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Don’t Disregard Soft Skills

Job postings often contain a list of desired qualifications and abilities the employer deems necessary to fulfill the basic functions of the job, such as “proficiency with Microsoft® Office,” “a commercial driver’s license (CDL),” or “X years of corporate accounting experience.” “We need a truck driver. They’d better be licensed to drive for us.” But […]

What Current Contingent Workforce Trends Mean for Business Leaders in 2022

Growth in the contingent workforce has continued to outpace expectations in 2021 due to a variety of factors. Chief among them is the desire for flexibility, an attribute that is now seen as a key ingredient of resilient organizations. Accordingly, HR leaders discovered that highly skilled contingent workers could help them address urgent needs. Of […]

Tips on Responding to Requests for Religious Exceptions to Vaccine Mandates

Many employers have questions about employees’ religious objections to mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies because they’re required to accommodate any sincerely held religious beliefs in opposition to the rules. Notably, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) answered questions about the possible accommodations in new technical assistance released on October 25, 2021.

Painful Jab: Mayor De Blasio Rolls Out New Vax Mandate for Businesses

On December 6, 2021, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio, who is leaving office at the end of the year and likely running for governor in 2022, announced a first-in-the-nation COVID-19 vaccination mandate for workers and customers at indoor dining, fitness, entertainment, and performance venues. The new requirement is in addition to the proof-of-vaccination […]

Shifting Focus From Remote Work to Training and Development in 2022

While remote and hybrid work have certainly been helping to improve work-life balance for many workers, the Great Resignation is still in full swing. Why?  According to research, over a third of full-time respondents across a variety of industries said they want remote work options from their existing employers. However, this notably trailed other areas including […]

Equality in Expectations of Personal Life Obligations

Workplace flexibility has become increasingly important in recent years. That trend has accelerated in the wake of a pandemic involving illness and a forced shift to remote work for many organizations. More than ever, employees expect some flexibility to leave work early or take a long lunch to run an errand, work remotely, and take […]

FCRA and Background Checks: Common Employer Questions and Best Practices

When considering a job applicant, you’ll likely want to investigate the person’s work history, education, criminal record, financial past, and medical information. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates such background checks (or “consumer reports”) through the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a lengthy, complex set of laws that can be quite daunting to employers. Here […]

holiday

Navigating the Holiday Party Experience in a COVID World

Holiday parties have long been a staple of company culture. They’re a time to mark the end of a year of accomplishments and struggles and to look back on fun memories with colleagues and teammates. Obviously, holiday parties haven’t been nearly the same since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of workers haven’t even […]

wellness

Why Recruiters Need to Lean into Flexibility and Wellness

There’s never been a time when a greater number of people collectively quit their jobs in search of something else. In September 2021 alone, over 4.4 million people left their jobs, according to the latest numbers shared by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And in a survey of freelancers we worked on with Opinium […]

NLRB Landscape Shifting (Again) for Nonsolicitation, Other Workplace Policies

It should come as no surprise that President Joe Biden’s appointment of Jennifer Abruzzo as General Counsel (GC) of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) would effectively shift the NLRB to a pro-union majority. Ever since the new Board took control, we’ve advised employers to brace for widespread rollbacks of gains they saw in the […]