By Lynne Curry You knew your coworker felt depressed, squeezed by the financial hit she and her husband took when laid off, and the overwhelming pressure when her kids hated school by Zoom. Now, she worries every day that sending her kids to school exposes them to danger. Throughout the pandemic, she made off-hand comments that concerned you, but what she said this morning … [Read more...] about You knew she was depressed, but suicidal? Now what?
Managing staff
How to improve employee experience and organizational culture as COVID-19 takes toll on staff
The pandemic dramatically changed how, when, and where work gets done. And while a majority of businesses reported that productivity increased as employees settled into working remotely, for many, it came at the expense of the employee experience. Employee burnout, time spent in meetings, and the number of employees with mental health problems increased, while work-life … [Read more...] about How to improve employee experience and organizational culture as COVID-19 takes toll on staff
Making hybrid work: Charting a new playbook for a future-ready workplace
By Lynne Curry Employers thought employees would want to come back to their offices, where they had easy access to equipment, coworkers, and managers. They were wrong. COVID-19 untethered us from our traditional workplaces and many employees don’t want to return. Employees enjoyed the flexibility and freedom, sometimes from micro-managing supervisors, they had when working … [Read more...] about Making hybrid work: Charting a new playbook for a future-ready workplace
Embrace on-job learning and listen to employees for more resilient teams
Leaders who encourage their employees to learn on the job and speak up with ideas and suggestions for change have teams that are more effective and resilient in the face of unexpected situations, according to new research from Rice University and the University of Windsor. “A Resource Model of Team Resilience Capacity and Learning” will appear in a special issue of Group … [Read more...] about Embrace on-job learning and listen to employees for more resilient teams
Is the problem you?
By Lynne Curry The manager called me, completely frustrated with his team. He told me his employees were negative; blamed each other for problems; didn’t communicate with him or take accountability and didn’t buy-in to important initiatives. He asked me to talk with his key employees and tell me how to fix them. When I met with him afterwards, I asked, “How honest do you want … [Read more...] about Is the problem you?
Staffers push back about returning to work
By Lynne Curry Question: We’re getting enormous pushback from our staff to an email we sent out stating that billing and clerical employees need to return to the workplace. At the same time, our organization can’t survive if we let all the employees who want to work from home do so. It’s not fair to our patients or the employees who show up at work. Further, when I call … [Read more...] about Staffers push back about returning to work
Performance reviews: Dread them? Ditch them? Replace them?
By Lynne Curry Do you dread filling out annual performance reviews? Do you wonder about their effectiveness? You aren’t the only one with doubts. A Gallup survey reports that only 14% of employees strongly agree their performance reviews inspire improvement.1 According to 58% of executives surveyed, their company’s current performance management system produces neither higher … [Read more...] about Performance reviews: Dread them? Ditch them? Replace them?
Burnout building for 43% of workers, research shows
Many workers are worn out and ready to make up for lost vacation time, new research shows. More than 4 in 10 professionals surveyed (43 per cent) said they are more burned out on the job today compared to a year ago, up from 33 per cent in a similar 2020 poll. The new survey by global staffing firm Robert Half shows employees experiencing increased fatigue, with 42 per cent … [Read more...] about Burnout building for 43% of workers, research shows
Survey: 60 percent of US workers concerned about their mental health in pandemic’s aftermath
Amid growing anxiety about the pandemic’s impact on wellbeing, a new survey finds that US workers rank mental and psychological wellbeing as one of their biggest wellness concerns. Despite these worries, The Conference Board survey reveals that participation in programs including mental health resources and Employee Assistance programs has dropped. On the upside, the … [Read more...] about Survey: 60 percent of US workers concerned about their mental health in pandemic’s aftermath
1 in 3 remote workers may quit if required to return to the office full time
More employers are calling workers back to the office, but will they readily return? A new study by a global staffing firm shows that about one in three professionals (33 per cent) currently working from home due to the pandemic would look for a new job if required to be in the office full time. What workers want More than half of all employees surveyed (51 per cent) said … [Read more...] about 1 in 3 remote workers may quit if required to return to the office full time