Some companies stole a page from unions’ playbook for last Tuesday’s election. Not only did they urge workers to get out and vote, but they created scorecards on candidates for employees, based on issues favorable to the company.
Rallying support for candidates is one way that companies are seeking to blunt organized labor’s influence. According to Bloomberg News, more than 170 companies, including Timken Co., Procter & Gamble Co. and Ashland Inc., use Web sites, e-mails and newsletters to urge workers to vote and to distinguish candidates they favor.
At Ashland Inc., a chemicals company based in Covington, Ky., all workers are notified of their local deadline for voter registration, says company spokesman Stanford Lampe. In addition, workers who elect to contribute to the company’s political action committee can access a Web page that summarizes how candidates stand on issues important to the company, such as global trade.
“Nearly any business unit can be dramatically affected by public policy,” said Lampe, and a synopsis can help employees make informed decisions when voting.
Federal law prohibits businesses from asking workers to contribute to a candidate’s campaign or directly telling them which candidates to vote for or against. But it’s OK to discuss political issues, distribute candidate guides based on voting records or sponsor get-out-the-vote drives, the Federal Elections Commission states.
Koreans protest shorter workweek
Change is seldom easy to take–even if it results in an easier workweek. More than 80,000 Korean factory workers went on strike recently to protest proposed legislation that would reduce their workweek from 5 1/2 days to five days, the standard in most industrial nations.
The catch was that they would have to give up a number of paid holidays in exchange for the shorter week, and union officials said workers found that a bad deal. The strike shut down the country’s two largest carmakers, Hyundai Motor and its Kia subsidiary. Workers went back to their jobs after the government agreed to postpone action on the bill.
Pay: Don’t ask, don’t tell
“So, what do you earn?”
Many employees would rather dance naked through their office corridors than answer such a question. And in most organizations, the topic of salary remains top-secret.
But the Knowledge of Pay study, sponsored by the human resources professional organization WorldatWork in Scottsdale, Ariz., shows that letting workers know more about pay grades and raise policies can boost employees’ satisfaction with their pay–which in turn strengthens their commitment to their employer.
The survey of more than 6,000 managers and employees from 26 U.S. and Canadian organizations found that the average employee rarely asks about pay. Just 17 percent of managers said they are frequently approached by employees with questions about their job grades and only 15 percent said they’re frequently asked about the consistency of pay practices. The perception, say study authors, is that such questions will lead to retribution or won’t yield honest answers.
Yet the study found that workers who had more knowledge about how their pay system worked and how individual compensation packages are determined were more likely to be satisfied with their pay. Knowing more about compensation also improved retention and an employee’s willingness to refer friends and family to the organization.
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Holiday party how-tos
Most of us have enough sense not to drink ourselves into a stupor or belt out our own version of “Feelings” at the office holiday party. But there’s more to navigating these annual events, says Frank Goldstin, president of Chicago-based G/M! Productions, an event production firm. Among his tips:
– Arriving late isn’t fashionable–nor is cutting out early. Your boss has gone to a lot of effort to plan the party and is likely to notice if you sneak out early.
– Before heading to the buffet, greet the host, even if he or she is a boss who you speak to daily.
– Avoid clammy, cold handshakes by holding your drink in your left hand and shaking with your right.
– Tacky decorations? Awful food? Hold your tongue. The same goes for gossiping about co-workers.