Employee Participation

Some of the stress that small business owners feel around the holidays may come from employee issues.

Although the jobless numbers are still high, employers continue to face difficulty in finding qualified job candidates, and this could stem from a prejudice some employers have against the unemployed.

Many hiring managers say the post-secondary education system could better prepare students for the work force, according to a survey commissioned by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools and conducted by FTI Consulting.

The Randstad Employee Confidence Index, which measures employees confidence regarding their work situation and economic optimism, grew by 2.4 points to 48.0 in November, and more respondents report a greater confidence in their ability to find new jobs.

Thirty-nine percent of employees say managing their workloads can be difficult during the holiday season, and 41 percent of employees say their workloads are already too heavy, finds a new survey by Accountemps, a specialized staffing firm for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals.

What every small business owner should be doing or thinking about before the new year.