Our board member, David Creelman, submits the following for your consideration.  I wrote about WaaS, Workforce as a Service, recently.  Is this the new reality?

In the current political campaign in Ontario, Canada, one of the candidates proposed that the number of temporary workers in any establishment should not exceed 25 percent of the total permanent work force.  The candidate is unlikely to win, but what is the thinking behind this?

Jeff Nugent, managing director of Contingent Workforce solutions, says that there is still a perception that temp workers are somehow a second-class add-on to the “real” workforce.  If they are second-class, a means of exploiting workers, then of course politicians will want to get involved.  Yet when one actually looks at contingent workers one finds most are free agents by choice. They are often paid better than permanent staff, enjoy being removed from office politics and like the freedom of being, at least in part, their own boss.

For their part, many organizations hire contingent workers not because they are cheaper than permanent workers but because it is the best way to get the skills they need for a project. In these cases it is just a better match between the nature of the work and the nature of the available workforce.  We have ended up in a fluid economy where people regularly change jobs. Contingent workers go from contract to contract, “permanent” workers go from job to job. Our thinking, or at least the thinking of some politicians, has not caught up with the reality.

So what do you think? Is it time to simply retire the concept of the permanent employee and the legislation that continues to enshrine the concept?

We're all going to be hearing lots more about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in the coming year as organizations grapple with its full implications.  According to Paul DeCamp, partner, Jackson Lewis LL, "Many organizations had been taking a wait-and-see approach to PPACA compliance. Now that the election is over, it would be prudent for employers to get a strategy in place and develop tools and processes to comply before the 2014 deadline."

So what does this have to do with catfish and Manti Te'o? My heart goes out to this guy, but I'm flabbergasted by how wide the gap was between perception and reality here.  And just as his ignorance of the facts is causing him grief, ignorance of the law isn't going to protect organizations from the consequences of non-compliance with the provisions of the PPACA.

I don't know about you, but I'd never heard the term "catfishing" before this week.  The expression comes from the movie Catfish, and refers to getting duped by people who fake their identities online.  According to a character in the movie, catfish were mixed with codfish when they were shipped live in saltwater aquariums in order to keep the codfish more lively and their flesh thereby more tasty.  The character is basically defending an identity faker on the basis that she served as a "catfish", making life more interesting for those around her.

As the daughter and granddaughter of men who made their livelihood selling codfish, I'm calling foul on the catfish story.  Codfish was salted and dried for transportation, shipped whole on ice, and eventually filleted and quick-frozen for shipment when the technology became available in the 1920's.  I don't believe codfish were ever transported across the US live in salt water aquariums.  So, just saying, check your facts.

Here are some truth-telling items you may want to check out from this week:

I enjoyed  this interview on HR Bartender with our board member Andy Brantley where he shares his insights about how entry level employees can chart a career path- great competencies for anyone in any job (or in life in general!)

The top 5 reasons why people will leave their jobs this year according to Forbes.

TLNT on how to have a winning team in 2013

Love this article: making the software engineers take some of the customer service calls - that's one way to do it!

How to Get Employees Motivated After the Holidays http://ow.ly/gVvgP via @WF_Institute

Coaching Employees To the Next Level http://ow.ly/gVuF7 via @HRBartender

A lot of Kronites attended the National Retail Federation conference this week.  Check out the items below for more information about how retailers are differentiating themselves via workforce management.

Check out some pictures from the #Kronos booth: http://ow.ly/gRnQ0 #NRF13

#Kronos Sponsors #NRF13 Session on the Benefits of Investing in Labor http://ow.ly/1R7hdv

Visit the #Kronos booth and donate to #SandyRelief http://ow.ly/i/1mV7n #NRF13

#Kronos Helps #Retailers Manage in the Moment with Workforce Tablet Analytics http://ow.ly/1R7fLq #nrf13

The following guest post was submitted by Harrison Kratz,  Community Manager at MBA@UNC, the online business degree program offered through the University of North Carolina. Harrison also sticks to his entrepreneurial roots as the founder of the global social good campaign, Operation: Social Santa. You can find Harrison on Twitter @KratzPR.

Post-holiday productivity is never a guarantee. Some people kick it into high gear after the holiday break, and some need some time to wake up. As a manager or team leader, it's your job to work through the potential lull and get your team off to a solid start in Q1. This can be challenging because you are dealing with different personalities, motors, and heck, some of your team might still be on vacation. But as many of the Hollywood greats have said, “The show must go on!”

Ultimately, the freshness of a new year can work to your advantage in getting the ball rolling after what may have been a sluggish holiday season. Sometimes, clean slate and new goals (either for the company or an individual employee) can be powerful motivators. Here are some tips on how to add fuel to the fire in individuals and across an organization.

Get aggressive

That start of Q1 was just commenced, but the end of Q1 is just a few short months away. While goals are important to any quarterly plan, get aggressive with your Q1 plan. By overshooting, your setting a precedent that hustle should be happening right out of the gate.

Make resolutions/long term goals

Going to the gym isn't the only resolution you can make when prepping for the year ahead. Work with your team to set expectations and yearlong goals that you should be working on throughout the year. Just asking each person a simple question like “where do you want to be one year from now?” can get people motivated and seeing the larger picture rather than just feeling the stress of being back for the first month. Once these questions are answered, have your team create actionable plans on getting those goals accomplished.

Stress teamwork and collaboration

This is certainly woven into the other points, but it's worth noting. Making sure your team is working together, sharing ideas, and pushing each other forward is important to rebounding after the holidays. The worst thing that can happen after the holidays is having everyone on an island trying to get back in the swing of things by themselves. Having your team working together is a no-brainer when setting the tone for a new year.

Nothing beats face time

Yes, you all did just get back into the swing of things after several weeks of holiday parties, New Years celebrations, etc. While that may be true, chances are that most of these activities were done apart from one and other. To get everyone motivated and excited for the year ahead, don't forget the importance of team gatherings to exchange information and reinforce relationships.

Remember, your leadership can make all the difference here. Your team members will probably have different ways of bouncing back and it's your job in adapting your leadership to their styles to ensure your team moves forward together towards crushing it in 2013.

What are your best management strategies to get your team fired up after the holidays?

This is not me, but it is an image of what pneumonia looks like in xray.  Despite my best efforts (flu and pneumonia vaccines are current), I succumbed to flu last weekend.  Couple that with my 56 year old asthmatic lungs, and you get pneumonia.  Or at least, I got pneumonia.  BUT- I'm still encouraging you to get your flu shot if you haven't already. I've had flu and pneumonia before, and have to say that while I've been sick this week, the symptoms haven't been as severe and my recovery is proceeding faster.

My one regret this week was that I hauled myself into work on Wednesday after 4 days in bed, only to realize that I was sicker than I thought and my presence only served to terrify my germ-averse coworkers. I apologize for indulging in presenteeism, and will commit to staying out of the office until I'm really on the mend.  You can download a free guide from Kronos on managing flu season at your workplace.

And speaking of health issues, the PPACA is front of mind at many organizations.  See the following articles of interest from this week:

Companies Prepare for Health Law (Wall Street Journal)

Play or Pay With Obamacare? 7 Reasons Why “Pay” Is Not the Easy Answer (TLNT)

Fast-Food Chains Cut Worker Hours, Blame Obamacare (Yahoo)

What have Kronos people been talking about this week?

Finding the Ultimate Answer http://ow.ly/gJf2e via @SmarterCafe

New Time Well Spent #Cartoon: http://ow.ly/gBaab #productivity, #labortracking, #HR, #WFM

Roll-Tide Recruiting http://ow.ly/gJf5f via @SmarterCafe

CIPD say employers are _missing a trick' if they don't offer older workers flexible working http://ow.ly/gDdC8 via @simonmacpherson

One More Cloud Resolution for 2013 http://ow.ly/gJf79 via @SmarterCafe

@WF_Institute at Kronos Predicts Top Trends in Workforce Management for 2013 http://ow.ly/gB9wp

Transformation to Managing in the Moment http://ow.ly/gHWUQ via @fmoreno44

Workforce Management Industry Embraces Managing in the Moment with #Kronos http://ow.ly/gGa99

Stop by the #Kronos booth at #NRF13 for a good cause - In lieu of give-a-ways we'll donate $5 for every badge we scan to #SandyRelief.

Health Care Reform is here to stay. Do you have a plan? Download Mercer report: Health Care Reform After the Decision: http://ow.ly/gC3J4

[WHITEPAPER] Workforce Technology: Improving Productivity and Insight http://ow.ly/gFeRE

And here's a sampling of interesting articles from the world of work this week:

Moving From #BigData to Real Insight http://ow.ly/gHxl3 via @hrbartender @sharlyn_lauby

What To Do After a Bad Job Interview http://ow.ly/gB7Q7 via @hrbartender

8 Awesome Resolutions You Actually Can--and Definitely Should--Keep http://ow.ly/gBa5e via @Inc

Help Your Workforce Make a Stress-less New Year's Resolution http://ow.ly/gDdYc via @TLNT_com

It's Passion That Blurs the Lines Separating Work and Play http://ow.ly/gDePM via @HealthyLiving

50 Reasons Why the World of Work Needs Blogs (in #HR) http://ow.ly/gFfsm via @blogging4jobs

How's Your Job? Which Professions Are Prospering http://ow.ly/gHvEP via @WSJ

60% of Employees Haven't Gotten Useful Feedback From Boss in 6 Months http://ow.ly/gHxIE via @blogging4jobs

How to Develop a Culture of Innovation http://ow.ly/gHA8S via @TIMEBusiness

Our tweet chat yesterday was lively, with Workforce Institute board members, workforce management industry analysts, and old and new friends of the Workforce Institute. If you weren't able to attend, you can read the full transcript below.

For an alternative take, you can read Leo's blog post entitled Bubonic Tweet Chat on 2013 HR Predictions in which he compares me to Marge Simpson's sisters.  Although I sounded yesterday like I had the plague, it turns out to be pneumonia.  Guess I'll have lots to comment on about presenteesim, absenteeism, and the like in the next few days.

//storify.com/KronosInc/2013-predictions-tweet-chat.js[View the story "2013 Predictions Tweet chat" on Storify]

Join us tomorrow (1/9) at 12pm EST on Twitter using the hashtag #KronosChat. We'll discuss top trends and issues that will impact the field of workforce management in 2013. Topics we'll touch on include big data, the rapid rise of Cloud technologies for workforce management, Obamacare, mobile technologies, the growing skills gap, the resurging war for talent and more.

If you haven't participated in a tweet chat in the past, don't be intimidated.  One of the easiest ways to participate in a chat like this is to use tweetchat.com.  It's free, and makes it easy to follow the thread of the chat and to add comments of your own.  You do need a twitter handle to participate.

Here are the questions we'll be asking. We'd love your input!

Here are the predictions from The Workforce Institute.

Videos: http://ow.ly/gwcah

Needless to say, this (short) week has been all about getting my head back into the game.  With two long weekends in a row bracketing the holiday slowdown, I was starting to enjoy the type of leisurely pace referenced by Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess on Downton Abbey when she asks "what is a weekend?".  But there are mortgages to be paid, health insurance to be secured, and groceries to be bought.

So back to the halls of commerce it is.  Goals have been agreed upon with my team, and everybody's revved up their motors to undertake new and ongoing projects.  As I said last week, continuous improvement isn't sexy, but it's how we get it done.

Here's a sampling of blogs, articles, and tweets from folks who are getting off to their own good starts in 2013.

RT @SmarterCafe: What are your #2013 #resolutions? I have one... http://ow.ly/gnKeI

What Did You Do New Year's Eve? http://ow.ly/gxry9 via @WF_Institute

Workforce Institute Predictions for 2013 http://ow.ly/gxrBI via @WF_Institute

7 Steps to a Kick Ass Job in the New Year http://ow.ly/gtKUv via @blogging4jobs

3 Resolutions That Can Benefit Everyone in the Workplace This Year http://ow.ly/gtMbL via @TLNT_com

RT @robert_clements: Gearing up for #NRF13? Let's look back at what we learned about #WFM at #NRF12. http://ow.ly/gxrmo

The Future of You http://ow.ly/gtNoU via @HarvardBiz

Practice Makes Perfect: A New Way To Think About New Year's #Resolutions: http://ow.ly/gtObG via @TIMEBusiness

12 Great Motivational Quotes for 2013 http://ow.ly/gtPbg via @Inc

When Pay Does Not Motivate -- How to Groom Great Employees http://ow.ly/gvE1I via @HuffPostBiz

A new world of #mobility, #taskmanagement, and #analytics. Stop by and visit us at booth 1825 at #NRF13! http://ow.ly/gtMPv

RT @ggheorghiu: Engaging the Modern #Manufacturing Workforce - a @KronosInc webinar http://ow.ly/gxrpa

The @WF_Institute at #Kronos Predicts Top Trends in Workforce Management for 2013 http://ow.ly/gvArZ

[WHITEPAPER] Money Talks: How Wage and Hour Challenges Can Cost You http://ow.ly/gvBhd

Best career advice of 2012: http://www.tlnt.com/2013/01/02/my-very-best-hr-advice-of-2012/

Do you love your work?: http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2012/12/13/year-end-evaluation-do-you-love-your-work/

The Coffee is For Closers principle and how it applies to your workforce in 2013: http://www.tlnt.com/2013/01/02/coffee-is-for-closers-3-ways-to-help-your-workers-survive-in-2013/#more-71993

Big news in the publishing world this week: http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2013/01/a-declaration-of-independence.html

Join me, if you can, for our a tweet chat on 1/9 at 12pm EST about Top Trends in Workforce Management for 2013. Find us at #KronosChat.

And don't forget to enjoy the first weekend of 2013!

In December, we had a very lively board discussion in Boston.  Our board members are a diverse crew - representing a variety of industries and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of achieving excellence in workforce management.  During our meeting, we asked each board member to share their predictions for 2013 relevant to workforce management.  You can hear them "in person"  on the Kronos YouTube channel and view them at a glance in the visual recording of the meeting pictured here.

If you'd like to challenge these predictions or add some of your own, you can join us for a 2013 Predictions tweetchat on Wednesday, January 9 at 12PM EST.  The hashtag is #KronosChat.

What are our predictions about the most important trends affecting workforce management in 2013?

  1. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) Compliance - This was #1 for our board as leaders work to  determine what the Act means for their organization, understand associated costs, and make informed decisions about labor scheduling and utilization.
  2. Cloud - Board members believe that the issue of moving workforce management applications and data to the cloud will continue to remain front and center in 2013. With more and more data and limited IT resources, organizations will continue to pursue options to manage their data in the cloud to improve reliability and save money.
  3. Big Data & Analytics - Availability of an ever-increasing amount of data presents a challenge for organizations. How can they distinguish between what is interesting versus what is important?
  4. Mobile - Mobile technologies will continue to transform the way organizations operate and interact with their employees, customers, prospects, and the world at large.
  5. Managing an intergenerational workforce - A tight economy and changing notions about the concept of retirement mean that more workers over the age of 60 are remaining in the workforce for longer. The usual challenges of attracting and retaining the right workforce are exacerbated by the increasing age difference in the workforce.
  6. Closing the skills gap - Unemployment is still relatively high, but many organizations are hiring. Depending on the business, the current applicant pool may not have the skills that employers seek. How can this problem best be addressed? Much attention will be paid to this issue this year with public/private partnerships emerging to help close the gap.
  7. War for Talent - The Great Recession put the war for talent on ice, but board members think 2013 may be the year that it heats up again. As organizations pull out of the economic doldrums and begin to perform better, employees who have been sitting tight will start looking for new opportunities. As a result, organizations will need to be ready to fight for the best and brightest talent.

What do you think the most important trends in 2013 that will impact workforce management?

According to our survey a few weeks ago, the majority of Americans planned to stay home last Monday (or at least didn't plan to go to work).  But what about Monday night?  If you weren't working,

[poll id="23"]

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