No Lunch for You! New Study Says Your Boss Judges You for Taking Lunch Breaks

Edgar

H.R. expert weighs in on new findings and why the research is so troubling

HungryA recent study has discovered that many employees are afraid to take their lunch breaks. Rather than appear ‘lazy’ before their manager or boss, they opt to skip their appointed lunch break…even though that can have a negative impact on their ability to perform as well as their general mood and well-being.

Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and human resources expert says, “The study found that almost 20 percent of employees are worried their boss judges them when they take a lunch break. 13 percent worry that their coworkers judge them for taking a break.”

And, sadly, Wilson says that these fears are not unfounded.

“The same study found that bosses do indeed judge employees for taking breaks. 22 percent of bosses believe that employees who take regular lunch breaks are not as hard-working as employees who do not, and 34 percent of bosses say that they take into account how often an employee takes lunch breaks when they are evaluating their job performance,” says the Chicago-based president of the employee solutions firm Employco USA.

Unfortunately, says Wilson, this particular management belief (that employees who take lunch breaks are slacking off) can actually be harmful to a company. “Almost 90 percent of employees say that a lunch break makes them feel refreshed and ready to return to work with a clear mind. Other research has borne out the fact that taking breaks is good for an employee’s mood, precision and creative abilities.”

Wilson says it’s time to start changing the way that bosses think about lunch breaks and for managers to step up and start encouraging people to take their lunch breaks every day.

“Don’t think of it as losing money,” says Wilson. “But, rather a way to improve your bottom line and retain your staff. A happy, rested employee is an employee who is going to give 100 percent and be a credit to your company.”

For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.

Update: This blog post was quoted by Business Vancouver in an 07/17/18 article, read more here: https://biv.com/article/2018/07/one-five-bosses-are-judging-their-employees-taking-lunch-breaks-study

Business Vancouver

GoLocal LIVE: How to Prevent Employee Suicide in the Workplace

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Rob Wilson discusses employee suicide in the workplace on GoLocal LIVE with Rachel Nunes.

“National discussions about suicide and how to prevent it have come into the spotlight following the death of high-profile figures such as Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain.

In an effort to reduce these tragedies, President of Employco USA and Human Resources Expert Rob Wilson joined GoLocal to discuss what workplaces can do to help and prevent workplace suicides.”

(Read more here…)

GoLocal LIVE

And, watch the full interview segment below:

Is America Really Near Full Employment?

Edgar

Employment expert weighs in on the truth behind latest jobs numbers

JobsThe latest jobs report has many people talking about “full employment” and the fact that America is allegedly near this state. However, what does full employment really mean, and is our nation truly almost to this place?

Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and employment trends expert says, “The fact is that we are not at full employment yet.  We’ll know if we are approaching full employment when inflation starts to really pick up, which I expect to see within the next 6-9 months.  At that time, I believe the Fed will answer with more dramatic rate increases and we’ll virtually reach full employment.”

Wilson says that experts who are calling this ‘full employment’ are speaking too soon due to our rocky economic history.

“Normally, the general rule-of-thumb full employment indicator of around 4.5% can’t be relied upon right now.  We’re still in uncharted waters coming out of the freakish recession and the new tariffs, which means the economic and employment industries are struggling with accurate predictions,” says Wilson.

However, Wilson says that the jobs’ report is very good news, and right on track with what employers in this nation say they are experiencing.

“In talking to our clients, even though we’re not quite at the full employment level yet, employers are still having a difficult time finding good quality candidates for their open positions.  We haven’t seen significant wage growth that typically accompanies low unemployment rates, but I think that’s next on the horizon,” says Wilson. “We need to be careful to keep rapid wage growth under control, otherwise, the U.S. might face a brand-new set of problems that will be very tough to overcome.”

For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.

The Illegal Questions Employers Ask on Job Interviews

Edgar

Employment expert weighs in on the most common illegal questions interviewees face

InterviewPrevious research has revealed that in 1 in 5 employers have asked illegal questions during interviews. And, a recent study led by The Associated Press and CNBC found that many job interview candidates say that they have still been asked inappropriate (and illegal) questions about things such as their age and intention to have children.

Rob Wilson, human resources expert and President of Employco USA (a Chicago-based employment solutions firm), says, “The reality is that many employers and hiring managers are asking questions that are either blatantly illegal or just hovering near that line. Yet I think it’s important to note that these people are not willfully thumbing their nose at the law, but that they lack the training and the knowledge required to handle interviews in a professional and ethical manner.”

Not to mention, says Wilson, the laws which regulate job interview questions are ever-changing. Questions which used to be considered par-for-the-course, such as questions about a person’s criminal background, could soon be against the law.

“People in many states are working to keep questions about an interview candidate’s criminal history out of the job interview process all together,” says Wilson. “They view these questions as discriminatory and depending on where you live, questions about a person’s criminal background have already been removed from job applications.”

So, what other questions are off the table when it comes to a job interview?

Wilson says, “Questions about a person’s age and marital status are no-go’s. And, while you can ask about any vacations or traveling plans a person has in the future, you cannot ask about their intention to have children…even if you see a visible baby bump! Additionally, you cannot inquire about a person’s religious or political beliefs.”

Employment expert Rob Wilson also adds that in many cases, asking about a person’s salary history could also be frowned upon. “There is a movement to remove questions about salary history from the interview process. Proponents say that this could help to repair the gender pay gap as well as racial pay gaps.”

For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.

Why So Many Americans Are “Ghosting” Employers

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Employment experts talks new trend and how it’s impacting the hiring process

Ghosting“Ghosting” (when a person ends a relationship with no communication or forewarning) has been a hot-button topic in the dating community for years, but now the word is being used in employment circles to describe a new and troubling trend of job applicants who simply disappear off an employer’s radar.

“Ghosting isn’t just for Tinder users anymore,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and employment trends expert. “It seems that our booming jobs economy has led to applicants who simply ‘disappear’ during the interview process. According to LinkedIn, many employers now say that the tides have turned on them…instead of applicants desperately hoping to get a call-back, hiring teams themselves now find themselves dealing with unanswered calls and candidates who suddenly go MIA without warning.”

Wilson says that the problem is such that some companies have even instituted changes to their hiring process, including putting multiple conditions on job offers. He also adds, “Instead of narrowing it down to just 1-2 qualified applicants and cutting everyone else loose, companies are now wisely holding onto all possibilities before assuming that their search is over. With so many job openings, applicants can now play fast and loose with opportunities, and sadly many of these applicants take the coward’s way out and simply disappear without any further communication.”

Along with this growing trend of ghosting job opportunities, Wilson says that many employees are now quitting their posts in droves. “According to the  Bureau of Labor Statistics, the amount of employees who have voluntarily left their jobs is almost DOUBLE that of the number of employees who were fired. And, in March of this year, 3 million Americans quit their jobs out of their own volition.”

While Wilson says it is wonderful that so many jobs are opening up and Americans now feel safe to quit their positions or seek new opportunities, he cautions that ‘ghosting’ possible employers is in very bad form and could come back to bite you in the future.

“Even if you decide you do not want to work with a company, it is a bad idea to just cease communication without giving the employer any idea of what is going on,” says Wilson. “You never know when you could wind up looking for a job again, or when you could find yourself at an industry event or networking dinner with that same hiring agent. It’s always best to treat people the way you would want to be treated, even in the hiring process.”

For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.

Update: This blog post was quoted by Benefits Pro in an 07/13/18 article, read more here:
https://biv.com/article/2018/07/one-five-bosses-are-judging-their-employees-taking-lunch-breaks-study

Benefits Pro

Suicide in the Workplace is Rising: What Employers Need to Know

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H.R. expert talks warning signs and suicide prevention in the workplace

DepressionIn the heels of the recent tragedies of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, many employers might wonder how they can best support their employees and colleagues who might be struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts. This is a valid concern, as workplace suicides have become a more common event in recent years.

According to the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, suicides have increased by 35% in the last 10 years,  and The Wall Street Journal says, “As suicide rates have climbed in recent years, so have instances of employees ending their lives at the workplace.”

Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and human resources expert explains, “Of the 44,965 suicides in 2016, 291 of these deaths occurred in the workplace, which is a record high of workplace suicides.”

The trauma of a workplace suicide can be deeply devastating for coworkers and colleagues, even for those who did not directly witness the event or know the employee involved. “People instantly start to blame themselves and wonder what they could have done differently. They might feel anxious or have difficulty concentrating. The ripple effect will touch the entire office, whether your company is large or small.”

So, what should employers do to help support their staff?

“Every company should consider having an employee-assistance program for times like this. You can hire a therapist, particularly one with experience in suicide prevention. Create set times during the week where each employee will have time to sit down and speak with the counselor,” says Wilson. “You could also consider putting literature from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline somewhere in the office, such as the employee break room or kitchen. And, when you see an employee who seems especially rundown or overworked, you might consider having a one-on-one chat with them and making sure they are okay. Encourage everyone to use their vacation time and to take time away from the office to clear their head.”

Wilson concludes, “The sad reality is that we are having a mental health crisis in our country at the moment. Some industries are having a particularly hard time right now, such as the New York Taxi Workers Alliance which recently shared the news that yet another taxi driver had taken his life due to extreme financial strain, making him the 6th NYC cabbie this year to make this heartbreaking choice. But, no matter where you work, our country’s current climate is tense, combative and anxiety-inducing. We all need to reach out and support one another a little bit better.”

For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.

Why Teens Don’t Have Summer Jobs Anymore

Edgar

Fewer teens are getting summer jobs, but what does this mean for the economy as a whole?

Summer JobSummer jobs among kids ages 16-19 has declined by 30 percentage points since the 1970s. What is the reason for this lack of teen employment, and what does it mean for the economy?

Rob Wilson, employment trends expert and President of Employco USA, says several factors are at play. “First, stores such as Macy’s and Sears have closed hundreds and hundreds of stores in recent years, and thousands of jobs have been lost as a result.”

Once the mecca for teens looking to socialize as well as earn cash, these shuttered retail stores could spell trouble for teens.

“When so-called ‘anchor’ stores such as Sears or J.C. Penney close down, it becomes very problematic for the mall as a whole,” explains Wilson of Employco USA. “Filling that retail space is very difficult, and with giants like Sears experiencing a major decline, that means that many malls across the country are going to be left with huge vacancies. This puts all the stores within the mall at major risk, from your kiosks to your pretzel stands to your small clothing stores.”

In addition, teens are now shifting their focus from flipping burgers to working internships in their desired field of employment, especially as President Trump has now made internships more widely available to teens. Continue reading →

Podcast: Legal vs. Illegal Interview Questions

Edgar

Rob, Scott, and Jason discuss legal vs. illegal interview questions; from laws that prohibit hiring discrimination to questions that you can and cannot ask. Plus, some recommendations on best practices for interview scenarios.

Employco also has an upcoming live webinar discussing “Legal Recruiting and Hiring” on June 21st. Register here: https://www.employco.com/blog/2018/06/06/webinar-june-2018/

Interview Questions

Contact us with any questions you may have, we’re here to help: hr@employco.com

Webinar: June 2018

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Legal Recruiting and Hiring

Webinar, June 2018

Join us on Thursday, June 21 for a live, 30-minute webinar designed to provide you with information on the latest legal trends and requirements related to recruiting and hiring new employees.

The recruiting and hiring process is complicated enough without the additional burden of having to worry about potential legal concerns and discrimination claims. Several federal and state laws influence a company’s search, evaluation, and selection of new employees. To help avoid discrimination claims, information requested from the applicant should be directly related to the position he or she is interviewing for.

Registration is FREE for current Employco clients and first time participants (the cost is $249 otherwise).

Webinar Registration