HR MORNING - HR NEWS AND INSIGHTSHR TECHNOLOGYBENEFITSONBOARDING REOURCES FOR 2020ABOUT HRMORNING HR Morning is the leading provider of HR news, industry happenings, and insights that professionals like you need to know about. RETURN TO WORK CHALLENGES AFTER COVID OSHA has provided Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 that employers should consult as they prepare and communicate their reopening game plan. This additional information may help ease employee fears, curb resistance to recalls, and make the return-to-work process smoother for employers. In addition, employers are advised to regularly 5 WAYS THE COVID-19 CRISIS WILL TRANSFORM HR’S ROLE 5 ways the COVID-19 crisis will transform HR’s role. Human Resources is at the front lines of employers’ response to the COVID-19 crisis. The crisis is forcing almost every business to immediately develop, adapt or improve remote work policies and procedures. As HR pros struggle to keep employees safe and informed, it helps to think about A TEMPLATE FOR HANDLING WORKPLACE INVESTIGATION INTERVIEWS Identify why you’ve asked to speak to the employee in general terms. Example: “I’m investigating a claim about supplies missing from the supply closet and I want to ask you and some other employees questions about it.”. Explain the need for full and honest answers. You’ll want to mention two things: your assurance that the worker

won

WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS IN A WORK-FROM-HOME WORLD Workplace investigations in a work-from-home world. Many of the old ways of completing basic human resources tasks have been changed by new remote workforces and the need for physical distancing. One of the areas most impacted is internal workplace investigations. Although gathering information and conducting interviews in person is

preferable

FORM 5500: WHO'S COUNTED AS A PLAN PARTICIPANT? One of the trickiest areas in completing Form 5500 is properly tallying and reporting the number of participants in your benefit plans. The feds don’t do a very good job of defining the term “participant”, but any benefits pro knows that there are people who fall into gray areas and it’s crucial to know whether to include

them in the tally.

WHEN DIVERSITY EFFORTS BACKFIRE: ADVICE TO AVOID LEGAL Many employers support the idea that diversity is good for business. Increased productivity and innovation are just a couple of the benefits that come with employing people from different backgrounds. So, it’s no surprise many HR pros are making diversity and inclusion efforts a top priority. How inclusion efforts go wrong But despite

their best

THE BEST RESPONSES TO RAISE REQUESTS The best responses. Grote cautions that even if the request seems outlandish, giving a firm answer right away is not the way to go. Instead, he recommends thanking the person for bringing the matter to your attention, promising to get back to them (set a specific date) and taking time to assess the situation. While evaluating the request,

keep

7 FACTS EVERY HR MANAGER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WRONGFUL In today’s litigious workplace atmosphere, employers need to be mindful of the possibility of wrongful-discharge lawsuits from employees who have been let go — and are angry about it. That’s why every employer should know and understand the seven relevant legal facts about wrongful discharge: Although many employment relationships are “at-will,” meaning that either the employer or FMLA DANGER ZONE: PERFORMANCE REVIEWS August 22, 2012. 3 minute read. A recent court ruling offers a reminder of an oft-overlooked area where FMLA regs get companies in trouble: performance reviews. Jeff Pagel was an outside salesman for TIN, Inc., a packaging designer/manufacturer headquartered in Tennessee. He worked for TIN for about six years before he began

reporting to a new

HR MORNING - HR NEWS AND INSIGHTSHR TECHNOLOGYBENEFITSONBOARDING REOURCES FOR 2020ABOUT HRMORNING HR Morning is the leading provider of HR news, industry happenings, and insights that professionals like you need to know about. RETURN TO WORK CHALLENGES AFTER COVID OSHA has provided Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 that employers should consult as they prepare and communicate their reopening game plan. This additional information may help ease employee fears, curb resistance to recalls, and make the return-to-work process smoother for employers. In addition, employers are advised to regularly 5 WAYS THE COVID-19 CRISIS WILL TRANSFORM HR’S ROLE 5 ways the COVID-19 crisis will transform HR’s role. Human Resources is at the front lines of employers’ response to the COVID-19 crisis. The crisis is forcing almost every business to immediately develop, adapt or improve remote work policies and procedures. As HR pros struggle to keep employees safe and informed, it helps to think about A TEMPLATE FOR HANDLING WORKPLACE INVESTIGATION INTERVIEWS Identify why you’ve asked to speak to the employee in general terms. Example: “I’m investigating a claim about supplies missing from the supply closet and I want to ask you and some other employees questions about it.”. Explain the need for full and honest answers. You’ll want to mention two things: your assurance that the worker

won

WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS IN A WORK-FROM-HOME WORLD Workplace investigations in a work-from-home world. Many of the old ways of completing basic human resources tasks have been changed by new remote workforces and the need for physical distancing. One of the areas most impacted is internal workplace investigations. Although gathering information and conducting interviews in person is

preferable

FORM 5500: WHO'S COUNTED AS A PLAN PARTICIPANT? One of the trickiest areas in completing Form 5500 is properly tallying and reporting the number of participants in your benefit plans. The feds don’t do a very good job of defining the term “participant”, but any benefits pro knows that there are people who fall into gray areas and it’s crucial to know whether to include

them in the tally.

WHEN DIVERSITY EFFORTS BACKFIRE: ADVICE TO AVOID LEGAL Many employers support the idea that diversity is good for business. Increased productivity and innovation are just a couple of the benefits that come with employing people from different backgrounds. So, it’s no surprise many HR pros are making diversity and inclusion efforts a top priority. How inclusion efforts go wrong But despite

their best

THE BEST RESPONSES TO RAISE REQUESTS The best responses. Grote cautions that even if the request seems outlandish, giving a firm answer right away is not the way to go. Instead, he recommends thanking the person for bringing the matter to your attention, promising to get back to them (set a specific date) and taking time to assess the situation. While evaluating the request,

keep

7 FACTS EVERY HR MANAGER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WRONGFUL In today’s litigious workplace atmosphere, employers need to be mindful of the possibility of wrongful-discharge lawsuits from employees who have been let go — and are angry about it. That’s why every employer should know and understand the seven relevant legal facts about wrongful discharge: Although many employment relationships are “at-will,” meaning that either the employer or FMLA DANGER ZONE: PERFORMANCE REVIEWS August 22, 2012. 3 minute read. A recent court ruling offers a reminder of an oft-overlooked area where FMLA regs get companies in trouble: performance reviews. Jeff Pagel was an outside salesman for TIN, Inc., a packaging designer/manufacturer headquartered in Tennessee. He worked for TIN for about six years before he began

reporting to a new

HR'S BIGGEST LESSONS LEARNED FROM 2020 Tom Kiriakou is a Customer Success leader with over 15 years of experience working for high-growth SaaS technology companies.With Client Services roles that have spanned the travel, predictive analytics and charitable sectors. As the Director, Customer Success at Achievers, Tom is focused on helping clients develop and cultivate successful employee engagement programs that ultimately align GIVING EMPLOYEES PAID TIME OFF FOR VACCINE: COLLECT FIRM’S Need a reason to help your employees get the COVID-19 vaccine? Here’s a good one! Your firm can receive a tax credit. That’s right! If your company has fewer than 500 people, it can claim refundable tax credits as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.. The ARP gives small and midsize employers and nonprofits a tax credit for paid time off taken by employees who aren’t able to 4 STEPS TO EMPOWER YOUR MANAGERS How effective are your managers? Using data from the latest Achievers Workforce Institute Manager Empowerment report, this free webinar on the 29 th will explore the untapped potential of people managers. Learn how you can take steps today to empower managers and improve results for every employee across your organization. WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS IN A WORK-FROM-HOME WORLD Workplace investigations in a work-from-home world. Many of the old ways of completing basic human resources tasks have been changed by new remote workforces and the need for physical distancing. One of the areas most impacted is internal workplace investigations. Although gathering information and conducting interviews in person is

preferable

WHAT BENEFITS WILL THE UPDATED SECURE ACT 2.0 PROVIDE While the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021 (also known as the SECURE Act 2.0), went into effect in December of 2019, it received unanimous approval by the House Ways and Means Committee in May.. See how much you know about it and the benefits it provides plan sponsors and participants by deciding whether the following statements are True

or False.

KEYS TO TURN TALENT ACQUISITION INTO TALENT RETENTION An authentic approach, on the other hand, resonates with candidates of all backgrounds and experiences. When your organization embraces authenticity in recruiting, you attract not only diverse talent, but

capable talent.

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT RETURN ON INVESTMENT Online executive-quality leadership coaching is a data-driven training and development investment that will help you earn and keep valuable company dollars in your human resources budget and, ultimately, translate into more dollars for your company’s bottom line. And, even more importantly, you’ll build the next generation of leaders

to

COULD WORKERS BE GETTING 12 WEEKS OF PAID LEAVE? President Biden wants workers to be given 12 weeks of paid leave to be phased in over the next 10 years as part of his American Families Plan.Reason: Only about 20% of private sector workers had access to paid family leave in 2020, according to the National Compensation

Survey.

HOW TO MOTIVATE 6 DISTINCT TYPES OF EMPLOYEES Clues: They often speak for the group. And colleagues consider them the “go-to” for answers and reassurance. How: Ask them for opinions and feedback on matters that affect your group, making it clear you know “the team respects your thoughts.” Belongers. Who: These employees are motivated by a sense of belonging to a group. Clues: They often come up with ideas to get the gang WHY MANY EMPLOYEES DON'T REPORT BULLYING AND BIAS Claire Schmidt is the Founder and CEO of AllVoices, a platform that enables anyone to anonymously report sexual harassment and workplace issues directly to company leadership.Before founding AllVoices, Claire served as Vice President of Technology and Innovation at 20th

Century Fox.

HR MORNING - HR NEWS AND INSIGHTSHR TECHNOLOGYBENEFITSONBOARDING REOURCES FOR 2020ABOUT HRMORNING HR Morning is the leading provider of HR news, industry happenings, and insights that professionals like you need to know about. 5 WAYS THE COVID-19 CRISIS WILL TRANSFORM HR’S ROLE 5 ways the COVID-19 crisis will transform HR’s role. Human Resources is at the front lines of employers’ response to the COVID-19 crisis. The crisis is forcing almost every business to immediately develop, adapt or improve remote work policies and procedures. As HR pros struggle to keep employees safe and informed, it helps to think about RETURN TO WORK CHALLENGES AFTER COVID OSHA has provided Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 that employers should consult as they prepare and communicate their reopening game plan. This additional information may help ease employee fears, curb resistance to recalls, and make the return-to-work process smoother for employers. In addition, employers are advised to regularly THE BEST RESPONSES TO RAISE REQUESTS The best responses. Grote cautions that even if the request seems outlandish, giving a firm answer right away is not the way to go. Instead, he recommends thanking the person for bringing the matter to your attention, promising to get back to them (set a specific date) and taking time to assess the situation. While evaluating the request,

keep

FORM 5500: WHO'S COUNTED AS A PLAN PARTICIPANT? One of the trickiest areas in completing Form 5500 is properly tallying and reporting the number of participants in your benefit plans. The feds don’t do a very good job of defining the term “participant”, but any benefits pro knows that there are people who fall into gray areas and it’s crucial to know whether to include

them in the tally.

FMLA: 13 WAYS TO STOP INTERMITTENT-LEAVE ABUSE Intermittent FMLA leave has rapidly become the No. 1 nightmare for supervisors everywhere. A top employment lawyer offers a multi-step approach that’ll help companies legally discourage abuse. It starts with adopting a formal policy on intermittent leave, making a company-wide decision that you’ll track all such leaves and communicating the policy throughout the company to A TEMPLATE FOR HANDLING WORKPLACE INVESTIGATION INTERVIEWS Identify why you’ve asked to speak to the employee in general terms. Example: “I’m investigating a claim about supplies missing from the supply closet and I want to ask you and some other employees questions about it.”. Explain the need for full and honest answers. You’ll want to mention two things: your assurance that the worker

won

5 TIMES IT'S OK TO FIRE AN EMPLOYEE ON FMLA LEAVE 5 times it’s OK to fire an employee on FMLA leave. Of course, you’d never fire someone for taking FMLA leave. But perhaps the termination had been in the works long before the person took FMLA leave. It’s still a sticky situation, but a court recently outlined

when it’s

COURTS: LEGAL POT CLASHES WITH ZERO-TOLERANCE DRUG TEST Courts are increasingly ruling against organizations making employment decisions based on drug test results. They are upholding state and local anti-discrimination laws that prohibit adverse action against employees whose pot use is legal, does not take place at work, and doesn't impair their ability to do their job safely and effectively. FMLA DANGER ZONE: PERFORMANCE REVIEWSFMLA AND PERFORMANCE REVIEWFMLA CASES WON BY EMPLOYEEFMLA ISSUES FOR EMPLOYEES August 22, 2012. 3 minute read. A recent court ruling offers a reminder of an oft-overlooked area where FMLA regs get companies in trouble: performance reviews. Jeff Pagel was an outside salesman for TIN, Inc., a packaging designer/manufacturer headquartered in Tennessee. He worked for TIN for about six years before he began

reporting to a new

HR MORNING - HR NEWS AND INSIGHTSHR TECHNOLOGYBENEFITSONBOARDING REOURCES FOR 2020ABOUT HRMORNING HR Morning is the leading provider of HR news, industry happenings, and insights that professionals like you need to know about. 5 WAYS THE COVID-19 CRISIS WILL TRANSFORM HR’S ROLE 5 ways the COVID-19 crisis will transform HR’s role. Human Resources is at the front lines of employers’ response to the COVID-19 crisis. The crisis is forcing almost every business to immediately develop, adapt or improve remote work policies and procedures. As HR pros struggle to keep employees safe and informed, it helps to think about RETURN TO WORK CHALLENGES AFTER COVID OSHA has provided Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 that employers should consult as they prepare and communicate their reopening game plan. This additional information may help ease employee fears, curb resistance to recalls, and make the return-to-work process smoother for employers. In addition, employers are advised to regularly THE BEST RESPONSES TO RAISE REQUESTS The best responses. Grote cautions that even if the request seems outlandish, giving a firm answer right away is not the way to go. Instead, he recommends thanking the person for bringing the matter to your attention, promising to get back to them (set a specific date) and taking time to assess the situation. While evaluating the request,

keep

FORM 5500: WHO'S COUNTED AS A PLAN PARTICIPANT? One of the trickiest areas in completing Form 5500 is properly tallying and reporting the number of participants in your benefit plans. The feds don’t do a very good job of defining the term “participant”, but any benefits pro knows that there are people who fall into gray areas and it’s crucial to know whether to include

them in the tally.

FMLA: 13 WAYS TO STOP INTERMITTENT-LEAVE ABUSE Intermittent FMLA leave has rapidly become the No. 1 nightmare for supervisors everywhere. A top employment lawyer offers a multi-step approach that’ll help companies legally discourage abuse. It starts with adopting a formal policy on intermittent leave, making a company-wide decision that you’ll track all such leaves and communicating the policy throughout the company to A TEMPLATE FOR HANDLING WORKPLACE INVESTIGATION INTERVIEWS Identify why you’ve asked to speak to the employee in general terms. Example: “I’m investigating a claim about supplies missing from the supply closet and I want to ask you and some other employees questions about it.”. Explain the need for full and honest answers. You’ll want to mention two things: your assurance that the worker

won

5 TIMES IT'S OK TO FIRE AN EMPLOYEE ON FMLA LEAVE 5 times it’s OK to fire an employee on FMLA leave. Of course, you’d never fire someone for taking FMLA leave. But perhaps the termination had been in the works long before the person took FMLA leave. It’s still a sticky situation, but a court recently outlined

when it’s

COURTS: LEGAL POT CLASHES WITH ZERO-TOLERANCE DRUG TEST Courts are increasingly ruling against organizations making employment decisions based on drug test results. They are upholding state and local anti-discrimination laws that prohibit adverse action against employees whose pot use is legal, does not take place at work, and doesn't impair their ability to do their job safely and effectively. FMLA DANGER ZONE: PERFORMANCE REVIEWSFMLA AND PERFORMANCE REVIEWFMLA CASES WON BY EMPLOYEEFMLA ISSUES FOR EMPLOYEES August 22, 2012. 3 minute read. A recent court ruling offers a reminder of an oft-overlooked area where FMLA regs get companies in trouble: performance reviews. Jeff Pagel was an outside salesman for TIN, Inc., a packaging designer/manufacturer headquartered in Tennessee. He worked for TIN for about six years before he began

reporting to a new

RETURN TO WORK CHALLENGES AFTER COVID OSHA has provided Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 that employers should consult as they prepare and communicate their reopening game plan. This additional information may help ease employee fears, curb resistance to recalls, and make the return-to-work process smoother for employers. In addition, employers are advised to regularly 4 WAYS COVID IMPACTED PERCEPTIONS OF HR Sage conducted a research report, ‘HR in the moment,’ across 1,500 HR leaders, executives, and employees to find out how HR was impacted by the pandemic and how their peers’ perception of

RETURN TO WORK 2021

As employers consider their path back to the office, flexibility will be key. Discover how to help employees adapt to a new normal with ease. Restrictions are loosening, more people are vaccinated against COVID-19 and employers are making decisions about how to navigate their return-to-work plan. THE PROBLEMS WITH REMOTE WORK It may have been a saving grace in the face of a pandemic, but there are problems with remote work. Now that employees continue to work from home for more than a year, researchers and workplace experts say

there are issues.

HOW TO COMMUNICATE DECISIONS EVERYONE WILL HATE Leadership made a tough decision. Employees need to know. And now HR has to communicate decisions everyone will hate. Communicating unpopular, yet important, decisions is a difficult job for new and veteran leaders.. From budget cuts and plugs pulled on projects to wage freezes or extra workloads, “communicating unpopular decisions is a task that all leaders will tackle,” says DEI IS A TOP PRIORITY: IS HR DOING ENOUGH? Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) was a “nice to have” a few years ago. Today, DEI is a top priority. HR is hyper-focused to improve and sustain the DEI equation in a hybrid workplace.. Diversity, equity and inclusion jumped up four spots on HR’s top priorities this year, according to the McLean & Company’s 2021 HR Trends Report. (The top three – recruiting, developing leaders PREPARING FOR RETURN-TO-WORK MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES Dr. Tyler Amell is an internationally recognized thought leader on the topic of workplace health and productivity. He is Chief Health and Strategy Officer at MediKeeper and also serves on the executive board of the Work Wellness Institute and the National Wellness Institute. REINTEGRATING WOMEN INTO THE WORKFORCE POST-PANDEMIC But getting women back into the workforce isn’t a simple feat. To begin, the effects of the pandemic are likely to linger well into next year, leaving women who are principal caregivers at the mercy of ever-changing school models and limited options for childcare. ARE GUNS AT WORK OK? COURT GREEN-LIGHTS WORKER'S SUIT A Florida teacher was twice accused of bringing a gun into his high school.. A state appeals court order recognized his ability to challenge his school board’s weapons policy. ARCORO - NEXT-LEVEL EMPLOYEE ONBOARDING Effective onboarding is more than what the employee does on day one, it sets the tone for new job success. Whether your teams are in the office, at home, in the field or you’ve implemented a hybrid model – HR departments across the nation are reimagining their processes to recruit, onboard, and engage their employees to increase engagement and speed to productivity.