The Case for Considering “Boomerang” Employees
10/03/2022 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
Employers are having a hard time finding talent right now. Talent pools that have proven successful for years have suddenly dried up, forcing workplaces to get creative. One recent approach has been to hire, seek out or re-recruit “boomerang” employees—workers who used to work at an organization, left voluntarily and now wish to return.
10 EEOC Tips for Small Businesses
09/05/2022 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1964 to eradicate discrimination in employment. The Commission enforces various statutes that prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, retaliation, age, and disability or protected veteran status.
Read MoreHow Employers Are Responding to Record-high Inflation
08/19/2022 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
The U.S. inflation rate has increased by 9.1% year over year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS also reported that this is the highest the inflation rate has been since 1981. This has led to significant price increases across many consumer goods, and employers are responding in various ways.
Read MoreRedefining Employee Benefits
08/16/2022 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have changed not just how employees work but how they think about work. This includes what benefits they believe employers should provide. For example, many employees prioritized health and leave benefits over retirement benefits during the pandemic. In 2022, employee preferences for benefits seem to be returning to what they were before the pandemic, with employees once again prioritizing retirement benefits and financial wellness. However, all forms of benefits are more important for employees now than ever before. This provides an opportunity for savvy employers to utilize benefits to attract and retain employees in a tight labor market.
Read MoreARPA Subsidy Expiration May Result in Large Premium Increases
08/04/2022 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) health care subsidies are set to expire at the end of 2022. According to a recent analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation, the expiration of ARPA subsidies may result in large health care premium increases for many individuals who purchase their own health coverage on the Affordable Care Act health insurance Marketplaces. The analysis found that without ARPA subsidies, premiums for enrollees would be 53% higher in most states.
Read MoreOvercoming Organizational Silos
08/02/2022 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
A common issue found throughout various companies is the presence of organizational silos. Organizational silos occur when groups of people, typically within a department or subdepartment, are isolated from collaborating or sharing information with other departments or groups. Although organizational silos may form because a group doesn’t want to communicate with another team, some organizations simply fail to facilitate proper communication across departments.
Read MoreStrategies for Avoiding Litigation Over COBRA Notices
07/27/2022 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
Employers are seeing an increase in lawsuits from former employees alleging deficient Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) election notices. These lawsuits are generally class actions and can result in significant attorneys’ fee awards for successful ex-employees. Understanding current COBRA notice regulations and litigation trends can help employers stay compliant and avoid costly lawsuits.
Read MoreHR Audits
07/01/2022 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
An HR audit is an objective, systematic review of a company’s HR policies, procedures, strategic direction, structure, resources, and ultimately, its contribution to the organization. Such an audit offers the opportunity to protect the company, establish best practices and identify areas for improvement. It can help evaluate whether specific practice areas are adequate, legal and/or effective.
Read MoreAttracting and Retaining Employees During the Great Reshuffle
06/28/2022 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
The labor market is a bit unpredictable at the moment. Economists previously warned of a “Great Resignation,” a time when employees were expected to quit in record numbers and leave considerable vacancies in the workforce. This actually happened somewhat—according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were a record number of resignations at the end of 2021. Although the number of quits dropped at the beginning of 2022, the employment market is back to experiencing record-high quit rates.
Read MoreShould You Terminate Group Coverage?
06/01/2022 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
Since 2010, when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act became law, speculation has abounded, with experts and non-experts alike debating whether employers would drop group health coverage. With the start of the employer shared responsibility penalties in 2015, employers must decide whether they will offer employer-sponsored health coverage that complies with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or drop coverage and face various penalties and repercussions.
Read MoreContaining Costs of Chronic Health Conditions
06/01/2022 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
Chronic conditions are health conditions that require ongoing management over an extended period of time. Some have very few symptoms, while others severely limit a person’s ability to perform everyday, routine tasks. Regardless, chronic conditions may deeply affect those who suffer from them.
Read MoreCommunicating Terminations Effectively
05/02/2022 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
Losing a job is a traumatic event for most and may trigger anger, humiliation and sadness. Some otherwise calm employees, rational individuals may react negatively to termination or challenge the decision. Yet, if terminations are handled appropriately and with respect for all parties involved, the process should be smooth. In addition, the employees who remain employed at the company will not feel threatened or have negative emotions towards the employer.
Read MoreHire to Fit Your Company Culture
04/04/2022 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
Poor hiring decisions can be highly costly for your company, in terms of business interruption, wasted recruiting and training resources, lower employee morale and more. You may realize that an individual is not a good fit, or a new employee may choose to leave if the job doesn't match his or her expectations. In both circumstances, many of these separations are because the hired individuals did not fit the company culture and therefore lacked productivity, creativity, and/or morale.
Read MoreDisciplinary Techniques for Supervisors
03/02/2022 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
Supervisory training is critical to the success of any discipline program. Supervisors should consider the following techniques and considerations to effectively discipline employees:
Read MoreAttracting Top Remote Talent
02/07/2022 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
By 2025, almost 23% of the U.S. workforce is expected to work fully remote, according to Upwork. That’s nearly double the percentage of people who were working remotely full time prior to the pandemic. As more organizations embrace long-term remote or hybrid workplace models, employers will continue to compete for their industry’s top candidates.
Read More5 Hybrid Work Model Mistakes to Avoid
01/05/2022 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
The COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses to adapt and test their operational capacities. One of the most common pivots has been remote work.
Read MoreWhy Is It So Hard to Find Workers Right Now?
12/01/2021 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
Employers across the country are facing a pronounced issue right now: too many open positions and not enough workers.
Read MorePreventing Employee Burnout
11/09/2021 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
The World Health Organization (WHO) now considers burnout to be a syndrome. In previous editions of the WHO’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), burnout wasn’t considered a serious condition, and its only listed symptom was exhaustion.
Read MoreBack to Basics: What Every HR Person Should Know About ERISA
11/02/2021 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
If you don't know or you're not sure what ERISA is or why it's important you're not alone. ERISA is a massive piece of legislation. Think of it as kind of the Godfather of employee benefit plan regulation.
Read MorePreparing HR for Future Health Crises
10/14/2021 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
The COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call for HR departments in 2020. Suddenly, employees were looking to HR teams for guidance in areas not typically considered their responsibility.
Read MoreComplex Health Benefits Can Hinder Employee Productivity and Morale
09/13/2021 | PCI HR Consulting Practice
Health care is rarely straightforward for the average consumer. Many individuals need help making sense of their options both during open enrollment and when receiving health services. In fact, 8 out of 10 people said they faced challenges when receiving care, according to a recent study from Quantum Health.
Read MoreThe “H” Stands for Human
06/22/2021 | Dee Yingst
I’m a big fan of automating processes where appropriate. However, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Read MoreBecause Math is Hard!
04/19/2021 | Dee Yingst
I have a simple math problem for you. If you have 2 apples and I give you 2 more, how many apples do you have? You don’t have to watch Sesame Street to know that you now have 4 apples, right? Straightforward and simple.
Read MoreHR is Never "Just" HR
03/18/2021 | Dee Yingst
I’m not sure any department’s mettle has been tested this past year in quite the same way as HR. It was about a year ago that I asked all of you in HR how you were holding up and now I’m back to ask again. When we started this “adventure” we didn’t know what to expect but we stepped up anyway, and did what we needed to do to hold our organizations together. It’s what we do.
Read MoreToday Was a Really Long Week
11/01/2020 | Dee Yingst
Have you ever had one of those days where it feels like everybody wants a piece of you? Your office phone is ringing. Your cell phone is ringing. You’re watching your email inbox furiously scroll as it loads and loads and loads new messages. Aaaaannnnd you have people waiting in and around your office.
Read MorePhone Screens, and Voice Mail, and Laundry! Oh My!
10/01/2020 | Dee Yingst
I’m not a fan of phone interviews. I know sometimes they’re necessary, but that doesn’t mean I have to like them. They are definitely important if the job includes communication mostly via telephone. In these instances, I will first hold a phone screen so I can assess how you would sound to our customers – are you able to explain concepts in a clear manner, how’s your phone etiquette, do you interrupt the caller – things like that. Having done a fair number of these screenings lately, I thought I’d share some important lessons I wish everyone knew.
Read MoreJust Do It.
07/01/2020 | Dee Yingst
You know, I really hate wearing a mask. I don’t like how close it gets to my eyes, I don’t like the steam that makes my face feel like it’s melting, it smooshes my hair, it makes my nose itch, and my ears stick out like taxicab doors.
Read MoreHey HR: How are You Holding Up?
04/01/2020 | Dee Yingst
So….here we are….working from home. Or maybe you’re at home but not able to work... or you’re continuing to have to report to work armed with a gallon of hand sanitizer, a homemade mask, and hope.
Read MoreWhat’s Luck Got to Do with It?
03/01/2020 | Dee Yingst
Keeping your plan compliant isn’t a matter of luck; it’s about finding out what you don’t know and making it happen.
Read MoreWinners Know When to Quit
02/01/2020 | Dee Yingst
We’ve all heard the saying: winners never quit, and quitters never win. The problem with that advice is that it’s not true. Not only do quitters win, sometimes it’s necessary to quit to win. The trick is knowing what to quit and when. Here’s where we can find some great advice in an unlikely place – a country music song from 1978.
Read MoreFinding Your Joy in Small Ways
01/01/2020 | Dee Yingst
It’s time for your annual New Year’s reminder: You’re Not Broken.
Read MoreMandatory is not Merry and Other Holiday Celebration Advice
12/01/2019 | Dee Yingst
Don’t you just love the colors of the holiday season? The green trees… the white lights…the red bows…the blue liquid capsules of headache medicine….wait..what?
Read MoreIs Your ‘Check Attitude’ Light On?
11/01/2019 | Dee Yingst
Happy November! With the Thanksgiving season upon us, it’s a great time to ask ourselves if we have an ‘attitude of gratitude’ or if we are just moving through life oblivious to the world around us.
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