Archive for January, 2008
January 31st, 2008
There’s been a lot of talk about the effect of baby boomers’ looming retirements on the work force. But there’s some evidence to indicate that many will remain beyond traditional retirement age because of the cost of health care and paltry savings.
Some companies are taking advantage of this phenomenon and touting their willingness to hire older employees. While tales of ageism abound, there are employers eager to garner the experience those workers bring with them.
Here’s a Web site full of companies dubbed the National Employer Team; they’ve partnered with the AARP to attract older employees.
January 25th, 2008
Buoyed by union growth in California, national membership in organized labor groups grew in 2007 as a share of the work force for the first time since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started tracking union rolls. From The Center for Economic and Policy Research, a progressive think tank in Washington, D.C.:
Unions added about 310,000 members last year, raising the unionized share of the workforce to 12.1 percent from 12.0 percent in 2006.
The increase is small, and may well reflect statistical variation rather than an actual increase in the union membership share, but the uptick is striking because it is the first time since the BLS began collecting annual union membership rates in 1983 that the union share has increased.
Read the whole news release here.
An interesting side note is that the Rockford metropolitan area has bucked the trend against unionization over the last two decades, according to data from UnionStats.com.
In 1986, just 12.1 percent of employed workers here were union members. By 2006, that share had grown to 15.3 percent of the workforce. But the reason for the growth was the robust expansion of public sector unions; private sector membership declined as a share of the work force. Union workers made up 28.6 percent of public employees here in 1986, but by 2006 half of all public employees were unionized.
January 17th, 2008
Nearly four dozen employers will be looking for workers at the job fair in Belvidere on Wednesday. Another nine employment agencies and 12 education and training organizations will also be on site at the Belvidere Community Center, 111 W. First St.
Employers
Cargill Meat Solutions (Beardstown)
Leading Edge Hydraulics
Bi-State Point of Sale Solutions
Ford Tool and Machine
Gwen Brooks State Farm (Belvidere)
Belvidere Dental Designs
Aflac
Home Depot
Franklin Wire and Display
Servicom
Bourn and Koch
NCO Group
West Corporation
Ingersoll Machine Tool
K & M Machine-Fabricating
Belvidere Police Department
YTB Travel
DialAmerica Marketing
Abrasive-Form Inc.
Benefit Solutions
DHL Express
Consortium Group
Haldex Hydraulics
Allstate Insurance
Rockford Health System
Winnebago County Sheriff
Excel Gear
Advanced Technology Services
Cintas Corporation
Nationwide Insurance
Relive International
Woodward
Printpack Inc.
MetLife
United States Steel Corp.
Ambit Energy
Primerica
Hintzsche Fertilizer
OSF St. Anthony Medical Center
Lutheran Social Services of Illinois
Material Testing Laboratories
Averitt Express
Forte Automation Systems
Sure Care Home Health
Wahl Clipper Corporation
Bioadvantage Fuels
Employment agencies
Global Staffing Services
Furst Staffing
Workplace
Stateline Staffing Services
QPS Companies
SRI Systems Research Inc.
Working World Staffing Services
Staff on Site
Assured Staffing
Education and training
TechWorks
Upper Iowa University
Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA)
Rockford Real Estate Academy
Rasmussen College
Rock Valley College
Kishwaukee College
Colorado Technical University
Kaplan University
Building & Fire Code Academy
January 17th, 2008
The founder of CHIP, the Coronary Health Improvement Project, will give a two-day seminar about using the plan to reduce health care costs at corporations.
Dr. Hans Diehl will direct the Executive FastTrack to Better Health from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, and Friday, Feb. 29, at the new visitors center at Anderson Japanese Gardens.
The seminar is limited to the first 55 executives who sign up. Among the local companies already participating in the healthy lifestyle program are SwedishAmerican Health Systems, Chrysler and Woodward Governor.
For more information or to register, call 815-316-6361 or visit chiphealth.com.
January 16th, 2008
After Chrysler announced the layoffs of more than 1,000 workers at its Belvidere Assembly plant, several job and training agencies put together a job fair for Jan. 23. The fair is open to everyone, not just Chrysler employees.
So far 59 organizations have signed up, including manufacturers, health care providers, insurance companies, employment agencies and education and training groups.
Organizers are looking for more employers to participate, but the sign-up period ends Friday. It’s free. To register your company for the job fair, send an email to John Strandin or call the Workforce Connection at 815-395-6600.
The job fair will be from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23, at the Belvidere Community Builidng, 111 W. First St.
January 8th, 2008
Think you’re overworked? Well, you’re not alone.
Most executives and professionals say they can’t escape their work demands, and log hours on their commutes, at night and even weekends, according to a poll by a major search firm. Seventy percent of the 500 polled by MRINetwork said their company does not do a good job of letting them balance their work and personal lives.
In fact, 65 percent said they worked “frequently” after hours, while 19 percent worked “sometimes,” 9 percent “occasionally” and only 5 percent said “never.”
While working like sled dogs may be common to mid- and upper-level managers, this workflow pattern is fading as as baby boomers head toward retirement. Researchers say Generations X and Y are often more interested in balancing work and personal pursuits than “getting ahead,” like their parents.
“This will inevitably lead to a reevaluation of the performance requirements of individual positions within many companies, especially as the younger generation moves into higher management levels,” said Michael Jalbert, MRINetwork president, in a written statement.
