This Week's Herman Trend Alert Engaged Employees Increase Bottom Line Performance

The Herman Trend Alert May 19, 2010 Compliance Issues Threaten Internships In response to a recent United States Department of Labor (DOL) warning about intern compensation and exploitation, the issue of unpaid internships has attracted considerable attention. The DOL subsequently issued "Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs under the Fair Labor Standards Act" (April 2010). This document clarifies their employer guidelines about what constitutes "trainee status" to qualify for a compensation exemption. The reaction has ranged from confusion to uproar. The DOL guidelines indicate that any for-profit company with an unpaid internship not providing mutual value is probably breaking the law. To support employers, The Internship Institute (TII), an action-oriented, non-profit organization has issued a "Compliance Advisory" that summarizes the DOL’s guidelines and offers a solution. http://www.InternshipSuccess.com. The site offers a comprehensive intern and career development training course that awards a "Certificate of Career Preparation". This certification course enables students to align their career paths, gain meaningful work experience, and develop the skills to perform at their best. The course is valuable for employers, whether or not they pay their interns, because it tangibly demonstrates the company's investment in these young people. "Interns increase talent equity. Aside from an inherent commitment to train them, the value of making them more capable, efficient, productive, loyal, and motivated provides a straight line to greater return on investment. Providing a compliance remedy is secondary to being substantive and beneficial for everyone," said Matthew Zinman, founder of the Institute. Ten percent of all course proceeds will support TII's "Unpaid Intern Compensation Fund" to make internships accessible for disadvantaged youth. For a limited time, TII has also issued a 20 percent compliance subsidy for companies to make certification more accessible. Employers---with and without paid internships---are invited to utilize the code: “COMP0610” for group registration. At a much higher cost the site InternBridge.com also offers support materials to employers; however the certification program offered by the Institute is a unique solution to this challenge. This compliance solution is an excellent example of how innovation may be applied to benefit all parties. Given the global use of interns, we will not be surprised to find this valuable easy-to-implement course translated into several languages. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF... What would happen if 25% of your top performers left in the next year? According to a recent study from The Corporate Executive Board, that may well happen to you! Turnover costs A LOT, especially when you lose top performers, and it comes right off the bottom line. Let The Herman Group and its team of very experienced consultants help you address your turnover issues right away. We have an impressive track record and stand ready to help you. Call Carol at 336-210-3547 for a no-obligation conference call. FIND OUT WHAT YOUR EMPLOYEES REALLY THINK AND FEEL Discover what's really going on in the hearts and minds of your employees. Our InnerViews interviewing service uses SPHRs and PHRs, certified human resource professionals to probe for the information you really need to know. Exit and Stay Interviews, as well as Why-Didn't-You-Take-Our-Offer Interviews. Call Rosalie Catalano at 937-416-7066, or read more at: http://www.hermangroup.com/retentionconnection/exit_interviews.html. BUSINESS IS PICKING UP Most employers are unprepared. The recovery will bring a new set of challenges for employers that have been in prolonged contracted mode. They will need more skilled workers or will need now to begin to upskill their current staffs. But organizations can not engage in Strategic Workforce Planning, when they don't know how. That's where The Herman Group can help. We can help you with your "People Review"----large or small---so that you will know who you will need and when you will need them... and we can also guide you to the best sources for the people you will need. For more information, call Joyce at 336-210-3548 or e-mail joyce@hermangroup.com. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. 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