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Older Workers: Phased Retirement Programs, Although Uncommon, Provide Flexibility for Workers and Employers
Get PDF[Excerpt] As the large baby boomer generation retires, the workforce will lose much of their knowledge and experience. Encouraging phased retirement, in which older workers reduce their work hours with their current employer to transition into retirement, has been cited by retirement experts as one way to mitigate this loss. GAO was asked to review the work patterns of older Americans and phased retirement programs.
In this report, GAO examines (1) recent trends in the labor force participation of older workers, (2) the extent to which employers have adopted phased retirement programs and what type of employers offer them, and (3) what challenges and benefits, if any, exist in designing and operating phased retirement programs.
GAO analyzed data from two nationally representative surveys, the Health and Retirement Study (2004-2014) and the Current Population Survey (2005-2016); reviewed relevant federal laws and regulations; conducted a literature review; and interviewed 16 experts on retirement and 9 employers who offer or considered offering phased retirement programs. While phased retirement programs exist in both the private sector and government, this report focuses on private sector programs
Federal Workforce: Sustained Attention to Human Capital Leading Practices Can Help Improve Agency Performance
Get PDF[Excerpt] A careful consideration of federal pay is an essential part of fiscal stewardship and is necessary to support the recruitment and retention of a talented, agile, and high-performing federal workforce. High-performing organizations have found that the life-cycle of human capital management activities—including workforce planning, recruitment, on-boarding, compensation, engagement, succession planning, and retirement programs—need to be aligned for the cost-effective achievement of an organization’s mission. However, despite some improvements, strategic human capital management—and more specifically, skills gaps in mission critical occupations—continues to be a GAO high-risk area.
This testimony is based on a body of GAO work primarily issued between June 2012 and March 2017. It focuses on (1) lessons learned in creating a more market driven, results-oriented approach to federal pay, and (2) opportunities, in addition to pay and benefits, that OPM and agencies could use to be more competitive in the labor market and address skills gaps
Towards Age-Friendly Work in Europe: A Life-Course Perspective on Work and Ageing from EU Agencies
Get PDF[Excerpt] The European population is ageing owing to decreasing birth rates and increasing longevity. Population ageing is associated with a decrease in the size and ageing of the workforce. The majority of the EU Member States have reacted to this development by, among other measures, increasing retirement ages and limiting early access to pensions. Nevertheless, a large percentage of workers in the EU do not stay in employment until the official retirement age. The reasons for this are diverse, and will be examined in more detail in this report. Policy-makers are faced with the challenge of addressing this demographic change and its implications for employment, working conditions, living standards and the sustainability of welfare states. The working conditions of older workers and their participation in the labour market are affected by various policy areas (see also Table 1). This report aims to outline various aspects of the working conditions of the ageing workforce and related policies
Buffalo’s Agricultural Economy since the Great Recession
Get PDFIn August 2017, The Worker Institute convened high level leaders over the course of two days, around a discussion of Buffalo, NY Since the Great Recession. With presentations, panels, and a visit to the UAW Local 774, participants gained a deeper understanding of the economic restructuring that followed the Great Recession and where this large metropolitan area stands today. Here, you will find links to the resources that were presented during this two day convening
Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program
Get PDF[Excerpt] In response to concerns over the adequacy of firefighter staffing, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Act, known as the SAFER Act, was enacted by the 108th Congress as Section 1057 of the FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108-136). The SAFER Act authorizes grants to career, volunteer, and combination local fire departments for the purpose of increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry-minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. Also authorized are grants to volunteer fire departments for recruitment and retention of volunteers. SAFER is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
With the economic turndown adversely affecting budgets of local governments, concerns arose that modifications to the SAFER statute may be necessary to enable fire departments to more effectively and affordably participate in the program. From FY2009 through FY2015, annual appropriations bills contained provisions that waived certain provisions of the SAFER statute. The waivers served to reduce the financial obligation on SAFER grant recipients, and allowed SAFER grants to be used to rehire laid-off firefighters and to fill positions lost through attrition.
The 112th Congress enacted the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-239), which reauthorized SAFER through FY2017; altered the grant distribution formula among career, volunteer, combination, and paid-on-call fire departments; raised available funding for higher population areas; and addressed waiver issues previously addressed in annual appropriations legislation.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31 ) provided 345 million for AFG and 688.688 million for firefighter assistance, including 344.344 million for AFG, essentially matching the FY2017 level.
With the current authorization of SAFER and AFG expiring on September 30, 2017, and with the current SAFER and AFG statute containing a sunset provision for each program that goes into effect on January 2, 2018, the 115th Congress will likely consider legislation to reauthorize the SAFER and AFG programs. On April 5, 2017, S. 829, the AFG and SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017, was introduced by Senator McCain and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. On May 17, 2017, the Committee ordered S. 829 to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
The 115th Congress will also consider budget appropriations for SAFER and AFG. As is the case with many federal programs, concerns over the federal budget deficit could impact budget levels for SAFER and AFG. At the same time, firefighter assistance budgets will likely receive heightened scrutiny from the fire community, given the local budgetary shortfalls that many fire departments face
Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms
Get PDF[Excerpt] The Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) programs were first authorized by Congress in the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, to help workers and firms adjust to import competition and dislocation caused by trade liberalization. Although overall economic welfare can be increased by trade liberalization, TAA has long been justified on grounds that the government has an obligation to help the “losers” of policy-driven trade openings that may cause adjustment problems for firms and workers adversely affected by import competition. TAA programs that cover workers, firms, and farmers aim to “facilitate efforts by the domestic industry to make a positive adjustment to import competition and provide greater economic and social benefits than costs.” Congress continues to monitor TAA program performance and to periodically reauthorize and amend the governing legislation.
This report discusses the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAAF) program, which is administered by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) of the Department of Commerce. The TAAF program assists eligible American companies that have been harmed by increasing imports; this harm is defined by lower domestic sales and employment because of increased imports of similar goods and services. Through the TAAF program, EDA provides technical assistance, on a cost-sharing basis, to help eligible businesses create and implement business recovery plans that may allow them to remain competitive in a dynamic international economy. The TAAF program provides technical assistance through a partnership with a national network of 11 EDA-funded Trade Adjustment Assistance Centers (TAACs)
How are Companies Taking an Innovative Approach to Succession Planning?
Get PDF[Excerpt] Proper succession planning is the process of building the right quantity and quality of candidates to fill future vacancies. To do this, the organization must have a firm understanding of the knowledge, skills, and abilities of current employees, future roles that will have vacancies, and organizational gaps in talent that may prevent the firm from reaching its goals. The role of human resources is to understand the knowledge and skills necessary to execute short-term business strategies, as well as gaps in talent required to fulfill long-term business goals
Are Exit Interviews Still Worthy for Companies to Invest Time, Money, and Efforts?
Get PDF[Excerpt] 80% of employees dissatisfied with their supervisors are disengaged, and likely planning their exit (Dale Carnegie Employee Engagement Study). Developing a comprehensive retention strategy starts with assessing the different reasons why employees quit. Employees who leave are also a representative sample of the potential exits as well. Therefore, exiting employees provide insights into the preferences, expectations, and intents of current employees. The method of obtaining this information is equally important. Exit interviews serve as a tool for gathering information from the employees separating from the organization. Interviews are particularly appealing as a feedback instrument in that employees at this transitional stage of their organizational career are likely to be particularly candid about their perceptions of the organization
How can HR Best Support Building a Transformational Mind-Set ?
Get PDFIn order to remain competitive, more and more companies are realizing the importance of innovation. Innovation is instrumental for business growth as well as attracting and retaining employees as half of employees would leave a satisfactory job if it did not meet their expectations concerning innovation. HR can assist by creating an innovative culture where innovation is supported by top leadership, employees are empowered to innovate and risk taking is supported by management. This is critical for organizational growth as innovation is rated as the second most critical long term challenge to drive business growth
What are the Best in Class Non-Monetary (e.g. Non-Bonus, Non-Stock, or Non-Salary) Benefits for Innovation Based Companies?
Get PDF[Excerpt] Different employee groups have different preferences in terms of non-monetary benefits. Employees who move from organization to organization quickly might prioritize work environment, whereas others might emphasize career development. Thus, when creating non-monetary benefits systems, it is important to recognize differences in what employees value. Nonfinancial rewards can also foster perception of fairness and can play an important role in employee engagement. The top reasons that employees leave an organization are nonfinancial reasons, such as poor work climate, lack of career development opportunities, and unclear direction of the organization. To target these key issues, we focus on three major components of non-monetary categories and case examples of nonfinancial rewards for each: work life balance, career development and learning, and company culture/employee engagement