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The Growing Importance of People Development as Part of the Employer Value Proposition

There was a time when employers’ primary value proposition to potential employees was financial compensation: A good hourly wage, a strong salary, and/or a lucrative bonus structure was often all the motivation many workers needed to apply for a job. But, as the importance (and expense) of other lifestyle needs has grown, benefits like health, […]

Lessons on Accommodating Anxiety Disorders

“Birthdays were invented to sell Hallmark cards.” – Ron Swanson If you’ve ever watched the show “Parks and Recreation,” you know Leslie Knope lives for birthdays, but her boss, Ron Swanson, hates them. In one episode, Leslie pranks Ron by pretending to plan an elaborate birthday party for him, and he has a meltdown. The […]

Manage Your Mindset: Making the Most of Hybrid Working  

Change can spark anxiety for many people, and few things have brought more uncertainty and changes than the pandemic, especially to the workplace. How and where we work have changed dramatically in recent years with more workplaces adopting a hybrid model, which allows for in-person and remote work. While there are many benefits to working […]

Administering COBRA Continuation Coverage in Mergers and Acquisitions Can Be Complicated

Recently, there has been an uptick in the number of business transactions in the marketplace. From a legal perspective, employee benefits issues are often a key element of any business transaction. Everything from employee pay, retention, and bonus payments to 401(k), pensions, and fringe benefits is “on the table” as the parties negotiate terms. Of […]

4 Ways to Elevate Your Business’s Social Media to Attract Candidates

Despite the fact that social media could help brands connect with millions of people every day, so many companies still haven’t fully embraced social channels for recruitment. Social media recruiting may take a little time to get established, but once you’ve got a strategy in place, you’ll find it’s a highly effective way to attract […]

God’s Favorite Idiot (in the Workplace?)

In God’s Favorite Idiot, Netflix puts a new spin on the workplace comedy. The show begins with a seemingly normal midlevel tech employee, Clark (Ben Falcone), getting struck by lightning while searching for his cat. Clark is surprisingly OK and blissfully unaware that strange things are happening around him—stop lights are turning green for him, […]

How Employers Are Adapting to Labor Market Shifts

Various factors have combined to create what is being called the Great Resignation. Historic stock prices buoyed 401(k)s, and runaway home prices left many older workers feeling financially secure enough to retire early. Many workers have left jobs because they either fear exposure to COVID-19 or don’t want to deal with precautions like masking, testing, […]

Is Your Check Culture Light On?

There is a lot of talk surrounding company culture, which is important. A company’s culture is the revving engine behind any successful organization. Keeping with the motor metaphor, companies like to discuss what type of “engine” they want powering their car. They carefully craft and tinker these “engines,” and once they’re done, they shut the […]

Time Is on Her Side: Temporary Disabilities Under the ADA

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) entitles employees to job protections when they suffer from disabilities. In 2008, Congress passed the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA), which modified the ADA. The ADAAA and regulations adopted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) interpreting the law make clear the term “disability” should be interpreted broadly. Conditions that […]

The Hard Truth for Employers About Long Hours

By definition, most Americans think of a “full-time job” as one that is worked 40 hours per week. For some legal and regulatory purposes, 32 hours will even be classified as full-time. The reality for many workers, however, is quite different. Some professions routinely see workers putting in 60, 70 or 80 hours per week, […]