For the second year in a row, HR Solutions At Work recently participated in the Multi-Chamber Expo run by the Waltham Chamber of Commerce. Over 75 vendors exhibited, representing a variety of local businesses that included local universities, radio stations, non-profit organizations, and more. The live DJ, free food, and prize raffles added to the lively and fun atmosphere of the expo.
Representing HR Solutions At Work were (pictured above, left to right) Office Administrator Alisa Lackey, Program and Communications Manager Jennifer London, and Director of HR Services Natalie Costello. We did manage to sample a few of the goodies on offer (shoutout to Lizzy’s Ice Cream in particular, based right in Waltham, for loading us up with more free ice cream than we probably should have consumed in one sitting!), but most of our time was spent networking, explaining how our company differs from other fractional HR companies, and — always a crowd favorite — running our HR trivia game. (It’s hard to resist a giant “FREE CHOCOLATE” sign, but it turns out it’s equally hard to resist a colorful spinning prize wheel.)
This was our second time running our trivia game, and by far our favorite part was when people came over thinking this would be an easy “win” and then realized there’s so much more to learn about HR rules and regulations — especially as the employment laws keep changing, workplaces keep adapting, and so on. (Our second-favorite part was watching people’s faces light up when they won a full-size chocolate bar!)
In fact, our trivia game has been so popular, it’s got us thinking: Maybe, in 2025, we should bring some of this trivia fun to our social media. Good idea? Bad idea? Be honest: are you only in it for the chocolate? Let us know what you think over on our LinkedIn page!
A huge thank you to Waltham Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Molyna Richards for organizing the event and including us once more.
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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Radio stations have been playing holiday songs for months, but now that we’re nearing the end of the year, the holiday season is officially upon us. For the month of November, we polled people in our Wondering Wednesday series on LinkedIn to learn more about how employees want their organizations to handle the holidays. Annual party? Department lunch? Group outing? Make sure your company is ready for the holiday season this year – we think some of the results might surprise you.
Your company may have already planned this year’s holiday party, but you might want to consider foregoing the party in future years. From our polling results, only 9% of respondents wanted a holiday party; put another way, 91% of respondents want their company to celebrate the holidays with something that is not a holiday party. If you do still hold an annual holiday party, the consensus is clear that this should be held during business hours – workers want to spend their evenings and weekends with their friends and family rather than attending an extra (if not required, often “strongly encouraged”) work event.
So what do employees want? In a word: connection. The number one thing workers reported valuing in the workplace is their colleagues – so employers should consider options that foster these relationships.
Rather than a large gathering, which can often feel impersonal (particularly for companies with hundreds of employees), workers are increasingly preferring a company-sponsored lunch, whether it’s a company potluck or smaller department lunch. A potluck lunch feels more personal, not only within a team but also company-wide, because it allows people to try their coworkers’ favorite home-cooked or store-bought foods, strike up a conversation about why the dish may be special to them, maybe even exchange recipes (unless, of course, it’s a secret family recipe – but even that is a great conversation starter!). It’s more of a give-and-take opportunity than a more formal, corporate event with catered food and small talk, and a potluck builds on the feeling of sharing and collaboration to increase employee engagement and job satisfaction. The company can provide funds for ingredients or even provide prizes for the most popular dishes.
Department lunches have a similar element of connection. Rather than being company-wide, which could include people you hardly interact with, a department lunch involves only the core group of people you interact with the most – the people you most want and need to build relationships with. These lunches can be a nice way to celebrate the team’s achievements over the past year and to celebrate the coming year with the people you work most closely with. A good rule of thumb is to limit any work talk to opening remarks about the team’s successes and to otherwise encourage workers to get to know each other outside of work roles and responsibilities. Prepared icebreakers can help prevent lulls in the conversation.
Vying for the top spot in our poll results, another option for an end-of-the-year event is a group activity everyone can do together. This can still feel like a more organized “event,” if that’s what your organization prefers, but without the formality of, say, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Some popular ideas include things like bowling or renting out a suite at a professional sports game arena. Some off-the-beaten-path ideas can include ice skating and hot chocolate, a private cooking/baking class, or doing an escape room together. Be sure to focus on things everyone can do, regardless of ability.
Finally, when we asked participants what they would like to see companies do more of around the holiday season, the clear winner was staff appreciation gifts. Companies don’t need to do something lavish to show their appreciation to their employees (although reallocating funds otherwise spent on a holiday party is one idea). End-of-year appreciation gifts can be given by individual managers, by departments, or by the company leadership, and they should be higher-quality items that make it clear this is not just a “check the box” gesture (which is the opposite of what you’re aiming for!).
Some suggestions of gifts employees love are fleece jackets, gift cards to local restaurants, and even portable speakers, while mouse pads, stress balls, and t-shirts are passé.
Want to participate in the conversation or see the results for yourself? Head on 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.
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It’s the time of year when employers are putting together new benefit packages and employees are electing benefits for the coming year. For the month of October, we polled people in our Wondering Wednesday series on LinkedIn to learn more about the benefits employees prioritize when considering potential employers. Employers, take note: some of these results may surprise you.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to employers that mental health benefits are an important consideration. The 2023 American Psychological Association Work in America survey found that 92% of workers said it’s important to them to work for an organization that provides support for employee mental health, but 57% are unsatisfied with the mental health and well-being support offered by their employer. In other words: employers can do better.
There are many ways employers can support employee mental health, but our results show that workers prefer an allowance they can use as they choose rather than a limited selection of specific services (e.g., mindfulness apps, Employee Assistance Programs, online therapy). Wellness allowances or stipends allow employees to choose how to allocate monthly mental health funds provided by their employer; they may choose to use these funds for things such as the aforementioned mindfulness apps or online therapy, but their mental health may also benefit from gym memberships, wellness retreats, nutritionist visits, acupuncture, chiropractic care, and more.
As we found in last month’s Wondering Wednesday roundup, employees overwhelmingly prioritize flexibility over high-caliber benefit packages — and this month’s results again leave no room for doubt that having options makes employers attractive to workers.
In recent years, we've seen more businesses embracing the potential for a four-day workweek, whether it’s year-round or only over the summer. We’ve written before about the importance of flexible schedules in helping to mitigate employee burnout, which can have serious consequences such as clinical depression and heart disease. Shortened workweeks may not be feasible for all companies or positions, but they are definitely worth exploring for employers looking to increase employee retention and satisfaction. You may be surprised by the types of companies that have successfully integrated four-day workweeks for eligible positions, including well-known businesses like Microsoft and Lamborghini.
Another option growing in popularity is sabbatical leave, an extended break from work that allows employees to focus on personal growth, study, or travel. Sabbatical leaves can be paid or unpaid and typically last from one month to one year, depending on the business or industry. Whether paid or unpaid, the guaranteed reinstatement at the end of the leave of absence makes sabbaticals an attractive benefit. Although once reserved for professors at universities, sabbaticals have become more common in a variety of industries from medicine to finance.
Many employers are focused on unique fringe benefits such as pet insurance or legal services, but overwhelmingly, our survey found that what employees really want is assistance with managing their everyday responsibilities. If you’re looking for a perk that will set your company’s benefit package apart from others, consider offering your employees house-cleaning services.
One option for offering cleaning services is for employers to contract with a chosen cleaning agency to provide services at a flat rate and to give employees “cleaning credits” they can use with allocated funds for weekly to monthly cleaning services. Perks like this can increase employee satisfaction and engagement, in addition to being a powerful recruiting tool.
Finally, as most companies have found, when it comes to pre-tax benefits, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are the clear winner. Do employees still want Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)? Absolutely. But more than twice as many people prefer to put their pre-tax dollars toward a savings account not only aimed toward offsetting healthcare costs but also with funds that will roll over into the next year. The uncertainty of knowing how much to set aside for an FSA (which is typically a “use it or lose it” account) makes an HSA that much more appealing, and with workers now being advised to save close to $170,000 for medical expenses in retirement, an HSA starts to feel more like a necessity than a perk. Keep in mind, though, that employers need to offer, and employees need to elect, a high-deductible plan in order to be able to use an HSA.
Want to participate in the conversation or see the results for yourself? Head on 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.
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It feels like it’s only been a blink since we celebrated our tenth anniversary, but somehow an entire year has passed. The past year has seen our company nearly double in size, and it doesn’t look like we’ll be slowing down anytime soon.
We held our second all-hands offsite this year at the beautiful MIT Endicott House in Dedham, MA. As a fully remote company, having our employees together in one place (in person!) is a pretty exciting occasion, and we had so much fun getting to know each other better and learning from each other over the course of the two-day meeting.
Highlights included trainings on writing investigation reports and taking notes for investigations; having one of our clients meet the entire team over Zoom; presentations about employment law updates relating to pay transparency, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, marijuana in the workplace, non-competition agreements, and the Fair Labor Standards Act; and learning about the HR services we offer, including workplace assessments.
We can’t wait to see what the next year will bring. Thank you to all of our clients, referral partners, and, most importantly, our amazing team, many of whom are in the photo above!
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 started a series of weekly questions on our LinkedIn page called Wondering Wednesday. These questions take the form of anonymous polls to encourage honest participation and allow us to gain varied insights into the employee/employer experience.
For the month of September, we focused on the hiring process for both prospective candidates and hiring managers. No matter which side of the table you’re on, both interviewer and interviewee should factor these insights into your interviewing and hiring process.
When we asked companies about red flags for them in the interviewing process, the overwhelming response was when a candidate has no questions. This was ranked higher even than a candidate being late to their own interview; it seems that tardiness is more forgivable than a lack of demonstrated interest. Job candidates should be sure to put a lot of thought and effort into coming up with good questions. Not sure where to start? Research the company you’re interviewing with and use that information as a starting point. You can tailor your questions accordingly to find out more about what their day-to-day work looks like, how the hiring manager sees your role fitting into that picture, what growth opportunities there might be, and so on. Make sure you have questions for each person you interview with, and customize your questions based on their role. Remember that you’re interviewing them while they’re interviewing you!
On the flip side, for job candidates, the biggest red flag is an interview process that takes 3+ hours. Such lengthy interviews can lead to a poor candidate experience in which they’re answering repetitive questions, growing fatigued, and investing a good chunk of time into a position they may not even land. Employers should therefore find ways to streamline the interview process and be thoughtful about how much time they’re taking up for the candidate. A good rule of thumb is that the length of an interview should be commensurate with the role being interviewed for – for example, an entry-level job should have a much shorter interview process than a VP-level job. To shorten the interview process, you could consider doing panel-style interviews, which allow you to include more people in the process while taking less time.
When we asked candidates what they prioritized when considering job opportunities, they overwhelmingly chose flexibility over an excellent benefits package. This feels particularly relevant in today’s post-Covid landscape in which companies are pushing employees to return to working in the office. Employers should put careful thought into where and how they can add flexibility for their employees, not only to attract but also to retain talent. Even if your employees return to the office, think about what could be a reasonable amount of flexibility within that framework to help set you apart from other employers. For example, if you require 2-3 days per week in the office, you can still provide flexibility by allowing employees to shift their hours earlier or later or to choose which days of the week they go into the office.
Finally, we found that the majority of companies that are actively hiring are notifying applicants within 1 week of application if they’re not a fit and will not be considered for an interview, but some companies are lagging behind or not notifying applicants at all. Hiring managers should ensure timely responses to applicants in order to allow candidates to focus their job-hunting efforts elsewhere. This means setting aside time to review applications right away, even if you haven’t had a chance yet to set up interviews with your top candidates. This can feel overwhelming – particularly for a job ad that receives hundreds of applications – but luckily, there are many hiring websites and software options that allow you to set up automated responses so that when you mark a candidate as not qualified, it will automatically notify them. Make sure you leverage existing tools that make your life as a hiring manager easier; it’s a time-saver for you, and it’s a relief for job applicants.
Want to participate in the conversation or see the results for yourself? Head on 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.
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As of July 31, 2024, Massachusetts has joined nearly a dozen other states in the country in enacting pay transparency laws. The new law will take effect on July 31, 2025. The goal of this law is for increased wage transparency in the hiring process to promote fairer compensation practices, eliminate biases based on any protected class, close wage gaps, ensure equal pay for equal work, and help job applicants negotiate salaries more effectively.
The law will require employers to disclose good-faith minimum and maximum salary ranges for job openings, not only in ads for new employees but also for existing employees for their current position or when offered promotions or transfers to a new position.
Note that it is unlawful for employers to retaliate or discriminate against employees or job applicants who request the pay range for a job position. In addition, companies with more than 100 full-time employees must also submit Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) wage data reports annually to the state of Massachusetts; these data reports must include workforce demographic and pay data categorized by race, ethnicity, sex, and job category.
In light of the newly passed law, employers should be proactive in ensuring their job postings – both internal and external – are in compliance with the law’s requirements. This may involve establishing pay ranges for all positions and reviewing the current distribution of salaries across employee positions (for example, longer-term employees’ pay ranges should be examined to make sure they make sense compared to those offered to new employees). Employers may additionally want to develop a communications strategy for notifying employees of the new law and of their right to ask for pay range information.
Keep in mind that pay transparency laws can have significant benefits for employers. Studies have shown that pay transparency boosts employee engagement and retention, improves employees’ confidence that they are paid fairly for the work they do, and boosts overall job satisfaction and motivation. Pay transparency also attracts more qualified applicants for open positions, helps to resolve pay gaps, and can attract more diverse candidates.
Our guidance, based on reviewing other states’ postings and advising employers, is for employers to keep their pay range relatively narrow. We call this the “Goldilocks Rule”: employers don’t want to describe their pay range too narrowly (e.g., a salary range of $64k-$66k) or too broadly (e.g., a salary range of $50k-$200k). Instead, employers should aim for “just right” – a salary range that attracts top candidates, allows some wiggle room for experience (especially between candidates), and is a realistic (good faith) estimate of how much the employer plans to pay the employee in the position.
If you have any questions about the new pay transparency law, our team of experienced HR professionals and lawyers can help you understand the requirements of the law, communicate pay ranges to employees, and ensure your organization is compliant with the new law. We can also conduct pay equity audits and workplace trainings to guide your staff members through the requirements for both the pay transparency and EEO wage data laws. Get in touch with us 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.
...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.