Archives

Benefit Expert Advocates an Important Part of Your Benefits Communications

Gianna was an HR Works Podcast 5-Minute Friday guest, listen to that here. Communicating benefits to your employees is a critical component of any employee benefit strategy. Today’s “Faces of HR” guest discusses how she approaches these communications, including via benefits advocates—that is, people who use certain benefits who share their experiences as a model […]

Return

The Great Rehiring: Updating the Hiring Process to Reflect Our New Values

The overall unemployment rate fell to 6.2% in February—its lowest point since April of last year. While that number does not tell the whole story, it does indicate that some industries have begun massive hiring undertakings to get back to their pre-COVID levels. Hopefully, with the increasing vaccine rollout, others are soon to follow.

When to Use Section 3 of the I-9 Form

When you hire a new employee, it’s usually second nature to complete the I-9 process. The I-9 (employment eligibility) process is fairly straightforward, and employers must complete it in a timely manner. Employees complete Section 1 either before they start or on the day they begin employment, and the employer reviews the documents they provide […]

Lack of Secrecy Dooms Employer’s Suit to Stop Former Sales Reps’ Use of Customer Lists

The Illinois Trade Secrets Act (ITSA) prohibits misappropriation of trade secrets and allows recovery of attorneys’ fees in suits to enforce the Act. A recent decision by the Appellate Court of Illinois is a cautionary tale for employers wanting to protect customer lists and other information.

Retail

What Does the COVID-Fueled Surge in Online Retail Mean for In-Store Employees?

The shift from brick-and-mortar to online retail has been in the works for years, well before anyone had even heard of COVID-19. Online giants like Amazon have revolutionized the way consumers shop and fundamentally changed the economics of retail, allowing sellers to reach geographically diverse markets without a costly physical footprint. Added Pressures Challenge Brick-and-Mortar […]

feedback

How Performance Evaluations Are Changing in a Remote Work Environment

Employees of companies that have shifted to a remote work model in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have had their professional lives turned upside down in many important respects. It’s harder to communicate and collaborate with colleagues; they may be dealing with childcare responsibilities at home; and they may have a variety of other distractions […]

class

How Companies Can Help Graduates Adapt to Remote Work Cultures

The transition to remote work amid COVID-19 was a daunting challenge for many companies, but the advantages of moving beyond the traditional office environment—from flexibility to cost-effectiveness—have become more and more obvious over the past year. Employees have been surprisingly productive from home, and companies have made it clear they’ll continue to rely on remote […]

How Organizations Can Recover from the Pandemic’s Impact on Pay Equity and Transparency

The gender pay gap has taken a hit during the pandemic, with economists predicting it may take nearly 20 years to recover to pre-pandemic levels of equality. At the same time, the workplace has been completely transformed, likely for good, with changes resulting from an overnight switch to remote work and fluctuating economic uncertainty.

Pros and Cons of Increasing Your Starting Pay

Employers are finding it’s more difficult than expected to recruit top talent. Even as the economy begins to rebound and more people can go out (as more get COVID-19 vaccinations), there still isn’t a high number of applicants for vacancies.

training

Pre- and Postshift Work Ignites Fire for Sprinkler Company

When employees work on client jobsites or at remote locations, it may be tempting to pay them based on their scheduled hours instead of tracking their specific hours worked. But if they perform work before or after their scheduled shifts, which includes tasks such as loading and unloading tools, then they need to be paid […]