By city’s own standards, pay rate fails to measure up
Across Indianapolis city-county government, 166 employees earn less than $18 an hour, the benchmark that some groups consider a living wage, including the city’s economic development arm.
Workplace Issues
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Office holiday parties shun booze and tinsel, push guac and pickleball
In the name of inclusivity, business leaders are opting for year-end celebrations cut totally free from seasonal connotations. And dropping liquor reduces the potential for unprofessional behavior.
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How will AI impact Indiana’s workforce? It’s complicated.
Advances in technology traditionally have had the biggest impact on more physical jobs, but generative AI tools will likely be most disruptive for jobs that require brains, not brawn.
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IBJ Podcast: Brothers behind tech firm Qualifi on being Black founders, raising capital, ‘unwillingness to die’
Darrian and Devyn Mikell discuss the inspiration they’ve received from their family (including an older brother with a Pro Bowl career in the NFL); how they handle the rollercoaster of startup life; obstacles that Black entrepreneurs face; and the importance of a diverse staff.
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Former top IU med school researcher says why he left
The IU School of Medicine scored a major coup five years ago when it recruited one of the nation’s top experts in the fast-growing field of regenerative medicine. But the University of Pittsburgh recruited him away this spring.
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Articles
Indianapolis school leader suspended over sexually explicit email
The school hired an outside law firm to investigate whether Ryan Gall’s 2022 email “was part of a pattern of behavior or a regrettable lapse of judgment made in a moment of time,” according to the Victory College Prep board.
Report: State loses out on $4.2B annually due to child care shortage
Broadly speaking, the $4.22 billion in untapped economic potential falls into two categories: workplace disruptions—such as worker absenteeism and employee turnover—and lost tax dollars from unearned wages.
Some tech companies are still grappling with remote vs. in-office work—and there’s no consensus answer
In the Indianapolis area, some firms continue to operate remotely and say they wouldn’t have it any other way. Others, though, say their companies run better when employees are in the office at least some portion of the week.
Tips for workers seeing a raise—and for managers considering the request
Information is the key to a confident and successful negotiation for both sides, experts say.
Expunging criminal record, regaining driver’s license often require assistance
Several counties across the state are working to help Hoosiers clear their records and reinstate their driver’s licenses, using expungement and driving restoration laws like those passed in many states to help residents get their lives back on track.
Summer hours are perk small businesses can offer workers to boost morale
Reduced hours in the summer months can also enable smaller businesses to stand out to prospective employees in a competitive talent marketplace.
Mark Nance: More diversity in golf means more diversity in business
It’s no secret that golf builds business connections unlike anything else.
Tired of late messages from your boss? A new bill aims to make it illegal.
Technologies that were adopted to help employees connect to their managers and colleagues remain in place regardless of whether people are working remotely or from the office. As a result, workers are more connected than ever and often feel pressured to respond at all hours.
Workers are seeking pay bumps; employers try to respond
About 70% of employers responding to a Franklin Templeton survey said they had recently increased the number of or quality of their benefits, and 65% described their benefits as “quite competitive.”
Energizer to close Franklin facility, cut 64 employees
The Franklin facility also saw major job reductions in October, when Energizer ceased its packaging operations at the site.
‘Zoom fatigue’ may take toll on the brain and the heart, researchers say
A recent brain-monitoring study supports the phenomenon, finding a connection between videoconferencing in educational settings and physical symptoms linked to fatigue.
Labor challenges, inflation stoke pessimism for small business
The National Federation of Independent Business’ “optimism index” in September was listed at 90.8, which is lower than the group’s 49-year average—98—for the 21st consecutive month.
UAW strike underscores future of EV manufacturing in Indiana
Union leaders want promises from the Big Three automakers that their wave of new electric vehicle battery plants will fall under the UAW’s contract and that workers at those plants will make UAW assembly wages of $32 an hour.
Bosses mean it this time: Return to the office or get a new job!
Employers have new leverage as the labor market has cooled, leaving workers less room to be choosy.
Is the tech recession over? Maybe.
After peaking early this year, the number of tech industry layoffs—and the number of companies cutting those jobs—appears to have slowed in recent months.
Worker shortage leads firms to hire more ex-offenders
More than ever, Indianapolis-area companies are becoming so-called “second-chance employers” willing to hire people with arrest records and providing additional services to ex-offenders needing first jobs.
Most employers aware of staff mental health struggles, survey says
An overwhelming 93% of respondents at least somewhat agreed that it “makes good business sense” to recognize and respond to mental health dilemmas, but far fewer said they were prepared.
Pregnant workers get federal protections after Indiana lawmakers pull up short on similar steps
Pregnant workers employed in Indiana now have access to guaranteed accommodations after the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, a federal law that went into effect Tuesday.
Re-examining the annual performance review
Large companies from Adobe to IBM to Deloitte have dropped the yearly evaluations in favor of more frequent, informal check-ins.