HR Industry Brief

Strong leaders with good communication skills are essential to keeping your organization functioning in the new normal of the hybrid workplace.  Consider these abilities and practices that distinguish leaders from divas and deadbeats:

• They understand that influence is not about what they say but about what listeners hear.
• They delegate tasks and involve others.
• They stand steady, model calm, and communicate consistently during a crisis or difficult time, whether it’s a pandemic or an economic disaster.
• They break the complex down to the simple and communicate it concisely.
• They understand they must “sell” to get others onboard.
• They communicate trust in clients, coworkers, and subordinates.
• They do the right thing, as opposed to the required thing.
• They communicate why they do things and reveal the reasoning behind decisions.

July 26 is the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which has required employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities. It is important to understand that “invisible” disabilities are covered by the ADA and must be addressed by employers. Invisible disabilities include conditions such as diabetes, chronic fatigue, post-traumatic stress disorder, and back problems. Here are some ways to protect these employees, particularly during a pandemic:

• Employees with these disabilities may be at high risk of contracting COVID-19. The employer must determine how to keep these workers safe, such as allowing them to work from home or bring emotional support animals to the office. At the same time, accommodations such as the use of plexiglass barriers and private bathrooms might be helpful.
• Employers are not required under ADA to invite accommodation requests, but they must respond to any accommodation request they … [Read more...] about (7/24) Invisible Disabilities Top of Mind for Employers Amid Return to Work

Despite efforts to promote diversity and inclusion (D&I), racism is still an issue in the American workplace. It is estimated that up to 75% of underrepresented employees don’t feel they’ve benefited from D&I programs. Training isn’t enough. There are several reasons such efforts don’t work, including:

• Insufficient assessment is conducted prior to training.
• Training is designed without a clear understanding of specific problems in the organization.
• Simply increasing awareness won’t solve the problem.
• Training provides no skill-building or clear action plans.
• There is no accountability for training action plans.
• The organizational culture doesn’t support the training content.

1. Figure out where you are. Collect and analyze your data. Talk and listen to employees about their concerns and feelings.
2. Decide where you want to go; just hiring … [Read more...] about (7/23) Want to End Racism? Training Doesn’t Work. So What Does?

If you require any employees to self-quarantine – either because they show coronavirus signs/symptoms or come into contact with someone who tested positive – you need to know how to pay those workers. Start by determining if an employee is subject to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. This requires that employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide:

• Up to two weeks – 80 hours – of paid sick leave at the employee’s regular pay rate if someone can’t work due to a quarantine because the person has COVID symptoms or has been exposed to someone with the virus.
• Up to two weeks – 80 hours – of paid sick leave at two-thirds of the person’s regular pay rate because the person can’t work if he/she is caring for someone who is quarantined (such as a child or spouse). The employer may pay up to an additional 10 weeks of expanded family and medical leave at two-thirds of this person’s regular rate of pay.

Social health, which refers to the kinds of interactions people need to function and thrive, is more important than ever in the world of social distancing and remote work. You can have a powerful impact on employee social health and promote good mental/emotional health. Here are few key steps:

• Clearly define employee roles and responsibilities in an effort to minimize conflict and disputes and promote teamwork.
• Provide the tools employees need to communicate, whether that means laptops, smartphones, or access to 5G wi-fi.
• Encourage social interactions away from work. Right now, that might just mean video chats with family members, virtual happy hours with friends, and streaming concerts and other live performances.
• Avoid implementing workplace policies that pit employees as competitors.
• Encourage work/life balance. Consider offering gift cards for food delivery, days off, and other amenities that let workers spend time … [Read more...] about (7/21) What Is Employee Social Health?

In the midst of the COVID pandemic and all of its impact on the senior living industry, workforce, and finances, you may need to take your strategic planning in a new direction. But don’t panic; a few steps can make this easier:

• Identify a cross-functional team. Bring together 3-6 key team leaders from different areas so that you can both harness their expertise and get different viewpoints.
• Take the pulse of the current state. Analyze key performance metrics (where you are succeeding and failing), identify industry trends and challenges, and focus on pain points within your organization.
• Co-create a vision and plan for a change. Identify common goals, collective incentives, and clear roles and responsibilities. While your plan must include details and specifics, this whole process needs to be done swiftly. Summarize key steps, create an impactful map, and plan to mobilize your teams to make the shift.

These are challenging times, and employee morale may be underwater; but there are some ways to ease your workers’ anxieties and even boost their spirits:

• Get ready for friction. Consider questions or concerns employees might have and prepare answers to help them. Workers are likely to want ready answers to their questions; a little preparation will go a long way.
• Expect diverse reactions. Focus on the employees who are on board and embracing the new normal of work and life, and have them help you win over the others.
• Set a clear goal. There is so much uncertainty right now. You can help employees by giving them clear-cut goals and priorities to focus on.
• Be honest about problems. Let employees know that there will be glitches and reassure them that you will handle issues as they arise. Help them keep their eye on the prize of a brighter future.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations of all sizes have had to deal with the financial implications of adjusting business practices. Among the lessons learned:

• Good and bad spending have reversed roles. Instead of travel for meetings and conferences, companies are investing in the devices and technology to enable virtual participation in these events. Particularly, mail orders are up for companies like Best Buy and Apple.
• Risk patterns are shifting. Risk looks much different than it did before the pandemic, and finance operation teams are putting more scrutiny on employee spending.
• Rising miscellaneous and out-of-pocket costs cause payment platform risks. A greater reliance by employees on online shopping for devices, equipment, and supplies brings with it greater exposure to data security concerns.
• People spending is a new risk. According to national data, about 5% of employees could/will use opportunities such as a pandemic to … [Read more...] about (7/16) Spending Risks Shift as the Pandemic Continues

Americans are discouraged and suffering because of the coronavirus, but employers have found ways to evolve and innovate in these trying times. First, the bad news from Gallup survey results:

• Americans’ optimism about the country’s future has dropped by nearly 8% for every month of the pandemic.
• By mid-May, more then 36 million people in the U.S. filed for unemployment.
• Nearly 5% of small and midsize companies have or will shut down in some way because of the pandemic.

• 51% are offering additional pandemic-related training for employees.
• 28% offer additional paid leave.
• 17% are expanding or increasing certain aspects of the business.
• 13% are hiring more employees
• 10% are starting new aspects of the business.

Last week, a significant Supreme Court ruling determined that employment discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal. Here are a few issues you should address in light of this legal decision:

• Employers in cities/states that don’t already have local protections against such discrimination should ensure that their policies and practices clearly address such protections. If your state does have protections in place, make sure your policies align with them.
• Employers that didn’t prohibit LGBTQ discrimination previously should update and clarify their policies and protocols promptly to be in synch with the federal law.
• It will be important to pay attention to more subtle complaints related to how covered employees are treated, including claims of differential treatment regarding work assignments, promotions, and other activities.
• This ruling may require some changes in benefits, such as offering the … [Read more...] about (7/14) Compliance Questions Remain after the High Court’s LGBTQ Ruling