How to Manage Political Tensions in the Workplace

October marks a monumental time in 2024 as we not only begin the final quarter of the year, but simultaneously enter into the final month of this year’s Presidential election. We’re consistently reminded of the heightened political tensions across the country, and for many, these tensions are manifesting in the workplace. Unfortunately, the workplace is not immune to national politics, and talking politics in the workplace can create some tricky situations for employers. As we navigate these murky waters, Flex HR has some recommendations on how to manage political tensions in the workplace.

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Deconstructing Open Enrollment: The Key Components of a Successful Benefits Renewal

A we enter Q4, many leadership teams are gearing up for one of the most time-intensive – and most expensive – times of the year. In the coming quarter, employees will be evaluated for end of year bonuses and salary increases alike. While these processes are hugely central, also looming ahead is one of the most important initiatives a company undertakes: its annual benefits renewal.

Whether the renewal takes place at year-end or mid-year, the time, money, and energy a that goes into a successful benefits renewal is unparalleled.

So, what exactly goes into a successful benefits renewal? Let’s start at the beginning. Several months ahead of the new benefits plan year, a company will be quoted on their benefits renewal with their current carriers. During this process, insurance carriers review a company’s claims experience in comparison with the cost of their plan. If the claims costs exceed the current cost of the plan itself, amongst a variety of other factors, companies will often experience an increase in their benefits costs – which may be passed on to the employees. In instances where there is a substantial increase, many employers will choose market their plan in hopes that other carriers will bid on them with more competitive rates. This process can take several weeks to months to complete.

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HR Professional Day

Each year on September 26, we acknowledge the incredible work of those that work in Human Resources. Human Resource Professional Day has been celebrated since 1959. It was created to honor the vital contributions that HR professionals deliver to organizations of all sizes and industries, around the world.

Within a company, Human Resources is accountable for the entire life cycle of an employee – from recruiting, onboarding, training, and managing an employee up to their final severance. Human capital is the most vital part of an organization, after all.

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New FLSA Ruling: Ensuring Your Compliance and Understanding

As we enter the second half of 2024, employers are also met with a new Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ruling.  Earlier this year, the Department of Labor (DOL) released their final overtime rule which went into effect on July 1^st. Many employers are working to review jobs, salaries, and pay structure to ensure compliance. Rest assured – the FlexHR team has FLSA experts who have summarized the ruling and can explain what this means for companies nationwide.

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Job-Hopping is a Trend, but Can You Switch Jobs One Too Many Times?

HR recruiters are hearing and seeing that younger employees seem to switch jobs every year or two. Has this become acceptable? Gallup reports that 21% of Millennials have changed jobs within the last year— three times the amount seen in older generations. How often is too often to change jobs? And does the reason for switching matter to prospective employers?

Job-hopping is definitely a trend that employees should be careful about embracing, according to Jennifer Preston, Senior HR Consultant and recruiter at Flex HR.

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The Future of HR is Outsourced

Did you know that over 30% of American companies outsource at least one HR task? Outsourcing has become a major growing trend because it frees up leadership to focus on their real business while getting elevated capabilities, they can’t build in-house. For many companies, Human Resources (HR) falls into the latter category. HR outsourcing (HRO) services allow businesses to tap into expert capabilities and technology without having to build these competencies in-house.

Jennifer Morehead, CEO of Flex HR, a leading HR outsourcing and consulting firm, explains to Human Capital Innovations, “HR outsourcing enables companies to access specialized support in areas like compliance, payroll, benefits administration, recruiting and more from external experts. This allows them to focus on business growth and strategy.”

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Flex HR Earns Spot on Inc. 5000 List!

Flex HR is honored to have earned a spot – again! – on the Inc. 5000 list, an annual ranking of the nation’s fastest growing private companies. Inc. 5000, widely considered America’s entrepreneurial benchmark, creates their list by ranking US companies based on three years of annual revenue growth. As a small company with big impact, Flex HR is incredibly proud of this achievement.

Under the leadership of CEO Jenny Morehead, Flex HR has grown considerably since its founding in 2001. Our 2024 Inc. 5000 national ranking of 3,116 represented an exciting jump from its 2023 ranking of 4,545. In addition to the national ranking, Flex HR ranked 146^th in Georgia, and 115^th in HR industries. Flex HR is excited this is the fifth time making the Inc. 5000 list.

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Developing a Meaningful Employee Wellness Program

Creating healthy workplaces has become increasingly important over the past decade, but even more so since the Covid pandemic. Employers and employees alike value staying healthy, and they expect to maintain their health, physical and mental, especially when going into the office.  Yet employee health and well-being takes many shapes, and employers should consider what a healthy workplace means to their organization. The development of an employee wellness program, a program that promotes specific activities to target the many aspects of employee well-being, can be a great way to engage employees in wellness, while making a meaningful impact on your business.

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Working Across Generations: How Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers Can Collaborate in the Workplace

The modern workforce has become a diverse mix of generations, each with its own unique perspectives and work styles. There are many benefits to having a multigenerational team, however, this can also lead to conflicts and misunderstandings. But if they respect and understand each other’s differences, people from different generations can work together and do well at work.

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5 ways to Effectively Encourage (and Manage!) Time Off This Summer

For many business leaders in the northern hemisphere, it’s summertime, and the living actually is a little bit easier. Customers and vendors are taking time off, and the daily grind tends to slow down a bit. It’s a good opportunity for leaders and employees alike to use some of their coveted time off and rejuvenate ahead of busier months.

Yet in today’s working world, where some employees are hybrid and some fully remote, taking time off has become trickier. Many leaders are managing distributed workforces and having those in person conversations about time off are harder to come by. Some workforces have unlimited PTO policies, which can lead to employees actually taking less time off than intended. It’s more important than ever for leaders to not only encourage taking time off, but to model this behavior, especially during the summer months where time off creates less of a burden on the business.

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