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volume III issue XII December 2015 |
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A Year Looking on the Bright Side We all have the best intentions on January 1st–making resolutions to eat healthier or workout more or get more sleep. What if you made a resolution to live more gratefully? That’s the goal Janice Kaplan set for herself in her New York Times bestselling book, “The Gratitude Diaries.” She writes in the first chapter, “I knew that how I felt about the 12 months ahead would probably have less to do with what actually happened than with the mood, spirit, and attitude I brought to each day.” Janice has long been interested in gratitude. Back in 2012, she oversaw a survey for the John Templeton Foundation, which evaluated the American attitude toward gratitude and generated some surprising findings. Read our Q&A with Kaplan below to learn more about the survey and the potential impact gratitude has in our personal and professional lives. Read on.Hire for Culture, Train for Skill In a world where culture and values are the keys to engagement and business success, the adage, “Hire for attitude, train for skill,” may be out of place. This month, The Royal Albert Hall hosted the annual Institute of Directors Convention. International Rescue Committee’s CEO David Miliband, fashion designer and entrepreneur Anya Hindmarch, and NHS England CEO Simon Stevens took to the stage to share their experiences of breaking boundaries in business. The event closed with explorer extraordinaire Sir Ranulph Fiennes who shared anecdotes and imagery from the various expeditions he has carried out over his incredible career. Then, he revealed his secret to success: “Getting the right characters was critical. You can teach skill but you can’t change character.” His words echo those of the old adage, “Hire for attitude, train for skill,” which has become a people proposition many businesses buy into. Read on.Solutions for Dysfunctional Teams Question: I have a cross-functional team of very competent employees that used to be effective, but recently seem to have lost their way. There is occasional in-fighting and now I am seeing some group paralysis and they are starting to miss deadlines. What’s going on, and is there something that I can do to help get them back on track? Answer: It is not uncommon for teams to go through a cycle of effectiveness and productivity and then suddenly seem to lose their way. This phenomenon is referred to as the life cycle of teams. A one-time functional team can become dysfunctional for a variety of reasons–changing tasks, new members, perceived organizational barriers, or a series of recent failures can all affect the motivation and focus of any well-functioning team. Or, perhaps the role of the manager or team leader needs to change as the team has matured and developed over recent projects. Some options to consider: Read on.Refusal to Allow Employee to Rescind Resignation May Violate Title VII In general, once an employee tenders his or her notice of resignation, the employer is under no legal obligation to rescind acceptance of the notice. Last month, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals cast doubt on this rule by concluding that in some circumstances, not allowing the employee to withdraw the resignation can constitute retaliation under Title VII. Read more. DOL Now Assessing Liquidated Damages for Overtime Violations For some time now, the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division ("WHD") has been taking a progressively more aggressive approach to wage and hour compliance, marked by increased staffing/resources and more frequent investigations. Certain industries, like construction and gas/oil industry employers, are now frequent targets, but no business is immune from the government's reach and the potential for a time consuming and costly wage and hour investigation. Unfortunately for employers, the potential for significantly increased damages is now also part of the equation. |
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> FEATURE ARTICLE A Year Looking on the Bright Side > TIP OF THE MONTH Hire for Culture, Train for Skill > Q & A Solutions for Dysfunctional Teams > LEGAL UPDATES Refusal to Allow Employee to Rescind Resignation May Violate Title VII DOL Now Assessing Liquidated Damages OT Violations Area Temps, Inc. 1228 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, OH 44115 Toll Free: 1.866.995.JOBS www.areatemps.com |
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