Want to Be Impressive at the Podium? Watch These 3 TED Talks Now

Both new and seasoned presenters have an unprecedented opportunity to learn what influences their audiences.

Hacker Explains Why OurMine Took Over 'Pokmon GO' Creator's Social Media Accounts

FORBES talked to a hacker claiming to be from the infamous OurMine group regarding the decision to attack the accounts of Niantic Labs CEO John Hanke.

How The Mobile Phone Is Enabling A New Social Enterprise Economy

Do you remember that old mobile phone that you traded in years ago? Chances are, your phone may be helping power a new social revolution for millions living in poverty around the world.

Four Interview Questions To Help You Hire People With Grit

People with grit have the character to succeed because they will think outside the box, solve problems and get the job done. Here are four types of interview questions that can help you identify people with the drive and determination to be great.

The Wall Street Journal: Jack Ma's firm among Chinese consortium making $4.4. billion foray into online gambling

A Chinese consortium led by Shanghai Giant Network Technology Co. and joined by a fleet of financial moguls including a private-equity arm of Alibaba founder Jack Ma has agreed to purchase an Israeli gambling business for $4.4 billion in cash.

From Russia, With Love? Trump, Putin And The DNC Email Leak

Embarrassing emails and files leaked from the Democratic National Committee may be courtesy of Vladimir Putin in an attempt to influence the American election in favor of Donald Trump, who has said nice things about Putin. Cartoon by Chris Britt.

5 MM: Carrots, Sticks and Wellness

Tags: culture, Game Changers, wellness

The post 5 MM: Carrots, Sticks and Wellness appeared first on Workforce Magazine.

"I See You, You See Me": What Space Means for the Surge of Intelligence

The expansion of commercial space imaging is a disruptive force for many governments. Given its security implications, Western players will not be the only ones to shape its spread and uses. Asian players too are already moving to harness the underlying technologies and trends.

Flipping A PR Flop: These 4 Founders Show How It's Done

These four U.S. founders turned their initial PR mistakes into wins in ways that others can model as well.

Deep Dive: Two veteran stock pickers win by going where others see 'fear or disinterest'

The GoodHaven Fund's Larry Pitkowsky and Keith Trauner push into miners and energy, producing double the returns of the S&P 500.

5 Tips for Managing Your Kids At Work Without Treating Them Like Children

Family businesses have unique challenges, such as learning to shift between the roles of parent and boss. These tips will help you navigate tricky waters.

Sorry Google And Tesla, FiveAI Will Have The Best Driverless Car

A new UK startup is looking to blow Tesla and Google's driverless technology offerings out of the water. (Or should that be off the road?)

Ex-FBI Cyber Sleuth: DNC And Clinton Campaign Hack Part Of A Pattern

The hacks into the Democratic National Committee's computer networks are continuing to receive widespread attention.    And yesterday the Hillary Clinton campaign announced that a DNC data analytics program used by them has also been breached.

Women In Tech Must Continually Challenge The Status Quo, Says This CEO

The CEO of a cybersecurity firm says female tech execs must always shift the norms.

We're Headed for Overtime

If you're an employer with a bunch of workers making just under $50,000 a year, prepare to work overtime to get your company ready for the new overtime rules.

Under this new ruling, which was announced May 18 and is set to go into effect Dec. 1, overtime pay will automatically be extended to more than 4 million Americans in its first year in effect, according to the U.S. Labor Department. All employees earning less than $47,476 per year and working more than 40 hours per week will be considered eligible for time-and-a-half overtime pay. This new standard is set at the 40th percentile of earnings and will be automatically reapplied every three years.

With that said, are there any companies that won't be significantly affected by these changes? Brian Baxter, vice president of human resources at Modere, a personal care company based in Springville, Utah, said, “Organizations with operations in states with higher costs of living [and] with generally higher wages will not have many adjustments to make.”

Still, not all companies will be so fortunate.

Even with these changes being finalized, the future of this overtime regulation is still daunting, and its effect on the workforce is uncertain. Scott Bales, senior director of customer success at Replicon Inc., a time-keeping software company based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, which provides services to many large U.S. companies, has examined the new overtime rule.

Replicon data found that an employee from a small to medium-size business works on average 25.5 hours more overtime per year than a worker from a large employer. For a business with employees who regularly log overtime hours, Bales suggests examining the type of work that is being completed during these extra hours. For instance, “If someone is consistently working over 40 hours but is spending a lot of time on administrative tasks, this [could] be delegated to another person to not only reduce costs but also support that person in focusing on more strategic and career development opportunities,” Bales said.

Baxter shares a similar mindset. He said, “The biggest concern is cost.” Before the new overtime rules go into effect, “a detailed analysis will have to be done to determine if it's better to simply move salaries above the new threshold or to move them to nonexempt and bite the bullet of overtime pay.”

While re-examining the financial effect that the overtime rule will have on salaries and budgets is important, it is not the only factor that employers should consider when preparing for changes in their company. According to Bales, employers need to look at the overtime rule from business operations, workforce management and legal standpoints, and employers should also be conscious of how changes might affect employee morale.

Even after examining these factors, many employers will still be left wondering how exactly they can prepare their business for the rapidly approaching overtime rule. Bales said employers have

four options.

The first option requires employers to reclassify jobs as nonexempt and pay for excess overtime hours worked, and this, Bales said, is the easiest of the four options.

The second option is employers can reclassify jobs as nonexempt, and by defining what constitutes overtime hours, companies can maintain a tighter grip on costs. However, Bales warned: “This can be difficult to curtail, and managers will also need to be more proactive and vigilant in monitoring hours.”

The third option is to classify jobs as exempt and raise employees' pay to meet the new salary threshold.

The fourth option, Bales said, is one “role could be divided into two jobs to attempt to reduce overtime payments. Depending on the role, it may make sense to delegate tasks and look at how this could also support greater efficiencies.”

Even with an upcoming presidential election, the new overtime rule isn't likely going anywhere. Bales said, “The overtime rule is an executive rule change, not legislation. If the next president, however, is against the new rule, it can be reversed - although this will take a long time

to do.”

Whether an employer supports or opposes the new overtime rule, it sounds like their best option is just to get used to it - and start putting in some overtime to get ready for it.

AnnMarie Kuzel is an editorial intern at Workforce. Comment below or email editor@workforce.com.

Tags: overtime, US Labor Department, wages

The post We're Headed for Overtime appeared first on Workforce Magazine.

The Wall Street Journal: Facebook says it may owe up to $5 billion in taxes

Facebook Inc. said that it could end up owing $3 billion to $5 billion in additional taxes as a result of action by the Internal Revenue Service in a long-running dispute related to how it transferred assets overseas.

How To Know What Your Brand Experience Is Worth

In principle, measuring return on experience isn?t all that complicated. Define the goals at the start of the marketing campaign, set success criteria, execute the campaign, measure and assess results. Simple, right? Well, no, of course not.

OSHA Says 'Negative' to Post-Accident Testing

Buried in OSHA's impending final rule on electronic reporting of workplace injuries and illnesses is this little nugget. OSHA believes that you violate the law if you require an employee to take a post-accident drug test. Let me repeat. According to OSHA, you violate the law if you automatically drug test any employee after an on-the-job accident.

Allow me to pause while this sinks in. 

While this prohibition doesn't appear in the the actual text of the final rule, it does prominently appear in OSHA's interpretation of the provision which prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who reporting a work-related injury or illness:

OSHA believes the evidence in the rulemaking record shows that blanket post-injury drug testing policies deter proper reporting.… [T]his final rule does not ban drug testing of employees. However, the final rule does prohibit employers from using drug testing (or the threat of drug testing) as a form of adverse action against employees who report injuries or illnesses. To strike the appropriate balance here, drug testing policies should limit post-incident testing to situations in which employee drug use is likely to have contributed to the incident, and for which the drug test can accurately identify impairment caused by drug use.… Employers need not specifically suspect drug use before testing, but there should be a reasonable possibility that drug use by the reporting employee was a contributing factor to the reported injury or illness in order for an employer to require drug testing.

“What about workers' compensation laws,” you say? “State law requires post-accident testing. What gives?” OSHA hears your cries, and has an answer for you:

A few commenters also raised the concern that the final rule will conflict with drug testing requirements contained in workers' compensation laws. This concern is unwarranted. If an employer conducts drug testing to comply with the requirements of a state or federal law or regulation, the employer's motive would not be retaliatory and the final rule would not prohibit such testing. This is doubly true because Section 4(b)(4) of the Act prohibits OSHA from superseding or affecting workers' compensation laws.

Make no mistake, this interpretation is huge for employers. As a result of this new reporting standard, employer policies that require post-accident drug testing will face scrutiny by OSHA, and OSHA will cite you for any policy that mandates post-accident testing without consideration of the specific facts and circumstances of the injury. Further, OSHA will deem retaliatory any employer discipline for a failed or refused post-accident test unless the drug use is likely to have contributed to the accident and for which the test can accurately identify pre-accident drug-related impairment. That's a high bar for employers to clear.

This rule was to take effect on Aug. 10, but OSHA has stated that it is delaying enforcement until Nov. 1. If you have a drug testing policy or otherwise engage post-accident testing in your workplace, now is the time to review your policies and practices with your employment counsel. This issue is very much on OSHA's radar, which means it must be on your radar also.

Jon Hyman is a partner at Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis in Cleveland. To comment, email editors@workforce.com. Follow Hyman's blog at Workforce.com/PracticalEmployer.

Tags: drug testing, OSHA

The post OSHA Says 'Negative' to Post-Accident Testing appeared first on Workforce Magazine.

Meet The 'Fishmonger' Behind America's Top Celebrity Chefs

I can count the days each year that my wife eats fish on one hand. She doesn't like scales, tails, or bones, and when it comes to the two-eyes up, bottom-dwelling filter feeders you can forget about it.

Infosec Experts Weigh In On Trump's Call For Russians To Hack Clinton Email

Donald Trump-the Republican nominee for President of the United States-was speaking about the controversial email hack of the DNC and the allegations that Russia is possibly behind it. Trump went on live television and said, “Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,"--referring to the emails deleted by Hillary Clinton related to her controversial use of a private email server while serving as Secretary of State.

Whole Foods Shares Drop on Lower Earnings, Sales

The supermarket chain reported a larger than expected drop in same-store sales.

Marketing 101 -- Make Your Customer Service Team An Asset Not A Necessary Evil

Customer service is one of those necessary evils for a lot of business leaders. Part of the reason for this is it costs so much to run an effective customer service team. When a company is thinking about making cuts they will nearly always make reductions in this area first.

Cisco Live 2016: Analyst Take On Important Security And Networking Announcements You May Have Missed

Cisco Live is Cisco Systems' annual education and training conference, held in multiple countries worldwide and attended by their customers, partners, resellers, press and analysts. Two weeks ago, I attended the U.S. analyst conference held in Las Vegas, July 11-12, called C-Scape, which is a “sub-show” inside of Cisco Live. This conference is always a good opportunity to get a finger on the pulse of what's going on at Cisco Systems and here were the big announcements that were made that week, and some of my takeaways. I may do a follow up on C-Scape later in the month where I got up close and personal with Cisco's senior executives, including CEO Chuck Robbins, but the following are about the Cisco Live announcements.

Why eHarmony's new CEO won't ever turn the site into Tinder

Grant Langston has taken over from co-founder Neil Clark Warren.

Doughnuts and Dialogue: Something to Chew on to Communicate Benefits

 

It all started with a doughnut.

For PR firm Walker Sands Communications, that round, sometimes frosted dessert didn't just pack a lot of cream - it packed a lot of punch as well.

Mike Santoro, president of Walker Sands, wanted to learn how news traveled across his company. He turned his head toward the regular internal employee newsletter, wondering if it was an effective communication tool.

“When you're a small company, it's easy to spread the word. You stand up in the middle of the floor and yell, 'Attention!' As we've grown, it's definitely been more challenging,” Santoro said. “We wanted to do an actual experiment to find out how they [employees] behave.”

Then, he thought about that popular breakfast treat. Santoro said he thought to himself, “What can we do with doughnuts?”

Besides making Homer Simpson the happiest man in the world?

At 9 a.m. on a Friday, two different versions of the same e-newsletter went out. One read, “Donuts in the Conference Room” at the top; the second placed the same phrase toward the bottom. By 10:30 a.m., 91 percent of the newsletter's recipients were aware of the information but in a way that interested Santoro. Nearly half of the employees in the conference room had heard about the pastries from a source other than the newsletter. Santoro learned that the office newsletter is only slightly better than word of mouth - and that word of mouth only travels so far.

Walker Sands' recent study raises an interesting question about effective perks and benefits communication strategies, which can be just as tricky and sticky as the icing on that pastry. How can employers effectively spread the word?

“Today's employee and the ways of communicating have changed,” Santoro said. “It used to be, you could do direct mail, face-to-face. You could do phone calls. Now, people are consuming information” through many different kinds of outlets.

“As much as you can, communicate with pictures and video,” Santoro said. “That's really important to be able to tell that story.”

Social media sites, Santoro said, are great methods of doing just that.

“Our own employees tend to be younger people,” he said, “who tend to communicate across Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram.”

But just because the digital age provides more communication tools, Santoro said the traditional in-person meetings should not be overlooked.

“We have quarterly meetings; we have monthly town halls where we gather everyone in the company together and tell them: 'This is what's most important for the month.' Then you have these other secondary mechanisms, like the newsletter and active social channel,” Santoro said.

But communicating those perks and benefits doesn't always have to revolve around “Who's bringing the doughnuts?” David Daskal has also seen some unique strategies as director of business development at The Jellyvision Lab Inc., a business that creates interactive software to help employees learn about workplace benefits.

“Being human means you also have the freedom to have a little fun,” Daskal said. “Engaging posters and fliers in the break room, a raffle for everyone who participates in a benefits webinar. We've even worked with HR teams who have dressed up in costumes to help promote open enrollment.”

Sarah Foster is an editorial intern at Workforce. Comment below or email at editors@workforce.com.  Follow Workforce on Twitter at @workforcenews.

 

 

 

 

Tags: benefits communication, doughnuts, perks, Walker Sands

The post Doughnuts and Dialogue: Something to Chew on to Communicate Benefits appeared first on Workforce Magazine.

Motorola Declines To Commit To Monthly Security Updates For Android

Motorola Mobility, a Lenovo company, made a splash last week with the introduction of new Moto Z and Moto Z Force smartphones. Not only are the devices well-built, premium Android phones with seriously potent performance, they also bring with them a very innovative version of modular expansion called Moto Mods that is the best implementation yet, with impressive add-on features. But with along with all the hype and buzz of these great new Android smartphone launches, a wind of caution kicked-up yesterday afternoon, that may give some potential users cause for hesitation.

Marissa Mayer will have earned more than $200 million at Yahoo if she's pushed out

Whatever happens, the Yahoo CEO has earned a tidy sum during her reign.

13 of the most successful Teen Social Media Influencers you need to know

A look at some of the Millenials using social media to build brands and careers

BlackBerry's Smartphone Sacrifice Is All About Security

As promised, Blackberry has another smartphone to reveal to the world. The DTEK50 is a good mid-range package, and the list price of $299 is not only less than the launch price of the BlackBerry Priv. It's also the Android handset where BlackBerry pulls its focus away from the High Street, and targets the enterprise market with as much force as it can muster.

Beat the System: U.S. presidential election gets its own spy-novel subplot

Details are emerging that suggest Russia might be behind an email hack at the Democratic National Committee, says Brett Arends.

China Beginning To Sound Like North Korea

Beijing is beginning to sound like the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) when it comes to the way it has been handling the South China Sea disputes

5MM: Robots and Jobs

Tags: ACA, Affordable Care Act, automation, Cadillac tax, jobs, robots, technology

The post 5MM: Robots and Jobs appeared first on Workforce Magazine.

KeySniffer Lets Hackers Snoop On Your Wireless Keyboard From 250 Feet

Researchers from security firm Bastille Networks today issued a warning that wireless keyboards from at least eight different manufacturers are vulnerable to hacking. The “KeySniffer” technique can capture all of your keystrokes --including passwords and other sensitive information-- from up to 250 feet away, using a $12 radio.

18 Ways To Increase Your Website Traffic

As business owners and marketers, it can sometimes feel like nothing will get the needle to move when it comes to your website's traffic. However, last time I checked, getting discouraged doesn't do anything to drive people to your site. So, instead of hanging your head, you should instead jump into one of these strategies below (or all of them if you really want to see a jump in traffic).

Ultimate HD Golf: Hitting the Links in Total Comfort

It was 98 degrees in Orange County, Calif. today, with unusually high humidity. Yet I decided to play a quick nine holes. And proceeded to, without even breaking a sweat. How so? I headed to the brand-new Ultimate HD Golf that's located inside an L.A. Fitness workout club in Mission Viejo. It's an air-conditioned indoor course simulator that also accommodates lessons, clubfitting and driving range practice time. While there are plenty of sports bars, country clubs and even private residences across America with golf simulators, this is the only one I know of inside a health club.

Nintendo post-Pokemon plunge could go a lot farther

CLSA analyst Jay Defibaugh warned clients two weeks ago that Nintendo's Pokémon Go-related rally was nearsighted

Ultimate HD Golf: Hitting the Links in Total Comfort

It was 98 degrees in Orange County, Calif. today, with unusually high humidity. Yet I decided to play a quick nine holes. And proceeded to, without even breaking a sweat. How so? I headed to the brand-new Ultimate HD Golf that's located inside an L.A. Fitness workout club in Mission Viejo. It's an air-conditioned indoor course simulator that also accommodates lessons, clubfitting and driving range practice time. While there are plenty of sports bars, country clubs and even private residences across America with golf simulators, this is the only one I know of inside a health club.

The Wall Street Journal: Zenefits to pay small fine in Tennessee regulatory settlement

Zenefits on Monday announced its first settlement with a state insurance regulator over the improper sales practices of some of its employees.

What You Need to Know About SBA Loans

If you own a small business, then you've probably heard of the Small Business Administration. Established in 1953, the SBA helps small businesses across the United States with its “3 Cs”: capital, contracts, and counseling.

Industrial-Strength IoT Unlocks The Power Of Dark Data

The industrial internet of things (IIOT) promises to unlock the power of dark data, shining new light on untold business opportunities.

Nintendo Stock is in Freefall After People Discover Nintendo Doesn't Make Pokémon Go

The huge success of Pokemon Go and its effect on Nintendo's valuation may be overstated. The augmented reality app was actually made by Niantic Labs.

Want a Better Marriage? Science Says You and Your Spouse Should Do This More Often

Happier and more successful couples share similar attitudes toward alcohol, a study found.

Beijing Playing Both Shark And Mermaid To Settle South China Sea Dispute

China has snapped out of a funk since the world arbitration court rejected Beijing's legal basis for claims to 95% of the widely disputed ocean off its south coast. Since the July 12 court decision, the Chinese military has held live-fire exercises and hinted at starting aerial patrols over the South China Sea. Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippine also claim all or parts of the same 3.5-million-square-kilometer sea. They're not happy with China's maritime expansions. China is also saying it will keep reclaiming land to build up the islets it holds in the sea, which is known for fisheries and fossil fuel as well as about half the world's marine shipping traffic.

The Wall Street Journal: Salesforce would have outbid Microsoft for LinkedIn, Benioff says

CEO says 'much higher' price possible had talks continued

Japan Looks To Fourth Industrial Revolution To Help Reach "Impossible" GDP Target

When Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was reelected head of his Liberal Democratic Party last September, he set a new economic goal for the country to attain: Achieve a GDP of 600 trillion yen (roughly 5.7 trillion US$) by 2020, the year of the Tokyo Olympics.

Feeding The Mechanisms That Drive Innovation

There's a powerful myth that many people continue to believe in: that innovation comes about through a flash of inspiration, a Eureka! moment. In reality, innovation is fed by a constant diet of relevant and up-to-date information that can be reused and recombined to give shape to new ideas.

The Wall Street Journal: Verizon agrees to $4.8 billion deal to buy Yahoo

Verizon Communications Inc. has agreed to pay $4.8 billion to acquire Yahoo Inc., according to a person familiar with the matter, ending a drawn-out auction process for the beleaguered internet company.