The People Group

Tag: benefits

All Jobs Are Temporary

We are all temporary workers. All of us.

If you have an executive position in a corner office with great benefits and a pension plan, your job is temporary. If you have a full-time position with 20 years service at a rock solid, well-known company, your job is temporary.

Your rock solid, well-known company is temporary too.

If you are a part-time employee working at a highly respected non-profit organization that depends on funding from generous donors, your job is temporary.

If you are a temporary employee from an employment agency working at a client company, your job is definitely temporary.

If you are an employee who depends on someone else to produce your payroll check, your job is temporary.

If you are a successful business owner who produces products or services, even your job is temporary.

All jobs are temporary.

When those paychecks arrive every two weeks and the funds are direct deposited into your account, it is so easy to think this money train is going to run forever. But that’s not how it works in our economy.

The purpose of this article is not to scare you. We just need to be reminded of the realities of life; everything is temporary.

Enjoy it while you can. Do good every day. Treat people with respect. Be kind to children and the elderly. Adopt an abandoned dog. Pay for someone’s lunch. Take a break and go walk in a park and enjoy the sun. Spend time with your friends and family. Be hospitable.

Not only are our jobs temporary, our lives are temporary too. Make the most of every day.

February 12, 2016
The Big Lie: Nothing Will Change

Employees are told a big lie in most mergers or acquisitions. What is that big lie? Nothing will change.

The underhanded purpose of this statement is to calm down the troops so they will keep their heads down and work hard to complete the details of the deal. The first lie from leadership starts a downward spiral of other lies.

John Mariotti, a Forbes contributor, wrote an important article on this topic, entitled, “When Leaders Lie — Bad Things Happen.” He states, “A typical corporate leader’s lie is the one that follows an acquisition or a merger: ‘Nothing will change.’ What utter nonsense that statement is. Of course things will change—maybe everything.”

People who thought their jobs were safe, based upon the words of their leaders, are eventually laid-off.

Locations who thought they were safe, based on the words of their leaders, are closed or are left with a skeleton crew.

Communities who thought their large corporate donor was staying in their city, based on the words of the corporation’s leaders, lose life-saving contributions.

One of the big problems with merger mania are the change-in-control provisions embedded in executive incentive compensation plans. These provisions protect company leaders by triggering 100% vesting in lucrative compensation plans. This translates into big money. The allure of a life-changing monetary windfall can cause unethical behavior, including bad decisions and misleading communications.

The next time you are told, nothing will change, remember past corporate practices make this very unlikely.

November 10, 2015
What’s your deal?
With 32% of U.S. workers seriously considering making the leap to a different employer, now is a good time to evaluate your employment package. As an employer, what are you offering to employees to ensure you attract and retain the best talent and succeed in the marketplace? In other words, what’s your deal?

According to the latest research by Mercer, the following are the big issues to consider:
- Base Pay – Only 53% of employees are satisfied with their base pay
- Flexibility – 59% say they have some flexibility – younger workers value flexibility
- Work Load – 66% say their work load is reasonable
- Retirement – 40% of employees say employers are not doing enough to help them plan for retirement
- Career – Only 53% expect to achieve their career objectives at their current employer
- Benefits – 68% rate their benefits as good or very good
- Job Satisfaction – 79% like the work they do
- Management – Only 54% of employees believe their companies are well managed
The magnetic force of a company’s culture is the one area that helps to resolve many of these issues. Great company work environments entice employees to stay because leaving would seem like moving away from their family. Employee turnover at Fortune’s Best Places to Work in America is half of their competition. Don’t forget; part of your deal should include a great workplace.
August 11, 2011