![\"\"](\"https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/BW-Forecast-2024-300x169.jpg\")
\u201cThey need opportunities to pilot programs and proofs-of-concept, which the company can do small-scale. Give them that safe space to fail,\u201d said Jericho P. Go, senior vice-president and business unit general manager at Robinsons Land Corp.LABOR UNIONS said they reject claims made by Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma that some businesses will face hardship if they are required to raise wages by as little as P150 per day, much lower than the full P750 wage hike being considered in Congress.
\nIn an appearance on One News this week, Mr. Laguesma said the P750 minimum wage hike proposal, which requires at least a P150 raise across all industries, will be difficult for some small businesses, noting that 96% of enterprises are micro and small firms.
\n\u201cA careful balance is needed because the needs of workers alone are not the only consideration,\u201d he said. \u201cIt might be challenging for business owners to comply even if they want to.\u201d
\nThe P150 wage increase proposal is pending in both the Senate and House of Representatives, with Senator Juan Miguel\u00a0 F. Zubiri and Party-list Rep. Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza, and the Makabayan bloc pushing for national implementation through legislation, bypassing the current regional wage-board system.
\nSpeaking to BusinessWorld, Nagkaisa Labor Coalition Chairman and Federation of Free Workers (FFW) President Jose G. Matula argued that industries can afford the suggested P150 across-the-board increase, which would represent a 24.6% raise from the current highest regional wage of P610 in Metro Manila.
\nHe said higher pay hikes have been implemented via legislation before, citing 1989\u2019s Republic Act No. 6727 or the Wage Rationalization Act, which ordered a P25 hike, equivalent to a 39.06% raise over the P64 national minimum wage. Mr. Matula said that wage hike did not cause companies to close.
\nPartido Manggagawa said the negative impact of the wage hike on certain businesses will be short term, with businesses expected to thrive in the long run if workers step up their consumption on the back of higher pay.
\n\u201cIn the short term their profit margins might be affected, but still, they can profit,\u201d Partido Manggagawa Chairman Renato Magtubo said in a Viber message. \u201cIt\u2019s not a good national policy for the country to maintain depressed wages so that employers continue to profit from workers\u2019 labor.\u201d
\nIn a separate interview, FFW Vice-President Julius H. Cainglet said that the wage hike is a justified response to the government\u2019s failure to control prices of goods and services.
\n\u201cWorkers have long been languishing on poverty wages. For decades since the enactment of the Wage Rationalization Act, the balance has always tilted in favor of employers. This is but one time in the last 35 years that the balance will tilt in favor of workers,\u201d he said. \u2014 Jomel R. Paguian
\n", "content_text": "LABOR UNIONS said they reject claims made by Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma that some businesses will face hardship if they are required to raise wages by as little as P150 per day, much lower than the full P750 wage hike being considered in Congress.\nIn an appearance on One News this week, Mr. Laguesma said the P750 minimum wage hike proposal, which requires at least a P150 raise across all industries, will be difficult for some small businesses, noting that 96% of enterprises are micro and small firms.\n\u201cA careful balance is needed because the needs of workers alone are not the only consideration,\u201d he said. \u201cIt might be challenging for business owners to comply even if they want to.\u201d\nThe P150 wage increase proposal is pending in both the Senate and House of Representatives, with Senator Juan Miguel\u00a0 F. Zubiri and Party-list Rep. Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza, and the Makabayan bloc pushing for national implementation through legislation, bypassing the current regional wage-board system.\nSpeaking to BusinessWorld, Nagkaisa Labor Coalition Chairman and Federation of Free Workers (FFW) President Jose G. Matula argued that industries can afford the suggested P150 across-the-board increase, which would represent a 24.6% raise from the current highest regional wage of P610 in Metro Manila.\nHe said higher pay hikes have been implemented via legislation before, citing 1989\u2019s Republic Act No. 6727 or the Wage Rationalization Act, which ordered a P25 hike, equivalent to a 39.06% raise over the P64 national minimum wage. Mr. Matula said that wage hike did not cause companies to close.\nPartido Manggagawa said the negative impact of the wage hike on certain businesses will be short term, with businesses expected to thrive in the long run if workers step up their consumption on the back of higher pay.\n\u201cIn the short term their profit margins might be affected, but still, they can profit,\u201d Partido Manggagawa Chairman Renato Magtubo said in a Viber message. \u201cIt\u2019s not a good national policy for the country to maintain depressed wages so that employers continue to profit from workers\u2019 labor.\u201d\nIn a separate interview, FFW Vice-President Julius H. Cainglet said that the wage hike is a justified response to the government\u2019s failure to control prices of goods and services.\n\u201cWorkers have long been languishing on poverty wages. For decades since the enactment of the Wage Rationalization Act, the balance has always tilted in favor of employers. This is but one time in the last 35 years that the balance will tilt in favor of workers,\u201d he said. \u2014 Jomel R. Paguian", "date_published": "2024-01-05T00:03:55+08:00", "date_modified": "2024-01-04T19:39:02+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/wage-hike-protest.jpg", "tags": [ "Jomel R. Paguian", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=567002", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2024/01/05/567002/homeownership-weighing-on-minds-of-gen-z-employees/", "title": "Homeownership weighing on minds of Gen Z employees", "content_html": "GENERATION Z (Gen Z) employees are trying to balance their daily and unforeseen expenses with future investments like buying a home, according to health maintenance organization PhilhealthCare, Inc. (PhilCare).
\nThe ongoing PhilCare study, which seeks to come up with a profile of Gen Z \u2014 the digital-native cohort born in the late 1990s and early 2000s \u2014\u00a0found that everyday expenses (44%) and homeownership prospects (39%) were their leading challenges.
\nThe survey also found that Gen Z respondents believe they are adequately prepared for retirement (73%) and travel and leisure (65%).
\nPhilCare, in a separate Gen Z-focused study led by researcher Fernando dlC. Paragas, said 76% of respondents grapple with the responsibility of sharing their earnings with family.
\n\u201cCompanies looking to recruit and retain young talent need to be creative with their benefits to address this need,\u201d Joseph Agustin L. Tanco, PhilCare president and chief executive officer, said in a statement on Thursday.
\n\u201cBusinesses should acknowledge Gen Z\u2019s financial responsibilities toward their families,\u201d he added. \u201cOffering support beyond the standard paycheck could significantly impact their financial wellness.\u201d
\nMonico\u00a0V.\u00a0Jacob,\u00a0PhilCare\u00a0chairman, noted that financial wellness programs could be among the employer offerings to aid in such challenges.
\n\u201cThey may also want to explore flexible work arrangements, including remote work options, to ease the financial burden of commuting and onsite work so employees can save money for more important things like housing,\u201d he said. \u2014 Miguel Hanz L. Antivola
\n", "content_text": "GENERATION Z (Gen Z) employees are trying to balance their daily and unforeseen expenses with future investments like buying a home, according to health maintenance organization PhilhealthCare, Inc. (PhilCare).\nThe ongoing PhilCare study, which seeks to come up with a profile of Gen Z \u2014 the digital-native cohort born in the late 1990s and early 2000s \u2014\u00a0found that everyday expenses (44%) and homeownership prospects (39%) were their leading challenges.\nThe survey also found that Gen Z respondents believe they are adequately prepared for retirement (73%) and travel and leisure (65%).\nPhilCare, in a separate Gen Z-focused study led by researcher Fernando dlC. Paragas, said 76% of respondents grapple with the responsibility of sharing their earnings with family.\n\u201cCompanies looking to recruit and retain young talent need to be creative with their benefits to address this need,\u201d Joseph Agustin L. Tanco, PhilCare president and chief executive officer, said in a statement on Thursday.\n\u201cBusinesses should acknowledge Gen Z\u2019s financial responsibilities toward their families,\u201d he added. \u201cOffering support beyond the standard paycheck could significantly impact their financial wellness.\u201d\nMonico\u00a0V.\u00a0Jacob,\u00a0PhilCare\u00a0chairman, noted that financial wellness programs could be among the employer offerings to aid in such challenges.\n\u201cThey may also want to explore flexible work arrangements, including remote work options, to ease the financial burden of commuting and onsite work so employees can save money for more important things like housing,\u201d he said. \u2014 Miguel Hanz L. Antivola", "date_published": "2024-01-05T00:02:55+08:00", "date_modified": "2024-01-04T19:38:34+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Ohmyhome-house.jpg", "tags": [ "Miguel Hanz L. Antivola", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=567001", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2024/01/05/567001/new-year-manpower-planning/", "title": "New year manpower planning", "content_html": "What\u2019s in store for us in people management in 2024? What are the challenges that we should identify and manage as regards manpower needs?\u00a0 \u2014 White Lady.
\nYou can\u2019t do manpower planning as a standalone program outside of HR planning and the organization\u2019s annual strategic planning exercise, which is a must for every organization. However, it sounds to me that you are making do with what you have in terms of focus and time.
\nManpower planning is a critical step in hiring new employees or transferring current ones to more suitable posts so the organization can maximize their contributions. This can\u2019t be done without reference to recruitment, training, compensation, and career development needs.
\nWithout manpower planning, HR may not be in a position to serve the needs of other departments. This means that HR must work closely with others to anticipate their future staffing needs, like nailing down the actual number of workers needed for a particular month of each year, if you want to be specific about it.
\nOVERSTAFFING, UNDERSTAFFING
\nNo organization can afford to be overstaffed or understaffed. If an organization has more workers than needed, productivity falls \u2014 a problem difficult to detect unless management is actively looking.
The same thing can also happen with understaffing, which can cause service or product quality to deteriorate. Understaffing can also increase overtime costs and impose physical strain and stress on overworked employees.
\nTo avoid this, manpower planning must be conducted objectively. HR must be at the forefront of defining worker competencies and the cost of training or other interventions to create the desired result.
\nFor example, in January and February, what do we expect to happen? Off the top of my head \u2014 employees may elect to resign or management may initiate temporary rightsizing. Employees, after receiving their yearend bonuses and all their benefits (like exhausting accrued vacation leaves) are prone to moving to other employers.
\nOn the other hand, temporary rightsizing happens when management decides to reduce staffing, including contractuals and agency workers during the first two or three months of the year, when demand for the company\u2019s products or services is low.
\nThus, it is a must to raise the following questions:
\nOne, how many employees (both regular and contractual) are needed by the organization to meet its objectives every month, quarterly and on an annual basis?
\nTwo, what jobs will these people need to fill? How many are in operations, sales and marketing, or other departments?
\nThree, what knowledge, attitudes, skills and habits will new hires and transferees be required to possess?
\nFour, can we promote people from within rather than hire outsiders? If that\u2019s possible, how do you intend to make it happen?
\nFive, if you intend on sourcing from a manpower agency, what\u2019s a reasonable ratio to maintain between contractual and regular employees, if only to avoid legal complications?
\nSix, if you intend to ask agency workers to become part of your regular workforce, how do you intend to assess them?
\nSeven, what kind of training would you need to offer to minimize the skills gap? If defined, who among your senior employees can train people?
\nThese are some of the basic questions you must explore. The critical questions vary with organizations, depending on their culture, industry positioning, market power and other demands of a competitive environment.
\nFORECASTING
\nIn conclusion, manpower planning boils down to forecasting, except that it\u2019s not an exact science. Like weather forecasting, it is subject to many uncertainties and inaccuracies. That\u2019s why an HR person needs judgment, supported by input from department managers who know the ins and outs of their staffing requirements.
However, an HR person should be cautious about relying too much on the ideas of these department managers, who could be engaging in empire building. They may hold the mistaken belief that having more employees ensure quality and productivity.
\nIf you want to test this proposition, try computing that department\u2019s turnover rate. You\u2019ll soon discover the truth about every manager\u2019s claims.
\n\n
Bring Rey Elbo\u2019s leadership program called Superior Subordinate Supervision to your team. For details or other workplace questions, chat with him on Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter) or e-mail elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com
\n", "content_text": "What\u2019s in store for us in people management in 2024? What are the challenges that we should identify and manage as regards manpower needs?\u00a0 \u2014 White Lady.\nYou can\u2019t do manpower planning as a standalone program outside of HR planning and the organization\u2019s annual strategic planning exercise, which is a must for every organization. However, it sounds to me that you are making do with what you have in terms of focus and time.\nManpower planning is a critical step in hiring new employees or transferring current ones to more suitable posts so the organization can maximize their contributions. This can\u2019t be done without reference to recruitment, training, compensation, and career development needs.\nWithout manpower planning, HR may not be in a position to serve the needs of other departments. This means that HR must work closely with others to anticipate their future staffing needs, like nailing down the actual number of workers needed for a particular month of each year, if you want to be specific about it.\nOVERSTAFFING, UNDERSTAFFING\nNo organization can afford to be overstaffed or understaffed. If an organization has more workers than needed, productivity falls \u2014 a problem difficult to detect unless management is actively looking.\nThe same thing can also happen with understaffing, which can cause service or product quality to deteriorate. Understaffing can also increase overtime costs and impose physical strain and stress on overworked employees.\nTo avoid this, manpower planning must be conducted objectively. HR must be at the forefront of defining worker competencies and the cost of training or other interventions to create the desired result.\nFor example, in January and February, what do we expect to happen? Off the top of my head \u2014 employees may elect to resign or management may initiate temporary rightsizing. Employees, after receiving their yearend bonuses and all their benefits (like exhausting accrued vacation leaves) are prone to moving to other employers.\nOn the other hand, temporary rightsizing happens when management decides to reduce staffing, including contractuals and agency workers during the first two or three months of the year, when demand for the company\u2019s products or services is low.\nThus, it is a must to raise the following questions:\nOne, how many employees (both regular and contractual) are needed by the organization to meet its objectives every month, quarterly and on an annual basis?\nTwo, what jobs will these people need to fill? How many are in operations, sales and marketing, or other departments?\nThree, what knowledge, attitudes, skills and habits will new hires and transferees be required to possess?\nFour, can we promote people from within rather than hire outsiders? If that\u2019s possible, how do you intend to make it happen?\nFive, if you intend on sourcing from a manpower agency, what\u2019s a reasonable ratio to maintain between contractual and regular employees, if only to avoid legal complications?\nSix, if you intend to ask agency workers to become part of your regular workforce, how do you intend to assess them?\nSeven, what kind of training would you need to offer to minimize the skills gap? If defined, who among your senior employees can train people?\nThese are some of the basic questions you must explore. The critical questions vary with organizations, depending on their culture, industry positioning, market power and other demands of a competitive environment. \nFORECASTING\nIn conclusion, manpower planning boils down to forecasting, except that it\u2019s not an exact science. Like weather forecasting, it is subject to many uncertainties and inaccuracies. That\u2019s why an HR person needs judgment, supported by input from department managers who know the ins and outs of their staffing requirements. \nHowever, an HR person should be cautious about relying too much on the ideas of these department managers, who could be engaging in empire building. They may hold the mistaken belief that having more employees ensure quality and productivity.\nIf you want to test this proposition, try computing that department\u2019s turnover rate. You\u2019ll soon discover the truth about every manager\u2019s claims.\n \nBring Rey Elbo\u2019s leadership program called Superior Subordinate Supervision to your team. For details or other workplace questions, chat with him on Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter) or e-mail elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com", "date_published": "2024-01-05T00:01:54+08:00", "date_modified": "2024-01-04T19:11:20+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/LM-default.jpg", "tags": [ "In The Workplace", "REY ELBO", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=565870", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/12/29/565870/south-korea-assures-philippines-on-continued-need-for-migrant-workers/", "title": "South Korea assures Philippines on continued need for migrant workers", "content_html": "SOUTH KOREA has declared its continued openness to admitting migrant workers to address its shortfall in working-age citizens, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
\nDFA officials met their South Korean counterparts Wednesday to tackle overseas Filipino worker (OFW) policy, the DFA said in a statement.
\nForeign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo A. de Vega led a Philippine delegation to Seoul to meet with South Korean Foreign Minister Hong Seok-in.
\n\u201cI commend the cooperation between the Republic of Korea government and the Philippine Embassy in strengthening relations, especially people-to-people relations,\u201d Mr. de Vega said.
\nMr. Hong said migrant workers mitigate the effects of South Korea\u2019s low fertility rate. \u201cIt is indispensable and necessary to take care of foreign workers,\u201d he said.
\nEarlier this month, the Philippine Senate ratified a 2019 social security treaty with South Korea, which allows OFWs in South Korea to refund their contributions to South Korea\u2019s National Pension system after the end of their employment.
\nThe deal also allows OFWs to continue receiving insurance coverage and other social protection benefit where they decide to reside.
\nMore than 67,000 Filipinos in South Korea are expected to benefit from the pact.
\nCash remittances from OFWs rose by 3% in October, as migrants sent home more money ahead of the holiday season.
\nThe volume of money was the highest in 10 months or since the $3.16 billion in December 2022.
\nEnvoys from both countries have said they are looking forward to the approval of a free trade agreement (FTA) between the Philippines and South Korea, which the Senate is expected to ratify when it resumes session in January.
\nUnder the free trade deal, South Korea will remove tariffs on about 94.8% of Philippine products, while the Philippines will remove tariffs on 96.5% of South Korean goods.
\nThe Philippines will also enjoy waived tariffs on 1,531 categories of agricultural goods, with 1,417 tariff lines removed upon effectivity of the\u00a0FTA.
\nThe Philippines is also seeking to export more bananas, processed pineapples, and other fruits to South Korea.\u00a0\u2014 John Victor D. Ordo\u00f1ez
\n", "content_text": "SOUTH KOREA has declared its continued openness to admitting migrant workers to address its shortfall in working-age citizens, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.\nDFA officials met their South Korean counterparts Wednesday to tackle overseas Filipino worker (OFW) policy, the DFA said in a statement.\nForeign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo A. de Vega led a Philippine delegation to Seoul to meet with South Korean Foreign Minister Hong Seok-in.\n\u201cI commend the cooperation between the Republic of Korea government and the Philippine Embassy in strengthening relations, especially people-to-people relations,\u201d Mr. de Vega said.\nMr. Hong said migrant workers mitigate the effects of South Korea\u2019s low fertility rate. \u201cIt is indispensable and necessary to take care of foreign workers,\u201d he said.\nEarlier this month, the Philippine Senate ratified a 2019 social security treaty with South Korea, which allows OFWs in South Korea to refund their contributions to South Korea\u2019s National Pension system after the end of their employment.\nThe deal also allows OFWs to continue receiving insurance coverage and other social protection benefit where they decide to reside.\nMore than 67,000 Filipinos in South Korea are expected to benefit from the pact.\nCash remittances from OFWs rose by 3% in October, as migrants sent home more money ahead of the holiday season.\nThe volume of money was the highest in 10 months or since the $3.16 billion in December 2022.\nEnvoys from both countries have said they are looking forward to the approval of a free trade agreement (FTA) between the Philippines and South Korea, which the Senate is expected to ratify when it resumes session in January.\nUnder the free trade deal, South Korea will remove tariffs on about 94.8% of Philippine products, while the Philippines will remove tariffs on 96.5% of South Korean goods.\nThe Philippines will also enjoy waived tariffs on 1,531 categories of agricultural goods, with 1,417 tariff lines removed upon effectivity of the\u00a0FTA.\nThe Philippines is also seeking to export more bananas, processed pineapples, and other fruits to South Korea.\u00a0\u2014 John Victor D. Ordo\u00f1ez", "date_published": "2023-12-29T00:04:47+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-12-28T18:42:53+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/South-Korea-car-assembly-workers.jpg", "tags": [ "John Victor D. Ordonez", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=565869", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/12/29/565869/regional-wage-increases-inadequate-labor-groups/", "title": "Regional wage increases inadequate \u2014 labor groups", "content_html": "PAY HIKES imposed by regional wage boards are welcome but inadequate in addressing income disparities, labor coalitions said.
\nThe Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) reported that 15 out of the 16 Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) issued new wage orders this year, ensuring salary hikes for minimum wage earners. For organized labor, however, these regional orders are insufficient.
\nIn its year-end briefing this week, the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) called for a review of the regional wage board system of adjusting wages, proposing instead a national body.
\n\u201cIt is necessary to review the mechanism of RTWPBs. One of our proposals is to create a national tripartite wages and productivity board.\u201d FFW President Jose G. Matula said.
\n\u201cThese wage increases\u2026 we consider to be a victory for the workers. And yet these wages are not enough to support a family,\u201d he added.
\nIn a separate statement this week, Partido Manggagawa (PM) said that the regional wage hikes are insufficient to offset inflation. \u201cThe difference between nominal and real wages is a result of inflation over the years: wage hikes have not kept up with the rise in prices and so workers\u2019 purchasing power has been depleted.\u201d
\n\u201cThe wage orders from the various regional wage boards have fallen short of the wage recovery demand,\u201d PM added.
\nAccording to Mr. Matula, the regional wage boards failed to boost productivity and attract investment in the provinces with workers continuing to flock to Metro Manila for higher pay.
\nApart from a national wage board, both labor groups are lobbying for a legislated P150 national wage increase for workers in all sectors, measures which are pending in Congress.
\n\u201cWe are still pursuing the P150 across-the-board nationwide wage hike proposal, now pending in both houses [of Congress]. We hope that by early next year, it will be passed into law,\u201d Mr. Matula said.
\nHe added that the P150 wage hike proposal is doable, citing the economy\u2019s improving performance. He expressed doubts whether such an increase will result in the displacement of workers.
\nFFW said it welcomes DoLE\u2019s decision to join the International Labor Organization\u2019s Global Coalition for Social Justice, which it said commits the department to ensure fair compensation and labor protection.
\nIn a statement, DoLE said: \u201cWith its participation, the Philippines will be joined by other governments, workers\u2019 and employers\u2019 organizations, international and regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, and the academe in pushing for better labor and employment conditions.\u201d \u2014 Jomel R. Paguian
\n", "content_text": "PAY HIKES imposed by regional wage boards are welcome but inadequate in addressing income disparities, labor coalitions said.\nThe Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) reported that 15 out of the 16 Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) issued new wage orders this year, ensuring salary hikes for minimum wage earners. For organized labor, however, these regional orders are insufficient.\nIn its year-end briefing this week, the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) called for a review of the regional wage board system of adjusting wages, proposing instead a national body.\n\u201cIt is necessary to review the mechanism of RTWPBs. One of our proposals is to create a national tripartite wages and productivity board.\u201d FFW President Jose G. Matula said.\n\u201cThese wage increases\u2026 we consider to be a victory for the workers. And yet these wages are not enough to support a family,\u201d he added.\nIn a separate statement this week, Partido Manggagawa (PM) said that the regional wage hikes are insufficient to offset inflation. \u201cThe difference between nominal and real wages is a result of inflation over the years: wage hikes have not kept up with the rise in prices and so workers\u2019 purchasing power has been depleted.\u201d\n\u201cThe wage orders from the various regional wage boards have fallen short of the wage recovery demand,\u201d PM added.\nAccording to Mr. Matula, the regional wage boards failed to boost productivity and attract investment in the provinces with workers continuing to flock to Metro Manila for higher pay.\nApart from a national wage board, both labor groups are lobbying for a legislated P150 national wage increase for workers in all sectors, measures which are pending in Congress.\n\u201cWe are still pursuing the P150 across-the-board nationwide wage hike proposal, now pending in both houses [of Congress]. We hope that by early next year, it will be passed into law,\u201d Mr. Matula said.\nHe added that the P150 wage hike proposal is doable, citing the economy\u2019s improving performance. He expressed doubts whether such an increase will result in the displacement of workers.\nFFW said it welcomes DoLE\u2019s decision to join the International Labor Organization\u2019s Global Coalition for Social Justice, which it said commits the department to ensure fair compensation and labor protection.\nIn a statement, DoLE said: \u201cWith its participation, the Philippines will be joined by other governments, workers\u2019 and employers\u2019 organizations, international and regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, and the academe in pushing for better labor and employment conditions.\u201d \u2014 Jomel R. Paguian", "date_published": "2023-12-29T00:03:47+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-12-28T18:41:10+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/wage-hike-protest.jpg", "tags": [ "Jomel R. Paguian", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=565868", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/12/29/565868/thailand-plans-new-minimum-wage-hike-keeps-inflation-target/", "title": "Thailand plans new minimum wage hike, keeps inflation target \u00a0", "content_html": "BANGKOK \u2014 Thailand will increase its minimum wage in January, the government said, confirming a previous deal while planning to raise it further in March.
\nA wage committee, comprised of government, employers and employee representatives, had previously agreed to increase the daily minimum wage by 2.37%, effective in January, but Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin deemed the hike too low.
\nMr. Srettha said the committee would meet in January to seek a further wage hike to be announced in March.
\n\u201cThere is no need to raise wages once a year,\u201d he told reporters.
\nMr. Srettha\u2019s ruling Pheu Thai party campaigned on a populist platform with a key plank of raising the daily minimum wage to 400 baht, despite concerns over competitiveness.
\n\u201cAnother investigation covering local wage rates and professional groups will conclude in March…(to determine) areas and groups that can increase wages,\u201d Labor Minister Phipat Ratchakitprakarn told reporters.
\nThe current minimum wage is 328-354 baht ($9.49-$10.24) varying between different parts of the country with the committee agreeing to raise the pay threshold range to 330 baht to 370 baht.
\nCompanies have warned that increasing wages at a time when borrowing costs were increasing and Southeast Asia\u2019s second-largest economy was lagging behind its regional peers could make industries less competitive.
\nSeparately, Thailand\u2019s cabinet approved the central bank\u2019s headline inflation target range of 1% to 3% for 2024, unchanged from this year. The announcement came after Thailand\u2019s headline inflation rate came in at -0.44% in November, the lowest in nearly three years.
\nDeflationary pressures come from government policies that reduced energy prices and falling meat prices.
\nThe inflation target, which guides monetary policy, is reviewed each year and the range of 1% to 3% is supportive of economic growth, finance ministry spokesman Pornchai Theeravet, who also heads the fiscal policy office, said in a statement.
\nThe cabinet also approved a 3.48-trillion baht draft budget bill for the 2024 fiscal year which will go to parliament next week.
\nThe government approved reduced property fees for another year, with some transfer fees cut to 1% from 2% and some mortgage registration fees to 0.01% from 1%, Mr. Pornchai told reporters.
\nThe reduction will cost the government five billion baht in lost revenue but will boost growth by a further 0.5 percentage point, he said. \u2014 Reuters
\n", "content_text": "BANGKOK \u2014 Thailand will increase its minimum wage in January, the government said, confirming a previous deal while planning to raise it further in March.\nA wage committee, comprised of government, employers and employee representatives, had previously agreed to increase the daily minimum wage by 2.37%, effective in January, but Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin deemed the hike too low.\nMr. Srettha said the committee would meet in January to seek a further wage hike to be announced in March.\n\u201cThere is no need to raise wages once a year,\u201d he told reporters.\nMr. Srettha\u2019s ruling Pheu Thai party campaigned on a populist platform with a key plank of raising the daily minimum wage to 400 baht, despite concerns over competitiveness.\n\u201cAnother investigation covering local wage rates and professional groups will conclude in March…(to determine) areas and groups that can increase wages,\u201d Labor Minister Phipat Ratchakitprakarn told reporters.\nThe current minimum wage is 328-354 baht ($9.49-$10.24) varying between different parts of the country with the committee agreeing to raise the pay threshold range to 330 baht to 370 baht.\nCompanies have warned that increasing wages at a time when borrowing costs were increasing and Southeast Asia\u2019s second-largest economy was lagging behind its regional peers could make industries less competitive.\nSeparately, Thailand\u2019s cabinet approved the central bank\u2019s headline inflation target range of 1% to 3% for 2024, unchanged from this year. The announcement came after Thailand\u2019s headline inflation rate came in at -0.44% in November, the lowest in nearly three years.\nDeflationary pressures come from government policies that reduced energy prices and falling meat prices.\nThe inflation target, which guides monetary policy, is reviewed each year and the range of 1% to 3% is supportive of economic growth, finance ministry spokesman Pornchai Theeravet, who also heads the fiscal policy office, said in a statement.\nThe cabinet also approved a 3.48-trillion baht draft budget bill for the 2024 fiscal year which will go to parliament next week.\nThe government approved reduced property fees for another year, with some transfer fees cut to 1% from 2% and some mortgage registration fees to 0.01% from 1%, Mr. Pornchai told reporters.\nThe reduction will cost the government five billion baht in lost revenue but will boost growth by a further 0.5 percentage point, he said. \u2014 Reuters", "date_published": "2023-12-29T00:02:46+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-12-28T18:40:14+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Thailand-Migrant-construction-workers.jpg", "tags": [ "Thailand", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=565867", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/12/29/565867/spain-extends-some-cost-of-living-measures/", "title": "Spain extends some cost-of-living measures", "content_html": "MADRID \u2014 Spain has extended a slew of measures designed to help people cope with high costs of living into 2024, even as the rate of inflation slows.
\nLike other European countries, Spain has grappled with a cost-of-living crisis in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated by the impact of the war in Ukraine on energy prices.
\n\u201cThis new phase will serve to consolidate the progress achieved over the past five years,\u201d Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who won another term as premier in November, told a news conference after the cabinet approved the new package.
\nMr. Sanchez said gross domestic product was set to have grown by almost 2.5% this year. The government\u2019s previous GDP growth forecast was for 2.4%.
\nPensions will be raised by 3.8% in 2024 to match average inflation over the past year, Mr. Sanchez added.
\nAccording to a statement by the Social Security ministry, this increase will carry an estimated cost of 7.3 billion euros. Among the measures were a broadening of subsidies for minors and young people on public transport to all regular users and an extension of the reduction of value-added tax (VAT) for essential items such as fruit and vegetables, pasta, and cooking oils.
\nA controversial so-called windfall tax for energy companies, which brought in around three billion euros in 2023, has been tweaked to allow companies to partially offset the 1.2% levy if they invest in renewable energy projects.
\nA similar levy for banks will be unchanged for 2024 following an agreement between Sanchez\u00b4 Socialists and his junior coalition partners, the hard-left Sumar party.
\nSome measures will be phased out. A VAT reduction on energy bills, which reduced the rate to 5% during 2023, will slowly return to 21%, Sanchez said.
\nThe 21% VAT on gas bills will be reinstated in April, according to a Budget Ministry source.
\nThe tax rate on electricity will rise to 10% for 2024, the government said in a statement. \u2014 Reuters
\n", "content_text": "MADRID \u2014 Spain has extended a slew of measures designed to help people cope with high costs of living into 2024, even as the rate of inflation slows.\nLike other European countries, Spain has grappled with a cost-of-living crisis in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated by the impact of the war in Ukraine on energy prices.\n\u201cThis new phase will serve to consolidate the progress achieved over the past five years,\u201d Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who won another term as premier in November, told a news conference after the cabinet approved the new package.\nMr. Sanchez said gross domestic product was set to have grown by almost 2.5% this year. The government\u2019s previous GDP growth forecast was for 2.4%.\nPensions will be raised by 3.8% in 2024 to match average inflation over the past year, Mr. Sanchez added.\nAccording to a statement by the Social Security ministry, this increase will carry an estimated cost of 7.3 billion euros. Among the measures were a broadening of subsidies for minors and young people on public transport to all regular users and an extension of the reduction of value-added tax (VAT) for essential items such as fruit and vegetables, pasta, and cooking oils.\nA controversial so-called windfall tax for energy companies, which brought in around three billion euros in 2023, has been tweaked to allow companies to partially offset the 1.2% levy if they invest in renewable energy projects.\nA similar levy for banks will be unchanged for 2024 following an agreement between Sanchez\u00b4 Socialists and his junior coalition partners, the hard-left Sumar party.\nSome measures will be phased out. A VAT reduction on energy bills, which reduced the rate to 5% during 2023, will slowly return to 21%, Sanchez said.\nThe 21% VAT on gas bills will be reinstated in April, according to a Budget Ministry source.\nThe tax rate on electricity will rise to 10% for 2024, the government said in a statement. \u2014 Reuters", "date_published": "2023-12-29T00:01:45+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-12-28T18:39:00+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Spain-fruit-store.jpg", "tags": [ "Spain", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=565195", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/12/22/565195/industrial-peace-achieved-in-2023-dole/", "title": "\u2018Industrial peace\u2019 achieved in 2023 \u2014 DoLE", "content_html": "THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said labor relations were generally peaceful this year, due to the quick resolution of disputes and the dearth of strikes.
\nLabor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma told reporters that the disposition rate \u2014 the percentage of resolved cases \u2014 posted by the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) was about 90%.
\nMr. Laguesma said that among the 207 labor disputes managed by the National Conciliation Mediation Board, only three deteriorated to strike action.
\n\u201cGenerally, we can say that we have industrial peace,\u201d he said.
\nAccording to the NLRC accomplishment report as of October, which was released to media this week, the commission and its Regional Arbitration Branches (RABs) resolved 30,974 cases within the process cycle time of six to nine months. This translates to a 95% accomplishment rate, which exceeded the 82% overall target for the year.
\nAdditionally, the report said Project SpeEd (Speedy and Efficient Delivery of Labor Justice), which seeks to efficiently resolve issues put forward by Philippine-based and migrant workers, RABs posted a 99% disposition rate in resolving 23,914 labor cases. The NLRC, on the other hand, reported a rate of 99.7% across 8,609 cases.
\nRegarding conciliation and mediation of labor disputes, the commission said in its report that it recorded 20,108 settlements as of October involving P2.69 billion, to the benefit of 26,420 workers.
\nThe NLRC, an arm of the Labor department, is a quasi-judicial body tasked with resolving labor and management disputes, including those involving overseas workers.
\nReferring to the department\u2019s 2023-2028 labor and employment plan, Mr. Laguesma said: \u201cThis plan is a tripartite document; it is not a government document alone,\u201d citing DoLE\u2019s intention to continue with the tripartite consultation approach.
\nHe said DoLE received additional funding to implement programs focused on youth employment and additional assistance for vulnerable workers. \u2014 Jomel R. Paguian
\n", "content_text": "THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said labor relations were generally peaceful this year, due to the quick resolution of disputes and the dearth of strikes.\nLabor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma told reporters that the disposition rate \u2014 the percentage of resolved cases \u2014 posted by the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) was about 90%.\nMr. Laguesma said that among the 207 labor disputes managed by the National Conciliation Mediation Board, only three deteriorated to strike action.\n\u201cGenerally, we can say that we have industrial peace,\u201d he said.\nAccording to the NLRC accomplishment report as of October, which was released to media this week, the commission and its Regional Arbitration Branches (RABs) resolved 30,974 cases within the process cycle time of six to nine months. This translates to a 95% accomplishment rate, which exceeded the 82% overall target for the year.\nAdditionally, the report said Project SpeEd (Speedy and Efficient Delivery of Labor Justice), which seeks to efficiently resolve issues put forward by Philippine-based and migrant workers, RABs posted a 99% disposition rate in resolving 23,914 labor cases. The NLRC, on the other hand, reported a rate of 99.7% across 8,609 cases.\nRegarding conciliation and mediation of labor disputes, the commission said in its report that it recorded 20,108 settlements as of October involving P2.69 billion, to the benefit of 26,420 workers.\nThe NLRC, an arm of the Labor department, is a quasi-judicial body tasked with resolving labor and management disputes, including those involving overseas workers.\nReferring to the department\u2019s 2023-2028 labor and employment plan, Mr. Laguesma said: \u201cThis plan is a tripartite document; it is not a government document alone,\u201d citing DoLE\u2019s intention to continue with the tripartite consultation approach.\nHe said DoLE received additional funding to implement programs focused on youth employment and additional assistance for vulnerable workers. \u2014 Jomel R. Paguian", "date_published": "2023-12-22T00:03:09+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-12-21T19:31:30+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/DoLE-052518.jpg", "tags": [ "Jomel R. Paguian", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=565194", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/12/22/565194/latin-america-joblessness-near-decade-low-in-2023-may-reverse-next-year-ilo/", "title": "Latin America joblessness near decade low in 2023; may reverse next year \u2014 ILO", "content_html": "UNEMPLOYMENT in Latin America and the Caribbean fell in 2023 to its lowest level since 2014, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said, but an expected economic slowdown in 2024 could reverse recent post-pandemic gains.
\nIn a report, the ILO estimates unemployment in 2023 at 6.3%, below last year\u2019s 7.2% and a major rebound from the 10.6% unemployment rate in 2020, when COVID-19 lockdowns left millions without jobs.
\nRegional joblessness was the lowest since 2014, when unemployment was at 6.0%, according to past ILO reports.
\nThe UN agency said the average unemployment rate in this year\u2019s first three quarters was 6.5%.
\n\u201cBy including the seasonal effects of the regional labor market,\u201d the unemployment rate through 2023 is estimated to be 6.3%, it said.
\nAn economic slowdown in the coming year could spike unemployment, the ILO cautioned, citing forecasts from the International Monetary Fund and the UN\u2019s Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), which both see growth waning.
\nECLAC sees the region\u2019s economies growing just 1.9% next year, below the 2.2% growth forecast for 2023.
\n\u201cThis would mark a second consecutive year of sluggish economic activity for Latin America and the Caribbean, which would resemble the situation that the region experienced in the years prior to the pandemic,\u201d the ILO report said.
\nIn this context, \u201cit is likely\u201d that the regional unemployment rate for 2024 will tick up to between 6.5% and 6.8%, the report said.
\nIf such a slowdown is accompanied by lower inflation, job growth may still continue, the ILO said, a scenario that would favor creation of informal jobs lacking the benefits of formal employment. \u2014 Reuters
\n", "content_text": "UNEMPLOYMENT in Latin America and the Caribbean fell in 2023 to its lowest level since 2014, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said, but an expected economic slowdown in 2024 could reverse recent post-pandemic gains.\nIn a report, the ILO estimates unemployment in 2023 at 6.3%, below last year\u2019s 7.2% and a major rebound from the 10.6% unemployment rate in 2020, when COVID-19 lockdowns left millions without jobs.\nRegional joblessness was the lowest since 2014, when unemployment was at 6.0%, according to past ILO reports.\nThe UN agency said the average unemployment rate in this year\u2019s first three quarters was 6.5%.\n\u201cBy including the seasonal effects of the regional labor market,\u201d the unemployment rate through 2023 is estimated to be 6.3%, it said.\nAn economic slowdown in the coming year could spike unemployment, the ILO cautioned, citing forecasts from the International Monetary Fund and the UN\u2019s Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), which both see growth waning.\nECLAC sees the region\u2019s economies growing just 1.9% next year, below the 2.2% growth forecast for 2023.\n\u201cThis would mark a second consecutive year of sluggish economic activity for Latin America and the Caribbean, which would resemble the situation that the region experienced in the years prior to the pandemic,\u201d the ILO report said.\nIn this context, \u201cit is likely\u201d that the regional unemployment rate for 2024 will tick up to between 6.5% and 6.8%, the report said.\nIf such a slowdown is accompanied by lower inflation, job growth may still continue, the ILO said, a scenario that would favor creation of informal jobs lacking the benefits of formal employment. \u2014 Reuters", "date_published": "2023-12-22T00:02:08+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-12-21T19:31:07+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Mexico-Amazon-delivery-center.jpg", "tags": [ "Featured2", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=565193", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/12/22/565193/issues-and-answers-on-holiday-party-raffle/", "title": "Issues and answers on holiday party raffle", "content_html": "While our employees welcome the Christmas party primarily due to the raffle, still, we are beset by complaints about participation being limited to those with perfect attendance records. This is the first year we have imposed this restriction. Is this a good use of management prerogative? Can you help us anticipate and resolve any issues arising out of yearend parties? \u2014 White Rose.
\nManagement prerogative is not absolute. There are many legal exceptions that limit its use. Even if it\u2019s your prerogative to manage a business, it doesn\u2019t mean you can disregard employee complaints. The best way, therefore, is to find a middle ground. People management is not a zero-sum game where management must win over its employees or vice versa.
\nThere are win-win solutions that can serve the best interests of the organization. So, let\u2019s take a good look at your policy of excluding those with imperfect attendance records. Let me just say from the start that it is a petty issue.
\nThe bottom line is how it would adversely affect an important company event like a Christmas party. It\u2019s the time we celebrate all the good things that happened in our work life. It should not be treated as a platform for bickering, especially if the issue is so low-stakes.
\nIt\u2019s also unfair to those who have logged in one or two reasonable and approved absences due to emergencies, like illness, accidents, or a death in the family. Besides, the logic behind rewarding perfect attendance is flawed. Why recognize employees who are required to be punctual and physically present every single working day?
\nThus, there is no need to agonize and waste time explaining a flawed policy to employees. Let me repeat myself: It\u2019s a petty issue that should not consume the time of both labor and management. Imagine a situation where employee discontent destroys the party\u2019s atmosphere, before, during and after the event.
\nOTHER ISSUES
\nYearend parties must offer positive vibes among employees and its management. Extra care should be taken to eliminate or minimize all issues arising from incoherent and illogical policies. The intention is to improve camaraderie and prepare everyone for the New Year. This should be the main focus of management.
Now, to anticipate other issues, explore the following:
\nOne, is the top raffle prize cash or non-cash? Cash prizes are taxable income, unless the company covers it. I prefer the non-cash approach that includes home appliances, electronic devices, grocery baskets, and the like. Television sets, mini-refrigerators or mobile devices represent more tangible memories of the good times for the winners than cash prizes.
\nTo avoid the administrative burden of hauling around heavy and fragile appliances, you can use gift checks to give winners the flexibility in claiming their prizes from the stores. One caveat though. Whether it\u2019s done via a gift certificate or actual appliances, watch out for employees selling their raffle prizes at a discount. They may be applying the proceeds to vices like drugs, drinking, gambling, and womanizing.
\nTwo, would you prevent workers with performance issues from attending the party? No. It\u2019s better to make the party inclusive, regardless of their work performance or status, which includes probationary, project-based and regular workers. What\u2019s the point of discriminating, anyway? It\u2019s the season to be happy, and a year-end gathering should not be cause for creating friction among your workers.
\nEven those who have been penalized with reprimands or suspensions for violating company policy must be included in the party as well.
\nThree, what\u2019s your view on suppliers donating raffle prizes? This arrangement could raise integrity issues. Therefore, establish a policy that purchasing executives and their workers should donate their gifts to a prize pool to be raffled off during the party. Be sure to consider high-ranking officials as well.
\nSecurity guards must play an active role in enforcing this policy to keep recipients from struggling over accepting or rejecting gifts. Consider that suppliers can always deliver the goods to locations nominated by the intended recipient. Still, it\u2019s better to have a policy than having no policy at all.
\nFour, how do you view companies soliciting prizes from suppliers? Don\u2019t do it. It\u2019s a pitiful sight for companies to act like beggars. Every organization must have a budget for year-end merry-making. Regardless of size, a company must ensure it prepares a little something for the workers, including the giving away of modest prizes not sourced from suppliers, unless the prizes are voluntarily given.
\nFive, how about companies soliciting contributions from workers? My answer to that is the same to my answer to number four above: Don\u2019t.
\nIn conclusion, you must realize that in planning a year-end party, consider all the possible irritants that could affect employee morale. If you\u2019re unsure of what to do next year, conduct a simple, anonymous survey to determine the best approach to organizing the Christmas party. Do this five months before the scheduled party.
\n\n
Bring Rey Elbo\u2019s popular leadership program, \u201cSuperior Subordinate Supervision,\u201d to your organization. And find out the best way to prevent recurring issues. Chat with him on Facebook, LinkedIn, or X (Twitter), e-mail elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com
\n", "content_text": "While our employees welcome the Christmas party primarily due to the raffle, still, we are beset by complaints about participation being limited to those with perfect attendance records. This is the first year we have imposed this restriction. Is this a good use of management prerogative? Can you help us anticipate and resolve any issues arising out of yearend parties? \u2014 White Rose.\nManagement prerogative is not absolute. There are many legal exceptions that limit its use. Even if it\u2019s your prerogative to manage a business, it doesn\u2019t mean you can disregard employee complaints. The best way, therefore, is to find a middle ground. People management is not a zero-sum game where management must win over its employees or vice versa.\nThere are win-win solutions that can serve the best interests of the organization. So, let\u2019s take a good look at your policy of excluding those with imperfect attendance records. Let me just say from the start that it is a petty issue.\nThe bottom line is how it would adversely affect an important company event like a Christmas party. It\u2019s the time we celebrate all the good things that happened in our work life. It should not be treated as a platform for bickering, especially if the issue is so low-stakes.\nIt\u2019s also unfair to those who have logged in one or two reasonable and approved absences due to emergencies, like illness, accidents, or a death in the family. Besides, the logic behind rewarding perfect attendance is flawed. Why recognize employees who are required to be punctual and physically present every single working day?\nThus, there is no need to agonize and waste time explaining a flawed policy to employees. Let me repeat myself: It\u2019s a petty issue that should not consume the time of both labor and management. Imagine a situation where employee discontent destroys the party\u2019s atmosphere, before, during and after the event.\nOTHER ISSUES\nYearend parties must offer positive vibes among employees and its management. Extra care should be taken to eliminate or minimize all issues arising from incoherent and illogical policies. The intention is to improve camaraderie and prepare everyone for the New Year. This should be the main focus of management.\nNow, to anticipate other issues, explore the following:\nOne, is the top raffle prize cash or non-cash? Cash prizes are taxable income, unless the company covers it. I prefer the non-cash approach that includes home appliances, electronic devices, grocery baskets, and the like. Television sets, mini-refrigerators or mobile devices represent more tangible memories of the good times for the winners than cash prizes.\nTo avoid the administrative burden of hauling around heavy and fragile appliances, you can use gift checks to give winners the flexibility in claiming their prizes from the stores. One caveat though. Whether it\u2019s done via a gift certificate or actual appliances, watch out for employees selling their raffle prizes at a discount. They may be applying the proceeds to vices like drugs, drinking, gambling, and womanizing.\nTwo, would you prevent workers with performance issues from attending the party? No. It\u2019s better to make the party inclusive, regardless of their work performance or status, which includes probationary, project-based and regular workers. What\u2019s the point of discriminating, anyway? It\u2019s the season to be happy, and a year-end gathering should not be cause for creating friction among your workers.\nEven those who have been penalized with reprimands or suspensions for violating company policy must be included in the party as well.\nThree, what\u2019s your view on suppliers donating raffle prizes? This arrangement could raise integrity issues. Therefore, establish a policy that purchasing executives and their workers should donate their gifts to a prize pool to be raffled off during the party. Be sure to consider high-ranking officials as well. \nSecurity guards must play an active role in enforcing this policy to keep recipients from struggling over accepting or rejecting gifts. Consider that suppliers can always deliver the goods to locations nominated by the intended recipient. Still, it\u2019s better to have a policy than having no policy at all.\nFour, how do you view companies soliciting prizes from suppliers? Don\u2019t do it. It\u2019s a pitiful sight for companies to act like beggars. Every organization must have a budget for year-end merry-making. Regardless of size, a company must ensure it prepares a little something for the workers, including the giving away of modest prizes not sourced from suppliers, unless the prizes are voluntarily given.\nFive, how about companies soliciting contributions from workers? My answer to that is the same to my answer to number four above: Don\u2019t.\nIn conclusion, you must realize that in planning a year-end party, consider all the possible irritants that could affect employee morale. If you\u2019re unsure of what to do next year, conduct a simple, anonymous survey to determine the best approach to organizing the Christmas party. Do this five months before the scheduled party.\n \nBring Rey Elbo\u2019s popular leadership program, \u201cSuperior Subordinate Supervision,\u201d to your organization. And find out the best way to prevent recurring issues. Chat with him on Facebook, LinkedIn, or X (Twitter), e-mail elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com", "date_published": "2023-12-22T00:01:08+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-12-21T19:11:26+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/LM-default.jpg", "tags": [ "Featured2", "In The Workplace", "REY ELBO", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=563719", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/12/15/563719/ilo-workplace-violence-rules-to-guide-bilateral-labor-deal-review/", "title": "ILO workplace violence rules to guide bilateral labor deal review", "content_html": "BILATERAL labor agreements will need to be updated in compliance with the Senate\u2019s ratification of the International Labor Organization (ILO) convention on workplace violence and harassment, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said.
\nSpeaking to reporters this week, Assistant Secretary Jerome A. Alcantara said the ratification of the ILO Convention 190 of 2019 requires parties to take concrete action against workplace harassment and violence, which covers those working overseas.
\n\u201cIt does not stop with just signing a treaty, and releasing press releases. What is crucial are the accompanying concrete action we need to take because of its ratification,\u201d he said.
\nThe Senate unanimously ratified the convention on Monday, making the Philippines the first Asian country to affirm the treaty.
\nMr. Alcantara told BusinessWorld that bilateral agreements should be updated to bring them in compliance with the convention, starting with agreements due to expire next year.
\n\u201cOne of the main pillars of the mandate of DMW is to negotiate better conditions for our workers; and in those negotiations, we are bound by our international obligations,\u201d he said.
\nLabor groups also expressed their support for the ratification, urging the government to align labor policy with ILO norms.
\nThe Trade Union Congress of the Philippines President and Party-list Representative Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza, who filed a resolution calling for the ratification of the ILO convention, urged government, businesses, and civil society to do their part in ensuring its effective implementation.\u00a0
\n\u201cThis international agreement is a testament to the commitment of the global community to eradicate violence and harassment in all its forms, emphasizing the importance of fostering environments that prioritize the well-being and dignity of all workers,\u201d he said in a statement.
\n\u201cThe ratification of C190 comes at a crucial time when our workers continue to be subjected to various forms of violence and harassment, including physical violence, psychological violence, sexual abuse and economic violence committed by various state and non-state offenders,\u201d the Public Services Labor Independent Confederation said in a statement. \u2014 Jomel R. Paguian
\n", "content_text": "BILATERAL labor agreements will need to be updated in compliance with the Senate\u2019s ratification of the International Labor Organization (ILO) convention on workplace violence and harassment, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said.\nSpeaking to reporters this week, Assistant Secretary Jerome A. Alcantara said the ratification of the ILO Convention 190 of 2019 requires parties to take concrete action against workplace harassment and violence, which covers those working overseas.\n\u201cIt does not stop with just signing a treaty, and releasing press releases. What is crucial are the accompanying concrete action we need to take because of its ratification,\u201d he said.\nThe Senate unanimously ratified the convention on Monday, making the Philippines the first Asian country to affirm the treaty.\nMr. Alcantara told BusinessWorld that bilateral agreements should be updated to bring them in compliance with the convention, starting with agreements due to expire next year.\n\u201cOne of the main pillars of the mandate of DMW is to negotiate better conditions for our workers; and in those negotiations, we are bound by our international obligations,\u201d he said.\nLabor groups also expressed their support for the ratification, urging the government to align labor policy with ILO norms.\nThe Trade Union Congress of the Philippines President and Party-list Representative Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza, who filed a resolution calling for the ratification of the ILO convention, urged government, businesses, and civil society to do their part in ensuring its effective implementation.\u00a0\n\u201cThis international agreement is a testament to the commitment of the global community to eradicate violence and harassment in all its forms, emphasizing the importance of fostering environments that prioritize the well-being and dignity of all workers,\u201d he said in a statement.\n\u201cThe ratification of C190 comes at a crucial time when our workers continue to be subjected to various forms of violence and harassment, including physical violence, psychological violence, sexual abuse and economic violence committed by various state and non-state offenders,\u201d the Public Services Labor Independent Confederation said in a statement. \u2014 Jomel R. Paguian", "date_published": "2023-12-15T00:03:04+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-12-14T19:10:34+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ILO-logo.jpg", "tags": [ "Jomel R. Paguian", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=563718", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/12/15/563718/german-train-drivers-to-go-on-longer-strike-after-holiday-season/", "title": "German train drivers to go on longer strike after holiday season", "content_html": "BERLIN \u2014 Germany\u2019s GDL train drivers\u2019 union said it planned a strike that would last several days after the Christmas holiday as a wage dispute with rail operator Deutsche Bahn continues.
\n\u201cFrom Jan. 8th, you should expect longer labor disputes,\u201d GDL head Claus Weselsky was quoted as saying by Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper.
\nThe union held a 24-hour strike last week, its last strike of the year, after negotiations with Deutsche Bahn broke off at the end of November.
\nThe GDL is demanding a reduction in working hours from 38 to 35 hours per week for shift workers, as well as an increase of 555 euros per month and a one-off inflation compensation bonus of 3,000 euros.
\nDeutsche Bahn rejects the demanded reduction in working hours due to a labor shortage and has offered an 11% increase in wages and salaries for a collective agreement term of 32 months.
\nThe GDL rejected the offer. Mr. Weselsky said the union would strike in moderation and was not planning an indefinite strike. \u201cWe don\u2019t have to go on strike indefinitely to bring the rail system to a standstill,\u201d he added. \u2014 Reuters
\n", "content_text": "BERLIN \u2014 Germany\u2019s GDL train drivers\u2019 union said it planned a strike that would last several days after the Christmas holiday as a wage dispute with rail operator Deutsche Bahn continues.\n\u201cFrom Jan. 8th, you should expect longer labor disputes,\u201d GDL head Claus Weselsky was quoted as saying by Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper.\nThe union held a 24-hour strike last week, its last strike of the year, after negotiations with Deutsche Bahn broke off at the end of November.\nThe GDL is demanding a reduction in working hours from 38 to 35 hours per week for shift workers, as well as an increase of 555 euros per month and a one-off inflation compensation bonus of 3,000 euros.\nDeutsche Bahn rejects the demanded reduction in working hours due to a labor shortage and has offered an 11% increase in wages and salaries for a collective agreement term of 32 months.\nThe GDL rejected the offer. Mr. Weselsky said the union would strike in moderation and was not planning an indefinite strike. \u201cWe don\u2019t have to go on strike indefinitely to bring the rail system to a standstill,\u201d he added. \u2014 Reuters", "date_published": "2023-12-15T00:02:03+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-12-14T19:09:13+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Germany-trains.jpg", "tags": [ "Featured2", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=563717", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/12/15/563717/managing-without-regular-employees/", "title": "Managing without regular employees", "content_html": "We\u2019re a three-year-old family business. Outside of family members, our 65 workers are all temps, casual employees, part-timers and project workers. We rely much on manpower agencies and third-party service providers to handle our operations. Is it possible for us to continue with this arrangement without necessarily hiring full-time, regular workers? What are the adverse implications, if we keep operating with non-regular workers? \u2014 Cheap Skate.
\nSooner or later, you\u2019ll be in legal trouble with labor authorities, who may receive complaints from \u201cemployees\u201d working under your roof. This is possible when your management team ignores the so-called \u201cfour-fold test\u201d of establishing the existence of an employer-employee relationship.
\nThe four criteria of the test are as follows: One, selection and engagement of employees. Two, payment of their wages and benefits. Three, the power of dismissal. And four, the power to control the employee\u2019s conduct.
\nEven if you have a decent number of regular workers but they\u2019re outnumbered by atypical workers like those provided by manpower agencies and cooperatives, it could raise possible issues in the near future. That\u2019s why you should exercise extreme caution in maintaining a workforce composed of non-regular employees.
\nIf I were to have my way, I\u2019d aim for a ratio of 80-20 (regular workforce vs. temps), which will likely be sufficient to persuade labor authorities, tripartite bodies or industry labor-management councils that you\u2019re not abusing the temp system.
\nWASTAGE INDEX
\nAny organization fully relying on temps does not understand employee motivation. Who would want to continue working for a manpower agency or a cooperative for only the most basic wages and benefits and limited career opportunities?
You must consider the experience accumulated by temps that is wasted if and when they decide to move to some other employer who can give them much better compensation and career opportunities. This will be made clear when you compute the company\u2019s wastage index, a measure of how well you maintain temps and other contractual workers.
\nLet\u2019s say you have 500 temps at the start of the year. By Dec. 31, 60 temps have resigned voluntarily and have been honorably discharged, for various reasons. This translates to a 12% turnover rate, sometimes called the wastage index \u2014 representing the loss of experienced and talented people.
\nWhy do we consider it wastage? Take the issue of training.\u00a0 How can your work teams function effectively if the temps continually come and go? Imagine the hassle. This may not be a big issue in the case of simple manual operations in organizations like fast food restaurants and department stores.
\nBut then, how about other businesses like high-technology manufacturing or service jobs requiring special skills for customer relations?
\nImagine the investment in training that you had to make. This problem is magnified with the continued inflow of new temps requiring fresh training, even if you classify this as an employment cost and not an investment. Double check whether the cost does not in any way wipe out the advantages of hiring temps.
\nAnother reason to be dubious about an all-temp company is that customer service is no simple task that can be left to workers whose continued presence is dependent on your contract with the service provider. Another issue is their motivation to perform their duties when their minds are focused on finding better employment.
\nTherefore, your best approach is to periodically assess your options when relying on temps.
\nLABOR SUPPLY
\nUnemployment in this country is high even in normal economic situations. That means an abundance of people looking for jobs. Many are eager to be employed full time but only a handful are chosen because the majority lack the skills required for the tasks at hand.
Looking for the best person for the job is a difficult challenge for many organizations. This can be easily demonstrated by thousands of job ads posted on social and print media every day.
\nEven if you\u2019re focused on maintaining only temps for your organization, there will come a time that you\u2019ll need the right number of people who would want to be hired directly\u00a0 rather than by manpower agencies, cooperatives or other third-party service providers. If that happens, what would you do?
\n\n
Bring Rey Elbo\u2019s leadership program on \u201cSuperior Subordinate Supervision\u201d to your management team. Or chat your workplace issues via Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter) or e-mail elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com
\n", "content_text": "We\u2019re a three-year-old family business. Outside of family members, our 65 workers are all temps, casual employees, part-timers and project workers. We rely much on manpower agencies and third-party service providers to handle our operations. Is it possible for us to continue with this arrangement without necessarily hiring full-time, regular workers? What are the adverse implications, if we keep operating with non-regular workers? \u2014 Cheap Skate.\nSooner or later, you\u2019ll be in legal trouble with labor authorities, who may receive complaints from \u201cemployees\u201d working under your roof. This is possible when your management team ignores the so-called \u201cfour-fold test\u201d of establishing the existence of an employer-employee relationship.\nThe four criteria of the test are as follows: One, selection and engagement of employees. Two, payment of their wages and benefits. Three, the power of dismissal. And four, the power to control the employee\u2019s conduct.\nEven if you have a decent number of regular workers but they\u2019re outnumbered by atypical workers like those provided by manpower agencies and cooperatives, it could raise possible issues in the near future. That\u2019s why you should exercise extreme caution in maintaining a workforce composed of non-regular employees.\nIf I were to have my way, I\u2019d aim for a ratio of 80-20 (regular workforce vs. temps), which will likely be sufficient to persuade labor authorities, tripartite bodies or industry labor-management councils that you\u2019re not abusing the temp system.\nWASTAGE INDEX\nAny organization fully relying on temps does not understand employee motivation. Who would want to continue working for a manpower agency or a cooperative for only the most basic wages and benefits and limited career opportunities?\nYou must consider the experience accumulated by temps that is wasted if and when they decide to move to some other employer who can give them much better compensation and career opportunities. This will be made clear when you compute the company\u2019s wastage index, a measure of how well you maintain temps and other contractual workers.\nLet\u2019s say you have 500 temps at the start of the year. By Dec. 31, 60 temps have resigned voluntarily and have been honorably discharged, for various reasons. This translates to a 12% turnover rate, sometimes called the wastage index \u2014 representing the loss of experienced and talented people.\nWhy do we consider it wastage? Take the issue of training.\u00a0 How can your work teams function effectively if the temps continually come and go? Imagine the hassle. This may not be a big issue in the case of simple manual operations in organizations like fast food restaurants and department stores.\nBut then, how about other businesses like high-technology manufacturing or service jobs requiring special skills for customer relations?\nImagine the investment in training that you had to make. This problem is magnified with the continued inflow of new temps requiring fresh training, even if you classify this as an employment cost and not an investment. Double check whether the cost does not in any way wipe out the advantages of hiring temps.\nAnother reason to be dubious about an all-temp company is that customer service is no simple task that can be left to workers whose continued presence is dependent on your contract with the service provider. Another issue is their motivation to perform their duties when their minds are focused on finding better employment.\nTherefore, your best approach is to periodically assess your options when relying on temps.\nLABOR SUPPLY\nUnemployment in this country is high even in normal economic situations. That means an abundance of people looking for jobs. Many are eager to be employed full time but only a handful are chosen because the majority lack the skills required for the tasks at hand.\nLooking for the best person for the job is a difficult challenge for many organizations. This can be easily demonstrated by thousands of job ads posted on social and print media every day.\nEven if you\u2019re focused on maintaining only temps for your organization, there will come a time that you\u2019ll need the right number of people who would want to be hired directly\u00a0 rather than by manpower agencies, cooperatives or other third-party service providers. If that happens, what would you do?\n \nBring Rey Elbo\u2019s leadership program on \u201cSuperior Subordinate Supervision\u201d to your management team. Or chat your workplace issues via Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter) or e-mail elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com", "date_published": "2023-12-15T00:01:02+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-12-14T18:08:35+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/LM-default.jpg", "tags": [ "Featured2", "In The Workplace", "REY ELBO", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=562339", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/12/08/562339/hospitals-may-harness-ai-to-deal-with-nurse-shortage/", "title": "Hospitals may harness AI to deal with nurse shortage", "content_html": "By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter
\nTAIPEI \u2014 Artificial intelligence (AI) could help hospitals manage the shortage of nurses in the Philippines, a hospital industry executive said.
\n\u201cTemporarily,\u00a0that may be\u00a0one of the solutions for the lack of nurses. (If) you don\u2019t have night staff to provide information, for instance, you can use AI,\u201d Jose Rene D. de Grano, president of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, Inc., told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the Healthcare+ Expo in Taipei.
\nMr. De Grano said he toured a hospital in Taiwan with one nurse attending to up to 20 patients, who usually require nurse staffing of three to five, with the help of AI.
\nPossible AI applications include answering inquiries and dispensing medication, he said. The real-time monitoring of multiple patients can also be performed with the aid of Radio Frequency Identification systems.
\nAt the Expo, ASUSTek Computer, Inc. (ASUSTek) demonstrated its health tracker watch, known as VivoWatch, which it plans to distribute more extensively across global markets next year as a tool to help healthcare professionals track patient activity and make diagnoses, according to ASUSTek Associate Vice-President for Product Marketing Pei-Wen Hsu.
\n\u201cBefore, when you go to the doctors, doctors always ask you, oh, do you sleep well?\u00a0Did you take medicine?\u00a0But if you have this data that can connect through the cloud, the doctor can check the data and to compare it to the chart at the hospital,\u201d Ms. Hsu told\u00a0BusinessWorld,\u00a0also on the sidelines of the expo.
\nThe new VivoWatch integrates electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors to help diagnose certain heart conditions, as well as Photoplethysmography (PPG), which detects blood volume changes.
\nASUSTek is also promoting its speech recognition transcription application, Agility, to help healthcare professionals record checkups with patients faster.
\n\u201cFor example, I\u2019m the patient and the doctor has a question for me.\u00a0The speech recognition function can record what I\u2019m saying,\u201d Ms. Hsu said.
\nCiting the Taiwan government\u2019s New Southbound Policy, ASUSTek is considering future market expansion in the Philippines, according to Ms. Hsu.
\nNURSE MIGRATION
\nPhilippine hospitals have now fully accepted the inevitability of nurse migration, Mr. De Grano said.
\u201cThat is the thinking of the new generation of nurses\u2026 they still want to go out,\u201d he said in Filipino. \u201cWe\u2019re not against that because it will improve our economy\u2026 and the quality of life of our nurses.\u201d
\nJose P. Santiago, Jr., incoming president of the Philippine Hospital Association, said nurses are also attracted to countries with strong education systems for the sake of their children.
\n\u201cI have interviewed\u00a0several nurses, mostly single mothers\u2026 they want to leave because they want to provide a\u00a0better education to their\u00a0kids. They also consider their families when they migrate,\u201d he told BusinessWorld separately.
\nMr. Santiago said that a healthy working environment, subsidized post-graduate schooling, competitive salary, incentives, and training could help nurses stay in the Philippines.
\nMr. De Grano noted that Cambridge-based Occupational English Test is set to conduct free English proficiency training in hospitals and medical schools especially for nurses who want to work in the United Kingdom.
\n\u201cWe agreed\u2026 we\u2019ll (pursue such arrangements) in order to persuade our nurses to stay a while before they leave the country,\u201d he said.
\nThe Commission on Higher Education last year lifted the moratorium on universities and colleges seeking to open new nursing programs.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re now really looking forward for better supply of nurses,\u201d Mr. Santiago said.
\n", "content_text": "By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter\nTAIPEI \u2014 Artificial intelligence (AI) could help hospitals manage the shortage of nurses in the Philippines, a hospital industry executive said.\n\u201cTemporarily,\u00a0that may be\u00a0one of the solutions for the lack of nurses. (If) you don\u2019t have night staff to provide information, for instance, you can use AI,\u201d Jose Rene D. de Grano, president of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, Inc., told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the Healthcare+ Expo in Taipei.\nMr. De Grano said he toured a hospital in Taiwan with one nurse attending to up to 20 patients, who usually require nurse staffing of three to five, with the help of AI.\nPossible AI applications include answering inquiries and dispensing medication, he said. The real-time monitoring of multiple patients can also be performed with the aid of Radio Frequency Identification systems.\nAt the Expo, ASUSTek Computer, Inc. (ASUSTek) demonstrated its health tracker watch, known as VivoWatch, which it plans to distribute more extensively across global markets next year as a tool to help healthcare professionals track patient activity and make diagnoses, according to ASUSTek Associate Vice-President for Product Marketing Pei-Wen Hsu.\n\u201cBefore, when you go to the doctors, doctors always ask you, oh, do you sleep well?\u00a0Did you take medicine?\u00a0But if you have this data that can connect through the cloud, the doctor can check the data and to compare it to the chart at the hospital,\u201d Ms. Hsu told\u00a0BusinessWorld,\u00a0also on the sidelines of the expo.\nThe new VivoWatch integrates electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors to help diagnose certain heart conditions, as well as Photoplethysmography (PPG), which detects blood volume changes.\nASUSTek is also promoting its speech recognition transcription application, Agility, to help healthcare professionals record checkups with patients faster.\n\u201cFor example, I\u2019m the patient and the doctor has a question for me.\u00a0The speech recognition function can record what I\u2019m saying,\u201d Ms. Hsu said.\nCiting the Taiwan government\u2019s New Southbound Policy, ASUSTek is considering future market expansion in the Philippines, according to Ms. Hsu.\nNURSE MIGRATION\nPhilippine hospitals have now fully accepted the inevitability of nurse migration, Mr. De Grano said.\n\u201cThat is the thinking of the new generation of nurses\u2026 they still want to go out,\u201d he said in Filipino. \u201cWe\u2019re not against that because it will improve our economy\u2026 and the quality of life of our nurses.\u201d\nJose P. Santiago, Jr., incoming president of the Philippine Hospital Association, said nurses are also attracted to countries with strong education systems for the sake of their children.\n\u201cI have interviewed\u00a0several nurses, mostly single mothers\u2026 they want to leave because they want to provide a\u00a0better education to their\u00a0kids. They also consider their families when they migrate,\u201d he told BusinessWorld separately.\nMr. Santiago said that a healthy working environment, subsidized post-graduate schooling, competitive salary, incentives, and training could help nurses stay in the Philippines.\nMr. De Grano noted that Cambridge-based Occupational English Test is set to conduct free English proficiency training in hospitals and medical schools especially for nurses who want to work in the United Kingdom.\n\u201cWe agreed\u2026 we\u2019ll (pursue such arrangements) in order to persuade our nurses to stay a while before they leave the country,\u201d he said.\nThe Commission on Higher Education last year lifted the moratorium on universities and colleges seeking to open new nursing programs.\n\u201cWe\u2019re now really looking forward for better supply of nurses,\u201d Mr. Santiago said.", "date_published": "2023-12-08T00:02:03+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-12-07T20:58:46+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/healthworker-PHILSTAR-MIGUELDEGUZMAN.jpg", "tags": [ "Beatriz Marie D. Cruz", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ], "summary": "TAIPEI \u2014 Artificial intelligence (AI) could help hospitals manage the shortage of nurses in the Philippines, a hospital industry executive said." }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=562338", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/12/08/562338/dealing-with-monday-and-friday-sick-leaves/", "title": "Dealing with Monday and Friday sick leaves", "content_html": "I have a long-time worker who is notorious for filing for sick leave on Fridays, Mondays, and the day before or after holidays. I consulted our human resources (HR) manager who advised me to ignore such minor issues. But we have important work to do and can\u2019t afford emergency absences in our understaffed department. What can we do? \u2014 Blue Mountain.
\nI have encountered two such problem employees in companies I worked for, except that they were motivated for the wrong reasons. I suspect they were also trying to test my patience. In Company A, we were in charge of publishing a two-page weekly newsletter which needed to come out early Monday. The mandate was clear.
\nThe newsletter had to be put together no matter what, even to the extent of working weekends. No ifs, no buts. When I moved to Company B, I was assigned a much more difficult task \u2014 to publish a biweekly eight-page newsletter that must also come out Mondays.
\nThis task came on top of everything else that was assigned to me. I handled labor relations, managed employee discipline, did public relations work, coordinated with the labor union, organized sports and socials, handled corporate social responsibility, managed employee benefits, and many others.
\nIn publishing the newsletters, we did research, conducted interviews, took photographs, wrote and edited the content, laid out the articles, and coordinated with the printer. Unfortunately, the burden was not shared by my two publication assistants in companies A and B.
\nOr at least, that\u2019s how I felt at the time. They resorted to emergency leaves and sick leaves for dubious reasons, most of the time without informing me directly and instead relaying the message through our department secretaries.
\nThis was when mobile phones were not yet in wide use. When deadlines approached, my work schedule was thrown into disarray. I also had to work during weekends without extra pay because I was salaried.
\nFIVE OPTIONS
\nI communicated this problem to my bosses, whose advice was similar to the position taken by your HR manager: grin and bear it. Somehow, I managed the situation by spending long hours at work, in the process proving that I could do it without their assistance. I turned the tables by outsourcing the task to on-call writers, cartoonists and layout artists, even spending my own money to do so.
It was all worth it. My assistants started to feel insecure about their jobs.
\nI\u2019m not sure if such a solution works for you. Our situations may vary and require different approaches. If that\u2019s the case, let me share with you the following options:
\nOne, establish a pattern of emergency leaves. \u201cEmergency leaves\u201d mean any absence from work without prior management approval. This includes any situation like a broken-down vehicle of an employee, fire in the neighborhood, assisting a family member who is hospitalized \u2014 in other words, events that are difficult to predict, including illnesses that require sick leave.
\nThe challenge is to determine the reasonableness of these leaves in a given year.
\nTwo, calculate the damage or losses. This includes the amount of overtime pay for other employees who are required to pitch in, professional fees of subcontractors and other related expenses, like the use of utilities (electricity, etc.) in the office. That\u2019s not all. You may have to include other nonquantifiable expenses or any amount that you are forced to absorb.
\nThree, engage a physician to do house calls. The doctor may be assigned by a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). This face-to-face visit could pose additional cost for the organization and can only be used sparingly depending on the situation or the employee\u2019s notoriety. If medically feasible, \u201carrange\u201d with the HMO to bring a sick worker to a hospital to deliver a message.
\nFour, connect habitual sick leaves with the medical exam. Include a provision in the HMO contract giving the latter the right to conduct physical check-ups on those accumulating excessive sick leaves. This may discourage people from calling in sick if they know that the HMO will conduct a mandatory check-up and withhold medical benefits to those who refuse.
\nLast, conduct regular engagement dialogues. Maintaining open communication is very important. However, you must come prepared with data on the frequency of the worker\u2019s emergency leaves and how they are adversely affecting company operations. Explain the issue and secure a commitment from the concerned employee.
\nIf the problem persists, disallow the \u201cemergency\u201d or \u201csick\u201d leave as a last resort. If you\u2019ve reached this stage, monitor the employee\u2019s reaction and prepare for a more difficult situation. When you do this, be honest with yourself. Who knows? You might be part of the problem.
\n\n
Bring Rey Elbo\u2019s leadership program called Superior Subordinate Supervision to your management team. Chat with him on Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter) or e-mail elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com
\n", "content_text": "I have a long-time worker who is notorious for filing for sick leave on Fridays, Mondays, and the day before or after holidays. I consulted our human resources (HR) manager who advised me to ignore such minor issues. But we have important work to do and can\u2019t afford emergency absences in our understaffed department. What can we do? \u2014 Blue Mountain.\nI have encountered two such problem employees in companies I worked for, except that they were motivated for the wrong reasons. I suspect they were also trying to test my patience. In Company A, we were in charge of publishing a two-page weekly newsletter which needed to come out early Monday. The mandate was clear.\nThe newsletter had to be put together no matter what, even to the extent of working weekends. No ifs, no buts. When I moved to Company B, I was assigned a much more difficult task \u2014 to publish a biweekly eight-page newsletter that must also come out Mondays.\nThis task came on top of everything else that was assigned to me. I handled labor relations, managed employee discipline, did public relations work, coordinated with the labor union, organized sports and socials, handled corporate social responsibility, managed employee benefits, and many others.\nIn publishing the newsletters, we did research, conducted interviews, took photographs, wrote and edited the content, laid out the articles, and coordinated with the printer. Unfortunately, the burden was not shared by my two publication assistants in companies A and B.\nOr at least, that\u2019s how I felt at the time. They resorted to emergency leaves and sick leaves for dubious reasons, most of the time without informing me directly and instead relaying the message through our department secretaries.\nThis was when mobile phones were not yet in wide use. When deadlines approached, my work schedule was thrown into disarray. I also had to work during weekends without extra pay because I was salaried.\nFIVE OPTIONS\nI communicated this problem to my bosses, whose advice was similar to the position taken by your HR manager: grin and bear it. Somehow, I managed the situation by spending long hours at work, in the process proving that I could do it without their assistance. I turned the tables by outsourcing the task to on-call writers, cartoonists and layout artists, even spending my own money to do so.\nIt was all worth it. My assistants started to feel insecure about their jobs.\nI\u2019m not sure if such a solution works for you. Our situations may vary and require different approaches. If that\u2019s the case, let me share with you the following options:\nOne, establish a pattern of emergency leaves. \u201cEmergency leaves\u201d mean any absence from work without prior management approval. This includes any situation like a broken-down vehicle of an employee, fire in the neighborhood, assisting a family member who is hospitalized \u2014 in other words, events that are difficult to predict, including illnesses that require sick leave.\nThe challenge is to determine the reasonableness of these leaves in a given year.\nTwo, calculate the damage or losses. This includes the amount of overtime pay for other employees who are required to pitch in, professional fees of subcontractors and other related expenses, like the use of utilities (electricity, etc.) in the office. That\u2019s not all. You may have to include other nonquantifiable expenses or any amount that you are forced to absorb.\nThree, engage a physician to do house calls. The doctor may be assigned by a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). This face-to-face visit could pose additional cost for the organization and can only be used sparingly depending on the situation or the employee\u2019s notoriety. If medically feasible, \u201carrange\u201d with the HMO to bring a sick worker to a hospital to deliver a message. \nFour, connect habitual sick leaves with the medical exam. Include a provision in the HMO contract giving the latter the right to conduct physical check-ups on those accumulating excessive sick leaves. This may discourage people from calling in sick if they know that the HMO will conduct a mandatory check-up and withhold medical benefits to those who refuse.\nLast, conduct regular engagement dialogues. Maintaining open communication is very important. However, you must come prepared with data on the frequency of the worker\u2019s emergency leaves and how they are adversely affecting company operations. Explain the issue and secure a commitment from the concerned employee.\nIf the problem persists, disallow the \u201cemergency\u201d or \u201csick\u201d leave as a last resort. If you\u2019ve reached this stage, monitor the employee\u2019s reaction and prepare for a more difficult situation. When you do this, be honest with yourself. Who knows? You might be part of the problem.\n \nBring Rey Elbo\u2019s leadership program called Superior Subordinate Supervision to your management team. Chat with him on Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter) or e-mail elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com", "date_published": "2023-12-08T00:01:02+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-12-07T18:48:33+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/LM-default.jpg", "tags": [ "Featured2", "In The Workplace", "REY ELBO", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ], "summary": "I have encountered two such problem employees in companies I worked for, except that they were motivated for the wrong reasons. I suspect they were also trying to test my patience. In Company A, we were in charge of publishing a two-page weekly newsletter which needed to come out early Monday. The mandate was clear." }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=560836", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/12/01/560836/employers-warned-about-not-granting-vawc-leave/", "title": "Employers warned about not granting VAWC leave", "content_html": "THE Department of Labor and Employment threatened to sanction employers that do not approve leave applications of female victims of violence.
\nThe Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) law, or Republic Act 9242, grants female employees 10 days\u2019 leave after having experienced physical, sexual, psychological, or economic violence.
\nBureau of Working Conditions Director Alvin B. Curada said in an online seminar on Wednesday that employers refusing to grant VAWC leave could potentially face criminal, administrative, and civil action.
\nRefusal to grant the 10-day leave to victims carries penalties under both the Labor Code and Civil Service Rules and Regulations in the case of public organizations, he said.
\nMr. Curada said female employees may apply for multiple VAWC leaves in a year if they face continuous violence. He also emphasized that female employees, regardless of their length of service, are entitled to file for VAWC leave.
\nHe clarified that VAWC leave is not convertible to cash if left unused.
\nMr. Curada said VAWC victims must submit a barangay certification to accompany any leave applications. He said employers may not demand additional requirements not indicated in the law.
\nVictims may also apply for a barangay protection order which \u201cwill prohibit the offenders from committing the acts by preventing them from being around the women victims and their children.\u201d He added that the victims may also seek the help of the courts in issuing temporary and permanent protection orders against offenders.
\nMr. Curada said that aside from physical and sexual violence, the law also contemplates psychological forms of abuse \u2014 or acts that cause mental or emotional suffering, including public humiliation, repeated verbal abuse, and threat of physical harm. Economic violence, meanwhile, happens when \u201canother person prevents a woman from working and exercising her profession, and unjustly controls her property and money.\u201d \u2014 Jomel R. Paguian
\n", "content_text": "THE Department of Labor and Employment threatened to sanction employers that do not approve leave applications of female victims of violence.\nThe Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) law, or Republic Act 9242, grants female employees 10 days\u2019 leave after having experienced physical, sexual, psychological, or economic violence.\nBureau of Working Conditions Director Alvin B. Curada said in an online seminar on Wednesday that employers refusing to grant VAWC leave could potentially face criminal, administrative, and civil action.\nRefusal to grant the 10-day leave to victims carries penalties under both the Labor Code and Civil Service Rules and Regulations in the case of public organizations, he said.\nMr. Curada said female employees may apply for multiple VAWC leaves in a year if they face continuous violence. He also emphasized that female employees, regardless of their length of service, are entitled to file for VAWC leave.\nHe clarified that VAWC leave is not convertible to cash if left unused.\nMr. Curada said VAWC victims must submit a barangay certification to accompany any leave applications. He said employers may not demand additional requirements not indicated in the law.\nVictims may also apply for a barangay protection order which \u201cwill prohibit the offenders from committing the acts by preventing them from being around the women victims and their children.\u201d He added that the victims may also seek the help of the courts in issuing temporary and permanent protection orders against offenders.\nMr. Curada said that aside from physical and sexual violence, the law also contemplates psychological forms of abuse \u2014 or acts that cause mental or emotional suffering, including public humiliation, repeated verbal abuse, and threat of physical harm. Economic violence, meanwhile, happens when \u201canother person prevents a woman from working and exercising her profession, and unjustly controls her property and money.\u201d \u2014 Jomel R. Paguian", "date_published": "2023-12-01T00:02:13+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-12-01T00:46:12+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/rgentribirthfurd/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/67e0d160ec455979f75e504cb026950a?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/rgentribirthfurd/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/67e0d160ec455979f75e504cb026950a?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DoLE.jpg", "tags": [ "Jomel R. Paguian", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=560832", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/12/01/560832/compassionate-workplace-justice/", "title": "Compassionate workplace justice", "content_html": "A 50-year-old department clerk, father of five children of school age, was caught by a newly assigned security guard bringing out of the office a small quantity of stationery. The offender, an average work performer, has been with the company for 15 years and has no prior record. Our policy considers this as qualified theft and grounds for dismissal. The chief executive officer (CEO) tasked the human resource (HR) manager to decide on the case, while the department head recommends a five-day suspension instead of termination. If you were the HR manager, what would you do? \u2014 Blue Mountain.
\nAlmost all religions preach compassion. But then, when confronted with an actual situation, most people would agonize about the right approach.
\nPsychologists have spent decades of research to understand the meaning of compassion and human suffering.
\nEmma Seppala, a director at The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford Medical School, says \u201chuman suffering is often accompanied by beautiful acts of compassion by others wishing to relieve it.\u201d This is seen in the case of volunteers serving food at homeless shelters or in people who stop on the highway in the rain to help someone with a broken-down vehicle.
\nTo some, acts of compassion (or empathy) are difficult to understand except to explain it as \u201can automatic mirroring of another\u2019s emotion.\u201d Therefore, if a stranger can volunteer to help another stranger in need, what more a person be-longing to the same organization? This is where HR should perform a delicate balancing act.
\nThis requires a fair and impersonal judgment of what is right, considering the interests of the offender-employee and those of the whole organization.
\nACT OF KINDNESS
\nIf \u201csurvival of the fittest\u201d describes people in a rat race, a contrary maxim calls for \u201csurvival of the kindest,\u201d which generates a lot of positive vibes in the workplace. Being kind is the most welcome as it generates tons of acceptance.
\nAs I\u2019ve said in my previous articles, people management is an act of kindness. It automatically expires the moment workers show that they don\u2019t deserve such kindness from management. It is in this light that HR professionals must consider the needs of both employees and management.
\nThis is the time when HR must decide on the best solution. HR may be misunderstood. But as long as the decision is right and fair, all you have to do is to explain it gently to those who may feel unhappy about your decision. Take it from the department manager.
\nHe has already recommended that the penalty be reduced to a one-week suspension instead of dismissal. Without your knowing for sure, other employees may support such an approach. It becomes a matter of writing a balanced decision that does not set a bad precedent. In writing such a decision, the HR manager must consider the following:
\nOne, emphasize due process. This requires giving the employee both the substantive and procedural aspects of due process. Give the worker an ample chance and opportunity to explain his side of the story.
\nTwo, state the decision finding the worker to have committed the offense. Cite the specific provision of the Code of Conduct and other pertinent provisions of the Labor Code. Explain how management came to the collective decision. Take note of a Supreme Court decision finding that dismissal is too harsh.
\nThree, explain that the penalty is reduced to suspension. The HR manager may increase the recommended suspension from five days to 10 days or even more. Also, the suspension must reflect a pro-rata deduction to 13th month pay and other cash allowances and benefits when they become due.
\nFour, include a disclaimer against setting precedent. Emphasize it clearly that future offenders may not use such case if it favors them. Do this even if you treat the case with utmost confidentiality and you promise to treat each case differently.
\nCOMPASSIONATE JUSTICE
\nI\u2019ve implemented compassionate justice in a number of cases brought before me in the past. I was happy to note that the experience taught me many valuable lessons. Compassion can go a long way in reforming employees. Many of them have succeeded in changing their image before management. They\u2019ve become loyal to the organization.
\nIn conclusion, however, be careful in making a decision like this even in the name of compassionate justice. Chances are, some management people, including CEOs, will object to your leniency. If that happens, you have no choice but to implement what they want \u2014 but not before explaining everything in this article.
\n\n
Bring Rey Elbo\u2019s leadership program called Superior Subordinate Supervision to your organization. For details or your workplace questions, chat with him via Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter) or via https://reyelbo.com\u00a0
\n", "content_text": "A 50-year-old department clerk, father of five children of school age, was caught by a newly assigned security guard bringing out of the office a small quantity of stationery. The offender, an average work performer, has been with the company for 15 years and has no prior record. Our policy considers this as qualified theft and grounds for dismissal. The chief executive officer (CEO) tasked the human resource (HR) manager to decide on the case, while the department head recommends a five-day suspension instead of termination. If you were the HR manager, what would you do? \u2014 Blue Mountain.\nAlmost all religions preach compassion. But then, when confronted with an actual situation, most people would agonize about the right approach.\nPsychologists have spent decades of research to understand the meaning of compassion and human suffering.\nEmma Seppala, a director at The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford Medical School, says \u201chuman suffering is often accompanied by beautiful acts of compassion by others wishing to relieve it.\u201d This is seen in the case of volunteers serving food at homeless shelters or in people who stop on the highway in the rain to help someone with a broken-down vehicle.\nTo some, acts of compassion (or empathy) are difficult to understand except to explain it as \u201can automatic mirroring of another\u2019s emotion.\u201d Therefore, if a stranger can volunteer to help another stranger in need, what more a person be-longing to the same organization? This is where HR should perform a delicate balancing act.\nThis requires a fair and impersonal judgment of what is right, considering the interests of the offender-employee and those of the whole organization.\nACT OF KINDNESS\nIf \u201csurvival of the fittest\u201d describes people in a rat race, a contrary maxim calls for \u201csurvival of the kindest,\u201d which generates a lot of positive vibes in the workplace. Being kind is the most welcome as it generates tons of acceptance.\nAs I\u2019ve said in my previous articles, people management is an act of kindness. It automatically expires the moment workers show that they don\u2019t deserve such kindness from management. It is in this light that HR professionals must consider the needs of both employees and management.\nThis is the time when HR must decide on the best solution. HR may be misunderstood. But as long as the decision is right and fair, all you have to do is to explain it gently to those who may feel unhappy about your decision. Take it from the department manager.\nHe has already recommended that the penalty be reduced to a one-week suspension instead of dismissal. Without your knowing for sure, other employees may support such an approach. It becomes a matter of writing a balanced decision that does not set a bad precedent. In writing such a decision, the HR manager must consider the following:\nOne, emphasize due process. This requires giving the employee both the substantive and procedural aspects of due process. Give the worker an ample chance and opportunity to explain his side of the story.\nTwo, state the decision finding the worker to have committed the offense. Cite the specific provision of the Code of Conduct and other pertinent provisions of the Labor Code. Explain how management came to the collective decision. Take note of a Supreme Court decision finding that dismissal is too harsh.\nThree, explain that the penalty is reduced to suspension. The HR manager may increase the recommended suspension from five days to 10 days or even more. Also, the suspension must reflect a pro-rata deduction to 13th month pay and other cash allowances and benefits when they become due.\nFour, include a disclaimer against setting precedent. Emphasize it clearly that future offenders may not use such case if it favors them. Do this even if you treat the case with utmost confidentiality and you promise to treat each case differently.\nCOMPASSIONATE JUSTICE\nI\u2019ve implemented compassionate justice in a number of cases brought before me in the past. I was happy to note that the experience taught me many valuable lessons. Compassion can go a long way in reforming employees. Many of them have succeeded in changing their image before management. They\u2019ve become loyal to the organization.\nIn conclusion, however, be careful in making a decision like this even in the name of compassionate justice. Chances are, some management people, including CEOs, will object to your leniency. If that happens, you have no choice but to implement what they want \u2014 but not before explaining everything in this article.\n \nBring Rey Elbo\u2019s leadership program called Superior Subordinate Supervision to your organization. For details or your workplace questions, chat with him via Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter) or via https://reyelbo.com\u00a0", "date_published": "2023-12-01T00:01:29+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-12-01T00:45:19+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/rgentribirthfurd/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/67e0d160ec455979f75e504cb026950a?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/rgentribirthfurd/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/67e0d160ec455979f75e504cb026950a?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/LM-default.jpg", "tags": [ "In The Workplace", "REY ELBO", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=559955", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/11/27/559955/holistic-labor-devt-program-needed-as-ai-skills-demand-rises-experts-say/", "title": "Holistic labor dev\u2019t program needed as AI skills demand rises, experts say", "content_html": "By Miguel Hanz L. Antivola, Reporter
\nThe Philippines needs to initiate a comprehensive labor development program to address the increasing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) skills, according to experts.
\n\u201cThe impact of AI on the labor force is very uneven,\u201d Rene E. Ofreneo, a professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman School of Labor and Industrial Relations, said in a phone interview with\u00a0BusinessWorld\u00a0on Monday.
\n\u201cTo benefit from AI, the modernization and upgrading of different sectors need to be simultaneous,\u201d he added, noting that varying incremental changes can already be observed in the local economy.
\nHe noted that these effects are more prominent in business process outsourcing (BPO), services, and manufacturing, compared to its potential impact in agriculture and other overlooked sectors that can benefit from such AI-driven efficiency boosts.
\nIn a separate phone interview, Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis, Jr., president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, said that it will take the country about two years to identify a more significant impact on the labor market from AI.
\n\u201cEverybody and every field will be affected,\u201d he added, noting that employers and job seekers need to adapt to the challenges and opportunities presented by continuous technological advances.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s also a significant challenge for policymakers to address AI for the overall economy,\u201d Mr. Ofreneo said, emphasizing the need to expand its opportunities beyond those only in \u201cthe high end of the labor market,\u201d where he cited 82% of the workforce as classified under formal employment.
\n\u201cEverybody has to adjust, but how can you make AI work in the service of everybody?\u201d he added. \u201cTo have an AI revolution, an economic revolution is also needed.\u201d
\nData and analytics firm GlobalData said that generative AI job posts spiked in the third quarter due to business competition in the digital landscape, with medium- and long-term talent plans in development for adaptability.
\nGlobalData noted AI augmentations in data science, code development, machine learning, and cybersecurity among global businesses.
\nAnalytics from the employment-focused social media platform LinkedIn showed a 2.4 times increase in job posts mentioning AI in Southeast Asian markets from two years ago, with a 1.7 times growth in applications versus those that do not mention it.
\nIt observed that 76% of Filipino professionals expect a significant change in their jobs next year driven by AI, with 55% already using generative AI, citing efficiency and productivity benefits.
\nIt added that 55% believe the technology will create more job opportunities outside the metropolitan area due to its capacity for active upskilling and remote work.
\nHowever, the Asian Development Bank said in a July report that 20% of Philippine workers face a \u201chigh risk of losing their jobs\u201d due to automation.
\n\u201cThe opportunities have everything to do with productivity and managing information,\u201d David R. Hardoon, chief executive officer of Aboitiz Data Innovation Pte. Ltd., said during a fireside chat at the BusinessWorld Forecast 2024 economic forum last week.
\n\u201cWhat we should be worried about is another person with the knowledge and skill set we don\u2019t have,\u201d he added.
\nMr. Ortiz-Luis urged companies to prepare for losses and savings from tech adaptation, alongside the labor force opening themselves to tech-empowered opportunities.\u00a0
\n\u201cEmployers must train to reskill, while job seekers and employees need to adapt to maintain their availability for the job market,\u201d he said. \u201cKnow what areas they can skill themselves in.\u201d\u00a0
\nHowever, Mr. Ofreneo noted the uneven development of technologies across industries parallel to its wavering opportunities for the workforce.\u00a0
\nDisplacements and employee downsizing must be addressed immediately because many are already being left behind, he said, observing its impact on the BPO industry alone.
\n", "content_text": "By Miguel Hanz L. Antivola, Reporter\nThe Philippines needs to initiate a comprehensive labor development program to address the increasing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) skills, according to experts.\n\u201cThe impact of AI on the labor force is very uneven,\u201d Rene E. Ofreneo, a professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman School of Labor and Industrial Relations, said in a phone interview with\u00a0BusinessWorld\u00a0on Monday.\n\u201cTo benefit from AI, the modernization and upgrading of different sectors need to be simultaneous,\u201d he added, noting that varying incremental changes can already be observed in the local economy.\nHe noted that these effects are more prominent in business process outsourcing (BPO), services, and manufacturing, compared to its potential impact in agriculture and other overlooked sectors that can benefit from such AI-driven efficiency boosts.\nIn a separate phone interview, Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis, Jr., president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, said that it will take the country about two years to identify a more significant impact on the labor market from AI.\n\u201cEverybody and every field will be affected,\u201d he added, noting that employers and job seekers need to adapt to the challenges and opportunities presented by continuous technological advances.\n\u201cIt\u2019s also a significant challenge for policymakers to address AI for the overall economy,\u201d Mr. Ofreneo said, emphasizing the need to expand its opportunities beyond those only in \u201cthe high end of the labor market,\u201d where he cited 82% of the workforce as classified under formal employment.\n\u201cEverybody has to adjust, but how can you make AI work in the service of everybody?\u201d he added. \u201cTo have an AI revolution, an economic revolution is also needed.\u201d\nData and analytics firm GlobalData said that generative AI job posts spiked in the third quarter due to business competition in the digital landscape, with medium- and long-term talent plans in development for adaptability.\nGlobalData noted AI augmentations in data science, code development, machine learning, and cybersecurity among global businesses.\nAnalytics from the employment-focused social media platform LinkedIn showed a 2.4 times increase in job posts mentioning AI in Southeast Asian markets from two years ago, with a 1.7 times growth in applications versus those that do not mention it.\nIt observed that 76% of Filipino professionals expect a significant change in their jobs next year driven by AI, with 55% already using generative AI, citing efficiency and productivity benefits.\nIt added that 55% believe the technology will create more job opportunities outside the metropolitan area due to its capacity for active upskilling and remote work.\nHowever, the Asian Development Bank said in a July report that 20% of Philippine workers face a \u201chigh risk of losing their jobs\u201d due to automation.\n\u201cThe opportunities have everything to do with productivity and managing information,\u201d David R. Hardoon, chief executive officer of Aboitiz Data Innovation Pte. Ltd., said during a fireside chat at the BusinessWorld Forecast 2024 economic forum last week.\n\u201cWhat we should be worried about is another person with the knowledge and skill set we don\u2019t have,\u201d he added.\nMr. Ortiz-Luis urged companies to prepare for losses and savings from tech adaptation, alongside the labor force opening themselves to tech-empowered opportunities.\u00a0\n\u201cEmployers must train to reskill, while job seekers and employees need to adapt to maintain their availability for the job market,\u201d he said. \u201cKnow what areas they can skill themselves in.\u201d\u00a0\nHowever, Mr. Ofreneo noted the uneven development of technologies across industries parallel to its wavering opportunities for the workforce.\u00a0\nDisplacements and employee downsizing must be addressed immediately because many are already being left behind, he said, observing its impact on the BPO industry alone.", "date_published": "2023-11-27T16:56:08+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-11-27T16:56:08+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/workers.jpg", "tags": [ "Miguel Hanz L. Antivola", "Labor and Management" ], "summary": "The Philippines needs to initiate a comprehensive labor development program to address the increasing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) skills, according to experts." }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=559433", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/11/24/559433/younger-workers-forcing-rethink-of-outdated-business-practices/", "title": "Younger workers forcing rethink of outdated business practices", "content_html": "COMPANY executives said they are overhauling their business practices to unlock the leadership potential and address the changing expectations of Gen-Z and millennial workers.
\nFlatter organizational structures are deemed necessary to unleash the potential of the two generations as they rise to leadership roles, they said at a panel discussion at the BusinessWorld Forecast 2024 economic forum on Wednesday.
\n\u201cA command and control structure does not work anymore,\u201d Carlos Ramon C. Aboitiz, chief corporate services officer at Aboitiz Power Corp., said. \u201cWe need to allow (Gen Zs and millennials) to articulate their own vision, and kill policies that no longer make sense.\u201d
\nThey said openness, empathy, agility, balance, and purpose are critical values to nurture in the workplace.
\n\u201cThey need opportunities to pilot programs and proofs-of-concept, which the company can do small-scale. Give them that safe space to fail,\u201d said Jericho P. Go, senior vice-president and business unit general manager at Robinsons Land Corp.
\u201cCrazy ideas may not be crazy after all. Voice it, put it in a business plan, and justify its worth in the company,\u201d he added, noting the importance of embedding lifelong learning in company initiatives.
\nIsabelle Gotianun Yap, executive director and vice-president at East West Banking Corp., said Gen Zs and millennials comprise 81.3% of the company\u2019s workforce, with about 60% holding managerial roles.
\nMr. Aboitiz noted that the average age of employees in his company is 36, with about 70% consisting of Gen Zs and millennials.
\n\u201cThey have the ability to quickly harness technology and new ways of working,\u201d Ms. Yap said. \u201cWith our young leaders who had a familiarity with low-code, no-code process automation, we were able to quickly start a community of practice with them, optimizing technologies and systems for the company.\u201d
\nAdditionally, Ms. Yap noted the need to continuously improve learning programs and tools for sustainability, alongside providing more and better quality feedback because the two worker cohorts value it.
\n\u201cWe should not overplay these generational changes. There is nothing to be fearful of,\u201d Mr. Aboitiz said. \u201c(Current) leaders need to overcome (these fears).\u201d
\n\u201cUnderstand how our behaviors and expectations are different, and design an environment to allow for the coming together of these differences,\u201d he added.
\n\u201cCommunication is key. Listen to understand,\u201d Mr. Go said. \u201cThey will maximize the use of tech to increase efficiency and improve sustainability.\u201d
\n\u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to share your vision and higher purpose for the company. Once it is adopted by the next generation, it will light a fire in them.\u201d \u2014 Miguel Hanz L. Antivola
\n", "content_text": "COMPANY executives said they are overhauling their business practices to unlock the leadership potential and address the changing expectations of Gen-Z and millennial workers. \nFlatter organizational structures are deemed necessary to unleash the potential of the two generations as they rise to leadership roles, they said at a panel discussion at the BusinessWorld Forecast 2024 economic forum on Wednesday.\n\u201cA command and control structure does not work anymore,\u201d Carlos Ramon C. Aboitiz, chief corporate services officer at Aboitiz Power Corp., said. \u201cWe need to allow (Gen Zs and millennials) to articulate their own vision, and kill policies that no longer make sense.\u201d\nThey said openness, empathy, agility, balance, and purpose are critical values to nurture in the workplace.\n\u201cThey need opportunities to pilot programs and proofs-of-concept, which the company can do small-scale. Give them that safe space to fail,\u201d said Jericho P. Go, senior vice-president and business unit general manager at Robinsons Land Corp.\n\u201cCrazy ideas may not be crazy after all. Voice it, put it in a business plan, and justify its worth in the company,\u201d he added, noting the importance of embedding lifelong learning in company initiatives.\nIsabelle Gotianun Yap, executive director and vice-president at East West Banking Corp., said Gen Zs and millennials comprise 81.3% of the company\u2019s workforce, with about 60% holding managerial roles.\nMr. Aboitiz noted that the average age of employees in his company is 36, with about 70% consisting of Gen Zs and millennials.\n\u201cThey have the ability to quickly harness technology and new ways of working,\u201d Ms. Yap said. \u201cWith our young leaders who had a familiarity with low-code, no-code process automation, we were able to quickly start a community of practice with them, optimizing technologies and systems for the company.\u201d\nAdditionally, Ms. Yap noted the need to continuously improve learning programs and tools for sustainability, alongside providing more and better quality feedback because the two worker cohorts value it.\n\u201cWe should not overplay these generational changes. There is nothing to be fearful of,\u201d Mr. Aboitiz said. \u201c(Current) leaders need to overcome (these fears).\u201d\n\u201cUnderstand how our behaviors and expectations are different, and design an environment to allow for the coming together of these differences,\u201d he added.\n\u201cCommunication is key. Listen to understand,\u201d Mr. Go said. \u201cThey will maximize the use of tech to increase efficiency and improve sustainability.\u201d\n\u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to share your vision and higher purpose for the company. Once it is adopted by the next generation, it will light a fire in them.\u201d \u2014 Miguel Hanz L. Antivola", "date_published": "2023-11-24T00:03:43+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-11-23T19:54:10+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/meeting.jpg", "tags": [ "Miguel Hanz L. Antivola", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=559432", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/11/24/559432/ched-urges-firms-to-prepare-workers-for-ai/", "title": "CHED urges firms to prepare workers for AI", "content_html": "THE Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said it is critical for workers to take on skills that will prepare them for the greater adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).
\nIn a briefing at an information technology (IT) summit for schools and companies, CHED Chairman J. Prospero E. de Vera III said the commission aims to integrate AI into the learning process by training teachers and students, even those who are not in technology-related degree programs.
\n\u201cFaculty members must understand what AI is all about, how it impacts the degree program that they are teaching and enable to embed it in the learning process across disciplines,\u201d Mr. De Vera said, citing that even humanities and social sciences courses can benefit from such technology.
\nEast West International Educational Specialist President and CEO Dennis Franco M. Layug said AI is being used in various industries such as marketing, health, and architecture.
\n\u201cAcademics will have to embrace industry demand and start producing graduates equipped with these skills,\u201d he added.
\nAileen Judan-Jiao, president and general manager of IBM Philippines, which offers AI learning opportunities, highlighted the significance of technological skills in the current job market.
\n\u201cThere is no better time to join the tech industry than now. IT skills (are not only for) the BPO (business process outsourcing) industry, but every industry; everything is technology-induced,\u201d she said.
\nEmployment platform LinkedIn reported on Tuesday that in Southeast Asia, job posts mentioning AI or Generative AI have doubled from 2021 to 2023. Applications for these jobs have grown 1.7 times in the region over the last two years.
\nLinkedIn emphasized the importance of soft skills as AI automates tasks. It said Philippine professionals believe skills like problem-solving, creativity, and communication will become more critical as AI tools are more broadly adopted in the workplace.
\nAt the briefing, Alfredo Antonio I. Ayala of the Private Sector Advisory Council said in order to upskill the workforce, there needs to be an \u201caccelerated level of government and industry collaboration.\u201d
\nCHED\u2019s Mr. De Vera said, \u201cThere is a bigger imperative for the industry and government to work together,\u201d and noted the commission\u2019s collaboration with various technology companies to offer learning opportunities for students.
\nSilicon Valley HQ CEO Christopher Peralta said the private sector aims to bring to the Philippines \u201cthe implementation, the tools that are happening in Silicon Valley or Singapore or Australia.\u201d
\n\u201cIf we can do that, we empower students and the next generations.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Jomel R. Paguian
\n", "content_text": "THE Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said it is critical for workers to take on skills that will prepare them for the greater adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).\nIn a briefing at an information technology (IT) summit for schools and companies, CHED Chairman J. Prospero E. de Vera III said the commission aims to integrate AI into the learning process by training teachers and students, even those who are not in technology-related degree programs.\n\u201cFaculty members must understand what AI is all about, how it impacts the degree program that they are teaching and enable to embed it in the learning process across disciplines,\u201d Mr. De Vera said, citing that even humanities and social sciences courses can benefit from such technology.\nEast West International Educational Specialist President and CEO Dennis Franco M. Layug said AI is being used in various industries such as marketing, health, and architecture.\n\u201cAcademics will have to embrace industry demand and start producing graduates equipped with these skills,\u201d he added.\nAileen Judan-Jiao, president and general manager of IBM Philippines, which offers AI learning opportunities, highlighted the significance of technological skills in the current job market.\n\u201cThere is no better time to join the tech industry than now. IT skills (are not only for) the BPO (business process outsourcing) industry, but every industry; everything is technology-induced,\u201d she said.\nEmployment platform LinkedIn reported on Tuesday that in Southeast Asia, job posts mentioning AI or Generative AI have doubled from 2021 to 2023. Applications for these jobs have grown 1.7 times in the region over the last two years.\nLinkedIn emphasized the importance of soft skills as AI automates tasks. It said Philippine professionals believe skills like problem-solving, creativity, and communication will become more critical as AI tools are more broadly adopted in the workplace.\nAt the briefing, Alfredo Antonio I. Ayala of the Private Sector Advisory Council said in order to upskill the workforce, there needs to be an \u201caccelerated level of government and industry collaboration.\u201d\nCHED\u2019s Mr. De Vera said, \u201cThere is a bigger imperative for the industry and government to work together,\u201d and noted the commission\u2019s collaboration with various technology companies to offer learning opportunities for students.\nSilicon Valley HQ CEO Christopher Peralta said the private sector aims to bring to the Philippines \u201cthe implementation, the tools that are happening in Silicon Valley or Singapore or Australia.\u201d\n\u201cIf we can do that, we empower students and the next generations.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Jomel R. Paguian", "date_published": "2023-11-24T00:02:43+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-11-23T19:53:04+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CHED-Logo.jpg", "tags": [ "Featured2", "Jomel R. Paguian", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=559431", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/11/24/559431/office-politics-and-creative-conflict/", "title": "Office politics and creative conflict", "content_html": "I suspect that our chief executive officer (CEO), who will retire in two years, is creating a conflict between and among three sales executives. The executives also suspect they\u2019re being assessed as candidates to replace the CEO, who has remarked that a little office politics helps create healthy and friendly competition. The competition is heating up, and is adversely affecting sales performance. Is there a cure? \u2014 Lone Wolf.
\nYou may have evidence to suspect that the CEO is creating conditions to foster creative conflict. Just the same, it should remain a suspicion since creating conflict is not the ideal approach for choosing candidates. Being suspicious could be a personal asset. But to be suspicious all the time, and without facts, is a liability.
\nBesides, sales performance should not be the only basis for choosing a replacement CEO; there are many other factors to consider. For one, general-manager skills like human resources, finance, operations, and public relations, among others. It is possible to imagine a manager who excels at sales but struggles with people management.
\nWe must also talk about consistent work performance over the past five years if we are to consider promoting an executive to CEO.
\nAnd that\u2019s not all. Creating conditions for so-called \u201ccreative conflict\u201d could backfire, complicating the relationship among the candidates and poor performance all around. At the extreme, the candidates could sabotage one another to the detriment of the organization.
\nThe most important thing to understand is whether the current CEO has a mandate from the owners or the board to undertake such a process in finding a replacement. In general, the only thing we know for certain is that the CEO is the conduit between the board of directors and the executives and their workers.
\nWe\u2019re not even sure if the CEO has the mandate to choose a replacement from among the leading internal candidates. What if the board decides to hire someone from outside the organization?
\nOFFICE POLITICS
\nWorkplace conflict is everywhere. Many of them are deliberate rather than accidental creations. Sometimes, workplace conflict happens due to office politics or opposing management styles. If this happens, the result can be disastrous for the organization.
Any person, regardless of rank, can play office politics if he uses his discretionary powers to promote a personal agenda. His motive may include revenge, amassing power and authority, building an empire and beating rivals to key promotions, among others.
\nHowever, there\u2019s also a positive side to office politics, which may cause workers to enhance their image or personal brand, making them appear more professional.
\nExperts have noted that to have successful careers, managers need to be good politicians, but not to the extent of violating the company\u2019s ethical, moral, and legal standards. Just the same, the question remains: should the CEO create conflict to identify a successor, assuming that he\u2019s authorized to do that?
\nSuch an approach is dangerous. Office politics does more harm than good. It\u2019s more of a problem than a solution for any organization. It consumes a lot of energy, disrupts the candidates\u2019 work, and damages their relationships with colleagues in the long term. Because of political infighting, corporate goals and sales targets may fall by the wayside as candidates are diverted from what needs to be done.
\nFurther, office politics reduces trust and diminishes respect. In a tense political environment, it also affects the well-being of non-management workers and undermines active collaboration between and among functional units.
\nIn real terms, how would you assess whether office politics is good or bad?\u00a0 Let\u2019s answer this question by raising more questions:
\nOne, does it result in the greatest good for the greatest number of people inside an organization?\u00a0 If not, then it\u2019s clearly bad politics.
\nTwo, does it violate any person\u2019s rights, as in when rivals tap each others\u2019 telephones to obtain embarrassing evidence?\u00a0 If yes, then it\u2019s bad politics.
\nThree, does it treat all persons fairly? Do rules and penalties apply to all regardless of their personal circumstances?\u00a0 If not, then it\u2019s bad politics.
\nPlaying office politics is inevitable for everyone.\u00a0 You cannot ignore it and hope it dies a natural death. There\u2019s only one option for you \u2014 manage it well.
\n\n
Bring Rey Elbo\u2019s leadership program called \u201cSuperior Subordinate Supervision\u201d to your management. Chat with him on Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter) or e-mail elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com
\n", "content_text": "I suspect that our chief executive officer (CEO), who will retire in two years, is creating a conflict between and among three sales executives. The executives also suspect they\u2019re being assessed as candidates to replace the CEO, who has remarked that a little office politics helps create healthy and friendly competition. The competition is heating up, and is adversely affecting sales performance. Is there a cure? \u2014 Lone Wolf.\nYou may have evidence to suspect that the CEO is creating conditions to foster creative conflict. Just the same, it should remain a suspicion since creating conflict is not the ideal approach for choosing candidates. Being suspicious could be a personal asset. But to be suspicious all the time, and without facts, is a liability.\nBesides, sales performance should not be the only basis for choosing a replacement CEO; there are many other factors to consider. For one, general-manager skills like human resources, finance, operations, and public relations, among others. It is possible to imagine a manager who excels at sales but struggles with people management. \nWe must also talk about consistent work performance over the past five years if we are to consider promoting an executive to CEO.\nAnd that\u2019s not all. Creating conditions for so-called \u201ccreative conflict\u201d could backfire, complicating the relationship among the candidates and poor performance all around. At the extreme, the candidates could sabotage one another to the detriment of the organization.\nThe most important thing to understand is whether the current CEO has a mandate from the owners or the board to undertake such a process in finding a replacement. In general, the only thing we know for certain is that the CEO is the conduit between the board of directors and the executives and their workers. \nWe\u2019re not even sure if the CEO has the mandate to choose a replacement from among the leading internal candidates. What if the board decides to hire someone from outside the organization?\nOFFICE POLITICS\nWorkplace conflict is everywhere. Many of them are deliberate rather than accidental creations. Sometimes, workplace conflict happens due to office politics or opposing management styles. If this happens, the result can be disastrous for the organization.\nAny person, regardless of rank, can play office politics if he uses his discretionary powers to promote a personal agenda. His motive may include revenge, amassing power and authority, building an empire and beating rivals to key promotions, among others.\nHowever, there\u2019s also a positive side to office politics, which may cause workers to enhance their image or personal brand, making them appear more professional.\nExperts have noted that to have successful careers, managers need to be good politicians, but not to the extent of violating the company\u2019s ethical, moral, and legal standards. Just the same, the question remains: should the CEO create conflict to identify a successor, assuming that he\u2019s authorized to do that? \nSuch an approach is dangerous. Office politics does more harm than good. It\u2019s more of a problem than a solution for any organization. It consumes a lot of energy, disrupts the candidates\u2019 work, and damages their relationships with colleagues in the long term. Because of political infighting, corporate goals and sales targets may fall by the wayside as candidates are diverted from what needs to be done.\nFurther, office politics reduces trust and diminishes respect. In a tense political environment, it also affects the well-being of non-management workers and undermines active collaboration between and among functional units.\nIn real terms, how would you assess whether office politics is good or bad?\u00a0 Let\u2019s answer this question by raising more questions:\nOne, does it result in the greatest good for the greatest number of people inside an organization?\u00a0 If not, then it\u2019s clearly bad politics.\nTwo, does it violate any person\u2019s rights, as in when rivals tap each others\u2019 telephones to obtain embarrassing evidence?\u00a0 If yes, then it\u2019s bad politics.\nThree, does it treat all persons fairly? Do rules and penalties apply to all regardless of their personal circumstances?\u00a0 If not, then it\u2019s bad politics.\nPlaying office politics is inevitable for everyone.\u00a0 You cannot ignore it and hope it dies a natural death. There\u2019s only one option for you \u2014 manage it well.\n \nBring Rey Elbo\u2019s leadership program called \u201cSuperior Subordinate Supervision\u201d to your management. Chat with him on Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter) or e-mail elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com", "date_published": "2023-11-24T00:01:42+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-11-23T18:51:45+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/LM-default.jpg", "tags": [ "Featured2", "In The Workplace", "REY ELBO", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=558120", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/11/17/558120/micro-credentials-seen-key-to-lifelong-learning/", "title": "Micro-credentials seen key to lifelong learning", "content_html": "EDUCATIONAL institutions and technology partners need to look into \u201cmicro-credential\u201d programs to encourage lifelong learning, global edtech firm Instructure said.
\nIn a 2023 report on the global state of student success and engagement, Instructure found that Filipino respondents are increasingly taking a skills-based approach to gaining credentials, citing the desire to expand their areas of expertise (77%), advance their careers (68%), take advantage of flexible programs (59%), and be ready for new opportunities (56%).
\nIt noted that respondents are considering certificates (43%) and apprenticeships (39%) as a means of equipping themselves for their planned profession.
\n\u201cStudents today recognize that the modern workforce requires a diverse and rapidly adaptable skill set,\u201d Harrison Kelly, Asia-Pacific managing director at Instructure, said in a virtual briefing on Thursday.
\n\u201cAs a result, they are opting for more flexible, skills-focused learning avenues that offer quicker routes to employment and a broader range of career opportunities,\u201d he added.
\n\u201cInstitutions will have to look at a fixed yet agile way to draw on these ever-evolving demands,\u201d he added, noting that the current job market stresses skills-based hiring over traditional degree-based qualifications.
\nRyan Lufkin, vice-president for global strategy at Instructure, noted that edtech systems can serve as demonstrable proof of workplace skills.
\n\u201cEven degree programs are breaking down into component skills,\u201d he said. This can help showcase attractive qualities to employers even for candidates that have not earned degrees.
\nMr. Lufkin also noted the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in fueling productivity, creativity, and critical thinking among learner.
\nThe report indicated that 46% of Filipino students attend institutions have introduced rules governing generative AI use, while 28% said their institutions\u2019 guidelines were strict.
\nIt found that generative AI tools helped students with creating class content (62%), research and writing (56%), and personalize their learning (53%). AI chatbot ChatGPT was described as helpful in research and writing (83%), test preparation (52%), and learning foreign languages (47%).
\n\u201cWe need to be providing tutorials and guidelines on educator expectations,\u201d Mr. Lufkin said.
\n\u201cInstitutions should be saying how these tools work to understand when and how they are being misused.\u201d
\n\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t be creating a tiered system, a digital divide with AI. We need an equitable approach,\u201d he added, noting the paid releases of ChatGPT having access to significantly more datasets than the free version.
\nInstructure\u2019s 2023 State of Student Success and Engagement in Higher Education report is on its\u00a0 its fourth year, covering 17 countries, including 571 students, administrators, and faculty from the Philippines. \u2014 Miguel Hanz\u00a0 L. Antivola
\n", "content_text": "EDUCATIONAL institutions and technology partners need to look into \u201cmicro-credential\u201d programs to encourage lifelong learning, global edtech firm Instructure said.\nIn a 2023 report on the global state of student success and engagement, Instructure found that Filipino respondents are increasingly taking a skills-based approach to gaining credentials, citing the desire to expand their areas of expertise (77%), advance their careers (68%), take advantage of flexible programs (59%), and be ready for new opportunities (56%).\nIt noted that respondents are considering certificates (43%) and apprenticeships (39%) as a means of equipping themselves for their planned profession.\n\u201cStudents today recognize that the modern workforce requires a diverse and rapidly adaptable skill set,\u201d Harrison Kelly, Asia-Pacific managing director at Instructure, said in a virtual briefing on Thursday.\n\u201cAs a result, they are opting for more flexible, skills-focused learning avenues that offer quicker routes to employment and a broader range of career opportunities,\u201d he added.\n\u201cInstitutions will have to look at a fixed yet agile way to draw on these ever-evolving demands,\u201d he added, noting that the current job market stresses skills-based hiring over traditional degree-based qualifications.\nRyan Lufkin, vice-president for global strategy at Instructure, noted that edtech systems can serve as demonstrable proof of workplace skills.\n\u201cEven degree programs are breaking down into component skills,\u201d he said. This can help showcase attractive qualities to employers even for candidates that have not earned degrees.\nMr. Lufkin also noted the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in fueling productivity, creativity, and critical thinking among learner.\nThe report indicated that 46% of Filipino students attend institutions have introduced rules governing generative AI use, while 28% said their institutions\u2019 guidelines were strict.\nIt found that generative AI tools helped students with creating class content (62%), research and writing (56%), and personalize their learning (53%). AI chatbot ChatGPT was described as helpful in research and writing (83%), test preparation (52%), and learning foreign languages (47%).\n\u201cWe need to be providing tutorials and guidelines on educator expectations,\u201d Mr. Lufkin said.\n\u201cInstitutions should be saying how these tools work to understand when and how they are being misused.\u201d\n\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t be creating a tiered system, a digital divide with AI. We need an equitable approach,\u201d he added, noting the paid releases of ChatGPT having access to significantly more datasets than the free version.\nInstructure\u2019s 2023 State of Student Success and Engagement in Higher Education report is on its\u00a0 its fourth year, covering 17 countries, including 571 students, administrators, and faculty from the Philippines. \u2014 Miguel Hanz\u00a0 L. Antivola", "date_published": "2023-11-17T00:03:52+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-11-16T19:39:30+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Canvas-Instructure.jpg", "tags": [ "Miguel Hanz L. Antivola", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=558119", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/11/17/558119/enhanced-job-matching-for-youth-expected-to-raise-quality-of-work-productivity-in-asia/", "title": "Enhanced job-matching for youth expected to raise quality of work, productivity in Asia", "content_html": "ONE key to improving productivity in Asia is to more intensively target the working youth and better match them to higher-quality jobs, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said.
\n\u201cThe region\u2019s developing economies are home to over 580 million young people ages 15\u201329 years. Their energy, skills, and expertise are needed to power growth and innovation as economies in the region transform, grow older, and seek to address climate change,\u201d the ADB said in a report.
\n\u201cYet over 80% of youth who work in the region do so informally, and one in four young workers are moderately or extremely poor. Working youth are often stuck in precarious, low-quality, low-paid jobs,\u201d it added.
\nIn many Asian countries,\u00a0 youth unemployment rate is two to three times more than the adult rate, it said.
\nBetter job matching \u201creduces the time needed for job seekers to identify vacancies and for employers to fill them. It also improves the quality of the match so that young people obtain jobs suited to their capabilities and aspirations, and employers acquire the right talent,\u201d the ADB said.
\nThe matching process can include job preparation and search, as well as skills training, social networking, and post-placement activities.
\n\u201cWhen job matching is linked to other services, this tends to help youth with their nonlinear transitions, reach disadvantaged youth cohorts, and strengthen matches for improved job quality,\u201d it said.
\nDigital technology will also help further access, such as through online job-matching platforms.
\n\u201cYoung job seekers gain remote and convenient access to a larger and more relevant pool of jobs. Complementary support can easily be linked. Employers benefit from reaching more prospective talent as well as other recruitment services. Providers leverage scalability,\u201d it said. \u2014 Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson
\n", "content_text": "ONE key to improving productivity in Asia is to more intensively target the working youth and better match them to higher-quality jobs, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said.\n\u201cThe region\u2019s developing economies are home to over 580 million young people ages 15\u201329 years. Their energy, skills, and expertise are needed to power growth and innovation as economies in the region transform, grow older, and seek to address climate change,\u201d the ADB said in a report.\n\u201cYet over 80% of youth who work in the region do so informally, and one in four young workers are moderately or extremely poor. Working youth are often stuck in precarious, low-quality, low-paid jobs,\u201d it added.\nIn many Asian countries,\u00a0 youth unemployment rate is two to three times more than the adult rate, it said.\nBetter job matching \u201creduces the time needed for job seekers to identify vacancies and for employers to fill them. It also improves the quality of the match so that young people obtain jobs suited to their capabilities and aspirations, and employers acquire the right talent,\u201d the ADB said.\nThe matching process can include job preparation and search, as well as skills training, social networking, and post-placement activities.\n\u201cWhen job matching is linked to other services, this tends to help youth with their nonlinear transitions, reach disadvantaged youth cohorts, and strengthen matches for improved job quality,\u201d it said.\nDigital technology will also help further access, such as through online job-matching platforms.\n\u201cYoung job seekers gain remote and convenient access to a larger and more relevant pool of jobs. Complementary support can easily be linked. Employers benefit from reaching more prospective talent as well as other recruitment services. Providers leverage scalability,\u201d it said. \u2014 Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson", "date_published": "2023-11-17T00:02:52+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-11-16T19:37:23+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/job-seeker-employment.jpg", "tags": [ "Featured2", "Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=558118", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/11/17/558118/comparative-analysis-of-worker-performance/", "title": "Comparative analysis of worker performance", "content_html": "What\u2019s the best way to compare the performance of people doing the same job? I know it\u2019s easy to simply rank employees by the ratings they received in their evaluations. However, my inner voice is telling me there\u2019s more to this. Can you help me? \u2014 Long Shot.
\nYou\u2019re right! There\u2019s more to doing a comparative approach in analyzing and ranking employee performance. You must do a ranking to gain insights on which worker to promote when the time comes.
\nBasically, there are five approaches. One is the ranking system you were referring to, where you list the individual workers\u2019 appraisal ratings from highest to lowest.
\nNext is forced distribution. This is also known as grading on a curve. The normal curve in statistics places the majority (around 70%) of employees in the middle, or the average group. Generally, this is the group that meets the company\u2019s expectations.
\nThe rest are distributed into either side of curve. The extreme left consists of the 5% that \u201cneed much improvement\u201d and the 10% that \u201cneed slight improvement.\u201d The extreme right represents the 5% who are deemed \u201coutstanding\u201d and the 10% that \u201cexceed expectations.\u201d
\nThe third approach is called the paired comparison. This requires every line leader, supervisor and manager to compare every employee with every other employee in the work group. An employee is given a score of one point every time another worker considers him as the top performer in the group.
\nOnce all the pairs have been compared, the concerned manager computes the number of times each employee receives a favorable score and totals them all. This becomes the employee\u2019s performance score. After that, they are ranked accordingly. Paired comparison eliminates the managers\u2019 subjectivity and their tendency to play it safe by giving an average rating.
\nBALANCED SCORECARD
\nThe fourth approach is called the 360-degree feedback system, where an employee receives confidential evaluations of their work performance anonymously from the people who work around them. They include the boss, colleagues and direct reports. For efficiency, this is better done through an online form and measured on a scale similar to the forced distribution system.
This allows the person being rated to accomplish a self-rating questionnaire similar to what the boss, colleagues and direct reports are using.
\nThe last performance approach is the so-called balanced scorecard, a performance management system that focuses on translating the company\u2019s objectives into a set of performance metrics that include financial analysis (profitability and return on investment), customer interaction, internal business analysis and the learning perspective.
\nI would normally recommend the balanced scorecard as it connects an individual performance to corporate results. In other words, you cannot have people being given an excellent performance rating when the company is losing money. It may sound unfair, but that\u2019s the way it goes. All employee accomplishments must be translated to financial performance.
\nSomehow, the unfairness can be tempered by evaluating, first and foremost the performance of division and department heads. Mr. Erick Reyes, a human resource (HR) management professional with more than 40 years of experience, says that \u201cindividual performance emanates from the corporate results.\u201d
\nFor example, if a Department ABC has exceeded the expectations of top management, a certain percentage is given as a merit increase to those people with an above average rating. On the other hand, if Department XYZ received a poor rating, then it\u2019s almost impossible for anyone in that department to be given even a small monetary or non-monetary recognition.
\nOf course, that\u2019s assuming that all goals are specifically defined by individual and department Key Performance Areas or Key Performance Indices.
\nFINANCIAL REWARD
\nAs I\u2019ve said earlier, this becomes necessary if we\u2019re talking of financial reward like merit increases, profit-sharing bonuses or performance bonuses, except the mandated 13th month pay which must be given to all workers regardless of their employment status. Also, there\u2019s a caveat to this \u2014 not all jobs can be measured easily.
For a department like HR, measurable objectives can be set for how it manages the recruitment cycle, prevents conflict with the labor union, reduces employee grievances, maintains a suggestion system, administers town hall meetings, conducts the annual morale survey, keeps turnover rates down, etc.
\nIt\u2019s also a good idea for HR to take the lead in implementing a continuous improvement program such as Lean HR, which applies kaizen and lean thinking to the HR function.
\nIn conclusion, nothing is more convincing than creating an approach that suits the company\u2019s culture. Just the same, don\u2019t be afraid to change the system. Even major organizations don\u2019t copy everything from model companies. They adjust things to achieve an ideal process.
\n\n
Bring Rey Elbo\u2019s leadership program called \u201cSuperior Subordinate Supervision\u201d to your management. Chat with him on Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter) or e-mail elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com
\n", "content_text": "What\u2019s the best way to compare the performance of people doing the same job? I know it\u2019s easy to simply rank employees by the ratings they received in their evaluations. However, my inner voice is telling me there\u2019s more to this. Can you help me? \u2014 Long Shot.\nYou\u2019re right! There\u2019s more to doing a comparative approach in analyzing and ranking employee performance. You must do a ranking to gain insights on which worker to promote when the time comes.\nBasically, there are five approaches. One is the ranking system you were referring to, where you list the individual workers\u2019 appraisal ratings from highest to lowest.\nNext is forced distribution. This is also known as grading on a curve. The normal curve in statistics places the majority (around 70%) of employees in the middle, or the average group. Generally, this is the group that meets the company\u2019s expectations.\nThe rest are distributed into either side of curve. The extreme left consists of the 5% that \u201cneed much improvement\u201d and the 10% that \u201cneed slight improvement.\u201d The extreme right represents the 5% who are deemed \u201coutstanding\u201d and the 10% that \u201cexceed expectations.\u201d\nThe third approach is called the paired comparison. This requires every line leader, supervisor and manager to compare every employee with every other employee in the work group. An employee is given a score of one point every time another worker considers him as the top performer in the group.\nOnce all the pairs have been compared, the concerned manager computes the number of times each employee receives a favorable score and totals them all. This becomes the employee\u2019s performance score. After that, they are ranked accordingly. Paired comparison eliminates the managers\u2019 subjectivity and their tendency to play it safe by giving an average rating.\nBALANCED SCORECARD\nThe fourth approach is called the 360-degree feedback system, where an employee receives confidential evaluations of their work performance anonymously from the people who work around them. They include the boss, colleagues and direct reports. For efficiency, this is better done through an online form and measured on a scale similar to the forced distribution system.\nThis allows the person being rated to accomplish a self-rating questionnaire similar to what the boss, colleagues and direct reports are using.\nThe last performance approach is the so-called balanced scorecard, a performance management system that focuses on translating the company\u2019s objectives into a set of performance metrics that include financial analysis (profitability and return on investment), customer interaction, internal business analysis and the learning perspective.\nI would normally recommend the balanced scorecard as it connects an individual performance to corporate results. In other words, you cannot have people being given an excellent performance rating when the company is losing money. It may sound unfair, but that\u2019s the way it goes. All employee accomplishments must be translated to financial performance.\nSomehow, the unfairness can be tempered by evaluating, first and foremost the performance of division and department heads. Mr. Erick Reyes, a human resource (HR) management professional with more than 40 years of experience, says that \u201cindividual performance emanates from the corporate results.\u201d\nFor example, if a Department ABC has exceeded the expectations of top management, a certain percentage is given as a merit increase to those people with an above average rating. On the other hand, if Department XYZ received a poor rating, then it\u2019s almost impossible for anyone in that department to be given even a small monetary or non-monetary recognition.\nOf course, that\u2019s assuming that all goals are specifically defined by individual and department Key Performance Areas or Key Performance Indices.\nFINANCIAL REWARD\nAs I\u2019ve said earlier, this becomes necessary if we\u2019re talking of financial reward like merit increases, profit-sharing bonuses or performance bonuses, except the mandated 13th month pay which must be given to all workers regardless of their employment status. Also, there\u2019s a caveat to this \u2014 not all jobs can be measured easily.\nFor a department like HR, measurable objectives can be set for how it manages the recruitment cycle, prevents conflict with the labor union, reduces employee grievances, maintains a suggestion system, administers town hall meetings, conducts the annual morale survey, keeps turnover rates down, etc.\nIt\u2019s also a good idea for HR to take the lead in implementing a continuous improvement program such as Lean HR, which applies kaizen and lean thinking to the HR function.\nIn conclusion, nothing is more convincing than creating an approach that suits the company\u2019s culture. Just the same, don\u2019t be afraid to change the system. Even major organizations don\u2019t copy everything from model companies. They adjust things to achieve an ideal process.\n \nBring Rey Elbo\u2019s leadership program called \u201cSuperior Subordinate Supervision\u201d to your management. Chat with him on Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter) or e-mail elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com", "date_published": "2023-11-17T00:01:51+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-11-16T19:02:28+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/LM-default.jpg", "tags": [ "Featured2", "In The Workplace", "REY ELBO", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=556738", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/11/10/556738/tourism-skill-mismatch-needs-private-sector-aided-fix-dot/", "title": "Tourism skill mismatch needs private sector-aided fix \u2014 DoT", "content_html": "THE Department of Tourism (DoT) said government agencies need to collaborate with the private sector and the education industry to better prepare tourism and hospitality graduates for the workforce.
\nTourism Secretary Maria Esperanza Christina G. Frasco said at the World Travel Market Ministers\u2019 Summit in London on Monday that the DoT is working to raise the quality of tourism education.
\n\u201cOur government has applied a trifocal approach towards tourism education from basic education to technical vocational to higher education\u2026 The Marcos administration envisions the Philippines as a center for excellence in terms of tourism training,\u201d Ms. Frasco said during a panel discussion.
\nShe said that the DoT is constantly consulting with companies to ensure that the needs of the industry are met by schools training their future workers.
\nThe department cited its partnership with the Commission on Higher Education, with the DoT helping review and update of the curriculum of tourism and hospitality courses. \u2014 Justine Irish D. Tabile
\n", "content_text": "THE Department of Tourism (DoT) said government agencies need to collaborate with the private sector and the education industry to better prepare tourism and hospitality graduates for the workforce.\nTourism Secretary Maria Esperanza Christina G. Frasco said at the World Travel Market Ministers\u2019 Summit in London on Monday that the DoT is working to raise the quality of tourism education.\n\u201cOur government has applied a trifocal approach towards tourism education from basic education to technical vocational to higher education\u2026 The Marcos administration envisions the Philippines as a center for excellence in terms of tourism training,\u201d Ms. Frasco said during a panel discussion.\nShe said that the DoT is constantly consulting with companies to ensure that the needs of the industry are met by schools training their future workers.\nThe department cited its partnership with the Commission on Higher Education, with the DoT helping review and update of the curriculum of tourism and hospitality courses. \u2014 Justine Irish D. Tabile", "date_published": "2023-11-10T00:03:11+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-11-09T19:59:54+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Blue-Dream-Star-cruise-ships.jpg", "tags": [ "Justine Irish D. Tabile", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=556737", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/11/10/556737/wellness-high-on-gen-z-work-priorities-philcare/", "title": "Wellness high on Gen Z work priorities \u2014 PhilCare", "content_html": "GENERATION Z employees place a high value on wellness and personal convenience at work, according to health maintenance organization PhilhealthCare, Inc. (PhilCare).
\nThe 2023 PhilCare Wellness Index, which studied Gen Z \u2014 the digital-native cohort born in the late 1990s and early 2000s, also found other priorities like travel opportunities and job satisfaction as top considerations when assessing a workplace.
\nAlso prominent on their priority list are monetary reward, purpose, personal growth, non-monetary benefits, professional growth, and flexible work arrangements, according to the survey findings.
\n\u201cThe individuality comes out in this generation,\u201d Monico V. Jacob, PhilCare chairman, said at a briefing on Wednesday, noting that the findings can serve as a guide to company transformation.
\n\u201cThey have a strong sense of self. They know what they want and really work hard for it,\u201d Fernando dlC. Paragas, PhilCare Wellness Index lead researcher, said.
\n\u201cThis generation isn\u2019t just working to live; they\u2019re working to thrive,\u201d he added.
\nGen Z\u2019s preferences for work arrangements included starting their own business, flexible work schedules, and having multiple sources of income, the study noted.
\n\u201cThe days of long, grueling commutes are becoming less appealing,\u201d said Enrique T. Ona, Jr., PhilCare Wellness Index chairman. \u201cThe findings hint that Gen Z\u2019s place a significant value on work-life balance and the desire for quality of life and wellness.\u201d
\n\u201cThis might be one of the reasons work-from-home setup has become increasingly popular,\u201d he added.
\n\u201cGen Z\u2019s are not just looking for a job,\u201d Mr. Paragas said. \u201cThey are seeking a meaningful career that resonates with their personal and professional goals.\u201d \u2014 Miguel Hanz L. Antivola
\n", "content_text": "GENERATION Z employees place a high value on wellness and personal convenience at work, according to health maintenance organization PhilhealthCare, Inc. (PhilCare).\nThe 2023 PhilCare Wellness Index, which studied Gen Z \u2014 the digital-native cohort born in the late 1990s and early 2000s, also found other priorities like travel opportunities and job satisfaction as top considerations when assessing a workplace.\nAlso prominent on their priority list are monetary reward, purpose, personal growth, non-monetary benefits, professional growth, and flexible work arrangements, according to the survey findings.\n\u201cThe individuality comes out in this generation,\u201d Monico V. Jacob, PhilCare chairman, said at a briefing on Wednesday, noting that the findings can serve as a guide to company transformation.\n\u201cThey have a strong sense of self. They know what they want and really work hard for it,\u201d Fernando dlC. Paragas, PhilCare Wellness Index lead researcher, said.\n\u201cThis generation isn\u2019t just working to live; they\u2019re working to thrive,\u201d he added.\nGen Z\u2019s preferences for work arrangements included starting their own business, flexible work schedules, and having multiple sources of income, the study noted.\n\u201cThe days of long, grueling commutes are becoming less appealing,\u201d said Enrique T. Ona, Jr., PhilCare Wellness Index chairman. \u201cThe findings hint that Gen Z\u2019s place a significant value on work-life balance and the desire for quality of life and wellness.\u201d\n\u201cThis might be one of the reasons work-from-home setup has become increasingly popular,\u201d he added.\n\u201cGen Z\u2019s are not just looking for a job,\u201d Mr. Paragas said. \u201cThey are seeking a meaningful career that resonates with their personal and professional goals.\u201d \u2014 Miguel Hanz L. Antivola", "date_published": "2023-11-10T00:02:10+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-11-09T19:59:48+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/hs-students-PHILSTAR-WALTER-BOLLOZOS.jpg", "tags": [ "Featured2", "Miguel Hanz L. Antivola", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=556736", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/11/10/556736/three-elements-of-corporate-visioning/", "title": "Three elements of corporate visioning", "content_html": "A newly hired chief executive officer (CEO) tasked our human resource (HR) department with hiring an external expert to create vision, mission and values (VMV) statements within a month. Will you do it for us? \u2014 Lone Ranger.
\nNo plan or program will work without the enlightened participation of the CEO and senior management team. This is especially true as an organization begins to professionalize its structure. I\u2019m not sure if I understand you. Do you mean that I come up with the VMV myself?
\nOf course I can do it, except that it may not reflect the aspirations, character and ideals of your management. The process must have the active participation of those sitting at the top of your organization\u2019s pyramid.
\nThe HR department must take the lead in concretizing the VMV with the help of external technical experts. Their job is to facilitate the creation of VMV statements providing direction and developing a bone structure that must be completed with flesh and blood content by top management.
\nELEMENTS
\nThe job of an external technical expert or consultant is to facilitate the creation of VMV statements. It\u2019s wrong for the expert consultant, no matter how good they are, to formulate the VMV out of thin air. Everything, from the content and process, must be driven by the creativity, enthusiasm and expertise of the senior management team, which knows the ins and outs of the industry.
The CEO and his team must consider the three vital elements in corporate visioning that are necessary for the organization to beat the competition and sustain it for the long term. These must be done in three days, with one day each dedicated to orientation and team building, problem-solving and decision-making.
\nOne, shared corporate vision. The CEO and his team must work together so the details of their corporate vision are articulated and clarified. It\u2019s like capturing a bolt of lightning and transforming it into a powerful sentence to reflect a shared mutual commitment.
\nOne good example of a corporate vision is that of Globe Telecom: \u201cWe see a Philippines where families\u2019 dreams come true, businesses flourish, and the nation is admired.\u201d The Walt Disney Co.\u2019s vision statement is short and simple: \u201cTo make people happy.\u201d
\nTwo, shared mission statement. This is a statement of purpose designed to inspire all employees to commit to the company\u2019s mission. Writing a mission statement involves answering four questions: Who are we? What do we do? For whom do we do it? Why do we do it?
\nOne good example of a mission statement that answers all these four questions can be found in Meralco\u2019s mission: \u201cTo provide our customers the best-value energy solutions \u2014 reliably, affordably, superbly, and sustainably.\u201d
\nThree, shared corporate values. An organization united by a shared vision and mission can\u2019t do without shared values that guide not only the way each individual employee performs their task but how they treat one another. A model example of value statements is that of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI):
\n\u201cWe value integrity, professionalism, and loyalty. We promote a culture of mutual respect, meritocracy, performance, and teamwork. We strive to be the employer of choice among Philippine financial institutions.\u201d
\nNEW BEGINNING
\nThe contributions of each and every management participant in the three-day visioning process must be emphasized. The quickest way to do this is to create an atmosphere of a new beginning to help clarify any confusion or uncertainty. It\u2019s important to realize, though, that such new beginnings don\u2019t happen overnight.
Your organization must energetically create the right environment for it. This can be done through a broad range of activities that include a half-day corporate-wide seminar for all workers, overhauling the performance appraisal system to emphasize meritocracy over seniority, promoting regular engagement dialogues, or creating and organizing training programs designed to close the gaps.
\nThe company website and annual reports must be overhauled to incorporate the VMV. In addition, aim to host a monthly town hall meeting with the CEO where prizes are handed out to those who can answer questions on the company\u2019s VMV and where two or three employees give brief talks on how they\u2019ve successfully practiced it in their work.
\nThere will be resistance to change. But when it happens, the issue must be dealt with by management. If left unaddressed or mishandled, it will create organizational inertia that will disrupt the change process.
\n\n
Chat your questions with Rey Elbo on Facebook, LinkedIn, X or e-mail elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com
\n", "content_text": "A newly hired chief executive officer (CEO) tasked our human resource (HR) department with hiring an external expert to create vision, mission and values (VMV) statements within a month. Will you do it for us? \u2014 Lone Ranger.\nNo plan or program will work without the enlightened participation of the CEO and senior management team. This is especially true as an organization begins to professionalize its structure. I\u2019m not sure if I understand you. Do you mean that I come up with the VMV myself?\nOf course I can do it, except that it may not reflect the aspirations, character and ideals of your management. The process must have the active participation of those sitting at the top of your organization\u2019s pyramid. \nThe HR department must take the lead in concretizing the VMV with the help of external technical experts. Their job is to facilitate the creation of VMV statements providing direction and developing a bone structure that must be completed with flesh and blood content by top management.\nELEMENTS\nThe job of an external technical expert or consultant is to facilitate the creation of VMV statements. It\u2019s wrong for the expert consultant, no matter how good they are, to formulate the VMV out of thin air. Everything, from the content and process, must be driven by the creativity, enthusiasm and expertise of the senior management team, which knows the ins and outs of the industry. \nThe CEO and his team must consider the three vital elements in corporate visioning that are necessary for the organization to beat the competition and sustain it for the long term. These must be done in three days, with one day each dedicated to orientation and team building, problem-solving and decision-making.\nOne, shared corporate vision. The CEO and his team must work together so the details of their corporate vision are articulated and clarified. It\u2019s like capturing a bolt of lightning and transforming it into a powerful sentence to reflect a shared mutual commitment. \nOne good example of a corporate vision is that of Globe Telecom: \u201cWe see a Philippines where families\u2019 dreams come true, businesses flourish, and the nation is admired.\u201d The Walt Disney Co.\u2019s vision statement is short and simple: \u201cTo make people happy.\u201d\nTwo, shared mission statement. This is a statement of purpose designed to inspire all employees to commit to the company\u2019s mission. Writing a mission statement involves answering four questions: Who are we? What do we do? For whom do we do it? Why do we do it?\nOne good example of a mission statement that answers all these four questions can be found in Meralco\u2019s mission: \u201cTo provide our customers the best-value energy solutions \u2014 reliably, affordably, superbly, and sustainably.\u201d\nThree, shared corporate values. An organization united by a shared vision and mission can\u2019t do without shared values that guide not only the way each individual employee performs their task but how they treat one another. A model example of value statements is that of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI):\n\u201cWe value integrity, professionalism, and loyalty. We promote a culture of mutual respect, meritocracy, performance, and teamwork. We strive to be the employer of choice among Philippine financial institutions.\u201d\nNEW BEGINNING\nThe contributions of each and every management participant in the three-day visioning process must be emphasized. The quickest way to do this is to create an atmosphere of a new beginning to help clarify any confusion or uncertainty. It\u2019s important to realize, though, that such new beginnings don\u2019t happen overnight.\nYour organization must energetically create the right environment for it. This can be done through a broad range of activities that include a half-day corporate-wide seminar for all workers, overhauling the performance appraisal system to emphasize meritocracy over seniority, promoting regular engagement dialogues, or creating and organizing training programs designed to close the gaps.\nThe company website and annual reports must be overhauled to incorporate the VMV. In addition, aim to host a monthly town hall meeting with the CEO where prizes are handed out to those who can answer questions on the company\u2019s VMV and where two or three employees give brief talks on how they\u2019ve successfully practiced it in their work. \nThere will be resistance to change. But when it happens, the issue must be dealt with by management. If left unaddressed or mishandled, it will create organizational inertia that will disrupt the change process.\n \nChat your questions with Rey Elbo on Facebook, LinkedIn, X or e-mail elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com", "date_published": "2023-11-10T00:01:10+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-11-09T18:52:13+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/LM-default.jpg", "tags": [ "Featured2", "In The Workplace", "REY ELBO", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=555200", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/11/03/555200/private-sector-involvement-needed-to-ensure-tech-voc-graduates-are-job-ready/", "title": "Private sector involvement needed to ensure tech-voc graduates are job-ready", "content_html": "PROPOSED changes to the K-12 law include the need for increased private sector involvement in the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to help make technical and vocational (tech-voc) course graduates job-ready, a congressman said.
\n\u201c[TESDA] only has four industry boards now, I don\u2019t think that\u2019s enough,\u201d Pasig City Rep. Roman T. Romulo, who heads the House basic education and culture panel, told BusinessWorld in a phone interview.
\nTESDA in August established industry boards in partnership with various private sector representatives to assess whether a student\u2019s tech-voc skills will be enough to meet these sectors\u2019 demands.
\nThe industry boards include the Philippine Constructors Association, Inc. for the construction sector, the Tourism Industry Board Foundation, Inc. for the tourism sector, the IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines for the information and communications technology sector, and the Philippine Cacao Industry Association for the cacao sub-sector under agriculture.
\nTESDA also formed an industry board with the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. to represent the manufacturing, semiconductor, and electronics sub-sector.
\n\u201cThe first step that [TESDA] should do is to form more industry boards,\u201d Mr. Romulo said in Filipino. \u201cThe one who dictates what skills [a learner] needs is the industry.\u201d
\nUnder the proposed Education Pathways Act, a student who finishes Grade 10 can either proceed to senior high school to pursue a college degree or take a tech-voc course. The measure hurdled the House basic education and culture panel last month.
\n\u201cIf a learner, after completion of Grade 10, wishes to take the tech-voc track … we will have an upgraded TESDA that will take care of the curriculum together with industry partners,\u201d Mr. Romulo told the committee on Oct. 18.
\nThe measure \u201cnot only offers choice but also the promise of a more inclusive, flexible, and dynamic educational system that empowers every student, regardless of their background or circumstances,\u201d Federation of Free Workers President Jose Sonny G. Matula said in a Viber message.
\nThe unnumbered substitute bill also requires TESDA to facilitate on-the-job training and apprenticeship programs to be offered by industry stakeholders.
\nA student may also opt for the ladderized education program, where those who have completed a TESDA course and are already working are eligible to enroll in a college or university degree program.\u00a0 \u00a0
\nMr. Matula added that the bill should include courses in labor rights for both senior high and tech-voc students for improved awareness among workers.
\nUnder the current law, Republic Act No. 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, it takes two more years of basic education \u2014 Grades 11 and 12 \u2014 before a student can earn a high school diploma. At the time, the Philippines was the only Asian country and one of three in the world with a 10-year basic education program.
\nTESDA recorded a total of 1.26 million enrollees and 1.23 million graduates last year, according to its 2022 annual report.
\nTerry L. Ridon, a former youth party-list lawmaker and currently the convenor of think tank InfraWatch PH, said the TESDA has yet to be fully developed to handle huge numbers of students taking the tech-voc route.
\n\u201cThe success of this measure is dependent on an all-rounded development of TESDA and its various private partners,\u201d Mr. Ridon said in a Viber message. \u201cUnfortunately, the tech-voc sector has not reached this level of development yet.\u201d \u2014 Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
\n", "content_text": "PROPOSED changes to the K-12 law include the need for increased private sector involvement in the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to help make technical and vocational (tech-voc) course graduates job-ready, a congressman said.\n\u201c[TESDA] only has four industry boards now, I don\u2019t think that\u2019s enough,\u201d Pasig City Rep. Roman T. Romulo, who heads the House basic education and culture panel, told BusinessWorld in a phone interview.\nTESDA in August established industry boards in partnership with various private sector representatives to assess whether a student\u2019s tech-voc skills will be enough to meet these sectors\u2019 demands.\nThe industry boards include the Philippine Constructors Association, Inc. for the construction sector, the Tourism Industry Board Foundation, Inc. for the tourism sector, the IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines for the information and communications technology sector, and the Philippine Cacao Industry Association for the cacao sub-sector under agriculture.\nTESDA also formed an industry board with the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. to represent the manufacturing, semiconductor, and electronics sub-sector.\n\u201cThe first step that [TESDA] should do is to form more industry boards,\u201d Mr. Romulo said in Filipino. \u201cThe one who dictates what skills [a learner] needs is the industry.\u201d\nUnder the proposed Education Pathways Act, a student who finishes Grade 10 can either proceed to senior high school to pursue a college degree or take a tech-voc course. The measure hurdled the House basic education and culture panel last month.\n\u201cIf a learner, after completion of Grade 10, wishes to take the tech-voc track … we will have an upgraded TESDA that will take care of the curriculum together with industry partners,\u201d Mr. Romulo told the committee on Oct. 18.\nThe measure \u201cnot only offers choice but also the promise of a more inclusive, flexible, and dynamic educational system that empowers every student, regardless of their background or circumstances,\u201d Federation of Free Workers President Jose Sonny G. Matula said in a Viber message.\nThe unnumbered substitute bill also requires TESDA to facilitate on-the-job training and apprenticeship programs to be offered by industry stakeholders.\nA student may also opt for the ladderized education program, where those who have completed a TESDA course and are already working are eligible to enroll in a college or university degree program.\u00a0 \u00a0\nMr. Matula added that the bill should include courses in labor rights for both senior high and tech-voc students for improved awareness among workers.\nUnder the current law, Republic Act No. 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, it takes two more years of basic education \u2014 Grades 11 and 12 \u2014 before a student can earn a high school diploma. At the time, the Philippines was the only Asian country and one of three in the world with a 10-year basic education program.\nTESDA recorded a total of 1.26 million enrollees and 1.23 million graduates last year, according to its 2022 annual report.\nTerry L. Ridon, a former youth party-list lawmaker and currently the convenor of think tank InfraWatch PH, said the TESDA has yet to be fully developed to handle huge numbers of students taking the tech-voc route.\n\u201cThe success of this measure is dependent on an all-rounded development of TESDA and its various private partners,\u201d Mr. Ridon said in a Viber message. \u201cUnfortunately, the tech-voc sector has not reached this level of development yet.\u201d \u2014 Beatriz Marie D. Cruz", "date_published": "2023-11-03T00:03:28+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-11-02T19:34:50+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Tesda-training.jpg", "tags": [ "Beatriz Marie D. Cruz", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=555137", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/11/03/555137/wages-boost-us-labor-costs-house-price-inflation-picks-up/", "title": "Wages boost US labor costs; house price inflation picks up", "content_html": "WASHINGTON \u2014 US labor costs increased solidly in the third quarter amid strong wage growth while house price inflation accelerated in August, the latest signs that the Federal Reserve could keep interest rates high for some time.
\nThe reports on Tuesday pose a threat to efforts by the US central bank to bring inflation to its 2% target. Fed officials started a two-day policy meeting on Tuesday. The US central bank is expected to leave interest rates unchanged but maintain its hawkish bias at the conclusion of that meeting as a recent spike in US Treasury yields and stock market sell-off have tightened financial conditions.
\n\u201cThose wage increases are likely to keep inflation running above target while higher house prices could lead to a pick-up in shelter inflation,\u201d said Andrew Hollenhorst, chief US economist at Citigroup in New York. \u201cFor now the Fed will remain on-hold, but the evident upside risk to inflation means Chair (Jerome) Powell and committee will keep potential further rate hikes on the table.\u201d
\nThe Employment Cost Index (ECI), the broadest measure of labor costs, rose 1.1% last quarter after increasing 1.0% in the April-June period, the Labor department\u2019s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the ECI would rise 1.0%.
\nLabor costs increased 4.3% on a year-on-year basis, the smallest gain since the fourth quarter of 2021, after advancing by 4.5% in the second quarter. Growth in annual compensation is gradually slowing after peaking at 5.1% last year, in line with some easing in labor market conditions. It, however, remains well above the pre-pandemic pace.
\nThe rise in compensation helps to explain the surge in consumer spending last quarter, which contributed to the fastest economic growth rate in nearly two years.
\nThe ECI is widely viewed by policymakers and economists as one of the better measures of labor market slack and a predictor of core inflation because it adjusts for composition and job-quality changes. Since March 2022, the Fed has raised its policy rate by 525 basis points to the current 5.25%-5.50% range.
\nWages increased 1.2% in the third quarter after climbing 1.0% in the prior three months. They were up 4.6% on a year-on-year basis after advancing by the same margin in the second quarter. Strong wage growth is being driven by worker shortages that still persist in some services industries.
\nSeptember\u2019s job openings data on Wednesday will shed light on the state of demand for labor.
\nThough consumers continue to worry about the economy\u2019s outlook, more are planning vacations over the next six months and are not contemplating scaling back in a major way on purchases of motor vehicles and other big-ticket items, according to a survey from the Conference Board on Tuesday.
\nTheir concerns about the economy center around the violence in the Middle East as well as domestic politics, likely reflecting the protracted battle to elect a speaker in the US House of Representatives.
\nThe Conference Board\u2019s so-called labor market differential, derived from data on respondents\u2019 views on whether jobs are plentiful or hard to get, rose to 26.3 from 25.5 in September. This measure correlates to the unemployment rate from the Labor department. Overall, the consumer confidence index dropped moderately to 102.6 this month from 104.3 in September.
\n\u201cThe US consumer is in okay financial shape,\u201d said Bill Adams, chief economist at Comerica Bank in Dallas. \u201cFor well-off Americans, inflation is a source of frustration but not enough to force cutbacks in overall spending.\u201d
\nStocks on Wall Street were trading lower. The dollar gained versus a basket of currencies. US Treasury prices rose.
\nCONSUMER CONFIDENCE EBBS
\nThe compensation report showed private-sector wages gained 1.1% after rising 1.0% in the April-June quarter. They advanced 4.5% on a year-on-year basis. There were notable increase in wages in the financial activities and education and health services sectors. But wage growth slowed in the leisure and hospitality industry, which had experienced worker shortages.
Manufacturing also reported a moderation in wage gains.
\nState and local government wages shot up 1.8% after increasing 0.8% in the prior quarter. They were driven by rises in education and health services as well as public administration. State and local government wages increased 4.8% on a year-on-year basis, the most since the government started tracking the series in 2001.
\nInflation-adjusted wages for all workers rose 0.9% on a year-on-year basis after jumping 1.7% in the second quarter. While slowing, wages should continue to underpin spending.
\nBenefits rose 0.9% last quarter after climbing by the same margin in the April-June period. They increased 4.1% on a year-on-year basis.
\nEconomists expected the higher wages and benefits to pressure corporate profits, with Nationwide chief economist Kathy Bostjancic noting that \u201csome companies are losing a bit of their pricing power.\u201d
\nA third report from the Federal Housing Finance Agency showed house prices increased 0.6% in August, driven by an acute shortage of previously owned homes. House prices rose 0.8% in July. While lofty house prices are boosting household wealth, they could keep inflation elevated in the near-term.
\nIn the 12 months through August, house prices accelerated 5.6% after advancing 4.6% in July. With the rate on the popular fixed 30-year mortgage near 8%, some economists see limited scope for house prices to keep rising, which would result in rents contributing less to inflation.
\nHigher rents were the major drivers of inflation in September after cooling somewhat in prior months.
\nEven as house prices continue to march higher, there are signs that shelter inflation could moderate next year.
\nA fourth report from the Commerce department\u2019s Census Bureau showed the rental vacancy rate jumped 6.6% in the third quarter, the highest since the first quarter of 2021, from 6.3% in the April-June period.
\n\u201cWe still think it is likely that the surge in mortgage rates will slow the rise in prices in the secondary market going forward,\u201d said Lou Crandall, chief economist at Wrightson ICAP in New York. \u2014 Reuters
\n", "content_text": "WASHINGTON \u2014 US labor costs increased solidly in the third quarter amid strong wage growth while house price inflation accelerated in August, the latest signs that the Federal Reserve could keep interest rates high for some time.\nThe reports on Tuesday pose a threat to efforts by the US central bank to bring inflation to its 2% target. Fed officials started a two-day policy meeting on Tuesday. The US central bank is expected to leave interest rates unchanged but maintain its hawkish bias at the conclusion of that meeting as a recent spike in US Treasury yields and stock market sell-off have tightened financial conditions.\n\u201cThose wage increases are likely to keep inflation running above target while higher house prices could lead to a pick-up in shelter inflation,\u201d said Andrew Hollenhorst, chief US economist at Citigroup in New York. \u201cFor now the Fed will remain on-hold, but the evident upside risk to inflation means Chair (Jerome) Powell and committee will keep potential further rate hikes on the table.\u201d\nThe Employment Cost Index (ECI), the broadest measure of labor costs, rose 1.1% last quarter after increasing 1.0% in the April-June period, the Labor department\u2019s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the ECI would rise 1.0%.\nLabor costs increased 4.3% on a year-on-year basis, the smallest gain since the fourth quarter of 2021, after advancing by 4.5% in the second quarter. Growth in annual compensation is gradually slowing after peaking at 5.1% last year, in line with some easing in labor market conditions. It, however, remains well above the pre-pandemic pace.\nThe rise in compensation helps to explain the surge in consumer spending last quarter, which contributed to the fastest economic growth rate in nearly two years.\nThe ECI is widely viewed by policymakers and economists as one of the better measures of labor market slack and a predictor of core inflation because it adjusts for composition and job-quality changes. Since March 2022, the Fed has raised its policy rate by 525 basis points to the current 5.25%-5.50% range.\nWages increased 1.2% in the third quarter after climbing 1.0% in the prior three months. They were up 4.6% on a year-on-year basis after advancing by the same margin in the second quarter. Strong wage growth is being driven by worker shortages that still persist in some services industries.\nSeptember\u2019s job openings data on Wednesday will shed light on the state of demand for labor.\nThough consumers continue to worry about the economy\u2019s outlook, more are planning vacations over the next six months and are not contemplating scaling back in a major way on purchases of motor vehicles and other big-ticket items, according to a survey from the Conference Board on Tuesday.\nTheir concerns about the economy center around the violence in the Middle East as well as domestic politics, likely reflecting the protracted battle to elect a speaker in the US House of Representatives.\nThe Conference Board\u2019s so-called labor market differential, derived from data on respondents\u2019 views on whether jobs are plentiful or hard to get, rose to 26.3 from 25.5 in September. This measure correlates to the unemployment rate from the Labor department. Overall, the consumer confidence index dropped moderately to 102.6 this month from 104.3 in September.\n\u201cThe US consumer is in okay financial shape,\u201d said Bill Adams, chief economist at Comerica Bank in Dallas. \u201cFor well-off Americans, inflation is a source of frustration but not enough to force cutbacks in overall spending.\u201d\nStocks on Wall Street were trading lower. The dollar gained versus a basket of currencies. US Treasury prices rose.\nCONSUMER CONFIDENCE EBBS\nThe compensation report showed private-sector wages gained 1.1% after rising 1.0% in the April-June quarter. They advanced 4.5% on a year-on-year basis. There were notable increase in wages in the financial activities and education and health services sectors. But wage growth slowed in the leisure and hospitality industry, which had experienced worker shortages.\nManufacturing also reported a moderation in wage gains.\nState and local government wages shot up 1.8% after increasing 0.8% in the prior quarter. They were driven by rises in education and health services as well as public administration. State and local government wages increased 4.8% on a year-on-year basis, the most since the government started tracking the series in 2001.\nInflation-adjusted wages for all workers rose 0.9% on a year-on-year basis after jumping 1.7% in the second quarter. While slowing, wages should continue to underpin spending.\nBenefits rose 0.9% last quarter after climbing by the same margin in the April-June period. They increased 4.1% on a year-on-year basis.\nEconomists expected the higher wages and benefits to pressure corporate profits, with Nationwide chief economist Kathy Bostjancic noting that \u201csome companies are losing a bit of their pricing power.\u201d\nA third report from the Federal Housing Finance Agency showed house prices increased 0.6% in August, driven by an acute shortage of previously owned homes. House prices rose 0.8% in July. While lofty house prices are boosting household wealth, they could keep inflation elevated in the near-term.\nIn the 12 months through August, house prices accelerated 5.6% after advancing 4.6% in July. With the rate on the popular fixed 30-year mortgage near 8%, some economists see limited scope for house prices to keep rising, which would result in rents contributing less to inflation.\nHigher rents were the major drivers of inflation in September after cooling somewhat in prior months.\nEven as house prices continue to march higher, there are signs that shelter inflation could moderate next year.\nA fourth report from the Commerce department\u2019s Census Bureau showed the rental vacancy rate jumped 6.6% in the third quarter, the highest since the first quarter of 2021, from 6.3% in the April-June period.\n\u201cWe still think it is likely that the surge in mortgage rates will slow the rise in prices in the secondary market going forward,\u201d said Lou Crandall, chief economist at Wrightson ICAP in New York. \u2014 Reuters", "date_published": "2023-11-03T00:02:33+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-11-02T19:34:31+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/LM-default.jpg", "tags": [ "Featured2", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] }, { "id": "https://www.bworldonline.com/?p=555199", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/labor-and-management/2023/11/03/555199/killer-job-interview-questions-as-a-tiebreaker/", "title": "Killer job interview questions as a tiebreaker", "content_html": "I\u2019m the vice-president for operations of a major company now looking to hire a department manager. After a series of interviews and tests, we\u2019ve identified two candidates in our shortlist. Their similarities and differences are almost equal. To break the tie, we plan to do one final interview for each. Now, we\u2019re thinking of the best possible questions to ask before we meet them. Can you help us?\u00a0 \u2014 Two Rivers
\nI\u2019ve already written no less than ten articles on this subject since 1993 when I started writing in this space. But of course, that was more than 30 years ago. If we\u2019re limiting ourselves to job interviews as a tiebreaker, then that will be a breeze, except that I\u2019d like to disabuse your mind that it\u2019s not the only thing that matters when deciding to hire a manager. There are a lot more. And I\u2019ve already covered them in the past.
\nAfter conducting thousands of job interviews to identify the best candidates, I learned that there have been no major changes in the way we ask questions to job applicants. So much has been written in the past and many of them can be searched, complete with all the killer answers to all difficult questions out there.
\nYou may agree or disagree with those questions. Some of them may not be important for you and your organization. Some may work for you but not for other recruiters. Just the same, the final judgment on what the important interview questions are will be yours alone. If you decide to adopt those questions, it would take some time before you realize that you\u2019ve become successful in the recruitment process.
\nTEN KILLER QUESTIONS
\nThe world we live in is not based on logic and justice, no matter how we aspire for it. As a consequence, our world is not as good as it could be. We talk about things based on our direct experience, whether good or bad. Let\u2019s start by asking one simple question: how do you stay on the positive side of the street?
Unfortunately, the answer to that question is not simple. There are thousands of inspiring articles and books about career development and success, all trying to dissect all workplace issues that have become important to people and organizations. And for that matter, I consulted the past presidents of People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP). I believe their insights, tactics and strategies on people management should help us understand the importance of a job interview.
\nThe following questions are easy to understand and it\u2019s up to you to copy them all or adjust according to your taste. They may not always work. But they will be the closest you can get to the \u201cmagic wand\u201d of our respondents.
\n1. Ernesto Espinosa, 2002 PMAP president: \u201cIf the person who hurt you the most showed up at your door, what will you do or tell him/her?\u201d This is a question of testing the candidate\u2019s maturity, humility, sense of pride, forgiveness and respect for others.
\n2. Ellen Fullido, 2022 PMAP president: \u201cWhat was the most selfless thing that you did as a manager for your organization that has gone through a crisis situation?\u201d The key word is \u201cselfless.\u201d In this materialistic world, how does one distinguish himself from the rest?
\n3. Edgardo Soriano, 1995 PMAP president: \u201cIn settling a crisis situation that needs a win-win result, what are your non-negotiables?\u201d The question is focused on defining the result most acceptable to all parties without undermining one\u2019s personal values.
\n4. Ramon Segismundo, 2017 PMAP president: \u201cAre you willing to try out the job for one day? After that, we\u2019ll decide if you\u2019re the right person for the job.\u201d This is a modified version of an assessment center often used as a trade test. The logic is easy to understand. On-the-job performance (even if for just one day) is the key determinant.
\n5. Rene Gener, 2000 PMAP president: \u201cWhat will be the biggest game-changer that you will bring to the business? One that I have not heard or seen before? Why?\u201d This question tries to determine the creativity and innovativeness of the applicant.
\n6. Barbie Atienza, 1998 PMAP president: \u201cAside from financial issues, what are the top three factors that you\u2019ll consider when cutting expenses and manpower?\u201d This question focuses on one\u2019s values amid the realities of corporate survival.
\n7. Gerry Plana, 2019 PMAP president: \u201cCite a grave failure or serious mistake that happened in the past that made you a better person and professional today.\u201d The question is about how you treated your mistake as an unforgettable burden or a stepping stone for success.
\n8. Chit Ventura, 1993 PMAP president: \u201cWhat\u2019s the legacy you want to leave behind and what steps are you taking to achieve that?\u201d It\u2019s not about material things, but the enduring character and faith of a person.
\n9. Jun Mendoza, retired Senior Vice-President of CTBC Bank Philippines: \u201cIf you\u2019re the CEO, should you fire an HR department head because he played favorites by not firing an employee who should be fired?\u201d
\n10. Erick Reyes, retired HR head of Roxas Holdings: \u201cTell me your biggest failure so far and how did you recover from it?\u201d
\nI asked ten PMAP presidents to contribute to this article, but didn\u2019t receive the reply of two other respondents in time to meet the deadline. Fortunately, my good friends who have HR experience took the last two slots.
\n\n
Chat your workplace issues with Rey Elbo via Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter) or e-mail elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com
\n", "content_text": "I\u2019m the vice-president for operations of a major company now looking to hire a department manager. After a series of interviews and tests, we\u2019ve identified two candidates in our shortlist. Their similarities and differences are almost equal. To break the tie, we plan to do one final interview for each. Now, we\u2019re thinking of the best possible questions to ask before we meet them. Can you help us?\u00a0 \u2014 Two Rivers\nI\u2019ve already written no less than ten articles on this subject since 1993 when I started writing in this space. But of course, that was more than 30 years ago. If we\u2019re limiting ourselves to job interviews as a tiebreaker, then that will be a breeze, except that I\u2019d like to disabuse your mind that it\u2019s not the only thing that matters when deciding to hire a manager. There are a lot more. And I\u2019ve already covered them in the past.\nAfter conducting thousands of job interviews to identify the best candidates, I learned that there have been no major changes in the way we ask questions to job applicants. So much has been written in the past and many of them can be searched, complete with all the killer answers to all difficult questions out there.\nYou may agree or disagree with those questions. Some of them may not be important for you and your organization. Some may work for you but not for other recruiters. Just the same, the final judgment on what the important interview questions are will be yours alone. If you decide to adopt those questions, it would take some time before you realize that you\u2019ve become successful in the recruitment process.\nTEN KILLER QUESTIONS\nThe world we live in is not based on logic and justice, no matter how we aspire for it. As a consequence, our world is not as good as it could be. We talk about things based on our direct experience, whether good or bad. Let\u2019s start by asking one simple question: how do you stay on the positive side of the street?\nUnfortunately, the answer to that question is not simple. There are thousands of inspiring articles and books about career development and success, all trying to dissect all workplace issues that have become important to people and organizations. And for that matter, I consulted the past presidents of People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP). I believe their insights, tactics and strategies on people management should help us understand the importance of a job interview.\nThe following questions are easy to understand and it\u2019s up to you to copy them all or adjust according to your taste. They may not always work. But they will be the closest you can get to the \u201cmagic wand\u201d of our respondents.\n1. Ernesto Espinosa, 2002 PMAP president: \u201cIf the person who hurt you the most showed up at your door, what will you do or tell him/her?\u201d This is a question of testing the candidate\u2019s maturity, humility, sense of pride, forgiveness and respect for others.\n2. Ellen Fullido, 2022 PMAP president: \u201cWhat was the most selfless thing that you did as a manager for your organization that has gone through a crisis situation?\u201d The key word is \u201cselfless.\u201d In this materialistic world, how does one distinguish himself from the rest?\n3. Edgardo Soriano, 1995 PMAP president: \u201cIn settling a crisis situation that needs a win-win result, what are your non-negotiables?\u201d The question is focused on defining the result most acceptable to all parties without undermining one\u2019s personal values.\n4. Ramon Segismundo, 2017 PMAP president: \u201cAre you willing to try out the job for one day? After that, we\u2019ll decide if you\u2019re the right person for the job.\u201d This is a modified version of an assessment center often used as a trade test. The logic is easy to understand. On-the-job performance (even if for just one day) is the key determinant.\n5. Rene Gener, 2000 PMAP president: \u201cWhat will be the biggest game-changer that you will bring to the business? One that I have not heard or seen before? Why?\u201d This question tries to determine the creativity and innovativeness of the applicant.\n6. Barbie Atienza, 1998 PMAP president: \u201cAside from financial issues, what are the top three factors that you\u2019ll consider when cutting expenses and manpower?\u201d This question focuses on one\u2019s values amid the realities of corporate survival.\n7. Gerry Plana, 2019 PMAP president: \u201cCite a grave failure or serious mistake that happened in the past that made you a better person and professional today.\u201d The question is about how you treated your mistake as an unforgettable burden or a stepping stone for success.\n8. Chit Ventura, 1993 PMAP president: \u201cWhat\u2019s the legacy you want to leave behind and what steps are you taking to achieve that?\u201d It\u2019s not about material things, but the enduring character and faith of a person.\n9. Jun Mendoza, retired Senior Vice-President of CTBC Bank Philippines: \u201cIf you\u2019re the CEO, should you fire an HR department head because he played favorites by not firing an employee who should be fired?\u201d\n10. Erick Reyes, retired HR head of Roxas Holdings: \u201cTell me your biggest failure so far and how did you recover from it?\u201d\nI asked ten PMAP presidents to contribute to this article, but didn\u2019t receive the reply of two other respondents in time to meet the deadline. Fortunately, my good friends who have HR experience took the last two slots.\n \nChat your workplace issues with Rey Elbo via Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter) or e-mail elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com", "date_published": "2023-11-03T00:01:28+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-11-02T18:57:20+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/eda8ffc51ac7ec8b231b61b4c6a0d14e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/LM-default.jpg", "tags": [ "Featured2", "In The Workplace", "REY ELBO", "Editors' Picks", "Labor and Management" ] } ] }