This edition of HR News Roundup discusses how inflation is impacting your employees, 12 HR challenges, current compliance issues, items from the lighter side, and more.

Employees’ latest mental health challenge? Rising inflation
Kathryn Mayer, Human Resource Executive

“Employers can’t really change the fact of inflation, but there are tools to help employees deal with the [impact],” she says. Employers are embracing more or expanded financial wellness programs, implementing hardship funds, adding benefits, and offering one-time financial payments or bonuses to help with higher costs.

Other organizations are, unsurprisingly, turning to salary increases: 63% of executives plan to make compensation adjustments in response to high inflation, according to Gartner. Meanwhile, Willis Towers Watson recently found that employers are planning to up employee salaries in the biggest projected hike in 15 years, on average budgeting a 4.1% increase in 2023—a plan in part spurred by inflation.

Related: Employers budgeting big pay raises for 2023 and Among the top 2023 benefits trends: affordability and family support

The 12 Most Pressing Issues in the Workplace
Brett Farmiloe, SHRM Blog

What are the most pressing issues HR is facing in the workplace?
To help you identify the most pressing issues HR is facing in the workplace, we asked HR experts and CEOs this question for their best insights. From maneuvering a competitive job market to creating strategies for effective collaboration, there are several important matters HR must currently maneuver in the workplace. Here are 12 of the most pressing issues in the workplace.

It’s Time to Streamline the Hiring Process
Atta Tarki, Tyler Cowen, and Alexandra Ham, Harvard Business Review

Companies are scared of making bad hires, but as a result they have designed bloated, bureaucratic hiring processes. The treatment has become worse than the disease. Companies can strip waste from their assessment process by reducing the number of interviews, replace consensus hiring by giving one hiring manager decision rights, asking interviewers to give numerical ratings rather than impressionistic assessments, and change your culture to reward those who spot great hires as opposed to penalizing the occasional mistake. Changing your company’s consensus-oriented hiring culture will not be easy. But the steps listed can help you gain an edge in your industry by hiring highly productive employees that are overlooked by your competitors.

The Rise in Boomerang Employees & How To Win Back Talent
Lucy Leonard, Namely

Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen numerous talent trends take over—from mass layoffs and The Great Resignation to the YOLO mentality. And we’re seeing yes another take rise: boomerang employees.
In fact, boomerang employees accounted for 4.5 percent of all new hires among companies in 2021, up from 3.9 percent in 2019.
But what are they? And should your company want them?

HR News Roundup: Compliance Matters

FMLA & mental health: It’s Okay to Not Be Okay! Unless You’re an Employer Violating the FMLA – “On May 25, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced that the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) published new Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Guidance. The DOL explained that the new Fact Sheet and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are focused on drawing attention to the use of FMLA leave to support employees’ mental health. The new guidance provides additional resources for employers to better understand their employees’ rights to take FMLA leave for serious mental health conditions.”

Covid Testing: You Now Need to Have a Business Reason for Covid Testing Employees – New guidelines from the EEOC have switched the standard from ‘presumed permissible’ to a needed business reason. See also: EEOC Updates COVID-19 Guidance, Potentially Limiting Employers’ Ability to Screen Employees for COVID-19,

FLSA: Robin Shea of Employment Labor Insider has been posting a series of explanations of federal laws that govern the workplace. In her most recent series, she addresses the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) which says that a non-exempt employee must be paid for all hours worked each work week, plus properly calculated overtime premiums for any hours worked in excess of 40. See ABCs of Employment Law: The Fair Labor Standards Act (minimum wage) and ABCs of Employment Law: The Fair Labor Standards Act (overtime).

HR News Roundup: Quick Takes

• Retirees could see their monthly Social Security checks jump by $175 next year.
• What to Look For When Hiring Remote Workers
• What You Need to Know About Using Employees in Company Photos and Videos
• Workplace Investigations: Leveraging the ‘Honest-Belief Rule’
• Robots May Reduce Physical Injuries But Raise Substance Abuse, Mental Health Issues
• How to Save Money as Consumer Prices Keep Rising
• 5 Things Almost Everyone Gets Wrong About Managing Anxiety
• 40% of workers are considering quitting their jobs soon—here’s where they’re going
• Workplace safety lessons learned from the pandemic
• OSHA’s Top 10 Safety Violations

From the Lighter Side  …

• • • • We’ve all struggled with crafting a good cover letter to make our case for why we are the perfect new hire. This is not a modern phenomenon. Check out Leonardo DaVinci’s letter in the 1480s listing his skills and making his case in Letters of Note. See a picture of the original document as well as a translation: The Skills of Leonardo da Vinci.
      • There’s something to be said about the importance of creating your own personal brand, and clothing choices can contribute to your image. One famous example is Steve Jobs and the evolution of his signature style of black turtleneck, jeans and sneakers. Another beloved celebrity who helped build his brand through fashion choices was Mister Rogers and his classic sweaters. Check out this fun article that offers a visual breakdown of Every Color Of Cardigan Mister Rogers Wore From 1979-2001. Until your brand attains widespread recognition, you might to better dressing for the job you want – a real challenge when your interview and meetings are often via Zoom. Here are some tips on dressing for the remote job you want.
    • How to enjoy your workday – do your job in front of an adorable toddler and a pair of curious cats.

Recent post of note: 988: The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline