Good HR this week so if you have any friends or family seeking employment, be sure to send them our way.

This is a week for some "hot" tips...pun intended. Tips about how not to handle FMLA, what job seekers are looking for, cool Google tips and tricks, why not to panic about the debt ceiling deadline, trends in Healthcare and a glimpse of the future of HR. Hot this week is the story around the "Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act" so be sure to check that out too. I would love to hear if you find some of these tips useful so drop me and line and let me know. NOTE: Next week I will be on vacation so we will not have a weekly news update. Tune in the next week so we can catch up!
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Here's a hint about FMLA - When an employee returns, don't do this: Telling an employee to find another job on her first day back from FMLA leave probably isn’t the best idea. (HR Morning)

Hiring Plans for Small Businesses Moving in the Right Direction: According to CareerBuilder’s nationwide survey of more than 1,400 small businesses, while small business hiring in the coming months is expected to be better than 2010, caution continues to steer the pace of job creation post-recession (The Hiring Site)

Job security scores high according to Survey: A recent survey shows that both employed and unemployed job seekers look beyond the money, to the benefits  (Benefit News)

Here are some Cool Google Tricks Worth Knowing: When it comes to researching and finding things on the web, Google is your best friend. You can find just about anything on Google with a little time and effort. Some things might take longer than others to find, but nothing is impossible with Google  (Kyle Lacy)

Don't panic yet...Fallout from debt ceiling deadline might be overblown: There is a lot of concern among investors about the looming Aug. 2 debt ceiling crisis, with investors wondering whether they should take steps to protect their assets in the event of a major crisis such as soaring interest rates and a decline in bond prices or even a stock market crash. (Benefit News)

Pay Attention to your Top Talent Before they Decide to Leave: According to a recent survey by Right Management, three out of four organizations lost high performance employees last year (Recruiter.com)

Trends in Healthcare to be Aware of: While attending UnitedHealthcare's Customer Forum, I made note of some trends that were discussed. Here are seven that I think will have significant impact in the near future. (insideworkplacewellness.com)

"Unemployed need not apply", becoming a Growing Problem. That is the message being broadcast by many of the nation’s employers, making it even more difficult for 14 million jobless Americans to get back to work. (NY Times)

A Glimpse of the Future for Human Resources Professionals? My predictions center on Millenials in the workplace, length of training sessions, social networking, compensation and benefits reviews, bullying in the workplace, public image and workplace trust and connection (WomenofHR.com)

Diversity and Inclusion - Keeping it Real: Here are some of the things that we did to improve diversity and inclusion in our workforce. Perhaps these steps can be helpful to your company, too. (Harvard Business Review)

Capitol Hill Reacts to NLRB Boeing Charge: The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote later this week on H.R. 2587, the “Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act.”  The bill would curb the National Labor Relations Board’s authority to inhibit employers from relocating or transferring employees. (SHRM.org)

I am not even going to comment on the heat this week, because you all know exactly how hot it is out there and you don't need me to update you on that news. I will, however, pass along some news about hot dogs, meeting hell and Indy being a hot place to live and work. Of course, the news update would not be complete without some news about FMLA, some survey results and the NLRB. Enjoy a cold one while you catch up on your weekly news!
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Firing employee for eating hot dogs unjustified: (Reuters) Thu Jul 14, 2011 - You might think this sounds ridiculous, but in the case of Nolan Koewler of Evansville, Indiana you should heed this example of why you need to be clear with all of your employees, even when it comes to processed meat. 

Is it Hot in Here? Around the table in meeting hell: Those whom the Lord wishes to punish for their waywardness he sends to meetings. Here is who you might find when you get there. (Baltimore Sun)

HR Focuses on Retirement-Plan Governance: The number of lawsuits, combined with regulatory complexity, the growing cost of benefits and the volatility of investments, has motivated some U.S. companies to beef up the governance of their retirement plans, say experts. (HREonline)

Indy makes the list!! 5 Places With Good Jobs And Cheap Housing: This Hoosier city scored high on every list. The city boasts 10 sports teams, an a amazing city park system, including Canal Walk, and one of the nation's top museums, Indianapolis Children's Museum.

Butler University, Ice Miller LLP, and Inside INdiana Business Announce CEO Survey Results: What does it take to start, grow and sustain a business in Indiana? How important is foreign competition? What’s the state’s role in economic development and what initiatives offer the greatest growth opportunities? (INCEOsurvey.com)

Trade groups press NLRB to slow down union election rules: Business and labor advocates swamped the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Tuesday to battle over a plan that likely will speed up union elections. (thehill.com)

Money Quote of the Day to Impress Your CFO from the HRCapitalist...: Don't act like you don't need it, HR.  You want me on this wall, you NEED me on this wall. (HRcapitalist)

Hiring Discrimination Against the Unemployed: Federal Bill Outlaws Excluding the Unemployed from Job Opportunities, as Discriminatory Ads Persist

Employee wasn't covered under FMLA because of lies, court rules :  A Sears employee who was fired when he lied and said he needed time off for cancer treatment -- when it was really because of his bipolar disorder -- did not have his rights violated under the Family Medical Leave Act, a federal court has ruled. Since he misrepresented his illness, he was not covered, the court ruled. (HR morning)

Health Care Reform: The Debate Continues : Some executives thought health care reform would lower costs over the next two years, but most were uncertain or felt the ACA would increase costs. This impression is not surprising given the confusion surrounding the status of the ACA and what the future will bring. (inceosurvey)

I know it is not news to anyone that it is HOT outside. The temps are rising, but it does not appear that hiring trends are following the lead of the weather. This week we have some news from the Secretary of Labor about how to work in excessive heat and some "cooling off" labor market updates from SHRM and Careerbuilder. Do you know some horrible bosses? We have some tips that might sound familiar. The good news is that according to a recent story in the IBJ, State officials say Indiana is flush with cash reserves because of an improving economy and deep budget cuts made over the past year. Stay cool out there!
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Paycheck pickup...make sure you understand the laws: Can an organization require employees to pick up their paychecks only at specific times and dates? Can the company require employees to sign up for direct deposit? Review this article focusing on the laws govern such actions. (HRE online)

2011 Mid-Year Job Forecast from Careerbuilder: CareerBuilder just released their interesting job expectations for the remainder of 2011. The report highlights some very encouraging figures for the U.S. job market. (recruiter.com)

Looking for the perfect Employee? Be Specific About What you Want: Detailed Job Descriptions are critical in finding the perfect employee (Net-temps.com)

As the Temps rise, hiring Cools in the US.: U.S. manufacturers and service-sector companies will add jobs at a lower rate in July 2011 than in July 2010, and HR professionals are still struggling to recruit workers for key positions. (SHRM.org)

Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on excessive heat across the country: (Dept of Labor)

Sure signs that you Might Be a Horrible Boss: From the results of a recent survey of over 200 business professionals, here are the top twelve body language behaviors of less-than-ideal bosses. (Forbes)

Make sure your wellness incentives are rewarding the right behaviors: Forgetting the golden rule and rewarding wrong people are among the top four reasons Sykes lists for why employee wellness incentives fail. (Benefit News)

Employees want caring over cash: According to a recent survey conducted by Monster.com and Unum, the top-rated item on would-be employees’ wish lists is a company “that truly cares about the well-being of its employees.”

Local IT consultancy plans to add 200 jobs: An Indianapolis-based information technology consultancy plans to lease additional office space on the city’s north-east side to make way for a planned addition of 200 workers by 2015.

Working the mobile way is becoming business as usual: “Nearly one third of small-business owners tell us that they check their mobile device before they brush their teeth in the morning, which really signals the growing importance of mobile devices for conducting business today.” (portfolio.com)

Interesting Stats on Nonfatal Injuries and Illnesses By Occupation: There were 1,238,490 cases of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. (recruiter.com)

At-will employment, IRS, FMLA, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, SHRM, unemployment, lawsuits and hygiene all came up in our That's Good HR news update this week. Good stuff to know. There is even a little bit of good news for Indiana's GDP so read on and let us know if you have any insights or opinions on any of these important topics. We always love to hear from our customers about how they are adapting to the ever changing legal and HR environment.
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How NOT to handle At-Will Employment: In most states, absent a contract of employment, an employee is considered at-will (i.e., he or she can be fired for any reason or no reason at all). Many employers reinforce that their employees are at-will (TLNT)

Good News for Indiana Businesses from the Indy Chamber: Figures from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis show Indiana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 4.6 percent in 2010, compared to the national rate of 2.6 percent. 

SHRM Meeting recap of Fox presentation - 'Don’t Play the Result‘: “The script of your life is not yet written. Life changes, and you change with it,” said Michael J. Fox, the Emmy Award-winning actor, author and advocate, during the June 29, 2011, closing keynote speech of the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) 63rd Annual Conference & Exposition.

U.S. unemployment claims drop to 7-week low: The number of people applying for unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level in seven weeks, although applications remain elevated. (IBJ)

Verizon lawsuit over its policies for disabled workers ends with $20 million settlement : Verizon Communications Inc. will pay $20 million to settle a U.S. lawsuit over unlawful policies for disabled workers, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in resolving its largest discrimination case. (LA Times)

Hygiene and appearance play into employers’ promotion decisions: Do your tattoos keep you from moving up the ladder? Survey Says yes.  (The Hiring Site)

Engagement, retention top HR concerns according to SHRM survey: Sixty-nine percent of the respondents said engagement would be “very important.” Running a close second is employee retention, cited by 63%. Recruitment and managing organizational culture were deemed very important issues by 53% and 51%, respectively (benefit news)

IRS announces increased standard mileage rate for qualified business drivers for the second half of 2011. The adjustment reflects rising costs at the gas pumps this year. It is accompanied by a hike in the standard mileage rate for medical and job-related moving expenses. (IRS Announcement 2011-40)  (Bizactions)

How well do you know the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act?: It's long been said that what you don't know won't hurt you. Whoever said that clearly had no knowledge of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Benefit News)

FMLA: Second Opinion not enough to reject leave: The FMLA allows employers to request second opinions when they have concerns about an employee’s medical certification. But companies that are going to do that must be prepared to ask for a third cert. (HR morning)