When President Clinton first signed the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) into law in 1993, the administration aimed to improve work-life balance for American workers at a fundamental level. The Act not only recognizes the value of employees to business and the economy but also to their families. In an effort to allow an employee to contribute to their company’s productivity and to their family's health and well-being, the FMLA entitles employees to 12 weeks leave under certain circumstances, with the ability to return to the same (or nearly the same) job.
As with any government regulation, managing compliance can be tricky, even with the best intentions. From civil money penalties (CMP) to significant damages and court fees, the cost of noncompliance isn’t cheap. Yet, employers still struggle to prepare their staff for what’s expected by the law—and the FMLA is no different. Each year, the Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC) conducts a survey on leave management, benefits, and policies in the workplace. This year, employers revealed their biggest challenge: training supervisors on leave requirements and management compliance.
Read part 2: How an HCM system can improve HR productivity, part two: Onboarding
So you’ve onboarded the best and the brightest. Now what? Your job as an HR leader is not over. A great manager helps employees shape the future direction of their careers.
Yet, some managers neglect sustainable training and development practices. As a result, organizations pay the high price of losing top talent. When you’re short-staffed or overtasked, the burden seems all too real. HR managers face the pressure to take care of essential day-to-day operations, and are often left without time to carve out a long-term plan.
With a lot at stake for effective training and development, HR leaders bear the responsibility of laying the foundation for employee success. But training doesn’t have to be elaborate; it’s a matter of assessing employee skills and needs and guiding them to fill in the gaps throughout their career. If it’s done well, the payoff can be substantial for management and teams alike.
For new employees, the first few days and weeks on the job are crucial. So much of their future job performance can be determined by how well they’re set up for success during the onboarding process. Ideally, by the end of this onboarding period, a new hire will feel like they’ve been welcomed, trained, and integrated into the culture of the company. The enthusiasm they bring into the workplace should have been nurtured so that their fresh perspective and ideas can begin to propel the company forward.
However, important training and onboarding responsibilities occasionally fall through the cracks. HR managers and team leaders sometimes miss the mark, dulling their new employees’ shine instead of polishing it. New hires need support and guidance throughout the first few months on the job; when they’re only given cursory instruction before being left to figure everything out alone, the results are bound to be underwhelming.
If your company wants to get onboarding right, here are a few common mistakes to avoid:
Spring is coming, and there’s fresh news in the HR landscape. With March Madness over, there’s still yet to be a million-dollar winner granted from Warren Buffett. Demographic shifts are changing the way organizations plan for the future of the workforce. There’s a new path for employers looking to correct wage and hour violations. A deep freeze hits for all who are affected by the H-1B premium processing delay. Keep reading for more HR news in our latest HR Roundup of 2018!
