Corporate culture's dark side demands attention

Systemic underpayment of workers, unprecedented evidence of wage fraud, and allegations that foreign workers in the farming industry are so grossly exploited it is tantamount to "modern day slavery". Welcome to Australia in 2016.

For the past two years, The Age's journalists have exposed the often dodgy and sometimes corrupt practices that are used to exploit low-paid and foreign workers. Saturday's report from Adele Ferguson, that Caltex franchisees have been paying shift workers well below the  legal award rate is just the latest in an ever growing series of scandals that have stained Australia's reputation as a fair and equitable society and rocked the public's trust in many of Australia's large corporations.

Banks need 'overhaul' not CEO pledges: finance expert

Australia's banks need more than pledges from CEOs to improve their culture following a series of scandals at their financial planning and insurance arms, a leading finance expert has warned.

Professor Paul Kofman, dean of business and economics at the University of Melbourne, said while promises to improve bank culture by CEOs were welcome, it was not enough to fix the erosion of trust that had opened up between the public and the industry.

Kiwis want to feel a sense of purpose at work

Kiwis want to feel a sense of purpose at work

Employees want to be given a sense of purpose at work and know how their contribution makes a difference, according to recruiting experts Hays.

According to findings in the latest Hays Journal, the recruiter says that the value in employee engagement terms of a competitive salary and perks has reduced and been replaced by a desire to work with purpose and make a difference.

“Employee engagement was traditionally driven by a good salary and attractive benefits, but today most people see these as a given,” says Nick Deligiannis, Managing Director of Hays in Australia & New Zealand. “Instead they look at what an organisation is working towards and known for. Crucially, they want to know that, as an employee, they will understand what they are working towards and how they make a difference, which gives them a greater sense of purpose.”

This shared sense of purpose was also identified in Hays’ report, Staff Engagement: Ideas for action, as crucial to employee engagement. So much so that 94% of employees said a clear understanding of how their role helps the organisation achieve its objectives is a ‘very important’ or ‘important’ engagement factor for them. What’s more, 26% said they would look for another job if they did not have this understanding, while 51% ‘might’ look elsewhere.

Unhappy workplaces look a lot like unhappy marriages, new research shows

Not all negativity in the workplace is a bad sign. Common sense says employees who describe their workplace in negative terms are the ones that are more likely to leave it, but new research shows this isn’t the case.

The study identified some forms of negativity are benign and can be tolerated, whereas others are loud and clear warning signs in terms of employee retention. Study participants were asked to describe their past experiences with the organisations they had worked for, both good and bad.

Three forms of negativity predicted that employees will have a greater intention to leave an organisation one year later: disappointment, strong negativity (such as anger or ridicule) and indirect negativity (like focusing on the negatives in a positive story). Other forms of negativity, like complaints, entitlement and even despair, did not.

The way to a better work-life balance? Unions, not self-help

In a fascinating account of work-addiction by Melissa Gregg, we meet Miranda, a pricing manager in a telecommunications firm.

Miranda is seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. When her husband arrives at the hospital, she is barely conscious and only able to whisper a few words. Sadly it isn’t the kids she calls for. The first thing Miranda wants is to phone the office because her presentation might not be happening tomorrow – but if they send a laptop to the emergency ward she will see what can be done to salvage the situation. This anecdote is shocking, but not that surprising.

Move over, Neutron Jack: Nice CEOs do finish first, new study shows

Nice chief executive officers do finish first, but sadly they too seldom get the chance.

While the popular idea of a successful CEO is a tough operator such as former GE boss "Neutron Jack" Welch, a recent study shows that those who score well for "agreeableness" are associated with companies with better operating results.

Facebook debuts 'Workplace' to make employees more productive

Now there's a version of Facebook that even your boss might like.

On Monday, the tech firm released "Workplace by Facebook", an enterprise communication tool meant to foster more productivity in the office.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T does not equal wage equality

“The Snapshot tells us that female employees are more likely to feel respect for their boss, but other data also tells us that they are more likely to be paid less by that boss,” Dr Jenny George said, thus highlighting that respect does not lead to wage equality.

Female workers respect their boss more than their male colleagues – even though they are more likely to be paid significantly less by them – a remaining gap in wage equality.

That is one of the findings in the 2016 Snapshot of the Australian Workplace – a national survey of 1001 workers undertaken by not-for-profit global think-tank, Reventure Ltd.

The survey found that 52% of female employees strongly or somewhat agreed with the statement, “I have a lot of respect and admiration for my boss”, compared to 44% of males.

Millennials more stressed out by technology at work than boomers

Millennials more stressed out from having to constantly be connected to technology at work than their gen X and boomer colleagues, according to a new survey.  

The survey by research firm Reventure also found women respected their bosses more than men, nearly half of workers were looking for a new job, and found men were more satisfied with their sleep than women, which correlates with job satisfaction. 

Reventure surveyed 1001 Australians across the three age groups for their Snapshot of the Australian Workplace survey in February this year, via a 15 minute online questionnaire. 

Millennials felt more than their older colleagues that as a result of technology, they were 'always on' and cannot ever completely "shut off from work".

Lead researcher Dr Lindsay McMillan on Triple J’s Hack

Fast-forward to 18:16min to hear Dr Lindsay McMillan talk about Reventure’s research - how the increased use of technology in the workplace creates greater levels of stress and leave people feeling they always have to be available.

Not-for-profit company Reventure conducted an online survey of 1,001 people on workplace stress. Forty-six per cent of overall respondents said they felt like technology meant they were "always on" and couldn't ever completely switch off.

For young people, the survey results were worse. Fifty-four per cent of young people said they had experienced "technology stress" sometimes or often.

"Whilst technology has undoubtedly increased productivity and connectedness, it seems to be having a troubling impact on work patterns and the ability of workers to switch off from their job," lead researcher for the company, Lindsay McMillan, said.

Lindsay said work-life balance is "vital", and that it's important that ever-present technology "does not negatively impact on healthy relationships and lifestyles outside of work".

Yahoo Japan looks at four-day work week: Would it work for your staff?

A tech giant might be moving towards giving its employees that elusive three-day weekend, with reports Yahoo Japan is looking to introduce a four-day work week.

But experts say it’s more likely businesses will have the best chance of retaining productive staff if they make simple, individualised changes to their workplaces.

The Japan Times reports sources close to Yahoo Japan parent company SoftBank Group Corporation have said the company is looking at a multi-stage process to move its 5800-strong employee base to a four-day a week work arrangement.

How workers cope with shattered office moral

How do you stay motivated when company morale hits rock bottom? Or sane? Or just get through each day when everybody seems to hate working at the joint?

I thought about these questions after reports of sinking morale in universities. Heavy workloads, greater pressure and disillusionment over the sector's direction have left more academics exhausted and unhappy. I've experienced this poor morale first-hand.

An unexpected way to stop people from quitting

At my company, year after year we score high in our employee satisfaction surveys. Yet, despite these results, we still see a sizeable chunk of annual staff turnover.

This has always bothered me. If people love the company, why are they leaving?

In part, it’s simply a sign of the times. Millennials change jobs more frequently: an average of once every 2.5 years during the first decade out of college. That’s double the rate of their Gen X predecessors.

Workplace flexibility what you want? Here's how to get it

Flexibility is such a topical word but what does it really mean? Who wants it and how do you get it?

Salaries are not just about money – your renumeration is called a package as it consists of all the attractive, enticing temptations to draw you in to a new role and keep you there.

Flexibility is one word I hear bandied around at negotiating stage. It demonstrates that an employer is supportive, compassionate and open to an employee's personal requirements. It is something the employee can request without "perceived cost" and is considered a perk. Employees want it, and employers wish to allow it but they all find it frustrating when the structure is not clearly defined.

So what is it and how do you get it?

Mental health commissioner says staff being failed with '1970s-style' HR programs

The national mental health commissioner, Prof Ian Hickie, has said workplaces rely too much on “1970s-style” HR programs to help staff in distress rather than implementing comprehensive mental health policies.

His comments come in response to a survey of Australian workplaces conducted by the law firm MinterEllison found almost three-quarters had no formal policy or procedure for managing staff mental health issues.

The study found 44% of participants reported suicide or attempted suicide among staff at their workplaces in the last two years.

Research to target productivity obstacles

"Worrying" research findings have prompted the first ever national campaign to promote engaging and productive work cultures.

HR think-tank Reventure will undertake a number of research projects over the coming years to highlight challenges and solutions to workplace productivity and engagement.

Its recent survey of more than 1,000 Australian workers found that while 71 per cent believed their leaders had vision and direction, a third (35%) felt stressed as a result of poor leadership.

This excerpt is reproduced with permission from hrdaily.com.au

Generation Y and Baby Boomers lead a boom in new entrepreneurs

Naomi Moon is one of thousands of Generation Y and baby boomers leaving traditional jobs to become their own boss.

The 24-year-old from Penrith has worked in warehousing and abandoned her university studies after deciding she was on the wrong path.

"I was warehousing at night and studying during the day," she said.

"I was sick of studying and needed to work."

It was during a late night conversation with a friend that the pair decided to go into business together doing photography and graphic design.

"It's fantastic. Ever since we moved into [a shared office space in Penrith] our productivity has gone through the roof," Ms Moon said.

8 digital skills we must teach our children

The social and economic impact of technology is widespread and accelerating. The speed and volume of information have increased exponentially. Experts are predicting that 90% of the entire population will be connected to the internet within 10 years. With the internet of things, the digital and physical worlds will soon be merged. These changes herald exciting possibilities. But they also create uncertainty. And our kids are at the centre of this dynamic change.

Children are using digital technologies and media at increasingly younger ages and for longer periods of time. They spend an average of seven hours a day in front of screens – from televisions and computers, to mobile phones and various digital devices. This is more than the time children spend with their parents or in school. As such, it can have a significant impact on their health and well-being. What digital content they consume, who they meet online and how much time they spend onscreen – all these factors will greatly influence children’s overall development.

Half of Australian workers unhappy in job

About half of Australia's workers will probably be looking for a new job in the next year because they're disengaged.

A survey of 1000 full and part-time employees, as well as the self-employed, examined job satisfaction, technology, productivity and general health.

The Snapshot of Australian Workplaces, commissioned by global think-tank Reventure Ltd, found that disengagement was driving 49 per cent of those surveyed to eye off a new job.

The top reasons: employees were unhappy with leadership, didn't feel like their job was meaningful or it didn't utilise their strengths.

Business confidence rises – SENSIS

Justine Davies  |  Canstar

According to the latest Sensis Business Index (SBI) survey, small and medium business confidence in Australia is at a five year high, rising by nine points over the past quarter. Interestingly though, not all economic indicators are aligned to this rise in confidence.

“While sales and employment improved and prices remain positive, wages and profitability went backwards this quarter. These are not the results you would expect to see when confidence has lifted to a five year high,” observed Sensis Chief Executive Officer, John Allan.

“Rather than being driven by these indicators, confidence is instead being driven by perceptions that the overall economic environment is improving. On top of this, the non-cyclical influences remain strong, with businesses continuing to feel particularly positive about their own specific business strengths.”