This edition of HR News Roundup offers links to articles on new DOL regulations for Telework, how to recruit with inclusivity, the need for financial wellness. And stress relief is important so don’t miss the items from the lighter side.

Department of Labor Issues New Guidance on Telework Under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Family and Medical Leave Act
Shannon D. Farmer & Shae Randolph, Ballad Spahr, LLC

The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (“WHD”) recently issued Field Assistance Bulletin (FAB) No. 2023-1 to address breaks for employees who telework under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), and application of the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) to teleworking employees.

When You’re Doubting Your Leadership — and Others Are, Too
Anne Sugar, Harvard Business Review

When you believe you aren’t doing well as a leader and others are sharing feedback in line with this view, it can be overwhelming. In this piece, the author offers practical steps you can take if you’re in need of a comeback. By focusing on self-reflection, enlisting support, and thoughtfully examining your role within the company, you’ll be able to determine your next steps and how you need to grow as a leader.

What Happens When COVID-19 Emergency Declarations End? Implications for Coverage, Costs, and Access
Kaiser Family Foundation

On Jan. 30, 2023, the Biden Administration announced its intent to end the national emergency and public health emergency declarations on May 11, 2023, related to the COVID-19 pandemic. These emergency declarations have been in place since early 2020, and gave the federal government flexibility to waive or modify certain requirements in a range of areas, including in the Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP programs, and in private health insurance, as well as to allow for the authorization of medical countermeasures and to provide liability immunity to providers who administer services, among other things. In addition, Congress also enacted legislation—including the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act , the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (CAA)—that provided additional flexibilities tied to one or more of these emergency declarations, and as such they too are scheduled to expire when (or at a specified time after) the emergency period(s) expires.

Related:  The COVID-19 public health emergency is ending. Now what for HR?

5 Examples of Inclusive Recruiting Practices
Ongig

Having a diverse team is good for your bottom line. Companies with a more diverse workforce experience 36% more returns than non-diverse ones. Plus, 76% of candidates and employees from different backgrounds prefer to work for co.s focused on inclusive culture.
If you want to build your DEI hiring strategy, here are 5 examples of inclusive recruiting practices to start with:

Related: 5 Steps for Creating Inclusive Job Descriptions

Boost employee engagement through learning and development
Kathy Gersch, SmartBrief

As the economic environment and talent trends continue to shift, proactively making space for learning and development by providing individual- or department-specific upskilling can enhance your employee value proposition. A 2021 study found that 71% of workers surveyed felt job training and development increased their job satisfaction, with 61% saying upskilling opportunities are an important reason to stay at their job.

Stressed workers? Look to a financial wellness ecosystem
Gautam Sukumar, Human Resource Executive

Two-plus years of the pandemic and its continued impact on the economy are making workers more financially stressed than ever. According to a study by ADP, 60% of workers across all income brackets are at least somewhat stressed by their finances. This trend remains consistent across all income levels, with 44% of earners making at least $75,000 saying they are at least somewhat impacted by financial stress.

Financial wellness is a necessity for employers to offer: Here’s why
Einat Steklov, BenefitsPro

When 40 percent can’t cover a $400 emergency and nearly 80 percent live paycheck to paycheck no matter their pay grade, the need for a financial wellness solution is clear.

 

HR News Roundup: Quick Takes

From the Lighter Side  …

2023 Banished Words List – Lake Superior State University’s has issued its popular, annual tongue-in-cheek Banished Words List every year since 1976. For this year’s list, they evaluated more that 1,500-plus nominations from word police throughout the nation. Words are nominated for banishment for being misused, overused, or being generally uselessness. Ranked No. 1 as the best of the worst: GOAT, acronym for Greatest of All Time. Click to see the rest, as well as to to peruse archives of banished words by year or in alphabetical order.

NPR: Here’s why you should make a habit of having more fun. Is fun literally written in to your calendar? Do you have “fun magnets’?

The workplace hazards in Chitwan are likely very different that those in your workplace. (Twitter link) Chiwab is a national park in Nepal.

Someone sent us a list of fun jobs that pay well, but  here are a few that we didn’t find on the list: Dream Job? (Twitter link) Panda preservation facilities actually employ people to cuddle and play with Pandas for hours on end. Or when it comes to fun jobs, you might enjoy being a bus driver for an Alaskan doggy bus.

Recent blog posts you may have missed:

 

BACK TO ALL POSTS

Request a Quote