Posted by Brandi Bowers on July 30, 2019 in Human Resources
Free Employer Services and No-cost Employee Benefits? How your county’s TMA (Transportation Management Association) can help you find mobility and sustainability solutions. By Leanne McGowan, Business Development Manager at RideWise, Somerset County’s TMA Most NJ employers and HR professionals don’t realize that their local TMA can be a valuable tool. RideWise TMA in Somerset County, for example, can provide resources, programming and best practice consults on a variety of transportation-related matters, and help your business meet transportation-related sustainability, safety and wellness goals, alleviate pressure on HR and other staff, as well as offer opportunities for employee engagement. Leanne McGowan, Business Development Manager at RideWise, suggests the following to her corporate, business, municipal and non-profit clients, “Think of us as a sustainability partner, transportation options resource and no-cost benefit for employees. We’re happy to help with the basics like transit information, ridesharing registration and vanpooling formation, but...
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Posted by Brandi Bowers on July 5, 2019 in Human Resources
Onboarding – A Key to Retention! By Maggie Johnson If you think onboarding consists of new employees completing documents such I-9 and W-4 forms, among others, on their first day of employment, you may be missing the value a robust onboarding process can bring to your organization. Onboarding can be the key to increased employee engagement, higher productivity and lower turnover. After spending considerable time, effort and, most likely, dollars recruiting the right person to join your organization, it makes sense to make every effort to effectively assimilate that employee into your company for a mutually successful outcome. According to Work Institute’s 2019 Retention Report, there are 150 million people currently working in the US, that’s more than ever before. In 2018, 41.4 million US workers voluntarily left their jobs. National employee voluntary turnover was over 27%. The cost of voluntary turnover is estimated to exceed $600...
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Posted by Brandi Bowers on June 5, 2019 in Human Resources
Medical Marijuana In The Workplace – Update for New Jersey Employers By Maggie Johnson Recreational marijuana use is not yet legalized in New Jersey or New York despite recent attempts by each state’s legislators to do so. However, recreational marijuana use, if legalized, would not necessarily present a problem for employers. As a comparison, alcohol is legal, but employers have the right to prohibit its consumption during working hours and in the workplace. Surely, the same rule would apply to recreational marijuana. But what about medical marijuana? The New Jersey Compassionate Use of Medical Marijuana Act (“CUMMA”) authorizes patients and their primary caregivers who register with the New Jersey Department of Health to possess medical marijuana that has been dispensed by a New Jersey Alternate Treatment Center. Thus, employers may be concerned about employees’ usage of marijuana, prescribed by a physician, for medical purposes. If an employee...
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Posted by Brandi Bowers on April 11, 2019 in Human Resources
Dress Code Policies – Time for Change? By Maggie Johnson In theory, a dress code policy for the workplace could simply consist of two words—Dress Appropriately! However, it seems that employers feel compelled to write policies containing long lists of what and what not to wear in the workplace. Since a vast number of companies have adopted business-casual guidelines for the workplace, isn’t it time to lighten up on rigid dress code policies? In March this year, as reported by the Washington Post (March 21, 2019), even Goldman Sachs, known for its immaculately business-clothed company representatives, officially changed its dress code policy to a “firm-wide flexible dress code.” Tattoos, Facial Jewelry and Wild Hair Some dress code policies state that tattoos must be covered, facial jewelry, such as nose, eyebrow and tongue piercings, are not permitted at work, and hair styles must be conservative. That...
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Posted by Brandi Bowers on March 5, 2019 in Human Resources
Leave Laws and Affected Employers Are Expanding in New Jersey By Maggie Johnson New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy continues to place his mark on state employment law, making life somewhat easier for working families. It wasn’t long ago that New Jersey employers had to become familiar and comply with the New Jersey Earned Sick and Safe Days Act. Here comes the next phase! On February 19, 2019, amendments to the New Jersey Family Leave and SAFE Acts were signed into law and shall become effective on June 30, 2019. In addition, changes were made to New Jersey’s Family Leave Insurance legislation, which are effective on July 1, 2020. However, be aware that there are also new requirements under the provisions of the aforementioned amended laws that employers must comply with now. These amendments will significantly expand the benefits afforded to New Jersey workers, and provide them with...
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Posted by Brandi Bowers on February 7, 2019 in Human Resources
Thoughts on RIFs and Lay Offs By Maggie Johnson It’s said that employees are an organization’s most valuable asset. A stable workforce creates a workplace with no paranoia of job loss, high employee morale, increased knowledge and job skills, and higher productivity. Often, a company that has been recognized as a Best Place to Work has a stable workforce. A stable workforce shows the leadership’s effective strategic planning. I met a CEO of a well- known New York-based, international financial services firm who told me that in more than 30 years of business, his company has never laid off an employee. He explained that this has been due to in-depth and far-sighted business and workforce planning, with consideration for possible changes and dips in market conditions. As such, his workforce doesn’t fluctuate. New positions are added when planned, consistent business growth levels are reached. At a conference,...
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