Life Meets Work Blog

Manpower released its hiring outlook for the 2nd quarter, 2010.  Results show that employers are expecting a net employment increase of +8%.  Of the 13 industry sectors surveyed, only government was projecting a decrease in staff.

When seasonally adjusted, the net increase lowers a bit to +5%.  Still that’s a solid increase over last year when the seasonally adjusted hiring expectations was -2%.

While Manpower’s forward-looking report is positive, recent historicals paint a more sober picture.  Unemployment fell in only nine states in January, signaling that an economic turnaround will be slow process.

Meanwhile, consistent with the Manpower report, decreases in tax revenue mean governments will look at further job cuts in 2010, offsetting gains in many areas.

More comments on our helicopter parents story:

Your article reminded me of an experience I had recently with a helicopter parent.  This mom and her son stopped in our office (I work at a placement/staffing agency) for him to fill out an application.  She was a little controlling, but I didn’t think much about it at first.

Then I asked him to come in to my office so we could talk a little more about what kind of position he was looking for and how we could help him.  Not only did his mother follow us and pull up a chair, she answered EVERY question I asked, even when I would say “I’d like to hear from him.”

Needless to say, I cut that conversation short.  I feel bad for the kid, but I couldn’t place him at one of our clients.  The Freud in me was afraid he’d snap or something. - Peggy

What’s your horror story?

We’ve been getting feedback on our story on helicopter parents.  One LMW contributor brought another aspect of the story to our attention:

Just read your helicopter parent piece on LMW. Nicely done! I was stunned to have parents call on behalf of their kids applying for jobs at [former workplace] and equally stunned to learn from an MBA recruiter that some parents were sitting in on admission interviews. Seriously?
- Lisa Strandberg

How are colleges addressing the helicopter parent phenomenon?

I’m 75% of the way through Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard. It’s the story of Patagonia, and how a company started by a guy who just wanted to climb mountains became one of the world’s best workplaces.

Patagonia was one of the first in the country to offer on-site childcare, paid maternity (and paternity) leave and flextime. Chouinard says he only wants to sell products people need, not things they simply want. And because the company is so environmentally conscious, its products are made to last, and last, and last.

Yet Patagonia remains convincingly profitable, earning $330 million last year. In 2007, Chouinard landed the cover of Fortune Magazine which dubbed Pategonia “the coolest company on the planet.”

The company has given more than $34 million in grants and in-kind donations to environmental causes since 1985, $3.8 million in 2009 alone.

Part of the company’s mission statement is to use “business to implement and inspire solutions to the environmental crisis.” That means they need to be successful. As Chouinard says:

“If we wish to lead corporate America by example, we have to be profitable. No company will respect us, no matter how much money we give away or how much publicity we receive for being one of the ‘100 Best Companies,’ if we are not profitable. It’s okay to be eccentric, as long as you are rich; otherwise you’re just crazy.”

Chouinard went into business by accident, and wound up doing a lot of good. Today Patagonia is a strong model for business and social activists alike….Want to do good in the world? Find a way to make a profit doing it.  It makes your voice easier to hear.

posted by Jaime

The Pew Research Center launched this sweet new tool to measure how Millennial you are.  (Does using  ’sweet’ make me more or less so? Dunno.)

We’re gonna give away one question, but not the answer: How important is being successful in a high-paying career or profession to you personally?

You’ll have to click over and take the quiz to find out whether Millennials say a power-career is a priority. After you’re done, you can see how your answers compare to other generations and even see how changing an answer would affect your score.

This 33-year-old scored 67 out of a possible 100, but 73 is the starting point for Millennial-ism. How’d you do?

Posted by Jaime

Lack of media attention have you feeling safe?  Well keep washing those hands.  The H1N1 virus is alive and well.  The World Health Organization reports today that it hasn’t yet peaked.

The CDC offers a H1N1 toolkit for employers.  Resources include posters telling employees to go home if they feel sick, interoffice emails and letters, and fact sheets for staying well.

Remember paid sick leave and telecommuting are two bigger tools you can use to encourage employees to stay home and prevent spreading the virus to others.

On Nov. 4 2008, 69% of Milwaukee voters gave thumbs up to a city referendum requiring businesses to provide some paid sick leave.  By Nov. 17, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce had voted (unanimously) to challenge the result in court.  And on Feb. 9, 2009 a Milwaukee circuit court judge granted the MMAC’s requested injunction.

Which brings us to today.

On Feb. 18, 2010 Milwaukee’s Court of Appeals asked to defer the case directly to the state supreme court.

Proponents believe that a rising tide of support for paid sick leave will sway the court in their favor.  Issues of H1N1 and public contagion have given the issue greater national traction, as low-wage workers continued to report for work, sick or not.

The risk of a pandemic has given paid sick leave legitimacy, if you will, as a public health issue.  Opponents can no longer claim it’s just another socialist benefit designed to pick our business pockets and cripple our economy by proxy.

The federal government, meanwhile, must still address the Healthy Families Act which would, among other things, guarantee seven paid sick days to workers in companies with 15 or more employees.

Interestingly (as noted by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel), because the Milwaukee ordinance was brought through a referendum, bypassing the city council, it only remains in effect for two years.  More than a year has already passed in legal battles.

Heard in our webinar with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce today: “Flexible work arrangements are not an entitlement.  You are in control.  Both parties need to bring something to the table.”

Fabulous message.  Flexibility is a two-way street.  Employees must demonstrate that they are able to perform well in whatever flexible arrangement they’re using.  And the best flex arrangements are those in which the employee can still be somewhat accessible during standard work hours—in case emergencies or special project needs arise.

But recognize that a failed flex arrangement doesn’t have to be a one-and-done situation either. If an employee isn’t demonstrating productivity from home one day a week, perhaps he or she would work better on a compressed work week.

That’s a challenge for both employees and managers—understanding each individual’s needs and work styles.  Many employees are stimulated by the home environment.  Others find they need either the structure or the access to peers that an office provides.

That’s why it’s also important to remember that flexibility isn’t a one-size-fits-all. Flex, no matter how you look at it, has to, well…flex.

Did you know Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal are the 11th siblings to receive Oscar nominations? Love them! But while there may not be an Oscar in your future, you can still capitalize on this year’s awards season…corporate workplace awards, that is.

Here are a few (with upcoming deadlines) to consider:

Recognizing Workplace Excellence in Chicagoland
The Chicagoland Workplace Excellence Award is presented by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and Right Management.  The award recognizes organizations that improve their competitive advantage through people practices that lead to successful business results.

Here’s what finalists and winners can expect:

• Honored at the Chicagoland Workplace Excellence Award Forum
• Participate in moderated panel discussions
• Covered in press releases and Chicagoland Workplace Excellence Award Forum publicity, distributed to major media outlets and thousands of Chicago businesspeople.
• Recognized before Chamber’s Board of Directors
• Featured on Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Workplace Excellence website
• Able to participate in on-air discussions with media partners
• Receive commemorative award for display at your workplace

Applications are now being accepted until July23rd, 2010.

The Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility
This prestigious award recognizes employers across the country that are successfully using flexibility to meet both business and employee goals.

The 2010 application for Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility is due April 16. The Employer Questionnaire takes less than one hour to complete. To print a PDF of the Employer Questionnaire, go to the Award FAQ section.

Reminders: You’ll be able to start the application and return to it later to finish or alter answers after you SUBMIT by using the password you select. You will need to know demographics (±10%) like percent female, percent unionized, percent hourly employees.

Working Mother 100 Best Companies Survey
Published annually in the October issue of Working Mother, this award highlights companies that do an exemplary job of advancing women and helping employees balance work and family.

Applicants must also meet the following eligibility requirements:

1. Must offer FMLA benefits
2. Must offer some PAID maternity leave (including disability pay)
3. Must offer some type of flex benefits
4. Must have a minimum of 500 employees

The application will remain open until mid-March 2010.

Now jump over to Life Meets Work for 5 Reasons Awards are Good for Business.

Thanks to Found Value for including us in their stellar list of 50 Must Reads for Job Hunters, Telecommuters and Freelancers.  But we have resources for just about everything on the list, so…you could consider us your one stop shop!