Tag: benefits

What the Election Tells Us About How Employers Should Support Worker and Family Health

As we process the results of our election, half of the United States is feeling euphoric, and half is despondent.  We are a fractured nation – that much is clear. We all need to reflect on the circumstances that have brought us to this place. Employers have an opportunity and obligation to consider their role as stewards […]

Empowering Working Parents: HR Strategies in Response to the Surgeon General’s Advisory on Parental Mental Health 

Racing to meet that work deadline, rushing across town to make it just in time for the big soccer game, and that important appointment still hasn’t been scheduled–it goes without saying that balancing the demands of being a working parent is difficult, and the toll on parents’ mental health is worsening.  The recent advisory from […]

Finding the Win-Win When Offering Employees Financial Wellness Programs

It’s no surprise to employers that too many workers are more than a little distracted from stress over how to make ends meet, leading many organizations to launch financial wellness programs. But employers have questions. Chief among them: What should such programs include, and how well do they work for employees? Healthcare Help an Option […]

In A Win for Public Employers, CA Supreme Court Rules PAGA Penalties, Other California Wage & Hour Laws, Do Not Apply

In August 2024, the California Supreme Court decided Stone v. Alameda Health System, which clarified that the meal and rest break requirements of the California Labor Code at sections 226.7 and 512 and other Labor Code provisions do not apply to public employers. The Court also held that the California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) penalty […]

Evaluating Family-Friendly Benefits for Working Parents

When reviewing benefits for a new role or an updated benefits package, the first thing working parents think about is “how will this support my family and foster my success at work?” Benefits can make a significant impact on employee performance, success, and work-life balance, creating improved outcomes for the business overall.  The corporate world […]

Keeping Salaries Secret—A Losing Game

Employees have long been exhorted not to share their salaries with others. Of course, those exhortations have notoriously not worked, as a recent survey demonstrates. What the Survey Tells Us A survey of 1182 employed Americans conducted by Self Financial revealed some interesting insights into what they do, and don’t share about their salaries—and how […]

Using Non-Financial Rewards to Incentivize Employees

Companies often default to financial strategies to drive desired employee behaviors, whether those behaviors are increased engagement, ownership and initiative, or simply better employee retention. For instance, a manager might promise a promotion and accompanying raise to an employee who succeeds in completing a challenging project. Or an organization might motivate staff through a quarterly […]

The Rise of Pay Transparency: Navigating New Laws and Changing Workplace Norms

In American culture and social settings, it’s long been taboo to discuss one’s salary. Sharing that information around those who earn more can make the lower earner feel inferior. Sharing with those who earn less can feel like gloating. More broadly, most people feel it isn’t anyone else’s business how much they make. But things […]

Embracing Loud Vacationing: Why It’s Time to Quit Quiet Vacationing

In an era where “quiet vacationing”—pretending to work while taking unreported time off—has become commonplace, it’s crucial that HR leaders take a vocal approach to encouraging and embracing time off by “loud vacationing.” I am encouraging this movement as a direct response to the trend of employees feeling guilty about taking their well-deserved breaks. It’s […]