www.workforce.com 

April 1 - 7, 2007
Vol. 8  Issue 14

In This Issue ...

Workforce News of the Week:

Senate Battle Over Unionization Legislation Begins: A bill that would allow workers to form a union by signing cards authorizing the formation of a bargaining unit faces an uphill fight in the Senate, according to its champion on that side of Capitol Hill.
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Retiree Health Care Expenses Rise Again: The ever-increasing tab for retiree health care comes as the number of employers offering retiree health care coverage dwindles, making future retirees liable for a big chunk of their health care costs.
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Would-Be Replacement for America's Job Bank Gets Backing: The planned exchange is a new service designed to take the place of America's Job Bank, the U.S. Labor Department's free online job site that is set to expire on June 30.
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DOL Files Suits Against Benefit Plans
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Cost Savings Shrink for Offshore Outposts
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Basic Pilot Adds Pics; HR Groups Unite on Policy
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Employees: Let Us Sue Workplace Bullies
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Retirements? No Problem
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U.S. Workers Bemoan Lack of Training Opportunities
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Kelly Expands
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Feature: Retirement benefits
Doing the Homework on Lifecycle Funds

Employers need to look beyond the marketing hype and conduct thorough research, but the complex nature of these relatively new retirement products can make that difficult.

Read more about lifecycle funds. >>>

Also:
New Law May Enable More Firms to Offer Workers Face-to-Face 401(k) Advice >>>
Lifecycle Funds Can Help Companies Mitigate Risk and Boost Employee Savings >>>
Who's Using Lifestyle Funds >>>

Feature: Health care
How Boeing's High-Performance Health Care Initiative Failed

The aerospace company's effort to institute performance-based health care raised the ire of workers and physicians and landed its insurer in legal hot water.

Read more about Boeing's bad experience with high-performance health care. >>>

Also:
Letting Doctors in on the Ratings Process >>>
A Dose of Transparency to Alleviate System's Ills >>>
Some Employers Look to Break the PBM Habit >>>

Feature: Exclusive interview
Using Your Head, Heart and Guts: Becoming a Complete Leader

Five questions for Stephen Rhinesmith, partner, Mercer Delta Executive Learning Center.

Read about Rhinesmith's views on leadership. >>>

Also:
How Great Leadership Traits Can Squelch Employee Commitment >>>
Lessons in Leadership >>>
Are Your Executives Sabotaging Your Strategy? >>>

Discussion
Job Description—Can It Specify English Speaking?

Posted in the Legal Forum:
A reader writes: "Can we legally state on a job description that fluency to read, write and speak English is a requirement to perform job tasks? We are a small construction company and want to ensure that ALL employees understand safety training and other policies that we must be in compliance with. To have our employee handbook translated is extremely costly, as is having an interpreter employed. We only have about two to three employees with English as their second language, so my question is directed toward future job applicant situations."

Join the discussion. >>>

Workforce Blog: China Matters
Leading in China for Profit and the Public Good

Workforce Management staff writer Ed Frauenheim writes: "Up-and-coming business leaders at multinationals in China have the power to reshape China's social and political landscape in positive ways."

Click here to read the blog. >>>

Conventions & conferences
Best in Shows 2007: Notes From Key Workforce Management Conferences and Conventions

Ever wanted to attend an important conference or convention but just couldn't make it? The staff of Workforce Management will bring you reports from key workforce management conventions and conferences throughout the year in this exclusive Web feature. We'll report on the buzz at each show as well as highlights from selected seminars, presentations and speeches. We hope that Best in Shows will be the next best thing to actually being there.

Read about the Workforce Management Talent Management Conference, featuring the 17th annual Optimas Awards; HCI 2007 National Human Capital Summit; Vurv Revolution 2007; CUE 07 (Lawson conference and user exchange); the 2007 Strategic E-HR Conference: Maximizing the Value of HR Through Technology; the Work-Life 2007 Conference & Exhibition, sponsored by WorldatWork and the Alliance for Work-Life Progress; the Pensions & Investments 15th Annual East Coast Defined Contribution Conference; the 2007 Deploy Solutions User Conference; and the Conference Board 2007 Employee Health Care Conference.

Also:
Best in Shows 2006 >>>

Commentary
HR's Dinosaurs

Generalists view HR as an "art," basing decisions on emotions rather than management science.

Read more about why John Sullivan thinks generalists are HR's dinosaurs. >>>

Also:
Office Training >>>
Facebook Faux Pas >>>
HR's No. 1 Priority: Profit >>>

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