Employco Blog

Bereavement is an experience that follows the loss of a family member or friend. It’s an inevitable part of life. Many employers recognize the emotional toll it takes on workers and implement bereavement leave policies. Offering bereavement leave is not just a legal requirement in some places but a way to support grieving employees during challenging times in their lives. This type of leave can be an important component of an employee benefits package and can positively impact employee attraction and retention. Bereavement leave acknowledges the emotional well-being of employees as they balance the demands of work with the circumstances of daily life.

Last year presented employers with many new and difficult compliance challenges, including federal and state laws and regulations expanding worker protections, widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace, and increased enforcement actions by federal agencies. Employers have had to respond as courts and federal agencies addressed several hot-button issues. In addition to these novel and growing compliance challenges, employers have also had to navigate record-high inflation, economic slowdown, and an unusually resilient labor market. For many employers, these challenges made it more difficult to prioritize compliance or establish successful mitigation strategies because they lacked sufficient time, proper resources, or trained personnel.

In today’s market, managers and HR professionals must adapt to the changing expectations of organizations and employees amid difficult economic conditions. As such, proactive leaders and HR professionals will approach 2024 with strategies that incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into everyday operations, satisfy employee demands for greater compensation and flexibility, and conform to evolving compliance standards. Organizations will benefit from putting people first and responding to what their workers need. To aid our followers in meeting organizations’ and employees’ demands and desires, this HR Insights article highlights six HR trends to keep an eye on this year.

Looking forward in 2024, the labor market is expected to ease somewhat, although employers will likely still struggle to attract and retain talented employees. Skills gaps and high inflation remain challenging, but the influx of Generation Z (Gen Z) workers into the workplace is expected to help shift market conditions in employers’ favor. Organizations that focus on learning and development opportunities, transparent practices, and competitive compensation may be better equipped to find and keep high-demand workers. Our latest HR Insights article explores five attraction and retention trends to watch in 2024 so employers can prepare their strategies for the year.

Chicago Paid Leave Changes Delayed Until Jul 1, 2024 – The Chicago City Council has voted to delay a new law that will expand the city’s paid leave mandate to 40 hours of paid leave (PL) plus 40 hours of paid sick leave (PSL). The implementation has been delayed to July 1, 2024. Until the new law is effective in July, Chicago employees will continue to earn one hour of paid sick leave, not paid time off, for every 40 hours they work (or at least five days per year).