Focused Articles

Housing for Workers Is a Major Concern for Employers

By James McDonough posted 4 days ago
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The availability of housing options for employees has become a serious issue for many employers in regions around the country. That is especially so in Colorado, where a recent survey declared the state to be the least affordable housing market in the country. Some members are telling us that housing is a serious barrier to meeting workforce needs, especially in resort mountain areas and urban markets. Applicants are scant for lower-paid positions, and competition is fierce. Perhaps even more frustrating, hires who must relocate often decline offers after they research the housing market and find it unaffordable. Some newly hired employees leave soon after ...
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The Impact of Pettiness on Workplace Culture and How to Coach Employees to Rise Above It

By Brittanie Young posted 11 days ago
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An employee walks into your office to report that Jennifer’s behavior is giving them “bad vibes” but doesn’t offer any additional context. A senior executive is upset that you didn’t immediately respond to the email they sent at 11:59 p.m. and accuses you of being unresponsive or questions how much you are really working. Pettiness is an attitude that derives from a perceived need to be right and to show excessive concern about matters that add no value. Pettiness is also a divider that creates unnecessary walls and rifts in the workplace. As flawed human beings, we have all been guilty of attitudes and behaviors that cause us to view others and their circumstances ...
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Maximizing Membership: May HR Dates of Note

By James McDonough posted 18 days ago
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Now that spring is in full swing, use your Employers Council membership resources to stay on top of tasks so you can enjoy the lovely month of May! The 2024 HR Planning Calendar includes important dates for May: May 8: final day of the Colorado legislative session. Unless a special session is called, this marks the end of new legislative activity, and passed bills await the governor’s signature or veto. Stay tuned to our Weekly Digest for updates! May 15: due date for IRS Form 990, if calendar year accounting is used. This is for tax-exempt political organizations. May 15: final day for discounted registration for the Employers Council ...
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In the Era of AI, Learn About the Real Candidate Behind the Resume

By Brandy Walker posted 18 days ago
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Job seekers are increasingly using generative artificial intelligence (AI) when writing their resumes. A survey by graphic design company Canva reveals that 45% of those seeking jobs have enhanced their resumes with AI tools, according to a recent Forbes article . Benefits of using AI for a resume may include the optimization of formatting and wording that increases appeal and alignment with the job posting, as well as decreased spelling or grammatical errors. Research conducted by an MIT Sloan School of Management Ph.D. student found that “job seekers with AI-assisted resumes are 8% more likely to be hired, receive 7.8% more job offers, and earn 8.4% higher ...
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USERRA: What Employers Need to Know

By Ivy Voss posted 19 days ago
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The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) was passed in 1994 to protect the employment of military personnel during and after their military service. USERRA protections apply to active-duty military personnel, reservists, and members of the National Guard. The Act’s stated purpose is to encourage continuing service by non-career military personnel, to prohibit discrimination connected with their service, and to ensure prompt re-employment upon the member’s return from deployment or service. Many businesses may be unaware that they have employees with ongoing military obligations until an employee is called up for deployment or gives ...
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Intermittent FMLA Leave: Common Issues that HR Professionals May Face

By Brandon Garrett posted 26 days ago
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Understanding and applying medical leave laws can be a formidable task. It becomes even more difficult when an employer needs to respond to an intermittent Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) request and grapple with how to apply FMLA leave to individual situations. Though challenging, staying compliant with the FMLA is crucial for mitigating an employer’s legal risk. FMLA was meant to streamline and federalize laws relating to employees’ medical leave, but it can end up being an administrative struggle for the most seasoned HR professional. One specific request under the FMLA umbrella that can be challenging is intermittent FMLA Leave. An HR professional ...
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How Does the FMLA’s Integrated Employer Rule Affect You?

By Ivy Voss posted 04-19-2024
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Most business owners are aware that the legal requirement to provide leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) depends on several factors, most notably having 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius. The employee count for FMLA purposes can be complicated by a workforce where remote employees are included in the count if the office to which they report and from which they receive assignments has at least 50 employees including remote workers and by the FMLA’s integrated employer rule, which may cause separate companies with common ownership to be considered a single employer. While a simple payroll census seems straightforward, how employees’ ...
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U.S. Senator’s Recently Introduced Bill Puts Spotlight on Shorter Workweeks

By Edward Encinias posted 04-19-2024
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The concept of a reduced workweek has gained momentum in recent years, as Employers Council wrote about in this August 2023 article . In March 2024, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced a bill proposing that the standard workweek be reduced from 40 to 32 hours. While not likely to pass in the politically divided Congress, the measure has drawn even greater attention to the idea of a shorter workweek. An Ongoing Issue A few years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic reignited discussions around employee satisfaction, work-life balance, and flexible schedules, prompting organizations to consider shortening the workweek. Companies across the globe have ...
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Enhance Your Organization’s HR-Marketing Synergy to Boost Your Brand

By Kim Robinson posted 04-10-2024
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On the face of it, marketing and human resources can look very different. After all, HR is about people strategy, talent management, recruiting, hiring, firing, policies, and seemingly endless compliance, all of which can feel like a focus on what’s happening inside the organization. Marketing, on the other hand, seems to constantly scan the external horizon, assessing data, trends and customer behavior, building and boosting a brand, creating content, maximizing digital presence, and much more. However, HR and marketing may have more in common than it first seems. HR is tasked with attracting and retaining the best people. Marketing is tasked with attracting ...
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Maximizing Membership: Freshly Updated Members-Only Content

By James McDonough posted 04-10-2024
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To ensure you have accurate and timely information and guidance, Employers Council staff review and update the members-only resources in Member Central as necessary. Some topics require frequent updates; for example, our sample Colorado employee handbooks and sample policies have been frequently updated over the last few years as a result of legislative and regulatory activity at the state and federal levels. Access these resources below: Colorado Sample Employee Handbook Colorado Government Sample Employee Handbook Colorado Small Employer Sample Handbook You can also access our complete library of sample handbooks and policies ...
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Tips for Employers with Tipped Employees

By Barbara Bagdon posted 04-10-2024
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Most employers with tipped employees are well-informed regarding minimum wage rules and tip credit requirements. However, they may not be as familiar with how their local rules governing tip pooling differ from the federal rules. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) permits tip pooling among employees who customarily and regularly receive tips and prohibits employers from keeping any portion of employees’ tips. However, employers may require tipped employees to participate in a tip pool without violating the prohibition against keeping tips and may even facilitate a tip pooling arrangement by collecting and redistributing employees’ tips if they ...
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Take a Different Approach to Benefits Strategies to Appeal to Gen Z — Part 2

By Hannah Rich posted 04-05-2024
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Editor’s note: This is the second of two parts exploring how employers can modify their benefits strategies to attract and retain members of Generation Z, the youngest generation in the workforce. Read the first installment here . As the ranks of Generation Z grow in the workforce, employers are tasked with rethinking their approaches to the types of benefits they offer and how they communicate those offerings. This article looks at new options for financial benefits and how employers can help their Gen Z workers find information on benefits. Support Financial Wellness Financial security is unfamiliar territory for many Gen Z workers. Consider the ...
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Take a Different Approach to Benefits Strategies to Appeal to Gen Z — Part 1

By Hannah Rich posted 03-28-2024
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Editor’s note: This is the first of two parts exploring how employers can modify their benefits strategies to attract and retain members of Generation Z, the youngest generation in the workforce. To read part two, click here . Members of Generation Z, identified by the Pew Research Center as those born between 1997 and 2012, are a growing part of the U.S. workforce. Gen Z workers are projected to surpass the number of Baby Boomers in the full-time workforce for the first time this year, outnumbered only by Millennial and Generation X employees, according to a Glassdoor study . Some experts project that Gen Z will represent more than one-fourth of the ...
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How Can Employers Navigate Rising Recruiting Costs?

By Chelsea Jensen posted 03-22-2024
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In today's competitive job market, recruiting and hiring top talent have become increasingly challenging and costly for employers. Over the past few years, the expenses of finding and hiring new employees have notably increased. The average cost per hire rose from $4,129 in 2019 to $4,700 in 2023, marking a 14% increase, according to information reported in this article by software company Toggl. The surge in recruitment costs can be attributed to various factors, but there are actionable strategies that employers can adopt to navigate these expenses. Here are some of the reasons behind the rise in recruitment costs: Intensified Competition : ...
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Embrace These Key Behaviors to Build a Cohesive Team

By Mark Castillo posted 03-13-2024
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Have you ever been on a team that was so dysfunctional that your stomach was in knots just thinking about working with the group? Did you get the “Sunday Night Blues,” knowing that the next day, you would be in a situation where you felt stress and anxiety? Perhaps you have been on a team where you experienced the following: Ideas were dismissed without discussion or debate. Team members were reluctant to express their ideas for fear of retribution. The "after meeting" had more significant discussion than the actual meeting. The vocal members of the team dominate the discussion. The team leader cannot make an important decision ...
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Can Employers Force Employees to Return to the Office? If So, Should They?

By Aerie Nandi posted 03-13-2024
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As the restrictions and inconveniences brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic continue to fade, many employers are requiring employees to report to the office, either on a full-time or hybrid basis. A survey by ResumeBuilder.com reveals that 90% of executives polled plan to implement return-to-office policies by the end of 2024. This move, however, seems to clash with the preferences of many employees. According to a survey by Clarify Capital , nearly 70% of remote workers expressed a preference for looking for a new job rather than returning to the office. And many recent surveys indicate that employees put a high value on the ability to work remotely, as ...
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Suicide and the Workplace: Employer Considerations, Action Steps, and Resources

By James McDonough posted 03-08-2024
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A r ecord high of a lmost 50,000 Americans died by suicide in 2022 , and suicide rates increased over 3% from the prior year , according to a Center s for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provisional report issued in late 2023 . Suicide is one of the top 10 leading causes of death, is more common among men than women , and occurs most commonly during the working years (ages 16-64). Employers in our region take note : CDC final statistics for 2021 report Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming have the nation’s highest rates of suicide in the ...
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What Should You Do if an Employee Presents New Documentation After an Initial False I-9?

By Miller Jozwiak posted 03-08-2024
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Imagine this scenario: A few years ago, an employer hired an employee , and c ompleting the Form I-9 was routine as part of the onboarding process. Fast forward to today, when the employee approaches human resources and confesses that the ir initia l I-9 documentation was false . The employee now presents new employment authorization documentation. What should the employer do? This scenario is more common than one might expect, and fortunately, there is guidance for employers to effectively address it. Federal law prohibits employers from knowingly hiring, employing, or contracting with any person ...
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Colorado Employers: Stay Informed with Employers Council Handbook Updates

By Kirsten Ellis posted 03-01-2024
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Amid the ever-changing landscape of employment law, Employers Council is dedicated to keeping our members well- informed. We have compiled a selection of handbook updates specifically for Colorado, including recommended language and the revision dates. If your handbook was updated prior to any of the dates listed below, we recommend updating the policies using the linked resources. The dates provided reflect when Employers Council last revised the policy, not necessarily when a law was enacted. While this list is not exhaustive, it highlights the key policies that are essential for maintaining compliance. Please n ...
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Resources Available to Help Colorado Employers Manage Administrative Burdens

By James McDonough posted 02-23-2024
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To understand Colorado’s employment laws , turn to Employers Council’s resources to get the information you need. Start with o ur Colorado Quick Facts   for an overview of  the state’s employment laws . Our myriad resources also includ e the following: Whitepapers   These provide guidance and suggested action steps to comply with specific laws :   Pay ing employe e s  equit abl y , job posting, recordkeeping requirements by the  Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (EPEWA)   Minimum wage and overtime ...
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