Employco Blog

Election season is upon us and we’re likely to see some heated discussions. We also need to be ready for employee time off requests to vote during work hours.

Keeping Political Discussions Civil at Work – Political discussion has and will continue to be a reality in many work environments. Work can already be a stressful place for many, with political discussion adding an additional stressor for employees—and in many cases, an additional concern for employers. While disagreement in and of itself isn’t always a detriment to all workplaces, political discussion can negatively affect the work environment for many employees.

• Address expectations—Employers can focus on clarifying what expectations are and how employees can engage civilly. Employers can also clarify what their policies are for political discussion.
• Focus on behaviors, not beliefs—Focus on what behaviors are appropriate—rather than what employees should believe or think. Employers should clearly outline what types of behaviors are not welcome, while avoiding providing direct or indirect guidance on how an employee should feel about political issues.
• Encourage respect—The reality is that not all employees will agree on every topic—whether work-related, personal or political. Employers should focus on encouraging employees to respect each other and their thoughts—even if they disagree.
• Lead by example—Should leaders endorse specific political parties or political candidates—or behave heavily partisan—it may have an impact on the norms of the workplace culture. Employees who feel differently may not feel comfortable speaking up. To that end, these same employees may even feel that their personal views could hold back their careers in the workplace. If leaders showcase desired behaviors, that can help set the expected behaviors within a company culture.

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The coronavirus pandemic has changed what a normal day looks like for many across the country. And the pandemic has also increased the stress of many Americans. Prioritizing mental health and well-being in the face of a pandemic, which has caused many to lose their jobs or work from home, is something that every single person should be doing, but it often falls by the wayside.

More than 1 in 5 Americans have diagnosable mental disorders at some point in their lives, yet only about half of those individuals receive professional mental health treatment. A study from the Mental Health in the Workplace Summit also found that mental illness is the leading cause of disability for U.S. adults aged 15 to 44 and that more workdays are lost to mental health-related absenteeism than any other injury or illness.

Given its prevalence, you can expect that employees at your organization are experiencing mental health challenges or mental illness. That’s why it’s so important that your organization creates a culture that supports employees’ mental health. While this may sound complicated, creating a workplace that is supportive of mental health and illness is easier than it seems. Here are five simple ways that your company can support employees and their mental health.

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On August 31, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published four new opinion letters. Opinion letters provide the DOL’s official position on how labor and employment standards, in this case the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), apply in specific situations.

• Retail Exemption for Truck Drivers – FLSA2020-11 patterns the analysis employers must use to determine whether truck drivers working for a retail establishment qualify for the “retail or service establishment exemption.” While the facts are specific to the gas and oil industry, the underlying principles have greater applicability.

• Use of Personal Vehicle for Business – FLSA2020-12 addresses whether to reimburse non-exempt hourly employees who use their vehicle to further their employer’s business for expenses related to their vehicle, including: gas, oil, routine maintenance and repairs, fixed vehicle expenses, registration fees, license fees and insurance costs not required by the employer.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on nearly every facet of the workplace. With everything upended, employers are understandably focused on maintaining their service and product quality. But working hard isn’t the only key to successfully enduring the pandemic—in fact, the opposite may be just as critical.

Paid time off (PTO) is something many employees take for granted. Hundreds of millions of vacation days go unused each year, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Due to a variety of factors, some employees opt not to use time off, and they—and the entire organization—end up suffering for it in the long run.

Even the act of taking PTO—whether it’s used for relaxation or not—is correlated with greater success. Employees who took 11 or more vacation days were over 30% more likely to receive a raise than those who took fewer days, according to the Harvard Business Review. Furthermore, for each 10 vacation hours an employee used, their performance review scores raised 8% on average.

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