NewsLink

Links to Internet news items and other information related to diversity and inclusion, provided every week by the Office of Diversity Management and Equal Employment Opportunity (06), a program office within VA's Office of Human Resources and Administration.

Volume 7, Issue 4                            October 24, 2007

This Week's Web Highlight
Tips for Surviving Abusive Workplaces

Diversity Training in Wake of Nooses Questioned.  Diversity training is the most popular diversity initiative out there, but it doesn't seem to do much to change attitudes.

IBM Global Human Capital Study: Looming Leadership Crisis.  According to a major new IBM study of over 400 human resource executives from 40 countries, more than 75 percent of HR executives say that they are concerned with their ability to develop future leaders.

Where Have All the Leaders Gone?  Move over, baby boomers; emerging leaders have a different set of experiences, expectations, and rules.  They're knowledge workers who typically know more than their bosses, and they collaborate with people who have skills they don't.

Companies Worldwide Struggle to Attract, Retain Workers.  A large majority of companies in the United States and around the world are struggling to attract and retain top-performing and critical-skill workers.

Now Hiring: Brilliant People.  Time to interview job candidates?  Learn the secret techniques smart companies use to identify tomorrow’s most promising talent.

Lawmakers Push Labor-Management Partnerships.  The Federal Labor-Management Partnership Act would require the formation of a council to advise the president and local labor-management partnership councils and promote the formation of partnerships throughout the executive branch.

Few Workers Engaged in Jobs.  Only 21 percent of workers worldwide are emotionally invested in their jobs, while 38 percent are either disenchanted or disengaged, according to a new survey.

FlexJobs Highlights New Poll Linking Telecommuting with Job Satisfaction.  FlexJobs announces the results of a new nationwide poll finding that workers who telecommute from home or elsewhere report the highest levels of satisfaction with their jobs and loyalty to their employers.

Flex Appeal: Companies Benefit from Flexible Schedules, Perks.  Job-sharing is not as common as other flexibility choices, such as part-time work, working from home, or compressed weeks.  However, some employers are seeing the benefit of offering options that help employees fit work more comfortably into their lives.

Employers Grapple with Role in Managing Workers’ Health.  Should the boss be a health coach?  Should workers with unhealthy habits be penalized?  Employers are of two minds when it comes to the health of their employees.

Employers Scaling Back on Effective Work/Life Programs.  Family issues and personal needs account for more unscheduled sick days than actual illness; however, employers are scaling back on the number of work/life programs they say are effective at reducing those unscheduled absences.

A Family Affair: When Problems with Relatives Follow You to Work.  While some workers are successful at separating their work life from their family life, others are not.  Issues with parents, grandparents, children, and siblings can affect concentration and productivity—and, in certain cases, lead to the loss of a job.

Relational Capital Becomes Newest Differentiator of Competitiveness.  Relational capital refers to a company’s ability to develop, maintain, and nurture high-quality relationships with any organization, individual, or group that influences or impacts the business.

Lawmakers Probe Health Care Staffing Shortages at VA.  In the face of a critical shortage of health care professionals at the Veterans Health Administration, stronger incentives are needed to attract top talent into the workforce.

For Women, a Slow Narrowing of the Pay Gap.  When it comes to the advancement of women in the workplace, progress is almost never sudden; but often it is steady. And so it is, with women’s wages.

For Women, Greater Obstacles to Retirement.  More women are doing retirement financial analysis, for good reason: They can’t afford to retire.  Whether they have a traditional pension or a 401(k) plan, women consistently enter retirement with about half as much money as men do.

Baby Boomer Exodus and the Generation Next Shock Wave.  Starting in 2008, hundreds of thousands of Baby Boomers (76 million born 1946–1964) will begin to retire, creating the largest exodus out of the workforce by a single generation.

The Eldercare Generation Cares about Continuing to Work. Are Companies Interested in Keeping Them?  Focusing on an aging employee's personal needs makes good business sense and pays dividends to companies that value the knowledge and experience of older workers.

Age Bias Persists in the Workplace.  More than half of seniors surveyed feel that there is still significant age discrimination in the workplace; about a third feel that the most important barrier keeping older workers from finding jobs is that employers think older people can't learn new skills.

Narcissists in Neverland.  Gen-Y’ers say they are willing to make financial sacrifices to make the world a better place.  But how long can they really expect to work less, volunteer more, and count on their aging parents to push back retirement?

Blogger Goes into the Fields.  One attorney joins a growing blogosphere to take on the role once reserved for ministers: setting Black agendas and shaping opinion.

EEOC Discovers Phony Complaint E-Mails.  The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported to authorities that an e-mail circulating to employers alleging to be a harassment complaint from the Federal agency contains links to a computer virus.

Activists Fight to Rewrite Disabilities Act.  People who can control their health conditions—with medications and devices like insulin pumps—might not be considered disabled.  That has frustrated disability civil rights groups.

Out & Equal Workplace Summit Presentations Now Online.  Presentations from the September 2007 Out & Equal Workplace Summit are now available online and can be downloaded for free!

NewsLink is part of VA's ongoing effort to increase awareness and acceptance of diversity and to promote a flexible and inclusive work environment. For more information, visit the Office of Diversity Management and Equal Employment Opportunity Web site at www.va.gov/dmeeo.

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