Working Knowledge

Congress is considering legislation that would allow businesses to provide health- and safety-related benefits to gig-economy workers during the coronavirus pandemic without creating an employer-employee relationship. Under current law, businesses that provide additional relief like paid leave and other benefits to independent contractors could potentially trigger an employer-employee relationship under state or federal law. The…

Korn Ferry reports that the increased emphasis on agility triggered by the pandemic has created a growing demand for procurement officers with supply chain expertise and veteran operating leaders familiar with corporate transformations. Four areas were cited as in high demand due to COVID-19: Supply Chain Specialists Most modern supply chains were built with the…

On August 25th Suffolk County, NY, will join New York City and other major NY metropolitan districts in restricting pre-employment inquiries into an applicant’s criminal conviction history. The law will prohibit employers from inquiring into a job applicant’s criminal convictions or considering an applicant’s prior convictions until after an application has been submitted and an initial…

While the coronavirus caused most businesses to shutter, others deemed “essential” were required to ramp up their workforces literally overnight. Those who were successful in meeting this requirement adopted new practices that will be of value to others as we enter the post-COVID period. Experts warn that single industries may find themselves all trying to…

A survey by Enterprise Technology Research (ETR) predicts that technology spending among global companies will drop 4.1% this year in an effort to reduce overall costs. However, the spread of COVID-19 is driving up spending in a few areas, which may mean some CIOs end up spending even more than they expected in 2020 to support…

As the pandemic recovery period begins, instead of asking “How do we get people to work offsite?” many business leaders are asking “How do we get people back?” While much of the planning centers on creating a safe work environment, Korn Ferry outlines other factors that should be included in a company’s “return to work”…

In May, Willis Towers Watson conducted research into 681 large U.S. employers representing over 7 million workers. The results show that employers expect the percentage of their full-time workforce who work from home (WFH) to be three times larger after the pandemic than before it began. Respondents said that just over half (53%) of their…

In an April 2020 survey of 223 workers employed in the technology-sector, KPMG LLP discovered that two-thirds of respondents are concerned about losing their jobs to digital capabilities supported by artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotic software. Seventy percent of tech-sector workers also are concerned about having their jobs eliminated due to the economic impact…

The Economist reports that globalization as it has existed in past decades may be a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns regarding the Sino-American trade war had already destabilized the international business environment before Covid-19, and the pandemic added new layers of complexity as critical goods suddenly were in short supply. To limit the spread of…

Over the past decade, the main performance metric used to gauge the overall effectiveness of a Contingent Workforce Management program has slowly shifted from cost savings to talent quality. However, in the past two months the priority has reverted back to spend management. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused massive financial losses to companies around the…