Friedman, who offered his comments on the future of business and HR at the SHRM Annual Convention and Exposition held recently in Orlando, Florida, says there are two burning questions today: One, What are the big tech changes reshaping our world? and two, How is my kid going to get a job?
Middle Class Jobs Up, Out, or Down
The world is getting more technical, Friedman says, and that is changing every middle class job. Such jobs are rapidly being pulled up, out, or down:
- Up—Jobs are elevated and require technical knowledge. Even the least likely jobs, for example, milking, used to be a physical job, but now can be done with software and a robot.
- Out—Many of the remaining jobs are outsourced
- Down—The rest of the jobs are eliminated by technology as they are no longer needed.
The high wage middle skilled job has disappeared (the dropout who became a union steel worker is no longer). We have to bring the bottom class up to the middle. There’s nothing down there for the low skill worker.
There’s also a change in what we expect from workers, Friedman says. What you know does not matter, and how you learned it does not matter; it is what you can DO with what you know that matters. Information can be obtained from anywhere. BUT creativity cannot be done by technology (yet).
Bermuda Triangle of HR dragging you down? Start yourself and your company on August 21 with a new BLR Boot Camp ADA, FMLA, and Workers’ Compensation Summit: Understanding Your Intersecting Leave Law Obligations. Learn More
The New Divide Is Motivation
The old Digital Divide (the wealthy have technology; the nonwealthy do not) is nearly gone, says Friedman. And when everyone has technology, the new divide will be based on motivation (who is motivated to learn tech and master it).
All the ceilings are blown away, but the scary thing is that all the floors are getting blown away, too. Who will take the initiative? Who will motivate, excel, and move beyond?
What Do You Advise Your Own Children?
Friedman offers the following tips for his children (and yours):
- Always think like a new immigrant. Stay hungry. Take pride … We are all new to this new world, and there is no legacy spot for anyone.
- Think like an artisan. Make every item individually, and carve your initials into everything you do.
- Be in beta. Always think of yourself as a work in progress about 85 percent done.
- Remember that PQ plus CQ is greater than IQ. Passion and curiosity will win out over IQ.
- Always think like a waitress. At Perkins Pancake Restaurant in Minneapolis, Friedman, who had had a nice experience, complimented the waitress on the food. She said, “I gave you extra fruit.” She couldn’t control much, but she did control the fruit ladle.
As the waitress did, improve what you can control, says Friedman. Think entrepreneurially, and be relentless.
Unfortunately, pondering HR’s future doesn’t eliminate headaches of today. And one of HR’s biggest headaches year over year is the infamous “Bermuda Triangle”—FMLA, ADA, and Workers’ Compensation.
Having trouble with leave compliance and management? Fortunately there’s timely help on August 21 in the form of BLR’s newest boot camp—ADA, FMLA, and Workers’ Compensation Summit: Understanding Your Intersecting Leave Law Obligations. In this in-depth, 5-hour session, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the “Bermuda Triangle of HR”.
Register today for this interactive boot camp
ADA, FMLA, Workers’ Comp. Whew! Join us August 21 for an interactive boot camp, ADA, FMLA, and Workers’ Compensation Summit: Understanding Your Intersecting Leave Law Obligations. Earn up to 5 hours in HRCI Recertification Credit. Register Now
By participating in this boot camp, you’ll learn:
- Why inflexible leave policies may violate the ADAAA
- How to distinguish between a serious health condition and a disability that might require leave
- New definitions for parent, child, and spouse under the FMLA
- How to handle requests for extensions of leave after FMLA leave expires
- The key differences between FMLA and the ADA and how understanding that can help an employer handle leave requests
Register now for this event risk free.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
11:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. (Eastern)
10:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. (Central)
9:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. (Mountain
8:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Pacific
Approved for Recertification Credit
This program has been approved for up to 5 credit hours toward recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI).
Join us on August 21—you’ll get the in-depth ADA, FMLA, and Workers’ Compensation Summit: Understanding Your Intersecting Leave Law Obligations boot camp AND you’ll get all of your particular questions answered by our experts.
Train Your Entire Staff
As with all BLR®/HR Hero® webinars and boot camps:
- Train all the staff you can fit around a conference phone.
- Get your (and their) specific phoned-in or e-mailed questions answered in Q&A sessions that follow each segment of the presentation.
Brief Agenda
11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m.—Navigating the Maze of Disability and Leave Laws: A Primer to Identifying Key Differences Among the ADA, FMLA, and Workers’ Compensation Laws
2:15 p.m.-1:45 p.m.—Identifying Whether Common Physical Ailments and Psychological Conditions Are Protected under Both FMLA and the ADA—And How to Properly Handle These Situations1
2:15 p.m.-3:30 p.m.—Reinstatement and Your Right to Request Fitness-for-Duty Certifications When Employees Seek to Return to Work Following WC Accidents or Due to Other Disabilities
3:45 p.m.-4:45 p.m.—How to Discipline and Terminate Protected Workers Without Getting Tangled in the ADA/FMLA Legal Web,