Younger People Have More Workplace Injuries

I found it ironic that while surfing the Internet I came across two articles that have more to do with each other than most people would think. The one article focused on OSHA's training compliance and the need to state that safety training should be conducted in a foreign language when there are people on the work site who do not speak or read English. And the second article examines workplace data that shows that younger people in America's workforce are twice as likely than older workers to suffer an injury on the job that requires treatment in an emergency room.

Younger Hispanic workers had a fatality rate (5.6 per 100,000) that was significantly higher than for non-Hispanic white workers (3.3 per 100,000), and also for non-Hispanic black workers (2.3 per 100,000).

This is a surprising fact because it seems logical that workers who are given safety training should be able to understand all of the training. Safe work sites save lives and money, so why is there such a disconnect between tailoring training to fit a student's language and education level?

What Would an Executive Do to Keep a Star Employee?

More than three-quarters of chief financial officers are willing to curry favor with their best employees to retain them once the recession dies down, according to a survey by Accountemps. In fact, 50 percent of CFOs plan to promote their top performers once the economy picks up while 48 percent plan to give raises.

These actions were chosen in response to the question: “Which of the following steps are you taking or do you plan to take to retain your employees as the economy improves?”

Other picks included increasing investment in professional development (41 percent); enhancing benefits (32 percent); and reinstating or increasing bonuses (26 percent). Only 24 percent of respondents chose “no steps.”

“Now is the time to re-recruit your standout employees,” says Max Messmer, CEO of Accountemps. "Let your top performers know they have a clear career path within the organization and re-evaluate compensation levels to make sure they're in line with what other firms in your industry are paying for similar positions."

What other measures do you think companies should take to keep high-performing employees?