Home » blog » Page 12

Category: blog

Juneteenth

 

How did your company recognize Juneteenth? Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of the last enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, TX two years following the Emancipation Proclamation. In 2021, Juneteenth was added to the Massachusetts Blue laws and as such requires “premium pay if you have retail employees. The premium rate is 1.1X regular rate.” In addition to giving employees the day off (Monday, June 20 this year, since Juneteenth 2022 falls on a Sunday), businesses are honoring the day through employee education about the actual day and about continued racial barriers. Now is the time for organizations to create a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program, if they don’t have one already. Good programming should foster a psychologically safe space to discuss DEI topics. Consider an anonymous Q&A opportunity for employees to ask DEI-related and general HR questions. Also, ask people of underrepresented groups for their personal insights through Employee Resource Groups. Use the anonymous submissions and ERG insights to create appropriate training for everyone. Be ready to accept missteps and make appropriate changes.
With the celebration of Juneteenth this month, it is a great time to discuss floating holidays. Companies can choose to give floating holidays, rather than a specific day off. This allows organizations to not single out holidays based on race, religion, or other protected classes. It also gives employees the flexibility to choose how and when they take holidays/personal days that are of importance to them.
Click here to contact us with questions and help with holiday schedules.

Survey Results: How are you Attracting/Hiring/ Recruiting/Retaining employees?

We are always trying to attract and retain quality candidates for our businesses. What steps are you taking to work on your company’s culture to maintain a strong workforce? Remember, it is not about adapting your culture to the applicant, but instead being transparent about your current company’s culture and living in it. Now it’s more like applicants are interviewing us and expect us to sell our company.

Read our clients’ responses to the survey and hear how their hiring practices are going in this new climate.

 

Offering competitive wages and benefits are common hiring and retention challenges companies are currently facing. Recent hiring events have been very different prior to COVID and the remote/hybrid workplace. Many candidates are looking to change industries and find positions that are more aligned with their personal and professional goals. These candidates are excited and enthusiastic about their new opportunities.

Paying premium compensation for the “right fit” seems to be the new theme. Steps taken to overcome these challenges include increasing the hiring rate and benefits package and launching an educational campaign to bring employees to their field.

Another way companies are overcoming hiring/retention struggles is to review and modify the interview and onboarding process to ensure the candidate has an inclusive experience.

Candidates are looking for hiring bonuses in addition to higher base salaries and flexible work arrangements (hours, remote, hybrid). Companies are choosing to include salary ranges and complete job responsibilities in their posted job descriptions for transparency.

During the interview process, organizations are switching up who is part of the interview process to show candidates their company culture. Another way organizations are revamping their hiring practices is increasing their digital presence.

Lastly, taking the time to find the candidate that is a good fit for the company and whose core values align with the business will save the company time, money, and morale. Keep searching until you have “the one”. Settling to fill a gap rarely turns out well!

Click here to contact us with hiring and retention help.

June 2022 HR Compliance Deadlines

June 30 End of Q2
– Remind employees to take advantage of any eligible voluntary benefits
July 1
New Employment Laws

40+ new employment laws take effect July 1 at the state and local levels. Companies must comply with employment laws in jurisdictions where the remote employees live. A comprehensive list can be found here: XperHR – State Labor Law Changes eff. 7.1.2022.

3 states, Connecticut, Nevada, and Oregon, and over 20 US jurisdictions, the District of Columbia; Montgomery County, MD; Chicago and Cook County, IL; St. Paul and Minneapolis, MN; Portland, OR; and 10+ localities in CA, will incur minimum wage increases. CT’s recreational marijuana law’s employment-related provisions occur July 1, where employers can prohibit possession and use of marijuana and conduct testing. CT also has new posting and notice requirements starting July 1.

If you are unsure how to navigate deadlines and communicate with your team,
HR Synergy is happy to help you. Click here to contact us.

College Internships

Employee Intern checklist

When an employer decides to hire an intern, important factors to consider prior are listed above.

Other specific questions can be found here: NH DOL.
Another important note, If the internship is unpaid, all businesses must be pre-screened by the Department of Labor prior to a student’s internship (RSA 279:22-aa; New Hampshire Administrative Rules Chapter LAB 805.03 Application Evaluated). All approved businesses can be found here Pre-Approved Work Sites and are approved for one year.
Click here to contact us with questions.

ADA Refresher

As we spring into a new season, it is a great time for an ADA standards refresher. It is unlawful for private employers, state and local governments, employment agencies, labor organizations, and labor-management committees to discriminate against an individual with a disability. It is also your responsibility as a business owner to provide reasonable accommodations to the job and/or work environment.
Did you recently change office spaces at your company? As employees start coming into the office to work, you need to be sure your space is ADA compliant. Things to consider: wider doors for wheelchairs, special phone or availability of interpreters for hearing impaired employees/clients, and special computer software for vision impaired employees/clients.

Still unsure which accommodations to provide? Utilize AskJAN to review the most frequent issues employers face related to accommodations and ADA compliance. You can also reference JAN’s Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR) system to investigate work accommodation options.

HR Synergy is happy to help you. Click here to contact us.

 

FAIRNESS FOR BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS ACT

While not a legal requirement under the ADA to accommodate nursing mothers at work, the Fairness for Breastfeeding Mothers Act (FLSA) of 2019 requires certain employers to provide “reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk” in “a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk”.
The provided location, even if it is not dedicated exclusively to the nursing mother’s use, must be available when needed. The location must be hygienic and completely private with a lock. It must also contain a chair, working surface, and an electrical outlet. Businesses with over 50 employees are required to give uncompensated breaks for milk expression. For exceptions see WHD Fact Sheet #22, Hours Worked under the FLSA. Also, check with your state for greater protections beyond the FLSA requirements.
Check these sites for more information:
Additionally, the ACA requires new private health insurance plans to provide coverage for specified women’s preventive health services, such as breastfeeding support, supplies, and lactation consultation, with no cost sharing.
For more information:
Click here to contact us with questions.

The Humans Behind the Emails

March is full of things to celebrate!

Did you know that the first week of March is “Universal Human Beings Week”? How can your organization celebrate the art, history, culture, and community of humanity?

Also, March 4 is “Employee Appreciation Day”. Post a picture of your team with how you are honoring them as humans behind the job here

In commemoration of “Universal Human Beings Week” and “Employee Appreciation Day”, I, Michelle Gray, president of HR Synergy, LLC, highlight the importance of her HR Synergy team members and why I appreciate each of them.

Linda is my Compliance Guru. If she’s unsure about something, she’s not going to say anything until she’s 100% confident. Linda works with incredible follow-through.

Jessica is my Numbers Person. The more “numbers projects” I give her, the more she wants. She is our numbers cruncher who keeps going at something until she figures it out.

I don’t know how Rhonda does it. She finds top-notch candidates, even if she must turnover a rock. She never gives up.

All of my team never gives up. They all give 110%.

March 19 is “National Clients Day”. We at HR Synergy, LLC are thankful for you, our clients. Watch for your surprise coming this month as a THANK YOU from us!

 

HR Synergy is happy to help you. Click here to contact us.