It’s the start of a new year when many of us commit to personal goals and healthy resolutions. For employers, the new year presents a valuable opportunity to conduct an HR check-up, evaluating and updating HR policies and practices to ensure legal compliance while attracting and retaining a diverse, engaged, and talented workforce. Consider the following questions as you assess the HR health of your organization:
- When did you last update your employee handbook? Many federal and state employment laws and regulations have evolved in recent years, and your handbook policies may need updating to ensure compliance with current laws.
- Do you have partial or fully remote employees? Have you implemented policies and procedures addressing remote work? Remote work policies should address such issues as schedule expectations, data security and confidentiality, reimbursement for home office expenses, and tracking and recording work time. Employers should also consider specific practices to ensure remote workers feel included, engaged, and connected to on-site activities and colleagues.
- Do you have remote employees working in other states? Employers should review the applicable employment laws in any city and state where employees are living and performing work for the organization. Standard HR policies and practices may need to be customized and/or supplemented to reflect legal requirements in those local areas.
- Are you taking deliberate steps to retain your key employees and rising stars? As a new year begins, employees may be considering their career goals and future opportunities within the organization. Providing practical and engaging opportunities for professional growth and development can help your organization retain and maximize its talented workforce.
- What steps are you taking to ensure that all applicants and employees are attracted to, welcomed within, and included in your workplace? Consider conducting an equity audit of your job postings, position descriptions, and general HR policies and procedures with the goal of removing unnecessary barriers to employment and advancement. Create a workplace culture that invites, values, and encourages employees of all backgrounds and experiences to perform their best and contribute to your team’s success.
These are just a few questions to consider as you assess your organization’s HR health moving into 2023. Contact your partners at Lake Effect HR & Law to help evaluate all of your HR policies and practices and ensure that you stay in good shape for the coming year.
Lake Effect is here to answer your questions about federal and state employment laws and HR best practices. We continue to monitor important legal and HR developments that affect employers. Please watch our blogs and emails for these important updates, as well as discussions of how compliance meets culture. To dive into these issues, contact us at info@le-hrlaw.com or 1-844-333-5253.
