Focused Articles

Employee Political Behavior in a Government Workplace – What is Protected

By Sara Arfmann posted yesterday
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This is an updated version of an article previously published in 2021. Municipalities, Counties, and Special Districts that are subdivisions of state government must provide First Amendment protections to their employees. Understanding those protections for political behavior can be difficult. Under the First Amendment, both free speech and freedom of belief and association are protected. Additionally, state law may add additional protection for certain actions. For example, Colorado has the Protections for Public Workers Act (PROPWA), which provides workplace rights to public employees for political activity. To determine what is protected in any given situation, ...
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How to Recognize a Request for ADA Accommodation

By Barbara Bagdon posted 8 days ago
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Many ADA claims do not result from an employer denying ADA accommodation requests – rather, they result from an employer failing to recognize ADA accommodation requests in the first place . Because the ADA does not require that an employee ’s request for accommodation be made in a formal manner, it may be difficult for employers to recognize when a request that triggers the interactive process has been made. No Magic Words Required While , generally, an employee must initiate the ADA process , the employee does not need to use any magic words or put their request in writing to put the ...
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Colorado FAMLI Is Exhausted- Now What?

By Mellyni Libsack posted 8 days ago
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When an employee reache s the end of Colorado FAMLI leave, H R must be prepare d to answer the question frequently posed by management : what comes next ? The short answer is that the end of state mandated wage replacement benefits does not automatically mean the end of employer obligations. Before a return-to-work or separation decision, employers should pause and confirm whether other protections or internal leave policies still apply. Start with the bigger compliance picture When FAMLI is exhausted, the key question is not just whether the employee has used all available benefits. ...
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What Employers Can Learn From a Recent Promotion Dispute

By Erika Paulus posted 15 days ago
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A 2026 Tenth Circuit case, Jiang v. City of Tulsa , reinforces an important principle in employment discrimination law: courts generally focus on whether an employer honestly believed its stated reason for an employment decision—not whether the decision was fair, wise, or correct. In this case, an employee claimed he was denied a promotion because of his race and age. Although he possessed the strongest technical qualifications, the employer sought a candidate with leadership experience and selected another applicant. The employee argued the decision was discriminatory, pointing to procedural irregularities, subjective evaluation criteria, and his superior ...
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After the RIF

By Kendra Kelly posted 09-09-2026
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Preparing for a reduction in force (RIF) requires careful planning. Leaders must ensure legal compliance, craft an effective communications strategy, create honorable exits for those impacted, and design severance packages that are meaningful to employees yet affordable for the company. For those involved in the planning and execution, a significant letdown often follows. Few leaders realize their post-RIF actions are equally important. In most organizations, a RIF is treated as the change event. In reality, the RIF is just the beginning of the change. Anticipate Voluntary Turnover A RIF almost always results in voluntary turnover. The workers ...
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Ready for Compensation Planning 2027? What's Changed and What to Act On Now

By Jason Aston posted 08-26-2026
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The annual salary budget surveys are in, and the numbers lo ok familiar. Payscale's 2026 - 2027 Salary Budget Survey projects average U.S. pay increases of 3.5% for 2027, up slightly from the 3.4% employers reported giving in 2026. WTW's Salary Budget Planning Report has the number at 3.4%. If those percentages feel like they've been stuck in neutral, you're not wrong. But behind the flat headline numbers, l et's look at what's different heading into 2027 and where your planning time is best spent. Here are a few key compensation topics to review as you b uild your 2027 Compensation Planning agenda. ...
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The Value of Onboarding

By Wayne D'Antoni posted 08-19-2026
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In these turbulent times that define today’s employment landscape, savvy employers understand the importance of an in-depth and robust onboarding program to retain the ideal applicants to fill critical open positions on their teams . M embers tell us that n ew hires do no t feel adequately prepared to assume productive roles in their new jobs unless o nboarding address es culture, technology , and benefits . In addition, we hear their new employees want more inf ormation on mental and physical health resources, more opportunities to make personal connections with team members, and more guidance on how ...
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Do Your Company PTO Accrual and Usage Policies Comply with Colorado’s Sick Leave Law?

By Dustin Brown posted 08-19-2026
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It is not surprising we get a lot of calls from employers with questions about Colorado’s Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA) sick leave law. While the law (and its implementing regulations) is quite lengthy in terms of requirements, it often lacks the clarity needed for employers focused on the minutiae of business operations , but not so much on the nuances of sick leave law . Accrual Pitfalls One area of nuance is the way in which HFWA is written with respect to accrual rates . HFWA requires that employers provide all employees with 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up ...
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Form I-9: Tips to Avoid Noncompliance

By Ashley Eidson posted 08-12-2026
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Form I-9 compliance is one of those HR responsibilities that seems straightforward until you realize how small mis steps create big risks and costly penalties . Especially due to recent ICE changes described in t his article about substantive errors . Most I-9 noncompliance issues are not dramatic fraud cases . This article walks through the basic I-9 completion process and the most common pitfalls, plus what to watch for when documents look questionable. THE I-9 COMPLETION PROCESS The I-9 process has three operational phases: employee completion (Section 1), employer ...
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AI Is Changing Benefits Administration — Is Your Organization Ready?

By Kirsten Ellis posted 08-05-2026
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Artifi ci al intelligence ( AI ) promise s to make HR professionals more efficient and effective , including how to administer and communicate employee benefits. Imagine if you asked AI to evaluate yo ur specific benefits plans for how to save 20% . AI can do that, but should it be used that way? Caution is merited, as AI can provide erroneous information and employee privacy w ould be violated if confidential information is entered into certain AI program s . T his doesn’t mean AI should not be used for benefits administration , but there ...
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How Employees Are Leveraging AI Against Employers

By Mark Decker posted 08-05-2026
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Employers have spent considerable energy asking how artificial intelligence (AI) will reshape workforce management. A quieter but equally important question deserves attention: how are employees using AI to advance their own interests? Increasingly, the answer is that they are doing so effectively, and what once required legal counsel or technical expertise can now be accomplished in minutes with a free AI tool. Two developing areas illustrate the stakes. AI-Generated Images and Hostile Work Environment Liability The rules governing AI deepfake harassment claims are not new; they are the same hostile work environment ...
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Denying Pregnancy Accommodations Could Result in More than a Violation of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

By Erika Paulus posted 07-29-2026
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In March 2026, an Ohio jury hit an employer with a $22.5 million verdict [( Larkin v. Total Quality Logistics, LLC, (Ohio, 2026)] after denying a pregnant employee’s request to work from home—despite her doctor’s orders. The lawsuit wasn’t even brought under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Instead, it was a wrongful death claim, and the jury found the employer 90% responsible for the death of the employee’s baby. What Happened A claims specialist at Total Quality Logistics, experienced serious pregnancy complications and underwent an emergency procedure to prevent early labor. Her doctor twice requested ...
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How to Evaluate a Benefits Broker Partnership, Step by Step

By Jeannie Valliere posted 07-24-2026
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Many organizations have a structured process in place when hiring a key employee. They define the role, write interview questions, compare candidates against consistent criteria, and document the decision. Selecting an employee benefits broker deserves the same rigor. Your relationship with them shapes your renewal strategy, your plan design, your compliance calendar, and the experience your employees have every time they use their coverage. Most organizations inherit their broker relationship rather than select it. The account came with an acquisition, a referral, or a decision made years ago under different circumstances. Running a periodic, structured evaluation ...
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EAPs and Mental Health Benefits: Why Employees Don’t Use Them—and What Employers Can Do

By Chelsea Jensen posted 07-15-2026
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Employers invest in Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and mental health benefits to support employee well-being and productivity. However, these programs remain significantly underutilized. While a majority of employers offer EAPs, recent data from World at Work highlights the gap. More than half of employees have never used them, and notably, 31% of employees who reported needing support still did not access their EAP. More broadly, research from the Employee Assistance Professional Association indicates that only 6–10% of employees use EAP services annually. In many cases, utilization rates fall even ...
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How to Set Effective Employee Performance Goals

By Community Manager posted 07-08-2026
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Meaningful and productive employee performance goals must be structured thoughtfully. Here are the key steps to help your managers set effective goals that hold employees accountable and aligned with organizational priorities. SMART Framework This widely used model for goal setting is simple and impactful. Specific: The goal should be clear and unambiguous, stating exactly what is to be achieved to enhance accountability. Measurable: The goal must have clear criteria for tracking progress and success. Achievable: The goal should be realistic, given the resources, time, and skills available. Relevant: The goal should align with both ...
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A Reminder on Employer Holiday Policies and Colorado’s Sick Leave

By Dustin Brown posted 07-01-2026
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We often receive calls from Colorado employers frustrated with employees that have taken advantage of the employer’s paid holidays by tacking-on paid time off (PTO) to the paid holiday to extend their leave. While it may frustrate employers, this is a common practice which is not likely to end soon. After all, who doesn’t want a longer vacation without having to use PTO? Nevertheless, when employers attempt to prohibit or punish employees for the practice, issues may arise. Employers can put any lawful restrictions they deem necessary on their leave policies. This means employers can legally require employees to work their scheduled days before and ...
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Kindness is a Business Strategy: Redefining the Employee Lifecycle

By Sherry Martin posted 06-24-2026
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In professional circles, "kindness" is often misunderstood. It is sometimes dismissed as being "too soft" or mistaken for a lack of accountability. However, true kindness in the workplace isn't about avoiding the hard things; it’s about providing the clarity and support that people need to thrive. Kindness is a proactive retention strategy. By institutionalizing respect for the employee experience, leaders mitigate the high costs of turnover and litigation, ensuring the organization remains a stable and attractive destination for top-tier talent . Le t’s review how weaving this approach into the three stages of the e ...
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GLP-1 Drugs in the workplace: HR and Compliance considerations

By Employers Council Staff posted 06-17-2026
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In recent years, prescription medications like Ozempic and Wegovy (GLP-1s) have risen in visibility as weight-loss drugs. According to a Gallup 2024 survey, six percent of U.S. adults, representing an estimated 15.5 million people , report having used injectable diabetes medicine to reduce weight, including 3% who are currently using such medicine specifically for this purpose. This trend raises important questions for Human Resources and legal compliance teams in the workplace. Risks The GLP-1 drugs are expensive and can quickly drive up pharmacy benefit costs and insurance premiums ...
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What CEOs Really Expect from HR

By Mark Castillo posted 06-03-2026
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The expectations from HR have evolved and expanded , according to numerous surveys and studies , which comes as no surprise to leaders. In the not-too-distant past, HR was viewed as a support function: hiring, compliance, benefits, and employee relations. Important, yes – but largely operational . Today, that model is outdated. In a world impacted by AI, uncertainty , and talent constrain t s, CEOs are asking more from HR: Help us execute the business strategy through people. This appears reasonable in theory. ...
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The Value of a True Payroll Partner

By Kristen Borrego posted 05-29-2026
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Most organizations rely on an HRIS (Human Resource Information System) to handle payroll, and for good reason. These systems calculate pay quickly, automate tax filing, and keep employee data organized in one place. They handle the routine work of every pay cycle with speed and consistency. The organizations that get the most value are the ones where that software works alongside people who know payroll and compliance. Software runs the process. A payroll partner helps you run it well. Here is where that combination makes the biggest difference. Where a partner helps the most. Software is built to automate. A partner is built ...
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