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California’s PG&E risks outages amidst bankruptcy

Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & Environmental

Recently, the legally embattled Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) agreed to pay billions to compensate for faulty equipment-induced wildfire damages throughout the state of California. Last week, the company instituted power outages as a proactive way to prevent wildfires. Conveniently, any front-end money saved in the outages can go towards back-end damage expenses, which keep accruing as the company collaborates with meteorologists and the National Weather Service to suspend services in the name of wildfire prevention.

The skinny, 7-step guide to year-end reviews

Catherine Iste

Very few employees like critiquing others, and those that do are often unable to do it productively. Further, reviews very rarely have a clear line to raise amounts; in other words, it is not like getting 5 out of 5 on every category means the employee gets $5,000. For these, and many other workplace-specific reasons, performance evaluations can be a trying experience. Regardless of whether we have any control over the process or outcome, here is a skinny, seven-step guide for making the year-end review process less painful.

Game change: California’s Fair Pay to Play Act

Seth Sandronsky Sports & Fitness

The economics of college athletics will be changing in the Golden State. California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed Senate Bill 206, the Fair Pay to Play Act, into law. The legislation will let student-athletes earn money from endorsements and hire sports agents, effective Jan. 1, 2023. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), a nonprofit membership group, had barred that compensation option. The NCAA's exploitative business model propelled the Fair Pay to Play Act, according to Gov. Newsom.

Accepting or declining an offer letter of employment

Hank Boyer Business Management, Services & Risk Management

You got the offer letter. Now what? You’ve spent the past three-and-a-half months interviewing, and your efforts have paid off. One of your top employers has made a verbal job offer to you and has promised to send you an official offer letter. Here’s what you can expect to see, along with a few ideas on what actions to take. These ideas apply to new employment as well as accepting a promotion with your existing employer.

The latest in meeting room design trends

Edward Belleville Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

It’s 2019 and, still, meetings are seen as a necessary evil, and the rooms where they take place are regarded as being in a vacuum. Apart from the parts of our day we are forced to sit inside one, we avoid thinking about meeting rooms. They are like the storage room nobody wants to tidy. But meetings, whether long or short, big or small, are crucial to any business. To function well, companies must provide employees with well-designed daily spaces for collaboration. Here is an overview of the key trends in meeting room design.

The future of food and beverage lies in online behavior analysis

Bambi Majumdar Food & Beverage

Marketing effectiveness is now predicated on analyzing online consumer behavior. We are digitally immersed, and our buying behavior is reflected in our digital footprint across all channels from emails to social media. AI-driven back-end tools are continually assessing our likes so that marketers can be more efficient in their targeting. The same is true of the food and beverage industry, which is increasingly looking at online consumer conversations for the next step in its journey. A recent consumer insights report by Social Standards shows distinct shifts in this regard.

Cafeteria plan benefits: A primer for employers

Grace Ferguson Business Management, Services & Risk Management

According to a 2019 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, "employers were more likely to increase offerings in all benefits categories than to decrease offerings." Further, employers believe that healthcare benefits are the most important to their workforce. However, healthcare benefits have a long-standing reputation for being expensive. To alleviate the cost burden for employees, in 1978, the U.S. Congress created Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code. Benefit plans established under Code Section 125 are known as cafeteria — or Section 125 — plans. A cafeteria plan enables employees to pay for qualified benefits, such as group health insurance, on a pretax basis.

Start writing your annual leadership letter now

Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk Management

A leadership letter can be many things: an inspiring speech at a year-end event; a note sent to each employee; or a detailed account written as an act of reflection. Regardless of the audience, annual letters are a valuable tool for leaders. Meanwhile, the fastest quarter of the year has begun. The slower, longer days of summer have given way to workweeks shortened with frequent holidays and evenings interrupted with activities, engagements and annual events. That is exactly why we should start writing our leadership letters now.

How social listening can boost your digital marketing power

Lisa Mulcahy Marketing

Do you know how to incorporate social listening as part of your marketing strategy? If not, it's time to start harnessing its power. Social listening is the practice of crawling the internet to locate all the mentions of your brand on social media platforms as well as your brand's related keywords. This way, you can very specifically target the consumers who will buy what you're selling quickly and easily. To do it most effectively, you need a strategy of do’s and don'ts that will maximize your time, marketing focus, and your campaign effectiveness. Use the following science-driven tips to do it right.

Does your company need a chief data officer?

Terri Williams Science & Technology

Your company has a CEO, COO, CFO, CMO and a CIO. But did you know that you might also need a CDO? Many organizations assume that the chief information officer can serve as the chief data officer, but according to a survey by NewVantage, only 10.3% of companies believe that the technology executive fits the profile of a successful CDO. So, what is a CDO, and how do you know if your company needs one?

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