We’re all familiar with the phrase "work-life balance," which refers to the idea that we should be able to meet the demands of both work and life in a way that feels manageable. But in an era where work and home often overlap, balance alone isn’t enough. What’s missing is structure: boundaries that protect our time, energy, and well-being.
Work-life boundaries are clear, intentional limits that give people the space to step away from work and truly be present in their personal lives, and also help them be more focused and productive during work hours. These boundaries define when the workday starts and ends, how communication is handled after hours, and what level of availability is expected. Without boundaries, balance is hard to achieve and even harder to maintain. Boundaries are especially helpful for individuals who work from home, either full-time or hybrid, to ensure a dedicated physical and mental space for work time versus personal time.
Organizations that support these boundaries help protect employee well-being, reduce burnout, and foster a culture where people are empowered professionally and personally.
Boundaries help employees thrive and contribute to the organization’s success. When boundaries are hard to maintain, employees may be more likely to leave, have lower productivity, or "quiet quit" (i.e., stay in their job but disengage emotionally and put in minimal effort). Conversely, organizations that help employees maintain work-life boundaries often see stronger morale, improved retention, and higher engagement. When employees feel empowered to disconnect from work during their personal time, they bring renewed and focused energy to their work time.
Employers and individual managers should build a culture and model habits that reinforce boundaries. Small shifts in mindset and behavior can send a powerful message to employees that their organization wants to help them prioritize work during work time and personal needs during non-work time.
Leadership can set the example by:
Small, intentional actions like these can help build trust and reinforce that people are valued as whole individuals, not just as employees. Over time, these actions help shape a culture where boundaries are respected and balance is built into everyday work, not just written into policy.
Organizations that support work-life boundaries are investing in long-term performance, loyalty, and culture. In a world that can feel like we are always “on,” the best workplaces create space to truly disconnect.
Boundaries work best when organizations support them. Employers can help support work-life boundaries in a variety of ways:
When both employers and employees maintain effective boundaries, work time becomes more focused, personal time is more meaningful, and burnout becomes less likely.
Employers can enhance employee engagement in many ways, from policies to practices that respect employee boundaries. The professionals at HR Solutions At Work can help with communication strategies, culture assessments, policies, surveys, and training. Send us a message or schedule a free consultation to discuss your organization’s needs.
Because every situation presents unique facts, the information provided in this article is for general information and is not intended to be legal advice regarding any specific situation. This information may be considered advertising in some states. Any links to third-party sites are for your convenience. HR Solutions At Work does not endorse specific sites or guarantee the accuracy of the information on those sites. Please contact us if you have any questions about this information or our services.
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With the increase in remote and hybrid work following the Covid-19 pandemic, many employers have struggled to navigate the different state laws applicable to remote workers. What once felt like a straightforward question — Where does an employee work? — has become more complicated when someone can live in one state, log in from another, and travel frequently between both.
This isn’t just a theoretical challenge. State wage and hour laws, tax obligations, and leave requirements often differ in significant ways. Employers who overlook those differences may face unexpected liabilities or compliance risks.
A recent case in the Massachusetts Superior Court brought this issue into sharp focus by highlighting the confusion that can arise around individuals who work from home in one state being employed by a company in another state.
In Dubois v. Staples, Inc., et al. (Civil No. 23-1746-BLS1), the Massachusetts Superior Court had to decide which state’s wage act applied to a sales employee working from Rhode Island, with a sales territory in New York and New Jersey, for a company with its headquarters in Massachusetts. To complicate things further, during the final months of her employment, the employee started to cover Massachusetts-based clients.
Making sense of this isn’t straightforward, even for seasoned employers. To recap, the variables in question were:
The employee filed a wage claim in court in Massachusetts, and the employer tried to dismiss the claim based on the argument that Rhode Island law would apply. Ultimately, the court ruled that because the employer was located in Massachusetts and the employee did occasional work for Massachusetts-based clients, the Massachusetts Wage Act could apply and the case could proceed.
The court’s ruling means that, under some circumstances, an employee who lives and works out-of-state can bring claims for unpaid wages and commissions under the Massachusetts Wage Act. This ruling does not mean, however, that the employee could not have instead filed a claim in Rhode Island, their home state. Moreover, the states of New York and/or New Jersey might also be willing to lay claim to the case, given that the employee primarily sold to clients in those states.
In other words, multiple states may have a legitimate claim to regulate the same employment relationship.
Our HR and legal professionals can help you ensure that your pay (or other relevant) policies are consistent with the various states where your employees work — or reside, or even do some work occasionally. Send us a message or schedule a free consultation to discuss your organization’s needs.
Because every situation presents unique facts, the information provided in this article is for general information and is not intended to be legal advice regarding any specific situation. This information may be considered advertising in some states. Any links to third-party sites are for your convenience. HR Solutions At Work does not endorse specific sites or guarantee the accuracy of the information on those sites. Please contact us if you have any questions about this information or our services.
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In many of the investigations we have conducted, employees who reported workplace issues said they would have preferred to resolve the matter informally, but their concerns were either ignored or minimized. Filing an internal report is often a last resort to get an issue addressed before an employee decides to resign or take other, more adversarial, action.
Early, intentional, and active listening can help employers learn about and address an issue before it escalates into complaints, employee resignations, and/or legal action, all of which mandate an employer response. Moreover, employees who feel heard and appreciated tend to have high levels of engagement and retention.
Resolving conflict starts with understanding not only what happened but also how the underlying incident affected the employee’s workplace responsibilities and interactions. Expressing empathy for what the employee is feeling builds trust in you and in the employee relations process; as a result, employees are more likely to feel safe enough to share what is happening.
Recognizing early signs of conflict and responding quickly can be key. Signals of unresolved conflict may take the form of an offhand comment in an email or one-on-one, reduced engagement in team meetings, or incomplete tasks. When these signs occur, it’s important to inquire further by asking questions, listening, and quickly responding to any concerns that are communicated. For example, asking an employee who seems to be struggling with a task if they have everything they need to get the project completed might reveal a concern about or issue with a colleague.
Although time is often limited during the workday, there are practical tools and approaches that can support the early identification and assessment of workplace concerns. For example, many managers hold regular check-ins or one-on-one meetings with their team members. These conversations are an opportunity to ask how employees are feeling and not just what they’re working on. Skip-level meetings are another useful method, allowing leaders to connect directly with employees two levels below them to make it easier for employees to speak up and share concerns that might not otherwise be shared.
Other proactive tools include pulse surveys, stay interviews, and exit interviews, all of which can quickly gauge how employees are feeling. Individually, these tools may not catch everything, but they’re effective, accessible ways to identify concerns early and learn from them.
Although listening may sound simple (pun intended), it’s a skill that evolves with time, intention, and practice. Interactive training using realistic case studies can help managers develop their skills for listening critically and responding appropriately.
These tips can help support more present and thoughtful listening:
While listening is essential, taking action is important, too. Failing to respond or act on what was shared can damage trust, causing employees to withdraw and problems to potentially worsen. Taking action shows employees that their concerns matter, encourages open communication, and helps prevent problems from getting worse.
Although conflict can still occur, most issues handled early and thoughtfully help build trust, reduce formal complaints, strengthen relationships, and keep employees engaged and committed. Listening with care sets the tone for faster, more considerate outcomes. When listening is genuine, resolution becomes more timely, more human, and more respectful.
If your organization would like to learn more about proactive employee relations, pulse surveys, exit interviews, stay interviews, investigations, or training, our team of experienced Employee Relations professionals, HR professionals, and employment lawyers at HR Solutions At Work can help! Send us a message or schedule a free consultation to discuss your organization’s needs.
Because every situation presents unique facts, the information provided in this article is for general information and is not intended to be legal advice regarding any specific situation. This information may be considered advertising in some states. Any links to third-party sites are for your convenience. HR Solutions At Work does not endorse specific sites or guarantee the accuracy of the information on those sites. Please contact us if you have any questions about this information or our services.
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In today’s always-connected world, it’s tempting to send a quick email or direct message (e.g., using Slack or Teams) outside work hours — and just as tempting to expect a quick reply. But for employers, allowing employees to work after hours can create legal and financial issues related to non-exempt employees, as well as cultural and employee engagement issues with all employees.
State and federal wage and hour laws require employers to pay non-exempt employees (typically hourly workers) for all time worked — including time spent checking emails or responding to texts or messages — even if that work is done outside typical work hours. Even “off-the-clock” tasks that take just a few minutes can add up. If an employee answers a late-night message or takes a call on a weekend, that time is compensable — and it could push them into overtime.
It's also important for managers to think before they hit “send” after hours, because there might be an implicit message that an after-hours response is expected. Employees don’t always log the time they work outside regular business hours, but the burden is still on the employer to pay for the time. If employees do not accurately capture and compensate this time, it can lead to wage-and-hour violations, back pay liability, and potential lawsuits or Department of Labor audits.
While exempt employees (like salaried managers or professionals) are not subject to overtime rules, that doesn’t mean they should be expected to be available 24/7. Constant after-hours device use can quickly blur the line between work and personal life, leading to burnout, disengagement, decreased productivity during core working hours, lower morale, and, ultimately, high turnover.
When the norm becomes “always on,” employees struggle to truly unplug, which can hurt their mental health and long-term performance. Even for highly motivated workers, the lack of boundaries can result in diminishing returns.
Employers should take proactive steps to protect both their organizations and their employees:
Giving employees devices and remote access can be essential for flexibility, but that flexibility comes with the risk of “job creep,” where work extends outside employees’ scheduled work hours. Employers must stay compliant with wage laws by ensuring all time worked is reported and compensated. In addition, employers and supervisors should prioritize employee well-being by setting boundaries that encourage true rest and should model that work-life balance by not sending off-hours messages. In the long run, a team that can disconnect is one that stays not only legally compliant but also energized and engaged.
Need help encouraging employees to unplug after hours or ensuring your organization is staying compliant with wage laws? Our team of experienced HR professionals and lawyers can help! Send us a message or schedule a free consultation to discuss your organization’s needs.
Because every situation presents unique facts, the information provided in this article is for general information and is not intended to be legal advice regarding any specific situation. This information may be considered advertising in some states. Any links to third-party sites are for your convenience. HR Solutions At Work does not endorse specific sites or guarantee the accuracy of the information on those sites. Please contact us if you have any questions about this information or our services.
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One question we hear a lot, as a company providing third-party investigations, is a simple one: What is the benefit of hiring an outside investigator? Monica Tesler, Esq., Workplace Investigator and Legal Counsel for HR Solutions At Work, shares her perspective.
Workplace investigations are frequently handled effectively in house, but often there are good reasons to go to an outside, independent firm. For example, outsourcing an investigation can reduce actual or perceived bias and convey to employees that the workplace issues are taken seriously. If an investigation involves executives or board members, hiring an outside firm adds objectivity and impartiality to the process.
When the company’s own lawyer does the investigation, they may become a fact witness. If litigation is likely, using an independent investigator can preserve the attorney-client privilege and add weight to the investigation itself. Additionally, the legal and human resources departments at a leanly staffed company might not always have the bandwidth to conduct a thorough investigation.
Though I conducted workplace investigations for years before joining HR Solutions At Work, both in private practice and as in-house counsel, all of my investigation experience came through the lens of advocacy, and much of it came as an insider. As I close out my first year at HR Solutions At Work, I have a deeper understanding of the reasons to hire a neutral, outside investigator.
This may seem like an obvious point, but an outside investigator has a better ability to be objective in an investigation. My guess at the story — the truth, if you will — during an initial client intake meeting almost always turns out to be wrong, or at least not quite right. Before I commence an investigation, I make a point to step back and make sure I’m starting with a clean slate. As the facts unfold through employee interviews and the review of documents, that distance allows me to analyze the evidence with a neutral eye.
This has illustrated to me the power and insidiousness of preconceived notions. Even without knowing the players involved, I can unconsciously craft a story in my head of what happened from a preliminary meeting — which I know better than to indulge. Imagine, then, the temptation to rely on those narratives when they feature coworkers with whom you have been working for years. You may not even recognize it as a temptation so much as take it for granted as a fact, even if it is not. This bias is hard to erase, despite best efforts.
Hiring an outside investigator ensures a level of objectivity that is rarely achievable from an insider. You just can’t get the same view of a situation from directly in front of it as you can from a hundred yards away.
When you hire an outside investigator, one of the things you are investing in is judgment. Experienced investigators bring their judgment to bear when conducting employee interviews, reviewing documents, and deciding which facts should be considered in conducting an investigation within the engaged scope. A lot of things can be true without being relevant, and it takes an experienced eye to be able to discern between the two. An unnecessarily broad investigation can waste time and money and runs the risk of misdirecting the focus.
An experienced third-party investigator brings a judicious eye to fact finding that may not be available through in-house resources or even an outside law firm.
When I worked as an in-house counsel overseeing my company’s human resources department, managing the results of an investigation was one of the hardest parts of my job. I had to work with leadership to make decisions about terminating an employee and handle employee relations in the aftermath.
As an outside investigator, I roll up my sleeves and hit the ground running when engaged to conduct an investigation, but once I have delivered the findings, my exit is just as fast. In other words, I am not in the picture for difficult conversations with employees after the conclusion of an investigation, which also means that I am unencumbered by the weight of potentially difficult business decisions, further enhancing the objectivity of my findings.
So, to answer the original question: What are the benefits of hiring a third-party investigator? When you hire an outside investigator, what you’re getting is true objectivity from the hundred-yard line; years of experience leading to more-informed judgment calls; and an unencumbered third party who understands the stakes of an investigation without feeling the weight of those stakes personally.
Because every situation presents unique facts, the information provided in this article is for general information and is not intended to be legal advice regarding any specific situation. This information may be considered advertising in some states. Any links to third-party sites are for your convenience. HR Solutions At Work does not endorse specific sites or guarantee the accuracy of the information on those sites. Please contact us if you have any questions about this information or our services.
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We recently polled people in our Wondering Wednesday series on LinkedIn to learn more about employees’ preferences regarding company-sponsored learning. Company-sponsored training and development can take many forms, from mandatory annual harassment refresher courses to workshops, online courses, and even mentorship opportunities. Mandatory training doesn’t always have the best reputation, but it’s important and, in some circumstances, may be legally required. In addition to mandatory training, companies should consider sponsoring additional training and development opportunities that help employees perform their jobs effectively and advance their careers. Investing in employee development can also increase employee engagement, retention, and job satisfaction – all worthy goals for organizations of any size.
We asked what format employees find to be the best use of their time for company-sponsored learning, and Lunch and Learns were the clear winner, with 64% of respondents choosing Lunch and Learns over options like one-day workshops and webinars. Lunch and Learns are training sessions typically offered by companies as an opportunity for employees to build professional skills.
When it comes to in-person Lunch and Learns, it’s not just the free lunch that draws employees in (though, let’s be honest, that definitely helps with attendance). Because they’re held during the lunch hour, Lunch and Learns don’t detract from employees’ productive time and allows them to have some casual interaction with colleagues.
Respondents overwhelmingly found People Management 101 to be the most “surprisingly helpful” required workplace training. This makes sense when you think about it: Anyone promoted to a managerial position for the first time is going to learn a lot from a people-management training, even an intro-level course, because they’ll be going into it with little or no prior experience managing direct reports. This kind of training can heavily affect a new manager’s day-to-day interactions with the people they manage, as well as prepare them for giving performance reviews and difficult feedback. This is an important training that employers should consider offering all new managers; effective managers are better communicators and collaborators, and they can influence everything from employee job performance to retention rates.
In response to our question about the “most meaningful support” employers could give to employee learning, respondents were split between paid tuition of online courses and conference attendance. Online courses can have a long-term impact on a person’s career, offering professional certifications or full degrees, and they allow for greater flexibility than in-person courses, typically allowing people to learn at their own pace from wherever they like. An almost equal number of respondents said that the most meaningful support would come through conference attendance. Conferences tend to be more focused in subject matter immediately relevant to the participant’s job or industry. An added benefit of going to a conference is the opportunity to network and interact with peers, industry experts, and thought leaders.
The split between answers may come down to the stage of your career and what role and industry you’re in. For example, a recent college graduate just starting a career in software engineering may benefit from tuition reimbursement for an online certification course in a new programming language. A scientist, on the other hand, may find more value in attending a conference where they can present their own achievements, network with peers doing similar work, learn about the latest technologies they can apply to their research, and so on.
Despite the recent trend to leverage online and virtual technology, employers may be surprised to learn that respondents found live, in-person training to be the most effective format.
Many companies have heavily leveraged click-through online courses for speed and digital tracking purposes, as well as ease of administration and cost savings. In-person training, however, allows participants to focus, pay closer attention, and engage with the facilitators and learning environment. In addition, many people get screen fatigue with online learning or may be tempted to multi-task during a virtual or click-through course.
Given that employees prefer in-person training, companies may want to consider this for onsite workers; if you take employee preferences into account, you are likely to have better engagement and more effective use of employees’ time.
To participate in the conversation, see the results for yourself, or learn about our interactive training offerings, email info@hrsolutionsatwork.com or head over to the HR Solutions At Work LinkedIn page, where we post a new poll every Wednesday!
Because every situation presents unique facts, the information provided in this article is for general information and is not intended to be legal advice regarding any specific situation. This information may be considered advertising in some states. Any links to third-party sites are for your convenience. HR Solutions At Work does not endorse specific sites or guarantee the accuracy of the information on those sites. Please contact us if you have any questions about this information or our services.
...Because every situation presents unique facts, the information on this website and its blog is provided for general information and is not intended to be legal advice regarding any specific situation. This information may be considered advertising in some states.
Any links to third-party sites are for your convenience. HR Solutions At Work does not endorse specific sites or guarantee the accuracy of the information on those sites.
Please contact us if you have any questions about this site or our services.