Tag: COVID-19

travel

Employee Attitudes on the Return to Business Travel

Not so long ago, business travel was a key component of the work lives of countless employees who experienced the familiar ritual of Monday morning and Thursday evening flights and continental breakfasts at major hotel chains. The COVID-19 pandemic, of course, had grounded the vast majority of business travel to a halt. But, now that […]

What Governor’s Antivaccine Mandate Order Means for Texas Employers

Texas Governor Greg Abbott this week issued Executive Order (EO) GA-40 setting the state on a collision course with the federal government over whether private employers can issue a vaccine mandate to their employees. The order states in pertinent part: No entity in Texas can compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine by any individual, including […]

flu

The Next Health Challenge for Employers: Navigating Flu Season Amid a Pandemic

Living through a pandemic has taught us many things, chief among them being that just when you think you’ve adapted to a new normal, it’s already changed. Viruses evolve, as do our responses. Today, we have a better understanding of how the virus spreads and vaccines that are effective and readily available. But we’re also […]

mental health

What Employers Should Be Doing to Support the Mental Health of Their Employees

Mental health in the workplace seems to be on everyone’s mind these days – from skyrocketing burnout to the “Great Resignation,” we know we have a problem. The good news is that organizations around the globe finally realize that mental health support is a critical measure of business and organizational success. The pandemic may have […]

parent

Employers Weigh How to Manage Working Parents Absent Because of COVID-19

Incredibly, COVID-19 has now affected a third school year. Working parents were previously able to rely on the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) to take leave in the event of school closures and/or remote learning because of COVID-19-related circumstances. As of now, no such leave entitlement exists for the 2021-2022 school year. Employers […]

Vax Mandate, Not Lax Mandate: Security Considerations for Vaccine Mandate Compliance

Despite rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations driven by the delta variant, executive leaders are pushing toward a post-pandemic return-to-work model that puts employees in the office at least two days a week. HR and IT/security professionals have been feeling squeezed between a rock and a hard place trying to meet workforce health, safety, technology, data […]

Vaccine Passports: Privacy Risks, Implementation Problems

Since the onset of the pandemic, the concept of COVID-19 “passports” has been a recurring and controversial component in the process of reopening the economy. While it has become perhaps commonplace in the hospitality industry, proving vaccination status may soon be a de facto requirement for millions more U.S. workers—not just those working in customer-facing […]

5 Benefits of Video Conferencing for HR

If the year 2020 taught us anything, it’s that a remote workforce is a productive workforce. Though remote work used to be a rare occurrence, companies are beginning to see the benefits of having their teams work and operate from home. During this transition, the emergence of video conferencing has been the biggest game-changer of […]

3 Things Employers Need to Know About FSAs and HSAs During Open Enrollment

This year’s open enrollment season just may be one of the most essential—and confusing—in recent history. The myriad legislative changes that were introduced for flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs) in 2020 due to COVID-19 were designed to give employers and employees more flexibility and protection. While these changes were critically important […]

Neha M

Faces of HR: Neha Mirchandani Leads with Her Heart and Empathy

The past 18 months have put human resources leaders to the test in ways we’ve never imagined. Workplace culture quickly went out the window as millions of Americans began working from home. With a new work environment overnight, HR professionals’ biggest challenge has been keeping employees productive, motivated, and engaged. In a recent survey by […]