Delaware Employment Law Blog

Work-life balance, toxic bosses, and generation gaps.  Three of our favorite topics at the Delaware Employment Law Blog.  They're also the focus of a Special Edition of Businessweek.  The magazine, on stands Monday, has a feature called Business@Work.  The workplace special report was created, really, by readers.  In surveys, blogs, and polls, readers talked about their top concerns at work and their strategies and practical tips for how they deal with it all.  The topics covered include, in addition to the ones above, how to stay creative and entrepreneurial in uncertain economic times, time management, and managing the bureaucracy of Corporate America.

There were lots of fascinating tidbits among the nine pages of text.  One of the main articles deals with the initiatives being taken by employers that focus on their employees' "happiness."   Go figure.  A "happiness initiative" is not necessarily a new idea.  After all, that's what employee benefits are, for the most part.  But some of the efforts being made by companies like Safeco, IBM, and BMW N. America, are new to me. 

How would your employees like the idea of being flown to Disneyland for the day--families included.  (If you like it enough to transfer, you'd want to apply at the L.A. office of law firm DLA Piper).  Or maybe you'd be interested in hiring a Chief Happiness Officer, who, if he's like the CHO at London ad agency, iris Worldwide, is in charge of managing regular pub crawls.  And for the academics in the group, there is happiness learning just around the corner.  Companies including Qantas and Sanofi-Aventis have called in experts to assess the emotional health of their employees. 

So are these "perks" really seen as perks by the employees who receive them?  Or does the fact that they occur during working time with coworkers and monitored by management make them any less enticing?

By as early as 2010, the Baby Boomers will leave the workforce en masse.  As the "reliable" generation heads towards retirement, employers will be faced with a substantial need for new recruits.  And those employers who have the foresight to plan ahead know that recruiting starts now.  Otherwise, there will be nothing but college grads and retirees.  To prevent the "brain drain," the need for mid-level managers must be factored into hiring and recruiting decisions now. 

More than ever, the hiring process is a critical element of success planning.  But hiring, of course, is no easy thing.  There are obstacles everywhere.  And, frankly, hiring should be a priority far beyond the Human Resources department.  It should be a priority for the C-Suite, too.  If senior management appreciates the fundamental need for good hiring decisions, there will be less resistance to implementing a full-fledged hiring program.  In an ideal world, all companies would have one. 

If you are one of the businesses fortunate enough to get buy-in from executive management, one of the best things you can do is to be highly selective in choosing the hiring team.  The authority to be involved in the hiring process, at any level, should be granted sparingly.  Treat the hiring team with the importance it deserves and don't let the undeserving join the team.

Select interviewers with purpose.  Not everyone should be permitted to interview.  Interviewing is hard. It involves a great deal of legal exposure. It's a great opportunity to capture the attention of the best and brightest--or to send them running out the door faster than you can say "signing bonus." 

Employers are always looking for new ways to offer their employees perks and benefits.  Perks can be a double-edged sword.  On one hand, many think that employee retention can be directly correlated to the perks offered.  On the other hand, in difficult economic times, employers worry that they'll have to chose between keeping costly perks or keeping employees.  And to take away perks is an absolute morale killer.  (See The Real Price of Pulling Perks and 5 Free Ways to Reward Employees).

So what's an employer to do? We've talked before about some of the free perks that employers can use to keep employees.  Here's another type of perk that isn't free but that will give you a real return on your investment.  Training.

Yes, that's what I said, training.  Employees, especially Gen Y employees) want to know that they are making a contribution to their workforce.  Employees who are able to participate in meaningful work, as opposed to mind-numbing "busy" or "filler" work are far more likely to get engaged and have the sense of ownership that employers value so highly. 

Without continued development, employees are destined to get bored and lose their enthusiasm.  Unless employees are given continuous opportunities to develop new skills or to deepen their understanding of skills they already have.

This is a win-win for employers, too.  What more could you want?  Engaged and highly skilled employees?  Maybe it's more of an employer perk.

Workplace attire is a topic that just doesn't seem to go away. Dress codes and style rules for the modern worker get continuous coverage in the media.  Apparently, fashion is not just for the fashion columns anymore.  Fashion is a part of the business world, like it or not.  This modern-day fashion challenge is especially prevalent with Gen Y employees. 

Gen Y is known for its casual approach to work attire.  A generation that grew up wearing flip-flops and baring their belly rings can be particularly defiant of a conservative dress code.  The Millenial mantra for fashion may be coined, "Comfort Is King."  But that position often conflicts with the expectations of management. 

It can also prevent Gen Y job candidates from landing the job in the first place.  Candidates who come to an interview dressed in clothing that stands out as casual, trendy, or "young" will have a more difficult time making the cut.  And they may never know why. 

So what's a 21st-century fashion savvy job seeker to do? Generally speaking, don't take chances.  The interview is not the place to demonstrate your appreciation for cutting-edge couture.

And what about the rules of engagement for employers?  Although some will surely disagree, my position is to err on the side of caution.  If a potential employee comes to the interview with hot pink fingernails and Cyndi Lauper-style eye shadow, don't assume that she'll magically know better by the time she arrives for orientation, or that she'll "get the message" once she start work and sees that her colleagues are all dressed in more conservative garb. They won't.

Gen Y is known for its fantastic sense of entitlement and are unlikely to be particularly understanding or appreciative of the message that their clothing choices are unsatisfactory.  So, if you hire a candidate who makes his first impression by wearing a vintage Van Halen t-shirt under an Armani suit blazer, just be aware that you'll either have to accept his particular style choices or be prepared to have the uncomfortable "dress-code discussion" that will inevitably be required.

Accenture has come up with a great way to communicate its dress code and, with any luck, to prevent that dreaded conversation from ever being necessary in the first place.

Related Posts on Dress Codes:

I'm Too Sexy For This Job: The Beginnings of a Failure-to-Hire Lawsuit

“Are You My Lawyer or the Janitor?” The lawyer’s dress-code pendulum swings back.

Gender Discrimination & Dress Codes. Who wears the skirt, I mean, pants in your office?

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Women's Bureau will offer a free teleconference on June 19 2-3 pm EDT.  The topic of the free teleconference is Flex Options, Generation Y . . . What Do They Really Want. The DOL's website describes the program as a talk from the perspective of large and small businesses – and Generation Y employees – about the roles that workplace culture, flexibility and career development play in recruiting and retaining the best talent.

The three speakers include Ann Ivey, of Anna Ivey Consulting, a former lawyer and dean of admissions at a top-ten law school, Ivey now focuses on admissions consulting. 

Elizabeth Kennard is a specialist for Starbucks' Emerging Workforce Center of Excellence.  Kennard's responsibilities include the development of workplace flexibility and multigenerational workforce strategies.

Dennis Loney is the Employment Practices Specialist at Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), working to ensure that the co-op's practices are cutting-edge and aligned with its values. 

This is a very hot topic right now and seems to be infiltrating more and more areas of the business world.  You can register for teleconference through the following link:

Women's Bureau (WB) - Flex Options Teleconference Call - Generation Y …. What Do They Really Want