Do managers fake it? A new report from Workhuman was conducted among 3,000 full-time employees in the U.S., U.K., and Ireland. It discovered that 48% of managers felt that faking productivity is a common issue on their teams — but 67% of non-managers denied faking productivity at work. In fact, the report found that the problem appears to stem from the top — with C-suite executives (38%) and managers (37%) admitting that they engage in fauxductivity. This is slightly higher than the 33% average of all respondents, as well as 32% of non-managers. "Managers and leaders are the stewards of company culture," the report reads. "Our survey reveals that they're faking productivity more than their non-manager counterparts, revealing that the pressure to perform might be coming from the top-down." Source: HR Director 8/30/24
Return to the old and allow volunteering as a benefit? Most HR leaders would agree that what's good for people is usually good for business, a philosophy that is best supported by giving back to the community as a company. In-person volunteer rates are becoming increasingly popular, according to a new report from software company Blackbaud, making up 87% of all hours donated — a nearly 21% increase from 2021 and a 6% increase from 2022. Employee engagement in volunteer activities has also increased 17% from 2022, which employers should take as an indicator for how pivotal of a role they can play in their recruiting and retention strategies. Since the pandemic, employees have become much more mindful of the companies they're working for — especially younger generations. In fact, in a recent poll conducted by consulting group Blue Beyond, 80% of employees said that working for a company with values that align with their own was very important, and just over half said they would quit their job if company values did not match their own. Two approaches to volunteering include traditional volunteering like working at food banks, etc. and skills-based volunteering is when a group of individuals — in this case employees — donate their time and their skillset. Source: EBN 8/22/24
Self-insured health plans seems to be growing: In 2023, large companies (those with 500 or more employees) are much more likely (74%) than small (16%) and medium-sized firms (32%) to self-insure one of their health plans, according to recent research from the Employee Benefit Research Institute. The study, Trends in Self-Insured Health Coverage: ERISA at 50, noted that since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the number of large firms self-insuring has decreased (down from 82% in 2010), while the number of small and midsized employers self-insuring has increased (up from 13% and 27% respectively). The percentage of employees in self-insured health plans with stop-loss coverage has been relatively stable recently, but there are significant differences by firm size. EBRI found that companies with 100–999 employees had 92.6% stop-loss coverage, while 21.1% had stop-loss coverage among those with fewer than 10 employees. Stop-loss coverage is particularly important when an employee or two with chronic diseases are the main costs for self-funded plans. With healthcare costs growing, alternative ways to control expenditures becomes important for organizations. Source: www.ebri.org
F-1 OPT Program Policy Manual updated: On August 27, 2024, USCIS updated its Policy Manual to clarify guidance for F-1 students concerning eligibility for post-completion OPT and the period during which F-1 students may apply for STEM OPT extensions. F-1 students may be eligible for employment authorization under OPT prior to completing their course of study (pre-completion OPT) or after completing their course of study (post-completion OPT). Under post-completion OPT, an F-1 student may be eligible for up to 12 months of practical training (employment) at each level of education. Specifically, the policy manual update confirms that F-1 students may be eligible for post-completion OPT after completion of an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree program. The section of the policy manual on post-completion OPT eligibility for F-1 students indicates that the student must, “[h]ave completed a course of study or be in an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree program and have completed all course requirements for the degree (excluding thesis or equivalent).” The policy manual also notes that for post-completion OPT, F-1 students may work as a volunteer or unpaid intern “as long as this practice does not violate any labor laws, and the employment is related to the program of study” and that F-1 students employed under post-completion OPT must work at least 20 hours per week. Source: Littler 9/3/24
Resignation agencies in Japan: In Japan, asking to leave work on time or taking some time off can be tricky enough. Even trickier is tendering a resignation, which can be seen as the ultimate form of disrespect in the world’s fourth-biggest economy, where workers traditionally stick with one employer for decades, if not for a lifetime. In the most extreme cases, grumpy bosses rip up resignation letters and harass employees to force them to stay. To get back in control of their lives, Japanese workers have turned to resignation agencies that help timid employees leave their intimidating bosses. The industry existed before Covid, but its popularity grew after the pandemic. Years of working from home pushed even some of Japan’s most loyal workers to reflect upon their careers, according to human resources experts. There is no official count on the number of resignation agencies that have sprung up across the country, but those running them can testify to the surge in demand. At a cost of 22,000 yen (about $150) – or 12,000 yen for those who work part time – they pledge to help employees tender their resignations, negotiate with their companies, and provide recommendations for lawyers if legal disputes arise. Source: CNN 8/31/24