The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible employees up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave a year for certain family and medical reasons, including being unable to work due to the employee’s serious health condition. When an employee’s FMLA leave entitlement expires, the employee may be unable to return to work because of the continuation of their serious health condition.
Continue reading
Understanding the latest employee benefits trends can help organizations plan ahead and offer a benefits package that meets the evolving needs of workers. Here are five trends shaping benefits in 2026:
Winter presents both attraction and retention challenges as well as unique opportunities for employers. For some industries, recruiting often slows during the winter months—especially after the winter holidays. However, winter is also when many job candidates are making plans for the coming year, which may include searching for new jobs and opportunities. Simultaneously, many employers struggle to keep employees engaged during winter.
Continue readingIn this month’s HR podcast, Rob, Scott, and Jason discuss how hybrid work is evolving and why now is a good time for employers to review their policies and programs for 2026. They highlight Gallup findings showing that hybrid work remains common, even as many large employers push for a full five-day return to the office.
The team highlights key considerations for organizations—such as evaluating which roles are suited for hybrid work, maintaining a strong workplace culture, using tools like desk-scheduling or collaboration hubs, and ensuring policies are applied consistently and fairly across the workforce.
If you’d like help reviewing your hybrid work program or developing a formal policy, contact hr@employco.com.
As the year wraps up, many workplaces navigate a wide range of religious holidays and employee requests for time off. In this HR Chat, Rob and Jason discuss how employers can approach religious accommodation requests, what the interactive process should look like, and how to offer practical options such as PTO, unpaid time, or floating holidays while still meeting business needs.
Contact hr@employco.com for support in managing accommodation requests with confidence.
Schedule a 15-minute call with Griffen Wilson for more information on our services.
With health insurance renewals reaching some of the highest increases in over a decade, many employers are turning to creative strategies to manage rising costs, including working-spouse surcharges, carve-outs, and incentive programs.
In this HR Chat, Rob and Jason break down how these approaches work and what employers should consider when evaluating spousal coverage options.
Contact hr@employco.com to learn how your company can navigate rising health care costs and keep benefits competitive in 2026.
Schedule a 15-minute call with Griffen Wilson for more information on our services.
2026 Minimum Wage Rates by State – The minimum wage rate is expected to change in 2026 in about half of the states in the U.S. Our HR Compliance Overview provides a summary of the upcoming changes.
Continue reading
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (Title VII). Title VII requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for an employee’s and applicant’s sincerely held religious beliefs. Failure to provide reasonable accommodations can have significant consequences for employers, including costly litigation and claims, and decreased employee morale.
Continue reading
When employees are injured or become ill on the job, they may be covered by various laws. For example, workers’ compensation is a form of insurance that provides financial assistance, medical care and other benefits for employees who are injured or disabled on the job. Also, the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible employees up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave a year for various reasons, including medical leave when an employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition. A workers’ compensation injury that requires hospitalization or incapacitates an employee for more than three days and requires continuing treatment by a health care provider generally qualifies as a serious health condition under the FMLA.
Continue reading