@Risk

Even though business executives from around the world may be disgruntled with their jobs, most are planning to sit tight in their positions –at least for now.

Accenture recently conducted an online survey of 3,900 business executives from medium to large companies in 31 countries and found that:

• More than half of both the women (57 percent) and men (59 percent) surveyed are dissatisfied with their jobs. But even so . .  .
• More than two-thirds (69 percent) of all respondents said they do not plan to leave their current employers. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) cited flexible work arrangements as the reason for staying put.
• Underscoring earlier research which indicated a growing concern for work-life balance, the majority (59 percent) of respondents reported having some type of flexible work schedule. More than four in ten (44 percent) of this group said they have used flexible work options for more than three years. (more…)

Vermont is known for maple syrup, fall foliage, covered bridges and now . . . embezzlement?

As strange as it sounds, Vermont topped the list of states with the highest risk of loss due to embezzlement in 2011, according to new research from Marquet International Ltd.

The 2011 Marquet Report On Embezzlement, examined 473 major employee theft cases active in the US last year and found that: (more…)

Email is fundamental to business communication.

But is this commonplace, everyday electronic correspondence a threat to your company’s data security and regulatory compliance?

It very well could be, and according to a recent study by Zix Corporation and Ponemon Institute,  IT professionals are growing increasingly concerned about these risks, especially now that more and more  business is conducted outside the office using mobile devices.

The survey, which received feedback from 830 IT and IT security practitioners, as well as IT compliance, legal and other specialists, found that: (more…)

A study of chemical workers in Belgium has revealed some disturbing insights about how these employees view their jobs –and their employers.

The research, based on a series of seven focus group interviews, found that:

• Even though chemical workers perceive a high risk of on-the-job chemical threats, most are resigned to accepting the risks as being “part of the job.”

• Workers don’t necessarily trust management and health advisors.

• Workers frequently identify problems with written safety guidelines.

• Written materials on chemical properties, which often serve as the official guide to industrial hygiene practices at factories, are seldom understood or relied on by workers.

“Instead of relying on highly technical fact sheets on toxic risks, many workers turn to the anecdotal experiences of their peers to guide their actions, including choices to wear personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves,” the report’s lead author, Ramona Hambach of the University of Antwerp in Belgium, said.

Compounding the problem, workers’ perceptions of risk are rarely taken into account when considering workplace prevention programs. (more…)

More than half of the workforce is mobile on any given day, according to new research.

The 2009 Total Employee Mobility® Benchmarking Report, released yesterday by Runzheimer International, analyzes the results of interviews with executives from 90 small, mid-sized and large organizations across the U.S.

Researchers found that each business day, some 51% of employees are mobile –meaning they’re traveling, working from a virtual office or driving for business. That’s an increase of 31% since 2006.
(more…)