What We’re Reading — July 2019
At ThinkHR, knowledge makes us tick, so we keep up with the latest people risk management news and information and share it with you. Check out 10 of the stories that jumped out at us this month.
Guns in the Workplace
One person is shot at work every day. A collection of stories from NPR explores the issue of workplace gun violence, including pieces on active shooter insurance, the costs incurred in the aftermath of a shooting, and why lawsuits against employers have been rare. Read or listen on Marketplace.
Beach Reading
Do you have some vacation time coming up? Looking for some pages to turn poolside? Check out this list of 10 recommended books on a variety of human resources management topics. Get the list on Better Team.
Vacation Requests
As the peak of summer vacation season approaches, conflicts around approving vacation requests heat up. Get 10 tips for keeping your cool while balancing workers’ needs for downtime with deadlines and productivity. Read more on HR Dive.
Spark Joy
Joy connects people better than just about anything else, but rarely earns a place at the conference table. Harmony, impact, and acknowledgement can create joy in the workplace, and improve employee engagement in any corporate culture. Read more on the Harvard Business Review.
Captivated
Bias can present itself in numerous ways, and one that seems obvious but is often overlooked in the hiring process is a bias toward charisma. Valuing confidence over competence can backfire and lead to new hires who aren’t suited for their positions. Read more on the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Brave Leadership
Popular speaker and author Brené Brown spoke at the June SHRM conference in Las Vegas on brave leadership. Get a summary of the six workplace problems she says a lack of courage in management can cause. Read more on HR Dive.
Is Drug Testing Failing?
As medical or recreational marijuana becomes legal in more states, employer policies aren’t always keeping up. A major lab reports that 99 percent of the 10 million pre-employment drug tests it processes include marijuana testing. Read more on the New York Times.
Union Busting
Earlier this month, the National Labor Relations Board made it easier for an employer to remove a union if a majority of workers no longer support it, a practice known as anticipatory withdrawal. The new framework applies retroactively. Read more on Bloomberg Law.
Turn Down the Volume
Voice-activated digital assistants are gaining popularity, and people are getting used to talking to their machines. This might mean a rise in personal productivity, but what does this chatter mean for office productivity? Read more on Quartz at Work.
What Are Your Pronouns?
About 3 percent of people ages 18 to 35 identify as gender neutral, and advocates expect this number to grow. Employers who are prepared to embrace non-binary employees, such as honoring pronoun preferences and making sure dress codes work for people anywhere on the gender spectrum, demonstrate a commitment to inclusion. Read more on the Chicago Tribune.
