YourForce: Introducing Our 2017 Game Changers

From the personal computer to the rise of mobile phones and powerful social software platforms, there’s been a steady march of game-changing technology that has completely transformed how we connect and get things done.

There’s a similar movement afoot in HR technology. But in many ways the game is just beginning to change. Increasingly powerful artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms promise to transform HR.

The real game changer still remains people. In this issue, we spotlight this year’s group of Workforce Game Changers.

You’ll see the stories of leaders from global giants like AT&T and IBM as well as rapidly growing companies like Shiftgig, Jellyvision and MOVE Guides.

Each of these industry leaders is doing their part to change the HR game.

—Mike Prokopeak

READER FEEDBACK

Reader Randi Mackowiak reacted to the Last Word column titled, “HR’s Stand in the Face of Fox”: 

I don’t recall seeing any court decision or evidence that Bill O’Reilly did or didn’t do something. I’m disappointed that we’re so quick to condemn someone before proof has been provided. Where was all the outrage about Bill Clinton’s behavior? Those women were treated awful and never given the benefit of the doubt. I am tired of everyone being defined as good or bad based on whether they are a conservative or a liberal. Bad behavior is bad behavior. And let’s look at the facts before we judge either side of an issue.

Workforce.com/BillOReilly 

Several readers chimed in on Jon Hyman’s post, “Wait, an Employer Can’t Fire an Employee on FMLA Leave Caught on Facebook on Vacation?”: 

Said Joey Thompson: “Being capable of lying around on the beach doesn’t mean you’re suddenly capable of performing the duties of your job, so that is a danger for the employer. Seems like this guy, working at a hospital, and having had shoulder surgery, probably still have physical limitations. Even if he can’t perform at least one of the essential functions of his job, this doesn’t mean he isn’t still ‘recovering’ even if it’s in the Caribbean. There is no obvious fraud here at all.”

Melissa L. added: “He openly posted the photos, and you know coworkers are going to see them. Unless they were photos of him wrestling reef sharks? This just seems very, very petty. And to say it should be disturbing to all employers that someone might spend some of their recovery time on a beach instead of a couch is a bit much. I could understand some office gossip or irritation about it. But terminating the guy was pure retaliation. They ruled correctly.

And Sarah pointed out: “This reminds me of supervisors at a former company that didn’t think an employee that took intermittent FMLA could come back to work with their hair or nails done. Just because you have FMLA doesn’t mean you’re a shut-in 24/7, nor should you be treated as such. Meanwhile we had an employee upstairs that would purposely elevate her blood sugar to leave for the day and go to the casino.”

Workforce.com/FMLALeave 

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