Workplace culture a prominent issue in 2019: Ask HR - USA TODAY
Workplace culture a prominent issue in 2019: Ask HR - USA TODAY |
- Workplace culture a prominent issue in 2019: Ask HR - USA TODAY
- BREAKING: Dylan Moses will return for Senior season - Roll Tide Wire
- U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad stormed by protesters after Iraq airstrikes - NBC News
- Report: LaMelo Ball offered $100 million, private jet by shoe company - The Rookie Wire
| Workplace culture a prominent issue in 2019: Ask HR - USA TODAY Posted: 31 Dec 2019 04:00 AM PST CLOSE  Johnny C. Taylor Jr., a human resources expert, is tackling your questions as part of a series for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world's largest HR professional society. The questions are submitted by readers, and Taylor's answers below have been edited for length and clarity. Have a question? Do you have an HR or work-related question you'd like me to answer? Submit it here. Question: What do you think the biggest story in HR was this year? – Anonymous Johnny C. Taylor Jr.: Great question. The fact of the matter is HR stories are workplace stories. Some people consider the two as different but, when you think about it, they are really one and the same. They're about people and where we spend a third of our lives: At work. The news cycle is ever-changing, so it's difficult to pinpoint one single story that was the "biggest" this year. In 2017, the #MeToo movement sent shockwaves throughout the world of work, as many employers dealt with high-profile sexual harassment cases. Last year, we saw even more #MeToo stories, in addition to new rules on overtime and gender pay disparities. What emerged in 2019, however, was one vitally important trend transforming the workplace: Culture. As employers deal with the ripple effects of #MeToo, a low unemployment environment, employee activism and other people issues, conversations about the impact of workplace culture on both human potential and organizational success are bursting forth like never before. Take the debate around the romance the former McDonald's CEO had with a subordinate – some decried it, while others didn't understand the uproar. How Google's well-intentioned attempt to curb employee political expression backfired. Or, the toxicity alleged by employees at luggage designer Away that resulted in the CEO stepping down. While you could debate all day who was right or wrong in these examples, there's no question that these breaking workplace news stories put culture on the radar of business leaders worldwide. We also saw surprising headlines on the rise of politics at work. Despite the belief – shared by business leaders and the general public – that political conversations don't belong at work, new research found 42% of U.S. employees have argued about politics in the workplace. Such conflicts not only stand to stoke toxicity, they frame politics as an issue of diversity, as more than a third of employees say their workplace is noninclusive of differing perspectives while more than 1 in 10 reports experiencing bias based on their political affiliation. Whether it's politics or romance, such questions of culture don't have answers that work for every workplace. Instead, they compel employers to reflect: Who are we? What are our values? Those answers matter – now more than ever. What's clear is that once these foundational questions are settled, organizations need people managers who can live by those values and model that culture on a daily basis. When that happens, organizations are bound to succeed. But when communication and trust break down, employees are likely to grow dissatisfied and lose motivation. Left unaddressed, turnover becomes inevitable – at great cost to the employer. I'll end with this: From interactions with readers this year, I've seen the problem of ineffective people management come up time and time again. While it didn't exactly make headlines, for me, this was 2019's biggest workplace issue because, for better or worse, employees see people managers as symbols of the organization writ large. Here's a New Year's resolution for all organizations: Master the art of people management, and employees will thrive. Make culture a priority, and organizations will reap the rewards – in more ways than one. Holiday parties: Did your co-worker go too far? Ask HR Dress codes: Can employers make female employees wear a bra? Ask HR Q: We only have one HR rep, who also happens to be head of recruitment, training, and operations. As a manager, if I have a complaint about the operations, it makes me uncomfortable filing a complaint to HR since she runs both departments. Would this be considered a conflict of interest? Is it legal to have your HR rep run different departments? – Anonymous Taylor: I understand your discomfort. While it's uncommon for HR to oversee three different departments, it isn't illegal either. Many companies have their HR representatives perform dual roles. In general, conflicts of interest in the workplace are rare. There are certain thresholds that must be met to produce a true "conflict of interest," such as employees personally benefiting in a way that negatively impacts their organization and its bottom line. However, a conflict of interest may still apply here. For example, let's say your HR representative is responsible for performance management and bonus programs. If they shape the goal achievement of the operations team to secure a higher bonus, that would be considered a conflict of interest because the HR representative is exploiting their position for personal gain. That said, I wouldn't jump to conclusions. First, review your company's policies. Then, it's important to simply start a conversation. Speak to your immediate supervisor (assuming it's not the same person) and state your concerns. Perhaps those concerns are shared in your workplace, and you can brainstorm potential solutions together. If your concerns are addressed appropriately, that's good news. If not, then you should consider approaching the HR representative (respectfully, of course) and learning more about their motivations running those three departments. Without being aggressive, you can ask for more information about HR's general duties and responsibilities. Pose your concerns as questions requiring clarification, rather than an outright critique. That way, you'll more likely receive an informative answer – and reach a productive outcome. If you're still not satisfied with the response, then it may be best to approach the HR representative's superior(s), so they're aware of your reservations. After all, it's up to them to take the necessary action. Good luck! Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/careers/2019/12/31/ineffective-people-management-biggest-workplace-issue-2019-ask-hr/2751689001/  |
| BREAKING: Dylan Moses will return for Senior season - Roll Tide Wire Posted: 30 Dec 2019 07:21 PM PST  Alabama linebacker Dylan Moses posted to Instagram Monday evening announcing that he will not be entering the 2020 NFL Draft, and instead return to play in his final year of eligibility at Alabama. Moses missed all of the 2019 college football season with a torn ACL he suffered during the preseason. The absence of Moses on the field was a big hit to the Crimson Tide defense as he was not only slated to be a major on-the-presence, but also a big leader on and off the field. In a defense that was predominantly underclassmen, Moses could have been the difference maker. Now, with his return, and most of the underclassmen having some experience, the Alabama defense could be a force to be reckoned with. He is the first player from the Alabama program to publicly announce his decision on whether or not he would enter the 2020 NFL Draft. Some key players to this Alabama team could follow Moses' lead, or they could forego their Senior season and look to enter the NFL. Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on all things Alabama football, including news and updates on players making their decisions on entering the 2020 NFL Draft.  |
| U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad stormed by protesters after Iraq airstrikes - NBC News Posted: 31 Dec 2019 02:03 AM PST  Dozens of people stormed the compound of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq on Tuesday in response to U.S. airstrikes that killed dozens of fighters from an Iran-backed militia group. Guards inside the embassy in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone used tear gas to prevent demonstrators from moving toward the main buildings inside the compound, an Iraqi security source told NBC News on condition of anonymity. The United States is sending about 750 soldiers to the Middle East after thousands of people stormed the compound of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday night. Esper said President Donald Trump ordered the deployment, which will come from an infantry battalion of the 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, More personnel are on standby to deploy if they're needed, he said. "This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against U.S. personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today," Esper said in a statement. "The United States will protect our people and interests anywhere they are found around the world." U.S. fighter jets on Sunday bombed weapons depots in Iraq and Syria that the United States said were linked with a group called Kataeb Hezbollah, which it blames for attacks on bases of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State in recent months. At least 25 militia fighters were killed in the airstrikes. A large crowd of supporters gathered Tuesday after funerals for some of the dead and marched on the embassy, chanting "Down, Down USA!" while hurling water bottles and smashing security cameras, according to The Associated Press. An AP reporter saw flames rising from inside the compound and at least three U.S. soldiers on the roof of the main building inside the embassy. Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics Live bullets and tear gas injured at least 62 demonstrators, according to the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group for the militias recognized by the Iraqi government. NBC News couldn't independently verify the claim. Let our news meet your inbox. The news and stories that matters, delivered weekday mornings. There were about 6,000 protesters at the height of the demonstrations, a U.S. official said, made up mostly of Kataib Hezbollah members. The embassy was on lockdown by evening, but U.S. personnel weren't being evacuated, according to a U.S. official with knowledge of the situation. The official said discussions were underway about next steps should an evacuation be necessary. Trump, who tweeted that he expected protection from Iraq's security forces, accused Iran of having orchestrated the attack, saying the government "will be held fully responsible." He doubled down later Tuesday, saying Iran would "pay a very BIG PRICE. This is not a Warning, it is a Threat." His press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, said the president would choose "how and when we respond to their escalation." The United States plans to ramp up security around the embassy, deploying about 100 Marines, a defense official said. Additional security was being provided by AH-64 Apache helicopters from an air weapons team. Half of the extra Marines landed at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on two Osprey aircraft, while the other half were en route to the embassy. Democrats said the attack was the latest example of the failure of the Trump administration's policy in the region. "It's hard to overstate what a total failure Trump's Iran policy has been," Ben Rhodes, a top national security aide to President Barack Obama, wrote on Twitter. "Nuclear program resumed. Regional provocations escalated. US isolated." Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said the attacks were a reminder of how "catastrophic" the year has been for U.S. interests in the Middle East, and he tweeted a long list of problems in the region. "Really hard to overstate how badly Trump has bungled things in the Middle East," Murphy wrote. "One of the only good things going — anti-Iran street protests in Iraq — have now morphed into anti-U.S. protests thanks to Trump's mishandling of Iran policy." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke to Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi and President Barham Salih separately by phone on Tuesday and told them that "the United States will protect and defend its people, who are there to support a sovereign and independent Iraq," the State Department said in a statement. "Both Abdul-Mahdi and Salih assured the Secretary that they took seriously their responsibility for and would guarantee the safety and security of U.S. personnel and property," the statement said. Matthew Tueller, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, was out of the country, two U.S. officials with knowledge of the situation said. Abdul-Mahdi issued a statement urging people to leave the U.S. Embassy, warning that "any aggressive behavior against foreign embassies" would be "strictly stopped by security forces" and punished. The clashes follow anti-government protests in recent months in which hundreds of people have been killed, according to protest groups, most of them by Iraqi security forces. The mass uprisings prompted the resignation last month of Abdul-Mahdi, who remains prime minister in a caretaker capacity. The United States blames Kataeb Hezbollah for 11 attacks on bases used by the U.S.-led coalition over the past two months. The latest came on Friday, when a rocket attack killed a U.S. contractor and injured four U.S. service members. The U.S. airstrikes have been met with an angry reaction from both Iran and Iraq. The United States has about 5,000 personnel in Iraq to train and assist government troops in the fight against ISIS. But the Iraqi government is also allied with a powerful network of militia groups, many of which are backed by or linked to Tehran. Tehran called the U.S. airstrikes "terrorism," and Iraq called them a "violation" of its sovereignty. The militia has vowed to respond. CORRECTION (Dec. 31, 2019, 10:31 a.m.): An earlier version of this article misidentified the White House press secretary. She is Stephanie Grisham, not Graham.  |
| Report: LaMelo Ball offered $100 million, private jet by shoe company - The Rookie Wire Posted: 31 Dec 2019 06:42 AM PST  Potential No. 1 pick LaMelo Ball has been reportedly offered $100 million and a private jet by a shoe company, according to Corey Williams of ESPN Australia & New Zealand. Ball is considered to be a first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft with many believing the 18-year-old could potentially be the top selection after a strong season abroad in Australia's National Basketball League. Ball has appeared in 12 games with the Illawarra Hawks, averaging 17 points, 7.5 rebounds and seven assists. With the future of Big Baller Brand in doubt, Ball will consider all of his endorsement opportunities and may opt to move in a different direction from the company started by his father, LaVar. Given his talent, Ball will be a highly sought-after target for companies. His arrival in the NBL has helped set several attendance and viewership records. Though the specific company has not been identified, Ball will certainly have interest from the biggest companies around the sport and could even attract the attention of smaller brands like Anta or PUMA. Ball has been seen wearing Nike while playing in the NBL. Earlier this season, LaMelo's brother, Lonzo, offered LaMelo some advice ahead of his decision. Lonzo told his younger brother to meet with every company possible and go with the brand that wants him the most since he didn't take meetings before signing with Big Baller Brand. As for his on-court production, LaMelo hasn't played since Nov. 30 after suffering a foot injury that is said to sideline him until next month. His injury isn't expected to affect his draft stock.  |
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