Author: Lin Grensing-Pophal, Contributing Editor

Are You Listening, Really Listening, to Your Employees?

Many, if not most, organizations have methods in place to gather input from employees—suggestion boxes, hotlines, focus groups, engagement surveys, etc. But are these organizations actually using this input strategically? The High Cost of Poor Communication Organizations can’t risk the high costs of disengaged employees. According to Gallup, disengaged employees have 37% higher absenteeism, 18% lower […]

Working Dads Fear Negative Career Impacts

The challenges working moms face have been noted for decades, even if not all the players in the labor market and corporate world necessarily appreciate those challenges or take steps to mitigate and address them. Even with very active dads, mothers tend to assume the majority of childcare burdens, meaning working moms are constantly being […]

Data Illustrates Extent of Time Spent on Communication Apps

An office cliché from the pre-COVID years is the concept of “watercooler talk,” the idea that employees gather informally around the office in places like the watercooler, coffee machine, or breakroom and make small talk, exchange gossip, or just socialize. With the widespread shift to remote work in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, you […]

Can Music in the Workplace Be a Potential Liability?

The late, great Ray Charles is credited with having said that “music is powerful. As people listen to it, they can be affected.” Apparently, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose rulings apply to all Nevada employees) agrees with the Genius from Georgia, at least when it comes to music businesses allow to be […]

The Elusiveness of L&D ROI

One of the biggest challenges learning and development (L&D) professionals face is showing management there was a return on their investment (ROI). Sure, good L&D teams can point to concrete and important achievements like fewer accidents and higher scores on employee satisfaction surveys. But at the end of the day, companies are in business to […]

ICE Says Employers Must Comply with Form I-9 Verification Rules By August 30

Federal law requires employers to perform in-person inspections of new employees and their documents, as well as current employees with expiring Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) to verify that they’re authorized to work in the United States. Employers must fully and accurately complete a Form I-9 when they inspect the employee’s documents within three business days […]

What We Learned From … Employee Benefits Week 2023

We’ve enjoyed a full week of online events and digital resources around benefits and compensation. As this year’s Employee Benefits Week comes to a close, let’s take a look at what we’ve learned from the event’s discussions and resources. Monday A Seat at the Table Podcast | Supporting Your Workforce with Divorce Benefits Join host and […]

LGBTQ Rights Lose to Employer’s Religious Beliefs

On June 20, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose rulings apply to all Texas employers) delivered a blow to advocates of LGBTQ rights in the workplace when it sided with a self-described Christian business whose policies discriminated against gays. The lesson: Not all discrimination is unlawful discrimination. Discriminatory Policies Braidwood Management manages various […]

Trade Secret

Employee Training Is Key to Trade Secret Protection

Do your employees have the basic training they need to understand why and how to protect your organization’s trade secret information? Trade secrets are intellectual property and confidential information that’s so important to a business’s ability to compete with the rest of the industry that companies place great importance on keeping that information secret. In […]

What Employers Should Know About Drafting PERM Notice of Filing

The most common pathway for an employer to hire a foreign worker on a permanent basis is to sponsor the employee for a Green Card. The first step in the sponsorship process is obtaining a permanent labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The labor certification is obtained by filing an application through the […]