December 2023 | 42nd EDITION NEWSLETTER | |
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Five Tips to Encourage a Collaborative Hybrid Workplace
ASAE | Lizabeth Wesely-Casella | November 21, 2023
Associations are working to build better ways of supporting their distributed staff teams. Explore five ideas to promote teamwork among employees and keep stress down. In its recent “State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report,” Gallup explored the interdependency of operations and the human experience. The report describes the measurable impact of employee disengagement and its connection to stress and burnout.
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It’s Time to Define Your Company’s Principles
Harvard Business Review | Jack Fuchs, Scott Sandell,
Vikram Shanke | From the Magazine (November–December 2023)
On January 8, 2021, an unprecedented move reverberated through the digital sphere. Under the stewardship of Jack Dorsey, then its CEO, Twitter banned a sitting U.S. president, Donald Trump, from its platform. The social media company explained this action by saying that Trump had violated its user policy by inciting violence. Nearly two years later Elon Musk, now at the platform’s helm, reinstated the former president’s account.
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7 Habits HR Leaders Should Promote to Build a Healthy Culture
HR Executive | Jill Barth | November 16, 2023
Performance and culture share a meaningful connection, says Kevin Oakes, the CEO and co-founder of the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp). Speaking to CHRO at HRE’s Strategy Summit last week in San Diego, Oakes emphasized that thriving companies possess a secret advantage: a robust organizational culture.
According to i4cp’s 2023 Culture Fitness study, high-performance organizations—marked by significant growth in revenue, profitability, market share and elevated customer satisfaction—are nearly six times more likely to enjoy a culture that aligns with their objectives compared to their less successful counterparts.
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I just wanted to thank you both so much for including me in the IEC and MEC this year. The incredible amount of time and energy you put into the conferences in unbelievable, but the love you have shines through and I think brings a collaborative spirit for everyone to learn and share. So THANK YOU for all you do!
MEC Speaker Lindsey K. Niemeier | Head of Strategy TCare
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Do Employees Suffer Burnout Or ‘Boreout’? How to Identify It — And 9 Ways to Help
HR Morning | Michele McGovern | November 21, 2023
Employees may complain they’re burned out. But they might actually suffer from “boreout.” They’re equally damaging — and something HR and front-line leaders will want to address and manage.
Boreout isn’t exactly the opposite of burnout, but they have similar effects on employees. Boreout is chronic boredom at work — people feel underworked, unchallenged, unmotivated and frustrated. Like burnout, it will likely increase stress, tension, turnover and poor health, according to a study published in Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
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How to Show Gratitude to Your Employees
HR Exchange Network | Francesca Di Meglio
November 23, 2023
Thanksgiving should be every day. There's no room for taking people for granted in your personal or professional life. Yet, many employees are quitting their jobs because they feel unappreciated. "The best way to stabilize your business is to stem the tsunami of attrition and increase your retention," according to Harvard Business Review. "In the frantic need to hire more people, the group we often forget to attend to are the folks who stay — those showing up day-in and day-out shouldering the work that needs to get done."
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Episode Title: "Unlocking Global Success: Navigating Cultural Differences and Shaping the Future of HR"
MEC Sponsor Evolving to Exceptional | November 14, 2023
Exciting News for HR Professionals! Join the conversation on the Evolving to Exceptional Podcast with HR expert, Sharon Winfield, and host, Jessica Tietjen, as they discuss navigating cultural differences and shaping the future of HR.
Learn from Sharon's 30 years of HR experience and discover how HR has transformed from a "backseat" function to a strategic powerhouse at the executive table. Explore the financial impact of HR and gain insights to make data-driven decisions that truly impact your organization's bottom line.
Don't miss this insightful discussion! Tune in now and elevate your HR game.
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President Biden Signs Wide-Ranging Executive Order on AI With Serious Implications for Employers
MEC Sponsor Ogletree Deakins | Jennifer G. Betts, Danielle Ochs, and Zachary V. Zagger | November 6, 2023
As various state, local, and international jurisdictions continue to propose and enact legislation relating to AI, the Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence is the first broad-based roadmap of the federal government’s approach to the quickly developing AI space.
Consistent with trends in other AI-regulatory developments, the Biden Administration’s focus is on both procedural safeguards surrounding AI (such as auditing/vetting of AI tools) as well as substantive safeguards (steps designed to ensure, for example, equity and fairness in the use of AI tools).
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The conference was great and you and your team were awesome hosts. I imagine that you’ll see members of my team every year!!
Garon Holman – Law Enforcement Corrections Officer
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Forget The 4-Day Workweek. We Should Be Talking About The 5-Day, 32-Hour Week Instead
Fast Company | Kathleen Davis | November 27, 2023
I often think about the Maggie Smith line in Downton Abbey “What is a weekend?” Being a Countess, she didn’t know what a weekend was because she had no workweek. But there was a time in the not so distant past when working Americans also had never heard of a weekend for the opposite reason: They often worked six or seven days a week.
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Research: The Benefits of a Pet-Friendly Workplace
Harvard Business Review | Shawn X. Quan & Kira Schabram November 13, 2023
Managers and organizational leaders are currently exploring the best ways to conduct in-person and hybrid work, striving to make the office as inviting as possible while leveraging in-office time for collaborative activities. In this moment of reflection about when, where, and how work should be done, it’s an opportune time to explore out-of-the-box ideas.
Let us propose one you may not have considered yet: Your office pet policy.
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New 2024 FSA And HSA Limits: What HR Needs to Know
HR Morning | Alison Roller | November 16, 2023
Ahead of the new year, the IRS has announced new contribution limits to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). FSA and HSA accounts are two popular options to help employees pay for qualified medical expenses. It’s imperative for HR pros to stay up to date on new limits and regulations for these tax-saving benefits to ensure your employees can get the most out of their funds as employees make their benefit elections. Here’s what you need to know.
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5 Essential Questions That Determine If You’re Letting This Mindset Damage Your Culture
Fast Company | Risha Gran | November 27, 2023
It’s hard to know if you suffer from a scarcity mentality, but it is worth the work and the reward to find out. “If there is a Black woman and a white man up for the same job, and if all things are considered equal such as skill sets, education, and competence, the job will go to the Black woman because of diversity.” This was said to me after asking a white man what he found challenging about embracing diversity and inclusion.
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5 Ways to Save a Faltering Transformation
HR Executive | Mark Stelzner | November 27, 2023
A close colleague of mine was asked to facilitate a workshop with the senior leadership of an organization wrestling with its ways of working. To describe the session as challenging would be an understatement, as my colleague was immediately faced with either bored indifference or outright hostility. They shared that it was heartbreaking to see the sponsor of the workshop slowly lose their optimism as participants threw up barriers and resistance at every turn.
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Training Requirements and Resources
OSHA provides information on employers' training requirements and offers resources such as free publications, videos, and other assistance to help employers protect workers against injuries and illnesses.
READ MORE
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Workplace Stress
Make Work Better - Mental Health Matters
Stress can be harmful to our health and increase mental health challenges. Mental health challenges can include clinical mental illness and substance use disorders as well as other emotions like stress, grief, feeling sad and anxious, where these feelings are temporary and not part of a diagnosable condition. While there are many things in life that induce stress, work can be one of those factors. However, workplaces can also be a key place for resources, solutions, and activities designed to improve our mental health and well-being.
Workplace stress and poor mental health can negatively affect workers through:
· Job performance
· Productivity
· Work engagement and communication
· Physical capability and daily functioning
READ MORE
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Rosalynn Carter’s Lasting Impact on Mental Health
Ali Khawar | November 21, 2023
A few days ago, the nation learned that former First Lady Rosalynn Carter had died. As we all mourn her passing, I found myself reflecting on the incredible legacy that she has left behind. I had the fortune of meeting her a few times when I spent a year working at the Carter Center, the nonprofit she and former President Carter co-founded to wage peace, fight disease and build hope.
A number of obituaries have highlighted the ways in which she was a pioneering First Lady of the United States – she established the modern Office of the First Lady, sat in on cabinet meetings, and was described by former President Carter as his “equal partner in everything [he] ever accomplished.”
As First Lady, she took on issues germane to the Department of Labor, such as hosting the First Lady’s Employment Seminar in 1978. But for many, including me, her leadership on issues of mental health is one of her most important legacies.
READ MORE
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The new version of Form I‑9, Employment Eligibility Verification is now available for use. This version contains changes to the form and instructions, including shortening the Form I‑9 to one page and reducing the instructions to eight pages.
What Form I‑9 versions may be used
· Beginning Nov. 1, 2023, only the new Form I‑9 dated "08/01/23” may be used.
READ MORE
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Employers
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces Federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. These laws protect employees and job applicants against employment discrimination when it involves:
- Unfair treatment because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.
- Harassment by managers, co-workers, or others in the workplace, because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.
- Denial of a reasonable workplace accommodation that the employee needs because of religious beliefs, disability, or pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
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Retaliation because the employee complained about job discrimination or assisted with a job discrimination investigation or lawsuit.
READ MORE
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THANK YOU to all 2023 Conference Sponsors!
Sponsor support is integral in continuing the growth, quality & integrity of the continuing education unique to this conference year after year. You are appreciated!
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PRESENTING SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT | |
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Amid projections of a 7 to 8.5% increase in health costs, employers are searching for ways to curb costs without compromising the quality of the benefits they offer. Look no further as we identify how to combat some of the largest cost drivers of 2024.
READ MORE
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2024 Missouri Employment Conference is on the horizon and will be here faster than we know it! | | |
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Nan Boland & Sue Kmet - the forces behind the best conference of its kind in Missouri!
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Had a phenomenal time at the Missouri Employment Conference! I appreciate all the love!
MEC Speaker Reggie Harris
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MEC Team - Nan Boland, Lisa Bunkers, Sarah Towns & Sue Kmet | |
Everyone was super easy to work with. It was a well put together event and you guys knocked it out of the park!
MEC Vendor William Holtz | Multimedia Broadcast Journalist at Lake TV
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Where in the world is this guy??? And who is he??
If you know, you know. And if you don't, you SHOULD!
Send an email to Sue@MissouriEmploymentConference.com identifying the man in the photo and your guess at his location to be entered into a drawing to win a FREE 2024 CONFERENCE REGISTRATION!!!
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The MEC article library is growing monthly with valuable information relevant to the ever-changing work environment. Check the website frequently for updates. If you have something important for our readers to benefit from, reach out to us to be included in the next newsletter or article library! | |
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STRONG MINDS | STRONG HEARTS | |
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SERVANT LEADERSHIP
By definition, Servant Leadership is a leadership philosophy in which the goal of the leader is to serve. If you are in a place where your talent and skills will help others, by all means, use them. We are proud of the work our leaders have done and hope that if you are in a place to serve, you choose to step up.
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JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
Together, we can raise awareness, educate and work towards bringing an end to human trafficking.
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Christmas Village Every Weekend Thanksgiving-Christmas
Join us November 23rd – December 17th, 2023 every Friday, Saturday and Sunday for Christmas Village festivities.
Make plans to spend time with family and friends this holiday season as we kick off the holidays on The Ice at Old Kinderhook with family-friendly events and; beautiful Christmas music. Create some great memories with your family and friends that will last lifetime.
This event is open to the public. Come join the fun!
Please note, for all non-hotel guests, it is $5.00 per child to participate in the Christmas Village Activities.
While Christmas Village Activities conclude at 4:00PM on Saturday’s, visits with Santa will continue until 6:00PM.
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Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
Handletheheat.com | Tessa Arias | September 30th, 2021
My go-to recipe, these Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies are perfectly tender and soft with just the right amount of chewiness. They take just minutes to make with ingredients you may already have in your kitchen!
Tessa's Recipe Rundown...
TASTE: The perfect amount of sweetness.
TEXTURE: My favorite part, each bite is the ideal balance between soft and chewy.
EASE: Super easy 30-minute sugar cookie recipe with no chilling required.
PROS: Fun, simple, and perfect for holidays from Christmas to Valentine’s Day, even 4th of July!
CONS: None.
WOULD I MAKE THIS AGAIN? I’ve made this recipe many times, everyone raves about it.
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HELP AN HR HERO WIN A $50 VISA GIFT CARD!
Do you know someone in your HR department (or company-wide) who deserves to be recognized for making a positive impact in your company from day to day??
Whether personal or professional, in a big or a small way, we all know those people who go above & beyond for the greater good.
We want to help these everyday (H)eroes be (R)ecognized! Send your nominations to us & one deserving person each month leading up to the current conference will be selected to receive a $50 VISA gift card! We will announce the winner in the following month's newsletters.
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Hey there! The conference team wanted to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude towards all the spectacular attendees, sponsors, and speakers who made this year's conference such a huge success. We couldn't have done it without you! As we approach the holiday season, we encourage our community to support small businesses and lend a helping hand to those who are less fortunate as often as possible. Let's cherish our families and friends and make unforgettable memories this festive season. And, as the conference gears up for another year of learning and growing, let's welcome new beginnings with open arms.
Cheers to a truly amazing year and an even better one ahead for everyone!
Nan, Sue and the Conference Team
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