The Future of America's Labor Force

The 2010 Census showed that one out of every six Americans is Hispanic. From the 2000 Census to the 2010 Census, more than half of the nation’s population growth was due to Hispanics. According to an article in the Knowledge@Wharton online program of business-related articles (America’s Growing Hispanic Population: Investing in the Future ‘Mainstay of Our Labor Force’) the “burgeoning Hispanic population creates both challenges and opportunities for the future.” Those challenges are listed as:

1. Short term: Hispanics may stimulate business, pump up a weak housing market, replenish an aging work force, and revitalize dying communities.

2. Long term: The country must find a way to educate an increasingly diverse and underprivileged generation of children or lose its competitive edge.

Steve Murdock, a former director of the U.S. Census Bureau and a sociology professor at Rice University, explains how the Hispanic population growth affects our future:

We have to change the educational futures for these kids. Not just for them, frankly, but for all of our benefit [emphasis added]. The bottom line is this: If we do not provide the resources, if we do not invest in these populations at these young ages…we could be poorer and less competitive than we are today. If we do invest, we could be at an advantage.

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The Best Hospital for Your Workplace

There are a number of sources on the internet that identify the “best” hospital. Needless to say, the source determining which hospital is the best varies with the interest of the entity doing the rating. Recently, the Huffington Post ranked The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore as the “Best Hospital” in the United States. Two other American hospitals frequently included in the “best” category are Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic.

For those who are too remote from Baltimore or wherever, the internet lists other hospitals in queries like “The Best Hospital in Philadelphia,” “The Best Hospital in Wilmington,” etc. (There are approximately 5,000 hospitals nationwide.)

Hospital ratings are based on two sets of criteria:

1. Statistics (including especially):
fatality rates
patient safety
volume of procedures

2. Specialties (overall ratings are based on the total number of “specialties”):

cancer neurology/neurosurgery cardiology/heart surgery ophthalmology diabetes and endocrinology orthopedics ear, nose, and throat psychiatry

gastroenterology pulmonology geriatrics rehabilitation gynecology rheumatology nephrology urology

But for professionals working in Disability Management programs in the workplace, there are more important issues than best ratings.

The first responsibility of the rehabilitation professional in a Disability Management program is to get the injured worker to the nearest source for emergency treatment. However, after stabilization, the company and the worker’s family may want to consider other feasible treatment options, which might include moving the injured worker to a hospital which specializes in the particular specialty needed.

Disability Management program specialists need to have written procedures for dealing with workplace injuries or illnesses, including the appropriate hospital. Since good hospitals are dynamic and frequently upgrade procedures, workplace professionals need to keep pace.

- Has your company had experiences recently with injured or ill workers who required hospitalization?
- How would you rate your last hospital experience?
- Can you describe your best and worst hospital experiences?

Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being

In 1878, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton drafted an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would give women the right to vote. 42 years later, in 1920, the states ratified the 19th Amendment and women finally were authorized (“franchised”) to vote.

While the 19th Amendment did signal the beginning of gains for women in education and the labor force, it has not yet, 91 years later, translated into wage and income equity. However, there have been gains: for every two men who received a college degree in 2010, three women achieved the same goal.

An in-depth report on the issue, titled Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being, has just been published by a coalition of federal agencies working under the coordination of the Department of Commerce. The report, for the first time in U.S. history, pulls baseline information together from across the Federal statistical agencies.

Proactive Thinking in the Workplace

Are you a proactive or reactive thinker? Do you react to events that occur around you, or do you take the initiative to prepare for, participate in, and/or control those events?

A proactive approach can be helpful in many areas of life, including the workplace. Anticipating change and taking the necessary steps to deal with it can help avert a crisis. A reactive approach, on the other hand, involves reacting to change or crisis after it happens.

Promoting and Rewarding Safe Practices in the Workplace

We recently discovered that March 25, 2011, was the 100th Anniversary of the Triangle (Shirtwaist) Factory Fire in New York City. The fire cost the lives of 146 workers.

The significance of the Triangle Factory Fire is that it galvanized American legislators into enacting laws to protect the safety of American workers. A full account of the fire and those who died, with dramatic photos and a listing of the names of the (mostly young) people, men and especially adolescent girls, is available from Cornell University. Of particular interest is the list of 13 fire hazards present that day, violations that would ultimately cost 146 people their lives.

Since we know that most of you, our readers, are interested in important subjects that impact the workplace, we invite you to share comments on this issue with others. One or more of the issues that you may want to comment on include:

- management’s endorsement and support of safety programs,
- the inclusion of employee ideas in the planning and operation of safety programs,
- the importance, if any, of collecting data over time,
- the importance of regularized training and education,

or, of course, any other aspect of the issue. Thank you for sharing your ideas.

Joining Forces: “The force behind the force.”

“Joining Forces” is a campaign initiated by Michelle Obama and Jill Biden to highlight the challenges of military families: the wives, husbands, and children of the 2.2 million soldiers, sailors, and airmen/women serving abroad. Mrs. Obama has said, “Our military families deserve our respect and support at every stage of their lives–no matter who is in office” (as announced on NBC’s “Dateline” on May 2, 2011). The focus of the initiative is “helping families cope with issues related to employment, education and health” (according to USA Today). Among the early commitments to Joining Forces are: - The U.S. Chamber of Commerce (who will hold 100 hiring fairs around the country to help 50,000 veterans and military spouses find jobs outside of government). - Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club (who will guarantee a job at a nearby store to military family members who have been transferred to another part of the country). - The YMCA, National Military Family Association, and Sierra Club Foundation (who will offer free summer camp to 7,000 military kids at camps in 35 states this summer). - NASCAR (who will partner with Wal-Mart to produce a public service announcement campaign recognizing the sacrifices and challenges military families face throughout the United States). An extensive study of how returning military members and their families are faring was conducted by Capella University, Minneapolis. The conclusion: “Needs aren’t being met. Despite increased national attention on these issues, too many servicemembers and families aren’t getting the help they need.” What do you think? Any ideas to help? Any commitments?

How to Choose a College Major: and/or How to Hire the Best Applicant for Your Business

College students agonizing over what to major in will want to consider the advice of Bill Gates. Or is it Steve Jobs? Or Jasen Walker? Here’s an opportunity to take sides. Mr. Gates, in an address to the nation’s governors in early March, urged “work-related learning,” that the emphasis should be aimed at academic disciplines that are “well correlated to areas that actually produce jobs.” Mr. Jobs, on the other hand, said, “It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough – it’s technology married with the liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the result that makes our heart sing and nowhere is that more true than in these post-PC devices.” Dr. Jasen Walker, President of CEC Associates, Inc., wrote on this same subject in March. The article was published as the Spring 2011 edition of the New Worker newsletter on CEC’s website. In this article, Walker suggested that employers feel they can do the technical training needed for their business if the individual employee brings a positive attitude and resilience to the job. But, to settle the issue once and for all, we’re asking you to vote. You can find the poll on the right side of your screen. Tell us which of the three pieces of advice, Gates, Jobs, or Walker, you favor.

Earth Day: Industry Leaders Setting Green Examples

As our world becomes more aware of the need to preserve our environment, more and more companies are making the switch to sustainable packaging. In particular, Whole Foods and Procter & Gamble are passing new regulations for sustainable and recyclable packaging.

Whole Foods’ new regulations, which went into effect in September 2010, mandate that suppliers use packaging materials that are easily reused or recycled and non-toxic, and that they switch from plastic to glass when possible. And over the next couple of years, Procter & Gamble will make the switch to sustainable packaging made from sugarcane for their top three global brands – Pantene Pro-V, CoverGirl, and MaxFactor.

It is estimated that the global sustainable packaging market will exceed $142 billion by 2015. Other “green” companies include big names such as Boeing, Chevrolet, and Clorox. Chevrolet’s 2011 Cruze Eco has been billed as a “shape-shifter” that can become more fuel-efficient on the fly, with highway mileage of up to 42 miles per gallon. And Boeing has conceptualized an aircraft, the Sugar Volt, that will burn 70 percent less fuel. This project is expected to come to fruition over the next 30 years. While this may seem a long time to wait, we believe it will be a worthy investment.

As always, we love to hear what our readers think. Do you purchase products in sustainable packaging when possible? Would you purchase the Cruze Eco or a similar car for the sake of fuel efficiency? We hope that others will do what they can to support a greener environment, not just in honor of Earth Day this month, but all year round.

How to Help Japan!

The American people are directly aiding the Japanese people to deal with the horrific occurrences in their country. The U.S. Navy has an aircraft carrier and other ships nearby providing helicopter resources. The Marines are there helping as they are assigned. The usual experts in search and rescue services from this country are there, and the President has asked the Japanese government what else we might do to help. Still, some Americans, as always, are asking what else they might do. Here are 10 ways to help: 1. Google has launched a “Person Finder: 2011 Japan Earthquake” resource. People wanting to inquire about U.S citizen living in or visiting Japan are urged to contact the U.S. Department of State at 1-888-407-4747. Google has also has put up a crisis response page with local resources and emergency information. 2. The American Red Cross, already in Japan, is accepting donations: http://www.redcross.org/. 3. Save the Children has responded. Contribute to their “Children’s Emergency Fund.” 4. The International Medical Corps: http://www.internationalmedicalcorps.org/ is accepting contributions. Like the Red Cross, they are asking for $10 or whatever else you can afford. 5. GlobalGiving has already raised over $100,000. You can help with a donation at http://www.globalgiving.org/. 6. Salvation Army: is mobilizing a team specifically for the critically damaged city of Sendai. Donate $10 or more at http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/. 7. Doctors Without Borders is sending teams of doctors and medical specialists. To learn more or contribute: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/. 8. Operation USA: is collecting bulk corporate donations: http://www.opusa.org/. 9. PayPal: has announced transactional fees incurred by money transfers to U.S. 501(c) (3) organizations between March 11th and April 10th will aid relief efforts in Japan. 10. AmeriCares, ShelterBox, and Mercy Corps: Are sending representatives. Mercy Corps is gathering donations for its overseas partner, Peace Winds Japan, which currently has personnel on the ground distributing emergency relief. In dedication to Earth Day on April 22, Americans, we hope, are giving what they can. Perhaps you too will be able to contribute. We would like to ask our readers: in light of our own economic struggles here in the U.S., how do you feel about contributing aid to another country?

Some Hard, Cold Facts for Americans

Consider the following: In a 60 Minutes program aired late last year, Ben Bernanke, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, said there is a “rising inequality” in terms of unemployment: the unemployment rate for college graduates is 5%, but the rate for high school graduates is 10% or more. Money Magazine created a list of “top careers” taking into account such factors as projected growth rate, average salaries, stress level, and flexibility. The top 5 of the list are: software architect physician assistant management consultant physical therapist environmental engineer Each of these careers will require some level of post-secondary training or education. That means those with only high school diplomas will fall even further behind in terms of the factors that define a “top career.” In a parallel study, it was reported that people in the highest income group can expect to live, on average, at least six and a half years longer than those in the lowest group. Kent Gilbreath, professor of economics at Baylor University, has done a study (with 2008 statistics, the latest available) that shows the average starting salary for males at $52,301 and the average starting salary for females at $46,121. A study at UC Irvine’s Clinic for Aging Research determined that 79% of people aged 90 and over are disabled, and that women are twice as likely as men to be disabled. While 2010 was the 20th anniversary for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the statistics show that gains made under the ADA, like every other entity in the economy, have been adversely affected by the recession. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have left nearly 40,000 U.S. service-members wounded and have caused veterans’ disability claims to skyrocket to a point of impending disaster. In the final analysis, issues like these can only be addressed through our political process. So, if we want to address all or some of these serious realities of American life in 2011, where do we start? Are any of these issues worthy of our attention? If so, who specifically can we talk to about these and related realities? What do you think?

Older Workers: What Good Are They?

The issue of older workers in the workplace was recently (December 2010) tackled by the Knowledge@Wharton program. What would be your answer to each of the following statements about older people? Myth 1: Older workers cost more than younger ones and are less productive on the job. _____ True _____ False Myth 2: People at or near retirement age tend to lose interest in their jobs. _____ True _____ False Myth 3: Older workers in the workforce keep younger ones from getting jobs. _____ True _____ False ________________ Reality 1: Both concerns are untrue. While older workers may take longer to recover from injuries, studies show they use fewer sick days on the whole than their younger counterparts. Health care costs are actually less for older workers because most no longer have small children as dependents on their health care plans. Further, workers also become eligible for Medicare at age 65, which can further reduce an employer’s health care bills. When it comes to job performance, older workers frequently outdo their younger colleagues. Older workers have less absenteeism, less turnover, and superior interpersonal skills, and they deal better with customers. Reality 2: Studies have found that those who worked beyond retirement age became more, rather than less, engaged and satisfied with their work. And contrary to the belief that older workers resist learning new things, older workers ranked “job challenge and learning” as a top source of satisfaction with their work. Reality 3: While it may be a widespread belief that you have to get older people to retire to open up the career ladder and jobs for young people, the opposite is true. Policies in countries that encourage workers to retire early actually have damaging impact on youth employment. This research is reported in full at Knowledge@Wharton’s website in an article titled, “The ‘Silver Tsunami’: Why Older Workers Offer Better Value Than Younger Ones.” Share your experiences with older workers with others by commenting.