With crude oil prices hovering at $100/barrel, the surge in development in oil-rich Alberta means the demand for workers is also increasing (predicted to peak by the end of 2012). A labour shortage means that energy companies are looking south to Mexico and overseas for available workers. These companies are acting now because immigration paperwork… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Human Resource Management
If It Costs More to Make, It Costs More to Buy
As Volkswagen opens its new plant in Tennessee, talks renew about how labor, particularly unionized labor, influence the cost of new vehicles and the viability of automakers. While foreign manufacturers are locating in the South and paying about half the amount a union worker makes, the Big Three in Detroit have been unable to see… Read more »
The Business Cycle
Shawn Bravender is an avid cyclist and cycling is his preferred method of commuting. Naturally, riding a bike to and from work causes a few concerns (e.g., hygiene, appropriate business attire), so when Bravender’s employer gave him the task of figuring out how to make it work, he did. The move may become more common… Read more »
To Measure Or Not to Measure?
It seems everyone is obsessed with measurement these days. In fact, you probably started your course by talking about research that informs current management thinking or the importance of quantitative analysis or quality management. The fact is lots of things are measured. If you haven’t already, you will soon be examining individual behavior. The author… Read more »
It Is Not About the Pay — Or Is It?
Pay is the cornerstone of the employment contract. It is difficult to find any worker that is not concerned about their pay to some degree. The first article reports a study conducted by Statistics Canada revealing that black Canadians earn less than white Canadians on average. Although no specific study is cited, in the second… Read more »
Big Bonuses in Detroit
After a near collapse of the United States automobile industry and record bailouts by the U.S. Government, automakers are offering huge bonus payments to their UAW employees. Workers believe the move is justified because they made equally large concessions to help their employers get through tough times. The payments are being made in advance of… Read more »
Institutionalized Hate
One thing is certain (beyond death and taxes), if you sit through enough of them, sooner or later you learn to hate performance appraisals. The article contends that it is time to put an end to performance appraisals because they are hopelessly flawed. After outlining the problems inherent in this process, the author suggests it… Read more »
The Benefits of Working
A comprehensive study conducted by researchers at Harvard University and McGill University shows the United States trailing other economically competitive nations in terms of benefits guaranteed to workers. These benefits have implications in terms of productivity, leave, and the cost of doing business. QUESTIONS: From the standpoint of general recruiting, what advantages do paid sick… Read more »
New Work Contracts
The economic recession is forcing companies to reduce costs in order to remain viable. Labor costs, both pay and benefits, represent one of the biggest cost items for companies. As a result, health insurance and pensions are increasingly scrutinized. Many employers are transferring responsibility for managing benefits to workers. This means that workers are expected… Read more »