Human Resources

By Kathryn Mayer   The holidays aren’t all parties and presents or candy canes and champagne. For workers, this time of year—brimming with looming end-of-year deadlines, financial and social obligations, and more—can cause a serious decline in mental well-being. Research from jobs site Monster finds the majority of U.S. workers (61 percent) say their mental...

By Kathryn Mayer   Since  blockbuster GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy burst on the scene as a weight-loss aid phenomenon, employers have been mulling whether or not to cover their costs for employees. Now a new survey of employers reveals just how many are covering these drugs for weight loss—and how much they are paying....

By Kylie Ora Lobell   Since the advent of the 9-to-5 workday, employers have largely stuck to this schedule and offered little flexibility to workers, except for vacation time and sick days. In fact, as of 2019, 47 percent of workplaces offered very limited flexibility regarding work schedules, according to Statista. However, during the COVID-19...

By Kathryn Mayer   Challenging economic times, soaring prices, and fears of a recession are leading some major employers—including Yahoo and Disney, both of which announced cuts in February—to announce layoffs. And while some downsizing of rank-and-file employees is inevitable, a number of company leaders are trying to avoid such downsizings.   A somewhat surprising...

By Roy Maurer   Employees frequently complain about a “hostile work environment,” leaving it to HR to distinguish whether a situation involves potentially unlawful conduct, bad behavior or just the ordinary stresses of the workday. “A ‘hostile work environment’ is a legal term with a narrow definition, and most complaints you hear will not meet...

By Kathy Gurchiek   Feeling a bit frayed around the edges? Energy zapped, emotionally drained, decreased job satisfaction? Burnout is real for HR professionals.   Your work often involves handling workplace complaints and investigations, dealing with multiple generations who expect different things from their employer, recruiting challenges, and the work-from-home/return-to-office tug of war. Then there are...

By Paul Falcone   Travis is an HR director. One afternoon, his company’s vice president of sales, Daniel, stopped by to speak with him about problems Daniel was having with a direct report, recently hired sales manager Carla.   Daniel shared multiple issues with Carla’s performance. She’d only been with the organization for two months and seemed...

By Matt Gonzales   As layoffs and hiring freezes flood the news cycle, new federal data shows that people with disabilities are landing jobs at record numbers. In 2022, about 21 percent of people with a disability in the U.S. were employed, up from about 19 percent in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor...

The following is an article/news release from the U.S. Department of Labor. You can see why it is so important to have an HR professional on your team.   News Release: U.S. Department of Labor Investigations identify violations in two states affecting 83 minors at 16 locations   DALLAS – Federal investigations at 16 McDonald’s...

By Kathy Gurchiek   Disaster can strike at any time—whether it’s a hurricane ripping off the roof of one’s house, a catastrophic health issue or some other unexpected hardship. The resulting stress has consequences on employees’ health and well-being, and has impacts for the employer, as well. With a whopping majority (92 percent) of workers worried about...