March 2023 Edition

RKL’s Workforce Strategies team is here to help you navigate the complexities of today's HR environment with the updates, reminders and insights you need to maximize your most important asset — your people. We value your feedback, so let us know what you think of this newsletter!

Here are the trends and hot topics we’re tracking this month.

Workforce Minute Book Review: Love + Work, “Where Did the Love Go? An Epidemic of Lost People”

Think about your day-to-day life. Do you make time for yourself outside of work and daily to-do list? Do you carve out space to do things you truly love? If you answered no, you’re not alone. Far too often, we are so focused on our “must-dos” that we forget to do things that make us happy.

In the chapter of his book Love + Work entitled, “Where Did the Love Go? An Epidemic of Lost People,” author Marcus Buckingham explores how this neglect plays out in the modern workplace. According to ADP’s 2020 Global Workplace Study, less than 16 percent of employees are fully engaged, with the vast majority simply going through the motions and collecting a paycheck. Many workplaces across the country have lost focus on the human aspect of their teams.

Buckingham reminds his readers that it’s never too late to make a change. We can find ways to infuse joy and happiness into the work environment. Focusing on human needs is one major way to boost satisfaction among employees, which in turn helps improve their mental health, engagement and productivity.

It won’t happen overnight, and it will take thoughtful yet flexible planning to adapt to shifts in the specific conditions of your workforce and circumstances beyond your control as an employer. Look for ways to allow your employees to tap into the things they love, such as opportunities to share a hobby with their co-workers or additional time off for various activities. However you decide to express it, showing your employees that you care about them as people and not just a body doing tasks will help them start to feel more satisfied at work.

Stay tuned for the April Workforce Minute, where we’ll review the next section, “Your Wyrd (And You’re Amazing)". If you missed the first installment of our Love + Work review, you can read it here. We hope these tidbits and takeaways from Love + Work inspire you and help you bring enjoyment to the things that you do, whether it is personal or professional. And if you’re reading along or want to share any feedback — drop us a line!

What’s on the minds of your HR peers? Check out this recent client FAQ.

Q: I’m starting to see more buzz around the four-day workweek, but I definitely don’t want to implement it at my company. How should we handle this?

A: Thanks to a recent U.K. pilot study and increased consideration around the U.S. (including a recently proposed bill in Maryland to incentivize companies to offer it), the four-day workweek is a hot topic right now. Your employees may start asking questions because they are seeing more and more headlines about it.

Just like the discussion around remote versus in-office work arrangements, this idea won’t go away anytime soon. In fact, the four-day workweek may continue to grow in popularity and adoption, so employers should not bury their heads in the sand or try to ignore it. Even if it isn’t right for your company (either at this moment or ever), it is important to prepare a response to questions about it. This also plays into the kind of transparent and open communication that enhances your organization’s culture and earns the trust and respect of your employees.

…the effects that moral distress can have on your workforce?

Moral distress occurs when an employee sincerely believes they know the right course of action, but organizational constraints (such as poor communication or inadequate training/resources) make it nearly impossible to do so. Moral distress can negatively affect the workplace in a number of ways, including burnout, low engagement, increased turnover, cultural erosion and poor team decision-making.

The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on how we work is a prime example of a situation that generated moral distress, especially in health care or service-based industries. We all experienced an unprecedented level of disruption and disorientation from remote work, return to office plans, PPE requirements, rapid regulatory changes and more. These workplace challenges were compounded by morality-based perceptions of right and wrong among employees and employers.

Luckily, there are ways to alleviate and even prevent moral distress — here are a few best practices that employers across a number of industries have implemented:

• Embrace ethical business practices through words and actions.
• Regularly assess workplace policies and practices for unintended negative constraints on employees.
• Clearly communicate expectations and ensure employees have the necessary tools and resources to do assigned work.
• Encourage employees to raise workplace concerns to someone who can resolve or escalate them.
• Give regular performance feedback and discussions.
• Communicate workplace changes in as transparent and timely a manner as possible.
• Seek employee input when making decisions (ideally before, during and after the change).
• Give leaders the information needed to respond to employee concerns about change.
• Prioritize organizational learning from honest mistakes by focusing on lasting organizational improvements, rather than the employee who made the mistake.

Redesigned Green Cards and Impact on I-9s

In late January, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began issuing redesigned Permanent Resident Cards (also known as Green Cards) and Employment Authorization Documents. According to USCIS, the redesign is intended to improve security and defend against document tampering, counterfeiting and fraud.

Employers take note: This new design does not invalidate cards with the prior design. All current cards are valued through their expiration date unless otherwise noted. Both designs are acceptable to verify employment eligibility via Form I-9. Learn more in this USCIS news release.

NLRB Memo on Unlawful Surveillance and Automated Management Practices

Last fall, the top attorney for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a memo expressing her desire to protect workers from intrusive or abusive electronic monitoring and automated management practices. In her memo, NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo said she will enforce current laws and urged the NLRB to adopt a new framework to protect workers’ rights in these areas.

Examples of intrusive or abusive electronic monitoring and automated management practices include using tracking devices to record worker conversations or track their movements or installing software to track keyboard or computer screen activity.

The NLRB has yet to act on Abruzzo’s request, but we’ll provide updates on any developments in the Workforce Minute. Read the full memo here.

New EEOC Guidance on Hearing Disabilities in the Workplace

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued new guidance regarding the treatment of employees and/or applicants who have hearing disabilities. The guidance clarifies that these individuals may be protected if they are regarded as having a disability or have a history of such a disability.

For example: An employee who uses a hearing aid or a cochlear implant will still be considered disabled under the law because of their history of deafness even though the hearing aid or other corrective device allows them to hear.

This expansive definition may also impact individuals who have vision issues or other conditions that interfere with major life activity but have been corrected through surgical or other means. Read more in the full EEOC guidance.

Jen Strobel
Senior Consultant  

Connect with Jen on LinkedIn

What is your area of expertise or focus?

Human resources, organizational development, people development, change management

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The people are fantastic! The variety of work and the problems to be solved are exciting. Being part of a new business (RKL Virtual Management Solutions) is invigorating. I love the wealth of opportunities and potential. I can flex my entrepreneurial spirit and engage in the HR realm in a new way. It is thrilling to be part of a newer venture and be able to offer insight to make a positive difference. I am so happy since joining the Workforce Strategies team in January and am enjoying each and every day! 

What are you watching/reading/listening to right now?  

I know way more about professional football than you would expect. I have been playing Fantasy Football since 1993 (pre-internet, gathered stats from the newspaper). I am originally from Wisconsin, so I am a big Packer Backer. 

And here’s one more thing to know about Jen: A lifelong volunteer and community advocate, Jen has served on multiple boards and committees throughout her career. She’s actively engaged in the HR community, currently serving as the board president for Lancaster SHRM!