Lindsey

Excerpted from The Empathy Advantage: Leading the Empowered Workforce by Heather E. McGowan and Chris Shipley. Copyright © 2023 by John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved. This book is available wherever books and e-books are sold.    THE GREAT RESET   THE GREAT RESET is a convergence of employment trends that has been decades in the making—culminating in a changed relationship between employers and the workforce. The American workforce is no longer centered on where […]

If you have employees with student loans, there is an often overlooked benefit included in the CARES Act. Employers can contribute up to $5250.00 per year toward an employee’s student loans and it will not count as taxable income to the employee. This is a great benefit in two ways; it stretches the impact of your employee benefit dollars, and it increases the amount of untaxed money paid toward student loans (standard repayment only allows […]

Transforming good workers into great workers = business success! The #1 employer complaint these days is “I can’t find good workers.” The challenge is not just finding a talented staff but, even more importantly, keeping the ones you have! In a tight labor market, retaining and engaging your existing employees saves you time and money.   Hiring VS Upskilling Costs Average cost of hiring a new employee* = $10,000 – $15,000 Average cost of upskilling […]

Why do I want to work for your company?    WHAT’S A COMPANY STORY?  In a tight labor market, when your company is competing for a limited number of job applicants, you want to let potential employees know why your company is worth working for!   Your “company story” is not just a history of how your company came to be, or even what it does to make money! Your company story needs to be a […]

Effective Immediately    WHAT’S UP  On October 13th, The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) made significant changes to the state’s definition of “close contact,” and to the potential two-year extension of California’s COVID-19 regulation that all employers must implement. The CDPH changed the definition of “close contact” via an immediately effective order, which will change enforcement for both large and small workplaces in California.    […]

Form I-9 is Expiring, but Keep Using it Anyway The current Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, will technically expire on October 31, 2022, as noted on the form. However, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) says employers should continue using the current Form I-9 after its expiration date (because a new form hasn’t been released yet). We’ll provide an update when the new version is available. Remote Form I-9 Document Inspection Flexibility Extended Until July 31, 2023 […]

Time to put the camera “on” your company handbook!  If your company has a hybrid workforce, you probably use a video platform for your company meetings. Call it the new normal! And with this new style of conducting staff business, issues have inevitably developed along the way.    THE ISSUE: Video No-Show Employees – Is “Camera Off” a Clue to an Employee’s Career Engagement?  Technical issues aside, not every employee (management included) is on board […]

A To Do list for when you get that sudden “I Resign” notice!  Don’t get blind-sided by the sudden resignation of a good employee…here’s a checklist to keep you on track with HR obligations and protect your greatest asset—the ongoing viability of your business!  Employers often give ample attention to their on-boarding process when welcoming new hires—devoting extra time and attention in getting these workers quickly up to speed. But what about when employees leave? […]

Here’s a Simple List of NO-NO’s You Must Never Ask   How old are you?  Are you married? Do you have kids? Are you pregnant? Do you plan on having kids soon? Do you have any disabilities or health problems? How much do you weigh?   What’s your race/nationality?  What’s your religion? Do you celebrate religious holidays?  What’s your sexual preference?  Do you use drugs, alcohol or smoke?   No Debate – It’s Settled Law  These interview […]

Fire season is here! OR OSHA has new regulations for those who may work around outdoor smoke, including mask requirements and guidelines for indoor smoke exposure. The harmful chemicals and tiny particles suspended in wildfire smoke can make anyone sick. The health danger concerning these tiny particles is addressed in newly published standards for worker protection. These standards will apply to employers whose employees are exposed to unhealthy or hazardous levels of wildfire smoke.    […]