Tag: employees

student loan

Student Loan Assistance Boosted by Recent Legislation

The first 4 months of 2021 have been packed with major nationwide events, including significant news surrounding management of the $1.7 trillion in student loans. With all that’s going on, we’ve been following legislation from the new administration, a new Congress, a COVID relief bill, and now the American Rescue Plan.

Improving Diversity in Remote Work Environment

The pandemic presented significant challenges this past year. Many employees had to live and work at home while socially distanced from close family and friends. Companies also had to adjust by moving to remote work environments to keep employees safe while still responding to issues surrounding equity, diversity, and inclusion. Despite the perceived downsides, business […]

marijuana

No Longer a ‘Pipe Dream’: New York Legalizes Recreational Marijuana

On March 31, Governor Andrew Cuomo took a breather from his “troubles” and signed the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act of 2021. New York now joins its neighbors Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Jersey in allowing recreational cannabis for use by adults 21 years old and older. Citing “social justice” as a driving force, the governor’s […]

company culture

2021: A Progress Report

My last contribution to this blog happened to be the first post of 2021. I titled it “Welcome, 2021. Let’s Talk …” and offered up some lighthearted suggestions for how the new year could improve on 2020’s nightmarish experience. One “suggestion” I gave to our new year was the following:

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 […]

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 […]

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.