This week Jim Karger highlights conducting personal business at work, joint employer status, earning employee loyalty, the number one human abuse rights issue, and more…
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App makes it easier for businesses to fight minimum wage hikes
Looking to “make it easier for small businesses to add their voices to the minimum wage debate,” the Employment Policies Institute recently launched an iPhone app called “Wage Engage.” It seeks to alert business owners when minimum wage legislation is introduced in their area — and then lobby against a wage hike measure “at the push of a button” by sending a generic message to lawmakers.
http://money.cnn.com/2016/08/14/technology/minimum-wage-engage-app/index.htm
Federal ALJ Says Ban on Conducting Personal Business in Handbook Violated NLRA Rights
What’s next? The illegality of performing work during working hours. The National Labor Relations Board continues its assault against standard employment policies considered to interfere with employee rights. This time, a federal administrative law judge accepted the Board counsel’s argument that a casino’s policy banning employees from conducting personal business during scheduled working hours violates employees’ right to engage in concerted activity under Section 7 of the NLRA.
Article here: http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/federal-alj-says-ban-on-conducting-32278/
What Does Subway’s “Voluntary Agreement” with the US Department of Labor Mean for Joint Employer Status?
This past week, Doctor’s Associates Inc., which is the owner and franchisor for the Subway sandwich restaurant chain entered into a Voluntary Agreement (the “Agreement”) with the US Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division “as part of [Subway’s] broader efforts to make its franchised restaurants and overall business operations socially responsible,” and as part of Subway’s “effort to promote and achieve compliance with labor standards to protect and enhance the welfare” of Subway’s own workforce and that of its franchisees.
While the Agreement appears intended to help reduce the number of wage and hour law claims arising at both Subway’s company owned stores and those operated by its franchisee across the country, the Agreement appears to add further support to efforts by unions, plaintiffs’ lawyers and other federal and state agencies such as the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board), DOL’s own Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the EEOC to treat franchisors as joint employers with their franchisees.
The Unions’ Phony Fight for $15
Since 2012, a group calling itself “Fight for $15” has staged street theater protests in cities around the country. These protests are billed as “strikes,” although only a handful of individuals seem to have actually walked off their jobs. Instead, one typically sees small groups of protesters outside a local restaurant who, after a brief demonstration, are bused off to another city to repeat the process. To keep up media interest in these overhyped demonstrations, Fight for $15 has decided to host a “convention” in Richmond this week, hoping to piggyback on press attention from the presidential conventions in July.
Fight for $15’s alleged purpose is to push for a higher minimum wage. Debate over the subject is certainly fair, but there is more than meets the eye to this group. While cleverly packaged as a genuine grassroots movement, the campaign is — in reality — a front organized and funded by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the country’s largest labor union. In fact, according to U.S. Department of Labor reports, the SEIU has spent roughly $55 million on these activities.
Article here: Spencer – The unions’ phony fight for $15 – THEIR OPINION – Richmond, Va., News, Entertainment, Events, Food, Dining, Sports, Business and Commentary from Workforce Freedom’s Tweet
Company’s Missions: Not Resonating With Employees
Most leaders recognize that a clear mission and purpose are crucial to their company.
Many have devoted considerable time and effort to developing such a statement and posting its words prominently for employees and customers to see. And for good reason: A mission or purpose statement declares why the company exists, what it stands for and — just as importantly — what it doesn’t stand for.
A compelling purpose can drive companies toward positive business outcomes, give employees something to aspire to, and inspire customers to a deeper personal and emotional attachment to companies’ products, brands or services.
The problem is that just four in 10 employees worldwide strongly agree that the mission or purpose of their company makes them feel their job is important. And less than half of workers in any industry feel strongly connected to their company’s mission. These sentiments might contribute to the fact that only 13% of employees worldwide, and just 33% of employees in the U.S., are engaged in their jobs.
It’s clear that a majority of leaders and managers are failing to connect employees with their company’s mission or to sustain a purpose-driven culture.
Want to Double Your Employee Loyalty? Science Says Provide These 3 Things
- To feel safe. “I can take risks and not be demoralized or penalized.”
- To feel like we belong. “These are my people. This is my tribe.”
- To feel like we matter. “Is the work that I am doing meaningful to my organization? Am I making a dent in the universe?”
That’s it. These are the three things we need to declare complete devotion to another person, cause, or organization.
So why do we so often fail to inspire these feelings in those we need?
Article here: http://www.inc.com/marissa-levin/want-to-increase-employee-loyalty-by-67-100-science-says-to-provide-these-3-thi.html
Jimmy Carter – Why I believe the mistreatment of women is the number one human rights abuse | TED Talk
With his signature resolve, former US President Jimmy Carter dives into three unexpected reasons why the mistreatment of women and girls continues in so many manifestations in so many parts of the world, both developed and developing. The final reason he gives? “In general, men don’t give a damn.”
Article here: Jimmy Carter: Why I believe the mistreatment of women is the number one human rights abuse | TED Talk | TED.com