Tag:

employers

Why a Culture Change in the Workplace Benefits your Mentoring Program

It’s hard and expensive to find and retain good employees. With this in mind, it’s not a surprise that companies are willing to try all sorts of things to make sure their employees stick around. For example, many companies have attempted to establish corporate mentorship programs where newer employees are paired up with veterans who can show them the way. But is this the right approach? Mentoring programs typically rely on single mentor-mentee matches and formal hierarchical pairings. Even if you can implement the best mentoring program, it is unlikely to achieve its intended result when the surrounding workplace is competitive and individualistic. For mentorship programs to have a real effect on the workplace, it seems that we all must take a step back and realize that real mentorship starts with company culture, not formal programs.

The Wave of Pay Transparency Laws: Why We Should Discuss Our Salaries

Your employer may discourage you from discussing your compensation with your co-workers, but did you know it’s not actually illegal? For example, some managers may portray to you that if you ask about your coworker’s pay, you might as well start packing up your belongings. In addition, most of us are uncomfortable with broadcasting our salary, but what if this secrecy is the reason for the conflict? If we removed that secrecy, it would allow for salary transparency to be standard in the workplace, eliminating the economic marginalization of workers and closing the wage gap. 

#MeToo Movement and Sexual Harassment Training Requirements for Illinois Employers

By now most people are familiar with the #MeToo movement. The movement began in 2006 by women, specifically Tarana Burke and women of color from low wealth communities, to help survivors of sexual violence. Eleven years after the movement was founded, it exploded during the fall of 2017 when well-known women in the entertainment industry began to use the famous #MeToo hashtag and shared their stories of sexual, discrimination, abuse and harassment. Two and half years later, there has been some change, but not enough. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center, said the biggest impact of #MeToo is that it decreased the stigma associated with sexual abuse and harassment and increased awareness.

Illinois Amends the Cannabis Act. How Does This Affect Employers?

On June 25, 2019 Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, “The Cannabis Act” which legalized recreational cannabis beginning January 1, 2020 for adults aged 21 years and older. Illinois residents are permitted to possess 30 grams of cannabis flower, 5 grams of cannabis concentrate, and 500 milligrams of THC contained in a cannabis-infused product. The possession limits are to be considered cumulative. The legalization of adult-use marijuana for recreational purposes in Illinois does not modify the state’s medical cannabis pilot program.