Workplace Trends (4)
SUMMARY
Pearson says part-timers may lack loyalty or motivation and a temporary workforce has to be continually retrained. He also mentions possibly loosing people during important projects, and tension between different kinds of staff. Grace says managers have to strike a balance between the needs of various employees. Pearson describes the key challenges amid the changing work environment.
VIGNETTE
Lidia Grace: Employees are demanding flexibility because of the sheer demands of work and our always-on society.
Paul Pearson: There is a potential downside to the blended workforce from an employer's point of view. Part-timers may be lacking in loyalty or motivation. And a temporary or short-term workforce needs to be continually retrained. There's also the risk of losing staff in the middle of important projects, as well as tension between permanent and part-time employees.
Lidia Grace: The challenge for HR managers is to get the best performance from such a workforce. They face a difficult balancing act. They need to make sure permanent staff feel appreciated and secure. But at the same time they have to find ways to motivate and create challenges for freelance workers.
Ueda Shota: Tell me. Paul. What do you see is the key challenges when it comes to the changing work environment?
Paul Pearson: Ensuring employee's physical and mental well-being, and helping them cope with the pressures of work. Many companies have wellness programs in place to reduce absenteeism, attract top talent and cut back on healthcare cost.
Lidia Grace: Companies that realize their employees are their most important resource are paying more attention to things like workplace stress.
WORDS AND PHRASES
demand v.要求する/n.要請、要求/負担
Grace uses "demand" two ways in one sentence. The first is the verb. And that means "insist on having"; insist on getting. "He demanded a raise and threatened to quit if he didn't get it". The second is usually plural and it means the requirements of a job or a situation; the pressure, the burden that it puts on someone. "She was worn out by the demands of child-rearing".
child-rearing 子育て
demanding ad.
demanding job きつい仕事
demanding client 要求の多いクライアント/お客
sheer 全くの/純粋な
Grace means unmixed with anything else. You know, you could say, "In terms of sheer profit, company X suffered the loss. But they got lots of publicity". It can also means unqualified, utter. Like "What a great idea! That is sheer genius". Or "There's no excuse for this mistake. This is sheer carelessness".
unqualified 無条件の(｢英辞郎 on the WEB｣より)
potential downside 潜在的なマイナス面/欠点
At the top, Pearson says, "There is a potential downside to the blended workforce from an employer's point of view".
from someone's point of view 人の観点からすれば
From someone's perspective is another way to say this.
point of view: よくPOVなどと略すことがある
lack in ～に欠ける
Not have something we want or need. "Her attitude is completely lacking in courtesy". Or "This area is really lacking in good restaurants". We also have the expression, "what we lack in A, we make up for in B". Things like "What he lacks in skill, he makes up for in passion or determination. So he tries really hard"; he's really not the most skilled, but he works really hard.
what we lack in A, we make up for in B Aには欠けるが、Bでそれをカバーする
loyalty 愛社精神/忠誠心
retrain 再教育する/再研修する
Train again; teach to do something new or differently. Such as "The government has retraining programs to help factory workers get new jobs".
retraining program 再研修: refresher training などとも言う
balancing act
互いに矛盾する状況を同時に処理しようとする試み/バランスをとること
feel appreciated and secure 評価されていると感じて安心感を抱く
If we feel appreciated, we feel valued and acknowledged for what we do. "He left because he didn't feel appreciated for all his hard work". Or to use the active form, "Steve, we really appreciate your hard work. Thanks for everything". And if we're secure, we feel safe; we feel that things will not change in a bad way for us.
motivate and create challenges やる気を起こさせてやりがいを創り出す
ensure 確保する/確実なものにする
Down towards the bottom, Pearson says, "Ensuring employee's physical and mental well-being". Guaranteeing that well-being; making sure of it. Imagine you make a mistake at work. You could say, "I'll take steps to ensure that this doesn't happen again". Or I keep a charger in my desk to ensure my battery doesn't run out.
physical and mental well-being 心身の健康
have something in place ～を設ける/～を整える
Have something established; have it set up. "The company has a system in place to handle charges of sexual harassment".
wellness program 健康維持プログラム
absenteeism 常習的な欠勤
cut back on ～を削減する
Reduce, decrease. "Cut down on" is okay too. "She cut down on the salt in her diet". Or "He's trying to cut back on his drinking".
resource 資源/資産
always-on
Up at the top Grace talks about the sheer demands of work and our always-on society. Always active, operating or powered. "Employees have to be available all the time in our always-on society". Or you could say about a co-worker, "She's always on. Doesn't she ever relaxed?" In this case, there would be no hyphen.
always-on society 常時オンになっている社会
always-on: 電気製品や電気機器が常時オンになっている、スイッチが入っている
インターネットが常時接続している、人に関して言えば、「常に緊張している」
WORD WATCH
HR manager
人事担当マネージャー
Personnel や Employee Relations が使われていたが、現在では Human Resource あるいは Human Resources が一般的で、HR と略される。HRD は Human Resource(s) Development の略
SAY WHAT YOU MEAN
motivation
Incentive or drive to do something is motivation. For example, "Her motivation for working hard is her children, especially paying for their education".
何かをしようとする動機や原動力のこと。
balancing
Trying to handle multiple and often conflicting factors is a balancing act. Such as "Handling work and family can be a tough balancing act for parents".
balancing actで「バランスをとること」
absenteeism
Frequently or chronically not appearing at work is absenteeism. As in "He was ultimately fired due to excessive absenteeism".
QUOTE UNQUOTE
Good will is the one and only asset that competition cannot undersell or destroy. - Marshall Field (U.S. department store magnate)
信用とは、ライバルが安売りしたり失墜させたりすることのできない唯一の財産である - マーシャル・フィールド (アメリカデパートの大事業家)