Category: HR Administration

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When an Extended Leave of Absence is NOT a Reasonable Accommodation

Conventional wisdom says that when a sick or injured employee asks for time off, you should grant it within reason. For one, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says that hard-capped leave of absence policies violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. For another, if an employee, returning from a Family and Medical Leave Act leave, asks for a few more weeks of leave, what’s the harm in providing a few extra weeks of unpaid leave?

Attiogbe-Tay v. SE Rolling Hills LLC (D. Minn. 11/7/13) provides hope to employers that under the right circumstances, an employer can refuse to extend an unpaid leave of absence without violating the ADA.

Comfort Attiogbe-Tay worked the night shift at a senior living facility (The Colony) as a Licensed Practical Nurse, caring for 160 assisted living patients. Her job description required her kneel, squat, and be able to lift more than 100 pounds. As the only LPN working the night shift, she would have to lift patients if they fell, sometimes with help from other staff members.

Following years of knee pain resulting from degenerative joint disease and arthritis, Attiogbe-Tay elected to have knee replacement surgery, for which her employer granted her 12 weeks of FMLA leave. She returned to work at the end of the 12 weeks with a note from her doctor clearing her to work, but restricting her for six weeks to no kneeling, squatting, or lifting more than 50 pounds. The company’s employee handbook provides: “If medical restrictions exist at the end of the leave, the company will review and discuss the situation with the employee, and determine whether the work restrictions can be reasonably accommodated.” Instead of discussing potential reasonable accommodations with Attiogbe-Tay, her employer fired her.

In her disability discrimination lawsuit, Attiogbe-Tay argued that the company should have reasonably accommodated her by extending her leave for six additional weeks until her restrictions expired. The court, however, disagreed, concluding that while an “extended medical leave of absence” might be a reasonable accommodation, under the facts of this case it posed an undue hardship on the employer:

Here, Attiogbe-Tay was the only overnight LPN on duty. To cover Attiogbe-Tay’s shifts during her twelve-week FMLA leave, The Colony paid other nurses on its staff overtime and employed temporary LPNs from a staffing agency…. The Colony also bore considerable expense—$8,000 in additional staffing costs—as a result of Attiogbe-Tay’s twelve-week FMLA leave. Given The Colony’s relatively small staff size, its concerns over the quality of resident care, and the negative effects on its budget and staff, no reasonable jury could decline to find that the extended leave was an undue hardship…. As a result, Attiogbe-Tay was not qualified to perform the essential functions of the LPN position either with or without reasonable accommodations, and summary judgment is warranted.

Given the handbook violation by the employer, I’m surprised it won summary judgment. Nevertheless, this case illustrates that in the right circumstances, an employer can deny granting an extended medical leave without violating the ADA.

If you are planning on denying an unpaid leave as a reasonable accommodation, understand that these terminations are risky and will draw scrutiny from the EEOC. Employers should make sure they have documented (on a case-by-case basis) the following to support a claim of undue hardship, such that a court will not perceive your efforts as a sham to evade an obligation to extend a leave of absence as a reasonable accommodation:

  • The cost of the accommodation.
  • The employer’s overall size, number, composition, structure, and functions  of employees, and the financial resources.
  • The financial resources of the facility in question, including the number of persons employed, and the effect of the accommodation on expenses, resources, and operations.
  • The relationship of the facility in question to the overall operations of the employer.

Written by Jon Hyman, a partner in the Labor & Employment group of Kohrman Jackson & Krantz. For more information, contact Hyman at (216) 736-7226 or jth@kjk.com. You can also follow Hyman on Twitter at @jonhyman.

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The Culture of M&A

Corporate bedfellows continue to rush through courtships and say “I do” to organizational marriages whose financial performances prove disappointing in the boardroom.
Decade after decade, studies find that the vast majority of mergers and acquisitions falter. One reason often cited: culture. More than 90 percent of mergers-and-acquisition professionals surveyed by consultancy McKinsey & Co. say that their deals would have “substantially benefited” from better understanding the organizational cultures before the merger.
Consultants offer these four tips for increasing the odds of a happy organizational union.
1. Know thyself, said Dan Avery, a principal with the mergers-and-acquisition practice of Point B, a management consulting and venture investment firm. Often, acquirers focus on assessing the culture of the target, he said. But the acquirer needs a deep understanding of both cultures.
2. Use data from your human resource information system, said Karen Bundy, a principal with Mercer’s mergers-and-acquisition business. “It can be very telling as to how your organization behaves, what employees actually ‘do’ vs. what they ‘say,’ ” she said.
One company looked at a potential merger partner’s internal labor flow map—a picture that shows how people move into, through and out of an organization —and turnover data. They showed that, though the potential partner said it had a performance-management culture, it was “managing out” its good talent because its practices were too black-and-white, Bundy said.
3. Focus on shaping culture rather than integrating it, said Kevin Knowles, principal at Deloitte Human Capital Consulting. “You can integrate people, processes and technology,” Knowles said. “But you can’t integrate culture—effectively.”
Mergers and acquisitions succeed when culture and strategy reinforce each other and enable an outstanding employee experience, a differentiated customer experience and superior business performance, he said.
“We have the ability to precisely define where behavior will inhibit or execute strategy, but more often than not I see clients using a standard one-size-fits-all approach to their culture,” Knowles said. “Shaping culture is more a science than an art — but unless it’s fully committed to enabling strategy and delivering value, it will always be a silent killer of value in M&A.”
4. Acknowledge the transition may feel scary and that your workforce may have questions that can’t be answered yet, said Linda Fite, vice president of training and consulting with Pritchett, a firm that specializes in change-management and merger integration. “Set their expectations to meet the reality that they’re going to experience,” she said. “Otherwise, they’ll see that reality as proof it’s not working out and that they should start looking for another job.”
 

Todd Henneman is a writer based in Los Angeles. Comment below or email editors@workforce.com. Follow Workforce on Twitter at @workforcenews.

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What Do I Do if the Boss and a Colleague Hook Up?

Dear Too Close:

Few things can disrupt a culturally healthy team like a dating relationship between co-worker and team leader, and it may be more common than you think. CareerBuilder reports 38 percent of women and 21 percent of menhave dated someone above them in the organization hierarchy.  Unfortunately, when that happens, the prognosis for the team is not good.

While a workplace tryst may provide temporary bliss for the couple involved, bliss is not what the rest of the team will experience. Team openness, trust, collaboration, and commitment all suffer when a leader and one team member form an “item.” 

Whether they intend to or not, the couple will naturally raise their personal relationship above that of the team — including team objectives and commitments. This is probably the source of the perceived favoritism.

If your suspicions are correct, your involved co-worker now exerts a special influence over the team leader. As a result, members of your team probably find themselves less willing to share information both with the team leader and co-worker. Your team may fracture as those within the involved co-worker’s personal circle become “insiders.” Or, team members may alienate the co-worker.

If your team was previously a high-performing unit, the fallout could substantially disrupt the business, damaging morale, employee engagement, or work processes. These reasons, and your commitment to team success, obligate you to do what you can to resolve it. But consider this: As long as you only suspect the couple is having an affair and have only circumstantial evidence, treat the situation as if it’s something the team can handle. If the evidence is undeniable, you should take your concerns to an HR leader or a trusted leader who is at least the same level as your team leader.

Let’s assume for a moment that you really only have a sneaking suspicion about the couple’s relationship, but it’s clear that the leader’s recent behaviors are hurting the team’s ability to execute the mission. You are still probably hesitant to raise this ticklish issue. After all, the person you need to confront is someone with control over your livelihood – you will want some reassurance that you can address the problem without damaging the relationship or your career.

If you decide to confront your leader about the problem, here are some important guidelines to follow:

Make a list beforehand of the three most problematic leader practices stemming from what you have observed and the affects they have on the team’s ability to produce results. Be as specific as you can with descriptions of lower morale, reduced productivity, wasted time, inefficient communications, and so on. Provide metrics, if possible, to back up your observations.

When you meet with your leader, show thoughtfulness and compassion, focusing on team goals rather than his relationship with the co-worker. Begin by explaining why the topic is important to the team, hold the conversation you prepared beforehand, and suggest ways the leader could improve team results. Ask him how he feels about your ideas and what concerns he has about them. Offer to help him and the team with these challenges and thank him for considering your ideas.

If you manage the conversation well, your leader should recognize your sincere concern for the team and thoughtfully consider your suggestions. Although it won’t solve the greater problems inherent in a dalliance between your leader and co-worker, the conversation may encourage your leader to mitigate them at some level, if your suspicions are accurate.

If things don’t improve, the bad news is you will have to consider the possibility that your suspicions about your leader and co-worker were correct and that your team will never be the same. At that point, you will be faced with the prospect of living with a damaged team that may never recover, asking for a transfer, or polishing your resume for a new beginning elsewhere.

SOURCE: Kevin Herring, President, Ascent Management Consulting, Ltd., Oro Valley, Arizona

 

 

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Is the ROI on an MBA Now MIA?

Obtaining a master’s degree in business administration has placed Carolyn Sweetapple on the executive fast track at North Shore-LIJ Health System.

The Great Neck, New York-based hospital network provided full tuition payment so she could pursue an MBA in quality management at Hofstra University in nearby Hempstead. Sweetapple has been promoted twice since earning the degree in 2008. Her latest climb up the corporate ladder came in May when she was named the assistant vice president of operations at North Shore-LIJ’s system project management office.

More so than the promotions, though, Sweetapple said the “cohort-centric” nature of an MBA program — small groups of upwardly mobile, like-minded executives across varied sectors learning together — proves invaluable. “You’re networking with different people and are immediately challenged to apply what you learn. I know it’s enhanced my critical thinking and my ability to synthesize complex ideas,” she said.

Sweetapple is one of more than 300 leaders to be given a full ride since Hofstra launched its MBA program in 2006. North Shore-LIJ’s generous investment in executive education stands in stark contrast to the prevailing corporate attitude. Only 26 percent of students in executive MBA programs received full sponsorship from their employers in 2012, according to a survey by the Executive MBA Council, a trade group based in Orange, California. That’s down from 33 percent who received it in a similar survey taken in 2008. The survey is based on responses from 3,200 students at more than 100 MBA programs.

Seventy years have elapsed since the first executive MBA was unveiled by the University of Chicago’s business school (now known as the Booth School of Business) in 1943. Yet companies appear to still be searching for a formula that connects the dots to the bottom line. “What’s the return on investment? It’s the question we get asked the most,” said Sarah Perez, executive director of EMBA programs at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.

It also could be the wrong question to ask, she said. “Do employers reward and motivate their high potentials after they finish the program? Are they being challenged and given growth opportunities? If not, those new MBA grads may not stay for long — and that’s a real ROI issue for companies,” Perez said.

There is value in cohorts of leaders learning together, but more and more companies are unable to wait for an executive to finish a degree, said Jim Kauffman, a consultant with Development Dimensions International, a human resources consulting firm based in Pittsburgh.

“The key word is acceleration. Companies know if they wait around for leaders to mature, they’ll never be able to grow fast enough,” Kauffman said.

The recession is partly to blame for short-term declines in full corporate funding, although the changing nature of the employee-employer relationship is the biggest factor, said Michael Desiderio, the Executive MBA Council’s executive director.

“Executives are saying, ‘Listen, we want our people to have some skin in the game.’ The days of taking any class you want and having your company pay 100 percent are pretty much over,” Desiderio said.

Executive Education Minus the MBA

Only 18 percent of companies say they have sufficient leadership depth for sustained growth, according to “Global Leadership Forecast 2011,” a report by human resources consulting firm Development Dimensions International.

Adding MBA grads is one strategy, although the demand exceeds supply. Plus, lack of visibility may discourage companies from sponsoring an executive toward an MBA, said Jim Kauffman, an executive consultant at DDI. “If an executive is taking an MBA program, you can’t really see what it is he’s learning or how it’s relevant to his job.”

To accelerate the development of leaders, Kauffman said companies want their existing training to be reconfigured to “address specific business themes that drive growth,” such as speed to market or business agility. Chief executives want their top leaders to learn collaboratively in settings that mimic the “cohort” approach favored by MBA programs. That includes project teams charged with tackling real, pressing business issues.

Another trend: rising use of assessment centers — a method that uses simulations, in-basket exercises, case studies and feedback — to give leaders a “day in the life” experience.  

—Garry Kranz

Return on Retention, Recruiting
Still, North Shore-LIJ illustrates that companies in fast-moving sectors or disruptive markets are willing to make sizable investments in up-and-comers. Joe Cabral, the health system’s chief human resources officer, said the MBA program at Hofstra is one component of accelerated development of high performers. The initiative arose from the need to rapidly identify future executives, particularly with 20 percent of senior leaders nearing retirement. North Shore-LIJ plans to launch in January 2014 a similar MBA program in conjunction with Baruch College in New York.

“Getting an MBA gives them the three things they need: an understanding of the business side of health care, strong leadership skills and technical proficiency. In that order,” Cabral said.

The high-potential program includes first-time leaders all the way up to decision-makers, Cabral said. MBA candidates, though, are primarily experienced leaders at the team, operational and strategic levels. Cabral said 311 employees have earned an MBA at the company’s expense thus far. The diverse group includes physicians, nurses, allied health care professionals and administrators — even engineers who manage the infrastructure for North Shore-LIJ’s 16 hospitals and 400 ambulatory and physician practices in the New York metropolitan area.

Keeping the pipeline filled is a priority. Each year, 80 to 100 leaders are methodically chosen and encouraged to get their graduate degree, with North Shore-LIJ paying full freight. Those tapped for the program can elect to pursue an MBA with a focus on quality or health care, respectively, Cabral said.

He added that North Shore-LIJ spends an estimated $500,000 annually on MBAs alone. “For us it’s well worth the investment. If they don’t have it already, we encourage our high-potential leaders to go get their MBA — on us.”

The sizable investment is more than a nice gesture, though. The retention rate of newly minted MBAs is 96 percent, and 8 in 10 grads have advanced to positions of expanded authority, enabling the company to pivot quickly when planning for succession, Cabral said.

“Anytime you can reduce turnover, it’s a great thing. It’s also a great thing to be able to promote from within. And because we’ve seen such incredible growth in a short time, being able to deepen our leadership bench makes this program a no-brainer,” Cabral said.

While North Shore primes internal leaders, Deloitte Consulting LLP is trying to skim the proverbial cream off the annual MBA crop. The New York-based professional services firm is in the midst of aggressive MBA recruiting.

Approximately 500 full-time MBAs will be hired in 2013, along with up to 250 MBA interns in 2013, said Chris Franck, a principal at Deloitte who leads national MBA recruiting for its strategy and operations practice.

“We’ve seen an increase in our demand for MBA talent year over year, and we expect that trend to continue,” Franck said.

Deloitte is recruiting MBAs across all of its businesses, including positions in its human capital, strategy and operations and technology consulting practices, Franck said. MBA graduates with leadership skills, the ability to think analytically and outstanding communication skills are highly prized.

“And we’re always looking for people who have the ability to collaborate and work effectively on diverse teams,” Franck said.

Decades ago, sponsoring companies often paid full freight, but that is less and less common, experts say.

Tuition costs have been on the rise for several decades, prompting companies to review how, and in whom, they invest precious MBA dollars, said Patty Keegan, the associate dean of the executive MBA program for North America at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

“When we see companies invest in an MBA student, it’s typically done as part of an integrated long-term development plan for high potentials. It’s not a perk: Companies are much more selective than they used to be about whom they send through these programs,” Keegan said.

Keegan and other MBA program directors trace the drop in full funding to the early 2000s — around the time the dot-com bubble burst and sent the U.S. economy into a tailspin. It got jolted again when a global recession hit in 2007.

As they are wont to do in tough economic times, many companies slashed corporate training budgets, including MBA programs. They focused on short-term goals such as trimming expenses and finding new revenue, “and the idea of long-term succession planning kind of became an afterthought,” said Kristin Polito, director of the executive MBA program at Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School in Boston.

Polito said MBA programs also may be a victim of their own success. MBAs graduate and return to work prepared to take on additional responsibilities, yet too often their employers haven’t mapped out a career path. The frustrated grads leave for greener pastures, which in turn causes frustrated companies to pare back sponsorship or pull the plug altogether.

“I won’t name names, but I know of some pretty blue-chip companies that have begun to question the value. Some even consider it a distraction for an executive, as opposed to really helping advance their leadership development,” Polito said.

Paying Their Own Way  
Before receiving tuition, North Shore-LIJ’s MBA students are required to sign a contract that binds them to the company for two years. It’s actually a pretty common practice, although Perez said it can present a challenge for some organizations.

“A lot of students at UNC-Flagler prefer to self-fund,” Perez said. “That way, they don’t have to make a multiple-year commitment to a single employer” in exchange for full funding.

According to the EMBA Council, 39 percent of students self-funded their MBA pursuits in 2012, meaning they received no corporate financial sponsorship. That figure is up from 32 percent who self-funded in 2008, although the number is skewed by the inclusion of entrepreneurs who typically bear the full burden of tuition.
Chris Thomas bootstrapped his way through an MBA at Smeal College of Business at Penn State University, using competitive merit scholarships, a graduate assistantship and personal loans. Thomas said he has no regrets: It helped him land an internship with General Electric Co., which hired him full time as a marketing associate in 2007.
Thomas spent 2008 to 2010 learning a number of different sales and marketing functions at GE as part of a rotation-based development program known as the Experienced Commercial Leadership Program — the same program he now leads as global recruiting director. The ECLP, as it’s known at GE, is an accelerated leadership program for commercial professionals with five to eight years of experience.

People recruited for the ECLP are required to have already obtained an MBA or a relevant master’s degree. “GE has such a diverse product line that it’s important to find high potentials with both a business education and good consultative selling skills, especially in emerging market,” Thomas said, noting that roughly two-thirds of candidates recruited for the ECLP come from outside the U.S.

Do Raises Equal ROI?
Companies may not be providing the same level of financial backing as in previous years, but they are willing to pay for the brainpower associated with earning the degree.

The EMBA Council says the average salary and bonus package for an executive starting an MBA program was $141,000 in 2012. At its conclusion, the combined pay climbed to $165,000.

The increased earning power may not be a direct connection to bottom-line return on investment, but it does suggest companies still recognize the important role an MBA plays in a leader’s career.

“The fact that an employer is willing to pay these people more speaks well about the value of the degree,” Desiderio said.

That’s the case at Deloitte, whose aggressive MBA recruiting is being fueled by surging demand for services globally. People who have the tenacity to finish an MBA possess skills that are highly valued, Franck said.

“Because we are in a client-service business, we need professionals who have the confidence, curiosity and intellect to innovate solutions that solve the complex challenges organizations face,” Franck said.

North Shore-LIJ, meanwhile, is gearing up to assess its next batch of internal high-potential candidates. Cabral said the company solicits nominees each year from department heads, a process that generally yields 150 to 175 candidates. The list is whittled to about 80 to 100 finalists following a three-month vetting window. “We put a lot of rigor around the process,” Cabral said.

It’s the same process North Shore-LIJ used to identify Sweetapple, who was among the first 100 leaders handpicked to receive the fast-track development. She said it was both humbling and empowering. “Getting an MBA has had an immediate impact on my career and, of course, it makes me extremely loyal to North Shore-LIJ. Now it’s my turn to give something back to the company.”

Garry Kranz is a Workforce contributing editor. Comment below or email editors@workforce.com. Follow Workforce on Twitter at @workforcenews.

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How to Handle the Malingering FMLA Abuser

Let’s say you have an employee who claims to be suffering from a chronic back injury. He even has doctor’s notes certifying that his back pain impairs his “ability to lift, to carry heavy objects, to bend repeatedly, or actually bend at the waist.” So, you grant the employee intermittent leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, which the employee uses several times each month. But, you start to notice a pattern. The employee’s FMLA-protected days off always seem to bookend weekends and holidays. As a result, HR initiates an investigation, which includes surveillance of the employee.

That surveillance uncovers that while the employee is home supposedly resting his painful back, he is actually going out for coffee, shopping, and working in his garage repeatedly bending down, lifting pieces of wood, and carrying them into his house. When confronted, the employee suggests that “‘maybe’ his doctor had given him a shot of Cortisone earlier in the day.” Unimpressed, the employer ultimately terminates the employee for “fraudulent or illegal conduct.”

In Tillman v. Ohio Bell Tel. Co. [pdf], the 6th Circuit affirmed the trial court’s dismissal of the employee’s FMLA retaliation and interference claims. The court concluded that Tillman could not pursue his retaliation claim because the company “held an honest belief that Tillman had abused his FMLA leave and violated the company Code of Business Conduct,” and could not pursue his interference claim because, whether or not the “honest belief rule” applies to interference claims, Tillman was not entitled to FMLA leave on days on which he was not actually suffering from a serious health condition.

This case is a great lesson for employers on how to build a case to support a termination decision. If you believe that an employee is abusing FMLA leave, build your case. Uncover enough facts to support your belief that that employee is committing fraud and otherwise not entitled to leave. Armed with that evidence, a court is unlikely to overturn your decision. While it may cost you a little extra up front in investigatory costs, you will save money on the backend both in litigation costs and future abuses by employees deterred from malingering.

Written by Jon Hyman, a partner in the Labor & Employment group of Kohrman Jackson & Krantz. For more information, contact Hyman at (216) 736-7226 or jth@kjk.com. You can also follow Hyman on Twitter @jonhyman.

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Workforce Analytics: Disney’s Real-Life Fairy Tale

Pixar's "Monsters University," the prequel to "Monsters Inc.," was a hit for Disney this summer. 

It’s a numbers game at the HR Tech conference this year in Las Vegas.

I do mean numbers like lucky 7s, hard 8s and terrible 12s (more on my introduction to craps in a later post). But also a numbers game in terms of the growing exploration and adoption of workforce analytics.

A highlight at the industry trade show Oct. 8 was a session titled “Analytics Help Draw a Clear Talent Picture at Disney Animation Studios.”

Presenters Ann Le Cam, vice president of human resources and production management at Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Al Adamsen, president of consulting firm The Talent Strategy Institute, spoke about the way Disney has become data-conscious in the way it manages its creative workforce.

It’s a true-life fairy tale of sorts. The studio, with a rich history of producing the likes of "Snow White" among other treasured classics, hit hard times in the 2000s. Disney animators and managers struggled to make the shift from two-dimensional animated films to 3-D pictures. Films including "Treasure Planet" flopped. Management tended not to be grounded in hard facts. “We were very emotional” in decision-making, Le Cam said.

Things changed when Disney bought computer-animated studio Pixar in 2006. Pixar executive Ed Catmull is a computer scientist and expected a more rigorous approach to operations, Le Cam said. That sparked an effort to focus more on metrics. To aid the project, Le Cam brought in Adamsen, who had been an HR analytics practice leader at software firm Kenexa, which is now part of IBM.

Disney’s analytics push began in part with basic definitions. It created a “data dictionary” spelling out how different metrics would be calculated. Terms like "capacity planning" and "workforce planning" had different meanings to different people. “A data dictionary is square one,” Adamsen said.

And rather than focus too much on technology tools, Le Cam and her team emphasized working with colleagues to get agreement on the goals of the effort and how it would be carried out.

Film production has an inherent element of volatility. Le Cam noted that studio head John Lasseter or other members of Disney’s “brain trust” can come in part way through production and declare that a movie isn’t good enough. Films sent back to the drawing board in this way can trigger talent shake-ups, such as the need to hire more people pronto.

Still, Disney is working to be more systematic with its planning. It now creates a chart demonstrating the expected talent needs for multiple films over time. Another step is surveying those involved with a movie about the likelihood that it will be done on time. If answers are consistent, that’s a predictor of success. If they vary widely, trouble is probably brewing.

Adamsen said efforts like Disney’s should focus on business goals like better performance, a better work experience for employees and reduced risk rather than simply being able to produce numbers. The term “workforce analytics” isn’t going to mean much to executives, he said.

Indeed, the language around analytics proved to be important to Disney. The term “data-driven decisions” didn’t sit well with everyone. There was concern the “human” was getting lost in human resources. So Le Cam and her team altered the phrasing to “data-informed” decision-making.

Disney has a ways to go with respect to workforce analytics, Le Cam said. Nevertheless, her work to date has a happy ending apropos of a Disney movie classic. Attention to metrics, data and planning around talent has shifted the culture of Disney animated films and contributed to recent successes such as "Tangled" and "Wreck-It Ralph," she said: “We transformed the studio.” 

Ed Frauenheim is associate editorial director of Workforce. Comment below or email him at efrauenheim@workforce.com. Follow Frauenheim on Twitter at @edfrauenheim.

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Workforce Management Magazine Gets a Face-Lift

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

Workforce Management Magazine Gets a Face-Lift

91-year-old publication redesigned to better serve the needs of executive readers

Chicago, Aug. 8, 2013— Workforce Management, the business magazine serving the needs of human resources professionals since 1922, will undergo a major redesign with its September issue, according to executives at MediaTec Publishing, who acquired the publication in January.

In announcing the redesign, Norman B. Kamikow, MediaTec president and editor in chief, revealed the company began planning the overhaul during the due diligence process that was part of the acquisition from Crain Communications Inc. An extensive readership survey conducted in October 2012 was the starting point.

The magazine's editors also recruited a blue-ribbon editorial advisory board composed of senior HR executives from a diverse group of organizations including IBM, BAE Systems, Sodexo, General Mills, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Lowe's Cos. and DreamWorks. Industry thought leaders Dave Ulrich of the University of Michigan, Workforce contributor and veteran blogger Kris Dunn and attorney and employment law expert Jon Hyman round out the board.

"Media consumption has changed, but an overwhelming percentage of Workforce readers are telling us they first turn to industry websites and magazines to get news and information about human resources and workplace management," said Kamikow. "One cannot underestimate the importance of the print publication to the mix. It forms the basis of all we do on the Web, in our newsletters, live and virtual events and lead generation program.

"Research shows readers give us very high marks for the quality of our writing and the breadth of the topics we cover, but they want more," he said. "The executives who read the magazine tell us they want quick but thorough reads, sharable data that boils down a trend or direction, and actionable news and insight on timely, relevant topics."

The new look will include:

  • More content aimed at the needs of senior HR leaders, including expanded feature coverage, industry news and analysis, adding up to a 100 percent increase in editorial pages.
  • Thought-provoking commentary from industry-leading columnists.
  • Fresher, tighter and more impactful reader-friendly design.
  • Engaging cover art and photography along with a redesigned table of contents.

"Our new tagline, 'Business, Strategy and Management,' succinctly sums up our focus," said Mike Prokopeak, vice president and editorial director. "We will provide readers critical insight into the business side of human resources — the deep and lasting strategies at play and management advice and analysis for making HR a more effective resource for organizational growth."

"Workforce sits at the intersection of business and the practice of HR, continually scanning the horizon for emerging developments and critical trends and analyzing and breaking them down for their implications for the management of human resources," he added.

The Workforce audience is composed of HR decision-makers and leaders responsible for core HR areas including benefits, compensation, talent acquisition, HR policy and administration, employee relations, performance and employee development.

###

For more information on Workforce, please visit www.workforce.com.

About MediaTec Publishing Inc.

MediaTec Publishing Inc. is a leading integrated media company serving the human capital, management and workforce development industries. MediaTec publishes Chief Learning Officer, Diversity Executive, Talent Management and Workforce magazines and operates the online industry resource HumanCapitalMedia.com. MediaTec leverages its award-winning editorial content with innovative integrated media products, including targeted e-newsletters, webinars, interactive websites, special print and online supplements, resource guides, industry research and conferences that bring together international audiences to network and discuss leading-edge strategy and best practices in the industry. MediaTec partners with recognized industry experts and provides thought-provoking feature articles, news, opinions and insights through its award-winning publications, events and e-media. Each MediaTec product gives readers the business intelligence and knowledge they need to succeed in new and changing markets.

Contact:
Taylar Ramsey
Marketing Coordinator
MediaTec Publishing Inc.
(312) 676-9900 ext. 208
tramsey@humancapitalmedia.com

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What to Look for in the Coming Year From the EEOC

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking on social media at ACI’s Employment Discrimination Conference in New York City. One of the benefits of speaking at such an event is the ability to hear the other great speakers. Yesterday was no exception.

The conference’s keynote speaker was Constance Barker, one of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s two Republican Commissioners. She was thoughtful and eloquent in sharing her personal opinion on the direction of her Agency.

One of the highlights of her remarks was the sharing of four issues on the Agency’s radar that she expects will appear as formal, written Enforcement Guidance in the coming year.

Needless to say, the EEOC’s activism is not going away (at least between now and 2016). Employers need to keep an close eye on these issues as the develop in the future at the Agency.

Written by Jon Hyman, a partner in the Labor & Employment group of Kohrman Jackson & Krantz. For more information, contact Jon at (216) 736-7226 or jth@kjk.com.

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Is Our Goal Equality or Equity?

WF_WebSite_BlogHeaders-12On Aug. 28, we will mark 50 years since the March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech. With the recent not guilty verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman for having shot and killed unarmed African-American teen Trayvon Martin, racial tensions and familiar questions are bubbling to the surface, and many are questioning how much progress has been made in diversity and inclusiveness since 1963.

One of the ways we can move forward and change the old scripts is to focus on equity, not equality.  Equality, according to Webster’s Dictionary, means “as great as,” “the same as,” or “like or alike in quantity, degree, value, etc.” King only mentioned equality twice in his “I Have a Dream” speech, and while he was likely referring to the “as great as” meaning of the word, it’s the latter definition — a sense of uniformity and sameness — and its lack of desirability that seems to be coming out in many opinions lately regarding race in the U.S.

While most people profess valuing human differences to some degree, and decry any attempt to make us all “the same,” few truly believe or comprehend the real and profound differences in people’s perspectives and lived experiences. We assume that people are like interchangeable machines, believing that the justice system metes out objective decisions equally to all, and that had Zimmerman’s and Martin’s roles or races been reversed, the outcome of the trial would have (should have) been the same.   We assume that the N-word uttered by young black males to each other in friendly social settings is the exact same N-word spoken by white celebrity chef Paula Deen to her husband and employees.

However, these assumptions are naïve at best and dangerous at worst. We are not apples and apples. Even when we speak the same words and perform the same actions, they are not the same. There is a different context, history and impact in those scenarios depending on who the players are. Arguing about whether or not it should be that way is moot.

Equality is a “universalist” approach, centered within oneself, applying one set of rules to vastly diverse people and situations. It focuses on keeping my behavior consistent. It says “I treat everyone equally.”  Equity, defined by Webster’s as “the quality of being fair or impartial” and “that which is just,” is centered on others, on keeping the impact of my behavior on diverse others consistent. For instance, my parents had one set of rules for all three of us kids about how old we had to be before getting our first watch, first bicycle, first bra, etc. The well-intended, theoretically “fair” uniformity (equality) of those rules turned out to be very unfair (inequitable) in their practical application given that we had different needs and maturation rates.

King didn’t mention equity in his speech, but he did mention justice eight times, and injustice three times. I suspect he’d think that fairness and justice (equity) is preferable to sameness (equality). And I suspect he’d believe that regardless of our good conscious intentions, it’s the impact of our words, actions, policies and systems, and whether or not those are equitable, that matter more. Besides, “equity” also refers to a security representing an ownership interest in an investment. And isn’t it time we all held more equity in D&I and its dream deferred of excellence and brilliance?

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20-Year Sales Veteran Joins Human Capital Media as Eastern Advertising Manager

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

20-Year Sales Veteran Joins Human Capital Media as Eastern Advertising Manager

Chicago, July 22, 2013 — Laurel Metz has joined the Human Capital Media (HCM) sales team as eastern advertising manager.

Metz, who has more than 20 years of media sales experience, previously worked for Summit Business Media as eastern account manager.

In her new role, Metz will be responsible for generating revenue and providing customer care for all clients within the eastern territory for HCM publications, including Chief Learning Officer, Talent Management and Diversity Executive magazines as well as all related media including websites, sponsored newsletters, pay-per-lead programs and webinars.

 “I am truly delighted to have Laurel on the HCM sales team,” said Cliff Capone, associate publisher. “Her experience is a perfect fit and I am confident that Laurel will play a pivotal role in helping to take our business to the next level.”

For more information on Human Capital Media, please visit www.humancapitalmedia.com

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About MediaTec Publishing Inc.

MediaTec Publishing Inc. is a leading integrated media company serving the human capital, management and workforce development industries. MediaTec publishes Chief Learning Officer, Diversity Executive, Talent Management and Workforce magazinesand operates the online industry resource HumanCapitalMedia.com. MediaTec leverages its award-winning editorial content with innovative integrated media products, including targeted e-newsletters, webinars, interactive websites, special print and online supplements, resource guides, industry research and conferences that bring together international audiences to network and discuss leading-edge strategy and best practices in the industry. MediaTec partners with recognized industry experts and provides thought-provoking feature articles, news, opinions and insights through its award-winning publications, events and e-media. Each MediaTec product gives readers the business intelligence and knowledge they need to succeed in new and changing markets.

Contact:
Taylar Ramsey
Marketing Coordinator
MediaTec Publishing Inc.
(312) 676-9900 ext. 208
tramsey@humancapitalmedia.com