July 2021
Despite the waning power of unions, high unemployment, and the rise of contract work, workers’ influence is growing across lower-wage and salaried positions alike. Many Millennials are experiencing “bargaining power” for the first time in their careers, and companies will likely have to adjust to this more competitive baseline when it comes to attracting and retaining talent (particularly with regards to work-life balance.) (The New York Times)
For the first time in history, the jobless rate for teenagers is lower than the rate for workers aged 20 to 24 as businesses struggle to fill vacancies in lower-wage service positions. There are many reasons that high-achieving Gen Z are racing to fill these roles — from a lack of other summer activities to needing to supplement their families’ incomes — but it’s also yet another sign of a stronger labor market. (Bloomberg Opinion)
Over a third of Americans report to a boss who is younger than them, a less traditional hierarchy that can make both younger bosses and older employees uncomfortable. Organizations struggling with these power dynamics should start looking for a workshop or training program now — this percentage will likely only grow as Baby Boomers retire and the larger Millennial generation overtakes the smaller Generation X. (SHRM)
In the aftermath of the white-collar shift to remote work, unpaid caretaking has emerged as an issue that is increasingly top-of-mind for many organizations who are hoping to ease the burden on their employees. Paid parental leave, flexible scheduling, and other benefits designed for caretakers would be particularly helpful to Xers, a “sandwich generation” often caught juggling both childcare and aging parents. (SC Times)
Research has shown that EQ is often a greater indicator of employee success than IQ, but many managers still struggle to implement the changes necessary to foster an emotionally intelligent environment. One key component to fostering EQ in the workplace lies in replacing fault-finding and criticism with a culture of positive reinforcement and a robust merit recognition process. (Fast Company)
While some organizations are setting up deadlines and policies to put an end to remote work, many of their white-collar employees are choosing to quit their jobs rather than return to the office. Employers who insist on a physical return to the office may need to offer something — higher salary, greater flexibility, more benefits — in order to retain workers who would prefer to look for new, fully-remote opportunities. (Bloomberg)
COVID-19 has forced many state and local governments to modernize outdated operations, digitize paper processes, and adapt to remote cloud-based systems seemingly overnight. Managers should plan for many of these changes to be permanent — this accelerated rate of change is unusual in the public-sector, but the hybrid work environment is popular with employees and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. (Cisco)
More than a year into the pandemic, workers (both at home and in the office) are burnt out, but remote employees in particular believe that they have missed out on promotions, bonuses, and raises during this time. Most employees agree that remote work has saved them time and money — whether or not these savings are enough to offset this perceived loss of income remains to be seen. (Inc.)