| HR HEADLINES |
Online
Shopping Now On-the-Job Activity
Washington Post,
11/28/05
Gender
Discrimination Top Employee Complaint
Chicago Tribune,
11/27/05
Pensions
Pour Billions into Hedge Funds?
CNN/Money, 11/27/05
Companies
Get a Lot of Mileage From Driving Policy
Chicago
Tribune (free reg req’d), 11/27/05
Workers
Waiting to Cash in on Profits
Chicago Tribune (free reg
req’d), 11/27/05
High
Health Care Deductibles Not a Hit
USA Today, 11/24/05
Financially
Healthy Firms Also Cut Pensions
CNBC, 11/23/05
Jobless
Claims Take Sharp Turn Up
AP, 11/23/05
Holiday Bonuses:
Creativity Counts
BLR, 11/22/05
Business
Economists Forecast 2006 Growth
Reuters, 11/22/05
Pre-65
Retirees: Can They Have it Better?
Workforce Magazine,
11/22/05
Blogging
Gets Some Workers the Boot
Scripps Howard, 11/21/05
Survey
Shows Online HR Can Cut Costs
Industry Week, 11/21/05
Workplace
Injuries Fall
BLR, 11/21/05
Have a Merry
Office Party
Forbes, 11/21/05
|
|
HR Exec
Sponsorship |
|
You are invited to feature your
company's products and services with a sponsorship
of the HR Exec. WRITE US to
find out
more. | | |
|
| LAST CHANCE! The
Illinois Chamber's Multistate Tax and Economic
Development Conference will be held
December 5 and 6 in Chicago at the
Renaissance Hotel. This will be a unique and
informative conference reflecting a well-prepared
agenda with top notch speakers and panelists. The
Illinois Chamber is proud to be hosting this event
which is presented by Ernst & Young LLP. For
more information on the conference, click
here. |
Looking at the overall
job picture, it may seem that Illinois workers
don’t have much to complain about. But in reality,
the quality of jobs in Illinois has declined over
the past six years even in the wake of job growth.
According to a new study conducted by Northern
Illinois University’s Office
of Social Policy Research and Center for Tax
and Budget Accountability, median household income
has fallen $6,000 over the past six years.
MORE
|
| |
After surveying 234
corporate attorneys and HR professionals, labor
law firm, Jackson
Lewis, reports on the following workplace
trends:
- When polling for its “2004 Workplace
Survey,” participants were asked, “Was your
company sued by an employee for any reason
during the past year?” Fifty-eight percent cited
gender discrimination as the basis for the
charge, up from 48% in 2003.
MORE
|
| |
A strong economy can
produce its own set of HR problems. Workers can
now see a rainbow at the end of this economic
tunnel and now want to claim their pot of gold,
according to a new survey conducted by the Society
of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and WSJ’s
CareerJournal.com. In fact, three out of four
workers responding to the survey say that they are
currently involved in either an active or passive
job search at this moment. Forty-four percent are
engaged in an active job search and are ready to
accept a better position if offered. Thirty-five
percent are involved in a passive search, posting
their resumes online and browsing the classified
ads. MORE
|
| |
According to a new
survey conducted by Lincolnshire-based, Hewitt
Associates, 59% of those companies recently
polled will not be passing out holiday bonus
checks this year. Instead, use of variable pay
plans (performance-based plans that must be earned
each year) continues to rise. Today, 78% of those
employers polled offer the incentive, up from 51%
in 1991. In 2005 variable pay as a percentage of
payroll increased to 11.4%, up from 9.5% in
2004. MORE
|
| |
| Have you ever been
forced to hire someone who wasn’t the best person
for the job? If so, you’re not alone. In surveys
conducted by BLR,
77% of HR professionals surveyed say that they
have been forced to hire for reasons other than
merit. Thirty-four percent cite cronyism as the
No. 1 reason behind a lesser-qualified hire.
Similarly, 21% of the 560 respondents cited
nepotism as a factor while 15% say that race,
ethnicity or gender played into the hiring
equation. Another 11% believe that sexual
attraction was a principal ingredient in the
decision-making process. "Frankly, we were
surprised at the prevalence of the problem--this
is clearly a hot button for HR managers," says
Chris Kilbourne, managing editor of HR.BLR.com.
"The overwhelming impression is that management
meddling in the hiring process is alive and well
in the American workplace." |
| |
Does too much
familiarity breed contempt? According to a new
study conducted by HR consulting giant, Mercer,
those with longer tenure are far less positive
about their work experience than recent hires.
Dissatisfaction among long-timers is aimed at both
their bosses and overall company management.
MORE
|
| |
Aon Consulting is
forecasting that pension deficits will rise to $129
billion by next month unless the market takes
an upward turn or companies take dramatic action.
Meeting the needs of the expanding graying
population with only moderate market returns has
pushed deficit levels to astronomical heights.
MORE
|
| |
 For the latest HR
news and analysis, CLICK
HERE or on the "HR Library" link above.
The site is updated daily to keep you informed on
the latest developments and how they might impact
your bottom line.
|
| |
Current
HR Economic
Indicators
|
| Check out some of our business
service programs and see how your membership
pays with the Illinois Chamber. Another new
program has been added to our growing list of
business services:
Learn more about these
programs and how it benefits your company to Join
the Leaders! And use the Chamber
website to stay current on the issues and
opportunities facing the business community
today. |
| |
 The Chamber urges
all Illinois employers to recognize their Guard
and Reserve employees by signing and displaying
the ESGR Statement of Support. To get yours,
simply complete their online form and you will
receive a personalized certificate that
demonstrates your support. Also visit the SBA
Veteran's Business Development web site for
assistance to small business owners that have
employees activated in the Guard or Reserves.
Click MORE
| | | |
