Category Human Resources

Denying Religious Accommodations Now More Difficult Under Federal Law

By in Human Resources Tag

By Mackenzie Clark for HR Daily Advisors Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) requires employers to accommodate employees’ sincerely held religious beliefs unless accommodation would result in an undue hardship. Historically, denial of a religious accommodation has carried a minimal burden of showing hardship, but a recent ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court just made denying a religious accommodation because of undue hardship more difficult. The Facts The issue of religious accommodation became significant during the COVID-19 pandemic, when employees who objected to vaccination because of their religious beliefs brought a slew of litigation across…

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Is Your Office Worth the Commute?

By in Human Resources, Work Tag ,

By Morten Brogger for HR Daily Advisor From packed buses to standstill rush hour traffic, commuting is rife with inconveniences. Long commute times are linked to negative effects on sleep, productivity, and overall quality of life. Commuting Americans spend, on average, 52 minutes per day traveling to and from work — an increase of about 20% since the U.S. Census began collecting that data in 1980. Recently, ever-increasing housing costs within big cities have given rise to “super commuters” who travel more than 90 minutes each way, some even by plane! Super commuters aside, a typical worker can expect to lose 408 days to…

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My Client Is Always Late Paying Me

By in Finance, Human Resources Tag , , ,

... and three other tricky workplace dilemmas. BY ALISON GREEN for Inc. Here's a roundup of answers to four questions from readers. 1. My client is always late paying me One of my clients, a creative agency, has always had issues paying my invoices on time, but it's getting worse. Every single time I send an invoice, I have to go back and remind them to pay me. It's a great company, but I'm starting to get frustrated that I can't send an invoice without having to follow up repeatedly. Sometimes they say they missed the invoice, sometimes they apologize, but I eventually always get paid.…

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Improve Company Culture and Create an Engaged Workforce

By in Human Resources Tag

By Cheri Wheeler for HR Daily Advisor Global Company Culture Day is here! Observed on September 18 every year, this day provides a unique opportunity for company leaders to take a step back from their business and evaluate their company’s culture. The answer to improving your company’s culture could be as simple as reviewing, and perhaps tweaking, the benefits your organization provides to its employees. Employees want to feel that their employer prioritizes their health and well-being. Investing in a strategic and thoughtful benefits package can lead to a positive work environment and engaged workforce, which ultimately benefits both employees…

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My Colleague Thinks Working From Home Means I’m Available 24/7

By in Human Resources, Work Tag , , ,

How do I get her to back off? BY ALISON GREEN for Inc. A reader asks: I work at a small company, almost completely from home. I go into the office about twice a month, and for the most part, it's been a dream. I am vastly more productive and have found that my mental health has improved drastically. Since the transition, I have done everything I can think of to set clear expectations as far as when I am available. I have specific, set hours when colleagues can expect me to be at my desk. I use away messages to…

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When Your Employee Isn’t Reaching Their Full Potential

By in Human Resources, Self Improvement Tag , ,

by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic and Dorie Clark for Harvard Business Review You’ve seen flashes of real competence — maybe even occasional brilliance — in your employee. So why are they failing to live up to that potential? As a leader who cares about cultivating your employees’ skills, abilities, and professional growth trajectory, it can be enormously frustrating to feel that they’re not taking the initiative to do more with their talents. At times, you may even wonder if it’s a question of knowledge or willpower: Do they not understand what’s necessary to perform at their best? Or are they just unmotivated? Obviously,…

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How to Implement a 4-Day Workweek–According to 1 Business That Successfully Made the Change

By in Human Resources, Work Tag , , ,

BY SARAH LYNCH for INC In 2022, Jake Kurtz was burned out. But as the CEO and founder of his own social media management agency, Brick Media in Tampa, he realized that he had the power to make a change in the way he and his company worked. That led him to test run a four-day workweek. He'd come across studies supporting the success of four-day workweek pilot programs: In one U.K. study, 92 percent of companies that tested a four-day workweek planned to continue with the schedule. Once an employee fantasy, the shortened workweek has gained serious traction, with small businesses leading adoption. Kurtz thought: Why not give it a try?  …

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In Praise of Memorization

By in Self Improvement Tag , , ,

by Pearl Leff I once worked at a small company of insanely productive engineers. They were geniuses by any account. They knew the software stack from top to bottom, from hardware to operating systems to Javascript, and could pull together in days what would take teams at other companies months to years. Between them they were more productive than any division I've ever been in, including FAANG tech companies. In fact, they had written the top-of-the-line specialized compiler in their industry — as a side project. (Their customers believed that they had buildings of engineers laboring on their product, while in reality…

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How Can I Avoid Talking Shop Outside Of Work?… and three other tricky workplace dilemmas.

By in Human Resources, Self Improvement, Work Tag , , , ,

BY ALISON GREEN, INC.COM COLUMNIST Here's a roundup of answers to four questions from readers. 1. How can I avoid talking shop outside of work? I have a colleague who I am sharing a few really challenging, long-term projects with. They're great to work with and we're getting a lot done. The only problem is that we live in the same part of town and frequently bump into each other on the way in -- which in itself is fine but they often immediately start talking about work, including ideas they've just had and are expecting my opinion on. I care about my work…

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Leading Through a Sustained Crisis Requires a Different Approach

By in Business Management, Self Improvement Tag , , , , ,

by Michaela J. Kerrissey and Amy C. Edmondson for the Harvard Business Review In May, the World Health Organization announced the end of the Covid-19 global emergency. Finally. But for many leaders, the announcement lifted little of the burden they carry. While the emergency is over, the crisis is not. We have shifted from the sudden crisis of the pandemic’s arrival to what we call a sustained crisis — a period of ongoing intense difficulty and uncertainty. The trouble with a sustained crisis is that, unlike a sudden crisis, it arrives with ambiguous signals and no clear start date. As a result, leaders, including those who are great…

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