HR Newsletter: State Legislative Updates

Illinois Supreme Court Rules BIPA Claims Accrue with Each Violation: On Feb. 17, 2023, the Illinois Supreme Court found that claims under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) accrue at each alleged violation, not just at the first unlawful scan or transmission. Given the amplified possibility of BIPA violation claims, this court decision is a clear warning that private entities—including employers that use fingerprint time clocks or other employee biometric access procedures—should evaluate their compliance with BIPA. Click here to read the Illinois Legal Update.

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HR Newsletter: Minimum PTO Policies

HR Newsletter: Minimum PTO Policies

Many employees do not use their allotted paid time off (PTO) despite their employers’ vacation and other leave policies. As a result, some employers are implementing minimum PTO policies to address this challenge. This emerging trend takes standard PTO policies one step further by mandating that employees take off a minimum number of days each year. When done properly, minimum PTO policies can help curb employee burnout, improve workplace productivity, and strengthen attraction and retention efforts.

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HR Newsletter: Employer’s Guide to Navigating a Recession

HR Newsletter: Employer’s Guide to Navigating a Recession

A recession’s impact on employers can vary greatly. Employers of all sizes and industries generally experience reduced sales and profits due to changes in consumer behaviors, forcing organizations to embrace cost-cutting measures. These measures include layoffs, reductions in spending, and decreased marketing and research. A recession can also curb an organization’s access to credit and lessen overall cash flow, leading to an increase in bankruptcies. The strategies employers implement to mitigate the effects of a recession can greatly impact whether their organizations withstand such an economic downturn. Therefore, employers can prepare for a recession by taking steps now to limit recession-related ramifications and maintain financial stability.

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HR Newsletter: Understanding the Quiet Hiring Trend

HR Newsletter: Understanding the Quiet Hiring Trend

Employers are likely familiar with “quiet quitting,” where employees put no more effort into their jobs than necessary, or “quiet firing,” where employers or managers slowly pull back employees’ duties instead of outright firing them. Now, there’s another phrase gaining traction in workplaces: “quiet hiring.”

Overview of Quiet Hiring – Quiet hiring is when companies upskill existing employees and move them to new roles or give them greater job duties to fit business needs. This often happens when an employee leaves an organization, leaving their role or responsibilities open. This strategy can be an efficient, cost-effective way for employers to snag in-demand talent without going through traditional external hiring channels.

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HR Newsletter: 5 Employment Policies to Review in 2023

HR Newsletter: 5 Employment Policies to Review in 2023

Employee handbooks are important tools for establishing employee expectations, addressing workplace issues, and defending against potential lawsuits. Failing to update employee handbooks regularly can make employers vulnerable to legal risks and liabilities, resulting in costly fines, penalties, and attorneys’ fees. Employment laws are often complicated, and employers need to be aware of any new regulatory developments that may impact their organizations and workforce. The start of the year provides employers with an excellent opportunity to review and update their employment policies. The following list summarizes the five key policies employers should review to ensure their employment practices and policies are current and reflect the most recent regulatory developments.

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The Sad Truth about Our “Record-Low” Unemployment Rate

Employment trends expert offers an enlightening viewpoint of our national employment rate 

Unemployment

When The White House released January’s jobs report, many people were excited to see that the unemployment rate was being touted as the lowest since May 1969. But employment trends expert Rob Wilson says that the numbers fail to tell the whole story.

“The official unemployment rate for January was 3.4 percent, but I would estimate that the unemployment rate is actually triple that,” says Wilson, President of Employco USA, an employment solutions firm with locations across the country.

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Employco Employee Benefits Program Overview

At Employco, we provide customized solutions to businesses across the entire country.

In this video, Jason Eisenhut (Vice President of Human Resources) gives us an overview of Employco’s benefits program. “Today’s employee marketplace is super competitive. The number one area is wages as they continue to rise, and the number two area is employee benefits. As you look across that landscape of employee benefits, what makes Employco different?”

For more information feel free to reach out to us directly, we’d love to be a resource for your business.

Podcast: Leadership w/Special Guest J.J. Cummings

On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason are joined by retired Navy Captain J.J. Cummings (Leadership Consultant). J.J. shares a number of leadership insights from his experience as a Naval advisor for the film Top Gun: Maverick to being the Commanding Officer of the USS Gerald R. Ford – the largest ship in the Navy fleet.

They touch on how to approach different generations entering the workforce, the importance of onboarding and setting a positive tone from day one, explaining the “why”, the significance of LBWA (“Lead by Walking Around”), showing your employees you care, keeping an open door, making time, handwritten notes, employee engagement and feedback, anonymous surveys, implementing changes, and more!

“Don’t tell them you care. SHOW them you care.” -J.J. Cummings

Podcast: Leadership w/Special Guest J.J. Cummings

Contact us with any questions you may have, we’re here to help: hr@employco.com

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