Hey there. Tonight marks the return of Grey’s Anatomy, and what we assume is America’s busiest fictional HR department…Brace yourself for all new inappropriate superior/subordinate relationships, flagrant disregard for hospital policies and procedures, and, frankly, a distressing workplace culture.
In today’s edition:
Exec pay cuts? Not so fast
Report: Black workers face inequity
Book club
—Sam Blum, Kristen Parisi, Susanna Vogel
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Recent headlines have made for increasingly grim reading: Seemingly every week has brought news of layoffs, with smaller companies cutting staff alongside Silicon Valley and Wall Street juggernauts. Belying the trend is a strain of copycat thinking, according to Stanford business professor Jeffrey Pfeffer, who recently described the logic among employers as, “Everybody else is doing it, why aren’t we?”
Some companies have responded to the challenging economic conditions with a different strategy—cutting executive pay. Intel, for example, instituted staggered pay cuts for certain executives after an abysmal quarter, while tech giants such as Google and Apple have enacted pay cuts for their well-compensated CEOs. (Google laid off 12,000 employees in January, days before announcing a series of executive pay cuts).
But reducing pay can be a slippery slope in today’s job market, according to Amy Spurling, founder and CEO of perk stipend platform Compt. If you’re going to slash executive compensation, “You have to have high unemployment where people have no choice and they can’t go somewhere else to work,” she argued.
Organizations mulling a decision to cut pay for top brass need to understand the current dynamics of the labor market, sources stressed. As Tony Guadagni, senior principal at Gartner, explained to HR Brew, executive pay cuts can also be contagious: “We see someone like Apple setting the tone…I think it’s likely that we’ll see more of it.” Keep reading here.—SB
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“Data is beautiful.” At least that’s what they say. But securing the right data in an ocean of numbers, charts, and figures? Now that’s tricky, especially when it comes to finding the perfect HR metrics for tracking the health of your organization.
But it doesn’t have to be. Visier put together a 10 HR Metrics Every Company Should Track guide to help you secure all the insights you need. This bad boy offers all kinds of golden nuggets about HR data on topics like headcount, turnover, and diversity.
It’ll also show you how to:
- discover the most important HR metrics to track
- use HR analytics to drive business success
- get inspiration from the success stories of fellow HR leaders
Start lettin’ the data work for you.
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Olivier Le Moal/Getty Images
While the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of “race, color, religion, sex, or national origin,” studies show that Black talent still experiences inequities and discrimination on the job, almost 50 years later.
According to the findings of a recent Indeed survey of 615 Black workers in the US, many are looking to leave their current roles, despite the positive impact some say DE&I efforts have had on their workplaces.
Employee concerns. Some 49% of Black employees reported they’re considering or actively looking for a new role. The majority (55%) don’t feel they’re compensated fairly, while 48% don’t see advancement opportunities.
Misty Gaither, VP of global diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at Indeed, told HR Brew that HR leaders need to think about pay transparency through a wide lens. “Look at policies and processes, because that’s where systemic bias and barriers persist, and then look at programmatic efforts, and then partnerships—and in that order—because that’s how you can really affect change long-term.”
The survey also found that 54% of respondents experienced discrimination at work, with just over one in five reporting microaggressions as a reason they’re looking for a new job.
“[Microaggressions] are a real thing that can cause harm,” Gaither explained. Keep reading here.—KP
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Grant Thomas
If you’ve been around these parts long enough, you already know that burnout is enemy #1.
HR Brew talked to Bethany Ainsley, an entrepreneur who is no stranger to the ill effects of having an overloaded plate, about her new book, Don’t Burn Out, Stand Out: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Success Without Sacrifice. In it, she explains how aligning her values with her work helped her go from burnt-out to prosperous. HR professionals can learn about the method that worked for her, and hopefully find some peace, too.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Tell me about the “Prosper” model.
Purpose is the first [component]. Look [at] what your passion is…to help you get clarity around what it is that you’re wanting to achieve within your life so that you’re not heading in a direction that’s actually going to make you unhappy.
The next is called goals: [a] steering mechanism. Once you’ve identified what it is you’re looking to achieve, how do you then be on-track and achieve a goal? Next one is opinion. This is about decision-making. So, obviously every decision that we make has a positive or negative consequence. We look [at] making value-based decisions and that can give us clarity and remove the stress or pressure around choosing the right path and making those decisions as well. How do you establish your own values in order to create those value-based decisions? Keep reading here.—SV
What book should HR pros read next? Click here to let us know.
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This conference has it all. Insightful keynotes, interactive breakout sessions, networking lunches, and even puppy lounges —this year’s Transform is one you don’t want to miss. Block off March 27–29 for Las Vegas and get excited for an inspirational + educational agenda packed with 300 speakers eager to chat all things HR. Secure your spot with this $100 discount for HR Brew readers.
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Today’s top HR reads.
Stat: Of the companies that participated in the UK’s recent four-day workweek pilot, 92% report they plan to continue with the practice; benefits included stronger retention and employee wellness. (4 Day Week Global)
Quote: “They are doing more in their roles than men are typically doing, across a whole gamut of things that support their office culture and community…They do twice as much sponsorship support, spend more time on diversity work, and spend more time mentoring.”—Alexis Krivkovich, McKinsey senior partner and co-author of “Women in the Workplace” report, on women exiting senior leadership roles at the highest rate ever (CNBC)
Read: Amazon and Disney workers are pushing back against corporate RTO policies. (Deadline)
Next-level perks: Support your team wherever they work with Uber for Business. Provide commute benefits to the office, meal delivery for lunch at home, and more—all from the app your employees already love. Level up your benefits.*
*This is sponsored advertising content.
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NLRB rules that it’s illegal for companies to buy silence with severance.
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Starbucks workers met with lawmakers in Washington to seek help with the company’s alleged union-busting.
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The Minnesota House passed a bill mandating paid sick leave for workers.
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The Department of Labor issued guidance on how FLSA and FMLA protections apply to remote workers.
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Catch up on the top HR Brew stories from the recent past:
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