Archive for July, 2009

GAVIN AVERILL/AJC SPECIAL

HR Roundtable panelist Michael Haberman discusses the benefits of meaningful work when it comes to retaining good employees:

Despite the large number of people that have been laid-off in the last 6 months or so there are companies that are still concerned about employee commitment. Not all employers think they have a captive group because of the economy. Talented people still leave jobs and find new ones. And in many cases companies are relying even more heavily on these talented people for the continued success of the company. So they search for ways to retain this talent.

Consultant and blogger Cathy Missildine-Martin asked, in a blog post at Profitability Through Human Capital, the following question: “What do our employees commit to at work?” She answered the question with the following:

1) They can commit to the organization.
2) They can commit to the team they are on.
3) They can make commitments to co-workers and bosses.
4) They can be …

Continue reading Meaningful work can help retain good employees »

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

HR Roundtable panel member Bill Pinto gives his take on the health care reform bills currently being debated in Congress, and their impact on small businesses and their employees:

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved a bill yesterday that requires certain businesses to offer health insurance to their employees or pay a penalty to the federal government. Few would argue that it’s a bad idea to encourage the expansion of health care coverage for employees. But will this bill have the intended effect?

Under the Senate proposal, businesses that do not provide health insurance would be required to pay $750 per year for every full-time employee who is not provided coverage, and $350 per year for every part-time employee not covered.

In the House, Democrats unveiled their own reform bill that calls for penalties on businesses for failing to provide health insurance and surcharges (read “taxes”) on individuals that have certain …

Continue reading Will proposed changes in health care help employees? »

A: There are many skills that may be important in this tough job market such as technical and adaptive skills but transferable skills are what many employers may now more than ever deem to be the most valuable as these skills can be transferred from industry to industry and job to job. Examples of these skills are effective business communication, customer service (as we’re in a service oriented environment), analytical, interpersonal and teamwork. These are skills that one takes with them no matter where they go. Danese Simpkins, HR Director for Air2Web

A: As an attorney who regularly works with Human Resources professionals, many employers, in today’s economy, benefit from HR professionals who possess the acumen to not only help reduce the legal exposure of organizational restructuring, but also assist in implementing personnel policies that will inure to the overall profitability of their employers. Antonio Robinson, Employment & Labor Attorney with Littler Mendelson, …

Continue reading Ask HR: What job skills do you consider to be most valuable for job applicants in this tough job market? »