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What HR Needs to Know about PDPM

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A new person-centered reimbursement model is coming to SNFs, and you need to be on the ground floor for change.

The Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) is the new Medicare payment rule for skilled nursing facilities, replacing the current reimbursement system (called RUG-IV). PDPM represents a significant change and goes into effect on October 1st. While patients’ therapy minutes currently drive payment for SNFs, PDPM provides reimbursement based on the complexity of individual patients’ care needs as detailed in the primary and secondary diagnoses. Under this new system, HR takes on a heightened role in helping to ensure the organization’s success.

From Harassment to Health Care: States Confront Hot Issues

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Stay on top of pressing state, local concerns impacting HR.

A new study identifies the leading concerns for U.S. companies and how state and local lawmakers are addressing them. Not surprisingly, number one is sexual harassment prevention. State legislators everywhere are grappling with this issue in the workplace. In fact, there are a record number of state proposals on harassment, proposing solutions such as detailed arbitration agreements, expanded protections for non-employees, and stronger prevention efforts such as mandatory policies and interactive training.

Employee Benefits Can Be Branding Boon or Hiring Bust

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Benefits and perks speak volumes about how you view, value employees. What message are you sending?

Competition is stiff for the best and brightest workers, and businesses increasingly are looking for creative benefits that will attract and keep good employees. Benefits such as health insurance, paid leave, and retirement plans are clearly important; but organizations need to know their employees, think outside the box, and identify benefits that boost the company’s brand. Why is this so important? According to one survey, nearly two-third of job candidates say that benefits and perks are among their top considerations before accepting a job; and nearly 80% of workers say they would prefer new or added benefits to a pay increase.

Lead a Culture Shift for Digital Transformation

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How to build a staff with skills, passion for sustained digitalization.

To successfully integrate data, artificial intelligence (AI), and automation into your operations, a commitment to digitalization has to be embedded in your culture and embraced by employees at all levels. According to a recent survey, 84% of business leaders are planning to increase investment in technology this year; and the majority also believe that it isn’t enough to throw money at digitalization. Seven in 10 said that a culture shift is also necessary to prepare for a high-tech future; and they’re counting on HR for help.

Employees Want Mentors…Now

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Workers at all levels see mentorships as a valuable perk, but companies aren’t delivering.

As your organization deals with constant change and a range of workplace and industry challenges, coaches and mentors are more important than ever for employees at all levels. Nonetheless, while employees in a recent survey said that mentorships are valuable, few actually have a mentor.

While over half of 3,000 respondents (56%) said they have had a mentor in the past, only 37% said they still have such a professional relationship. Interestingly, 9% said that they aren’t sure if they have a mentor or not, as the relationship is unclear.

When Disaster Strikes, Do You Have Answers Employees Need?

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Don’t wait for an emergency to know ins and outs of FLSA, FMLA compliance.

Hurricanes, tornados, floods, fires, blizzards. When disaster strikes, employers have a plethora of concerns. As HR, you need to think about Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) compliance; and you should be prepared to answer employees’ questions about how, when, and if they will be paid if there are evacuations or closures or they need to take time off.

Nonexempt employees only have to be paid for the time they actually work. Therefore, if your organization is evacuated or closed and they don’t have to report to work, these workers don’t have to be paid.  Exempt (salaried) employees, on the other hand, must be paid their full salary if they work any time during the week of a closure or evacuation. For instance, if everyone but essential staff are sent home on Wednesday because of blizzard and not required to report back to work until Friday, they must receive their full, normal paycheck. However, employers can require workers to use available leave for these absences.

Suicide Rates Rising: Are Your Employees at Risk?

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Beef up your mental health and employee assistance programs to keep workers safe.

Your employees are under pressure–constant regulatory and policy changes to deal with, family issues, financial concerns, and more. You may think they are coping, but are they? Stress and pressure can push people who already have mental illness such as depression to the brink. You need to be able to recognize signs that someone may be hurting.

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the suicide rate has jumped 33% between 1999 and 2017, and the rates were significantly higher last year, especially among men. Your older employees, as well as your residents, are not risk-free. Older adults (people over age 65) make up just 12% of the population, but they account for 18% of all suicide deaths.

Employers can’t assume that their workers and safe and happy, and a growing number are acknowledging urgency to address mental health. Currently, 70% of employers say they are taking some action on this issue or plan to do so within the next two years. These actions vary from working to erase the stigma of mental illness to partnering with outside organizations for mental-health support.

Despite Barriers, HR Can Lead Digitalization

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HR leaders face barriers to digital solutions, but continuous performance improvement can help.

HR executives agree that taking the leap to high-tech operations is a top priority for 2019 and beyond, but many aren’t sure how to pursue this, how to ensure success, and how to get buy-in from the top down.

According to one survey, 94% of corporate HR officers are planning to digitalize HR within 1-3 years to improve operations, employee experience, and productivity; and they are pursuing an average of five digital initiatives. However, 61% said they aren’t prepared to manage this digital transformation. Most respondents (73%) rated their organizations as having a below average level of digital advancement.

So what is holding them back? According to respondents, top barriers include poor existing IT infrastructure, insufficient funding for digital innovations, and competing organizational priorities. Of course, HR professionals working in organizations that already are digitally advanced have fewer concerns about these barriers.

House Passes Paycheck Fairness Act: What’s Next?

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Pay equity is a hot issue that can impact morale, engagement, and retention. Don’t wait for a law to address it.

By a 55-vote margin, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 7) this week. If passed into law, the bill would prohibit employers from asking job candidates about their salary history and require them to demonstrate definitively that pay disparities between men and women are job-related. 

Survey: Employee Trust in Executives Lacking

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Employees care: Does management walk the walk when it comes to culture?

According to a new survey, employees understand the value of company culture, but they don’t always think that management is effective at communicating or modeling it. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of employees said workplace culture impacts their organization’s success.  Three-quarters said that culture influences their own performance; 77% suggested it inspires them to do their best work. Seventy-six percent (76%) said it impacts their productivity and performance, and 74% said culture influences their ability to best serve customers/clients/patients. Sounds great, right? Well, here’s the problem: the survey also showed a major gap between employees’ recognition of culture’s value and how they experience it at work day to day.