What's HOT in HR?

I admit, adding #Blogger to any of my online profiles looks like an untruth especially, if you look at the gaps this past couple years with my blogging efforts.  However, I plan to do better going forward starting with this blog I intended to write in August just before I spoke to the Women Entrepreneurs of Central Illinois (WE-CE) at Engrained Brewery Company on Lincolnshire Boulevard here in Springfield, IL.  While it was a fantastic turnout and I delivered my top five HOT HR issues list, I have since had the opportunity to learn more from the following work prep and attendance at various events:

• HR Management Development meeting with a client in and his team;
• The start of my fall class line up with two Managing Organizational Behavior (1 Online & 1 Face2Face) and two Human Resources Management (1 Online & 1 Face2Face) courses;
• HR Audit conducted at a clients client location in Southern IL;
• Full Day HR Training for another clients client (yes, I sub contract);
• A speaking Gig at MEI-SHRM with my pal +Dave Ryan ;
• HR Handbook training in three client locations;
• A Conflict Management Training at a clients client while another FLSA program I developed was being delivered to my client by a consultant I hired since I couldn't be in two places at once;
• Another speaking Gig at OHSHRM16 +Dave Ryan while sitting in on a recruiting session with friend +Tiffany Kuehl and an enticing conversation about performance management changes with another colleague; and
• Finally speaking about HR Metrics and Workforce Analytics in the grand theater at Drury Lane in Oakbrooke Terrace earlier this week at ILSHRM16 in addition to a fabulous dinner and presentation by Ultimate Software at Gibson's Steakhouse.

So it's been a full couple of months of HR intake as you can see with not much time for recording.  Here goes the list I shared at the WE meeting with some additional information learned since then.  

1. OVERTIME EXEMPTION RULE: The new DOL overtime rule affects all positions that are exempt based on the Administrative, Executive, and Professional duties tests.  Basically, the minimum and maximum dollar thresholds are being changed.  The minimum an exempt employee can make is $46,476 and the maximum is $134,004 as long as all other aspects pass the exemption tests. All employers will have until December 1, 2016 to comply.  I strongly suggest they not only make a decision on the threshold but audit all jobs currently considered exempt to make sure they actually pass the duties tests.  In my work as an HR Consultant, I do a great deal of HR Audits and I have found more so than not organization do not fully understand how to comply and have positions misqualified as exempt.  Just last night the House voted to postpone this DOL requirement but before your put the brakes on what I suggested, remember it has to go through the Senate and White House which is unlikely to be passed.
2. ELECTION ISSUES: Everyone should pay attention to HR and organizational management issues that will affect them in the workplace.  These include: ACA-Employer Effects, Overtime, Immigration Reform, Retirement Reform, Medical & Family Leaves, Pay Equity, NLRB & Union Organizing, Employee versus Independent Contractor and EEOC Protections.
3. WORKFLEX: When 8% of the overall workforce and 10% of the IT workforce will entertain a pay decrease to have flexibility in their job according to recent study's, employer's need to give up the old philosophy of "seeing is believing".  In other words, realize employees can be held responsible to get the job done when they are not sitting right out your door.  Programs such as Job Sharing, Hours Changes, Telecommuting, Work from Home, etc. are all options to engage and empower the workplace.
4. ONBOARDING & RETENTION: The investment we put into our onboarding process as employers makes a huge impact on whether or not the new employee stays or not.  This is a huge problem when skills are so hard to find already with a growing labor shortage and generational impact.  Statistically, over 57% of new employees leave their job within the first 12 months.  If they are in a senior level position, it is likely that 1 out of every 2 will leave within 18 months.  If you calculate the average cost of each hire which starts at $4k minimum, the total cost of replacement can be as much as 150% of each salary.  So for example an employee with an $80K per year salary would cost $120k to replace them.  Fix this alone and your bottom line will see an improvement.
5. PART TIME STATUS: Make sure your part-time employees are receiving the benefits they are due based on changes in the regulations.  ACA, FMLA, and recent changes to 401k requirements may have an impact.  Also, think about your competition who are starting to offer competitive benefits to their part-timers like Starbucks.

Thanks for reading, feel free to comment, and I hope to post again sooner than later this time around!