Workforce_Management_Time_&_Attendance_Excellence_June_2022 by Excellence Publications by HR.com

JUNE 2022 • Vol.09 • No.06 (ISSN 2564-2006)

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN IMPLEMENTING FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS - Rupert Bader,

Head, Human Capital Planning, Anaplan

Covid-19 Frontline Worker Pay Law: What Minnesota's Employers Need To Know - Jenny

H. Fuller,

Fox Rothschild LLP

Fixed Or Rotating Work Schedules: How To Choose? - Noelle

Forseth,

When I Work

Reimagining The Modern Office As A Flexible Collaboration Hub - Maria

Aveledo,

Octane

Blue-Collar Workers And Benefits: Top 3 Things Hourly Worker Want - Vivian Wang, LANDED

INDEX

Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence JUNE 2022

Vol.09

No.06

(ISSN 2564-2006)

What To Consider When Implementing Flexible Work Arrangements A connected approach empowers leaders and teams to see the future through one common framework

On the Cover

- Rupert Bader,

Head, Human Capital Planning, Anaplan

Articles 09 Benefits And Challenges Of A Flexible Workplace

Key steps to create a flexible workplace - Amy Schisler,

Managing Director, Middle Market Consulting and Development, Insperity

16 Blue Law Holidays: Can Retailers Mandate Work On Holidays?

Juneteenth National Independence Day becomes the latest addition to the premium pay holidays in the Commonwealth’s “Blue Laws” - Joshua D. Nadreau, Partner, Fisher & Phillips LLP

26 Scheduling Platforms: The Answer To Fix Your Meetings

A scheduling platform that respects your time! - Gilles Raymond, CEO and Founder, Letsmeet

34 Maryland And Delaware Paid Family And Medical Leave: What To Expect? It’s time to review your existing policies to prepare for these changes - Ursula Siverling, Of Counsel, McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC

38 How The Right Digital Tools Can Make Four-Day Workweek Succeed 3 steps to foster a four-day workweek - Andrei Faji, Director, Engagement Marketing, PandaDoc

Top Picks

INDEX

Covid-19 Frontline Worker Pay Law: What Minnesota's Employers Need To Know Learn which employees are eligible for the pay, and as an employer what are your obligations - Jenny H. Fuller, Associate, Fox Rothschild LLP

Fixed Or Rotating Work Schedules: How To Choose? A manager’s guide to rotating and fixed work schedules - Noelle Forseth,

Digital Marketing Specialist, When I Work

Reimagining The Modern Office As A Flexible Collaboration Hub Here are five questions to ask as you rethink your workplace - Maria Aveledo, Chief Business Officer, Octane

Blue-Collar Workers And Benefits: Top 3 Things Hourly Workers Want Creating a win-win situation

- Vivian Wang,

Founder and CEO, LANDED

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Reimaging Workplace for the Flexible World of Work

he last two years have defined how the future of work would be. For many employees, the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing widescale, prolonged work-from-home experiment demonstrated that they can be equally productive at home as in the office. We are now in the era of flexible workplace. Many companies, including Spotify, Atlassian, Twilio, and VMware, have already loosened their policies to make many roles available for flexible and virtual (remote) work. Today, as companies move forward with post-pandemic planning, strategies and operations, providing employees with the option to choose where they work will have a significant impact.

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Are you one among them? Octane Chief Business Officer Maria Aveledo, in her article, tells us why it is time to Reimagin(e) The Modern Office As A Flexible Collaboration Hub. She also lists down five questions every employer should ask themselves as they begin rethinking their workplace. Also, read Blue-Collar Workers And Benefits: Top 3 Things Hourly Workers Want by Vivian Wang from LANDED, and Blue Law Holidays: Can Retailers Mandate Work On Holidays? by Joshua D. Nadreau from Fisher & Phillips. This is not all!

In What To Consider When Implementing Flexible Work Arrangements, Anaplan Head of Human Capital Planning Rupert Bader shares his experience of building a successful flexible workplace at his company.

This month’s issue of Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence brings you several other informative and educational articles that we hope will help you achieve excellence and efficiency in your workforce management efforts.

While key aspects of operations may always demand in-person work, attracting and retaining talent amid the Great Resignation requires a flexible approach to the workplace. Caught between these realities, many

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COVER ARTICLE

What To Consider When Implementing Flexible Work Arrangements A connected approach empowers leaders and teams to see the future through one common framework By Rupert Bader, Anaplan

s an organization grows and evolves its strategies and operations, providing employees with the option to choose where they work is having a significant impact on attracting and retaining the best talent. Relocation costs can be substantial, and for

many workers, the disruption to family and personal life is not worth significant and frequent changes. Many companies like Spotify, Atlassian, Twilio, and VMware have already loosened their policies to make many roles available for flexible and virtual

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JUNE 2022

(remote) work. Removing the traditional boundaries defined by the physical locations allows these companies to access the full breadth of talent available in their countries of operation.

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What To Consider When Implementing Flexible Work Arrangements

Increased visibility to the location options and the composition of future workforces requires recruiting and hiring today with a clear understanding of what is necessary to produce future experts and leaders. This approach reduces the cost of external hiring at the mid- and senior level, while also improving the career prospects for emerging talent within the company. Another added benefit is accelerating the representation of diverse talent at the mid- and senior levels of the company – improving equity of compensation and attracting more diverse workers. That’s a strategic benefit because 78% of U.S. workers say it is important that their companies foster an inclusive and equitable environment (April 2021 CNBC/SurveyMonkey workforce happiness index). The key objective of workforce planners is to ensure that the

future workforce of a company is developed with emerging talent at the forefront and includes a flexible location strategy that supports employee choice and benefits. We learned a lot in 2020 and 2021, when work-from-home was the company-wide policy. In this article, I’ll share a process you can use to bring this vision to reality in your workplace.

Where to Start

Begin by delivering a simple snapshot of your workforce including location (organized into state/country/regional hierarchies), organization (using financial or HR reporting hierarchies), and job level (using compensation guidelines or job libraries). For this, you can integrate your HRIS data, preferably through automated daily feeds. To expedite, consider adapting an existing one. Next create the views and metrics that make the most sense to your HR teams.

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By building calculations for annual hiring, termination, and promotion rates (with differences that are statistically significant) into your model, your model can project the baseline workforce forward for several years. Next, create scenarios that narrate different growth trajectories (e.g., higher revenue growth, increased product development, or both simultaneously) by the organization, location, and level. Some examples are: ●● Scenario #1: Accelerated growth for emerging talent requires higher investment in training. ●● Scenario #2: Ramping up emerging talent slowly means externally hiring more mid-level managers. ●● Scenario #3: Incorporate a flexible working policy based on research like this from Gallup, where 54% of software engineers prefer to work virtually, providing increased access to diverse talent across the country. ●● Scenario #4: Demonstrate the tradeoffs of shifting hiring to lower-cost locations vs. high-cost locations over time. ●● Scenario #5: Show the implications of improved hiring and promotion rates at all levels for the leadership representation of women and other underrepresented groups over time.

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What To Consider When Implementing Flexible Work Arrangements

Using “what-if” modeling to experiment with these ideas, you will find several scenarios that describe possible futures for your workforce under various conditions of growth, distribution, and investment in emerging talent. Our team developed such a baseline model in close collaboration with planning teams from finance and real estate, and then shared it with and company leadership teams.

The key objective of workforce planners is to ensure that the future workforce of a company is developed with emerging talent at the forefront and includes a flexible location strategy that supports employee choice and benefits.

Decide on the Most Favorable Path

Once you have developed your baseline model, add more context based on your organization’s unique challenges. This helps you land on the preferred long-range plan for the optimal ability to attract and retain talent, while staying within cost and contractual constraints. Do this in partnership with finance and real estate teams that already have their own perspectives on future expense and real estate constraints for the organization.

You can add a variable to show the mix of employees in each country that will be office-based or virtual/remote. This enables you to estimate a budget that allow remote employees to travel one or two times per year to work with their teams in person as well as examine the capacity requirements for specific offices, estimate relocation budgets, and measure the environmental impacts of reduced commuting requirements. You can include the external talent market data (e.g., U.S. Census workforce data on race/ ethnicity) that shows the profile of talent across the countries where you operate (or wish to operate) and set expectations for the future set of candidates and hires that you should be able to attract given an increased number of roles that are open to virtual/remote work.

expectations. It can even be expanded to include real estate, IT, and recruiting capacity expenses. As the organization evolves, update the underlying rosters and assumptions (through automatic, statistical, or manual input) in the model so that it can be used by leadership teams for more detailed organizational planning and “what-if” scenarios. This extensible, connected approach empowers leaders and their teams to see the future through one common framework. Companies can increase diversity, decrease wasted time, and improve productivity by investing in an emerging talent program that allows the use of mid-level workers for more specialized work, leading to more employee satisfaction. This article was adapted from:

You can work with finance and emerging-talent recruiting teams, as well as each of the business leaders, to set goals for building an emerging talent pool from universities, apprentice programs, internships, bootcamps, military exits, and second-career candidates that will enter the workforce in future fiscal years and can reduce demand for external hiring at the mid- and senior levels. In the first year, the results of such a long-range workforce plan can then be connected to short-term planning and budgeting cycles to inform overall employee expense cost

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https://www.anaplan.com/blog/ what-to-consider-when-implementing-flexbile-work-arrangements/

Rupert Bader is the Head of Human Capital Planning at Anaplan.

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Benefits And Challenges Of A Flexible Workplace Key steps to create a flexible workplace By Amy Schisler, Insperity

s companies move forward with post-pandemic planning, one thing is increasingly clear: we have now arrived in the era of the flexible workplace.

For many employers and employees alike, the national conversation around flexibility centers on remote work or hybrid work. This is because, according to many reports, more than half of U.S. employees in applicable roles plan to pursue permanent remote or hybrid work in the near future.

What Is Driving Workplace Flexibility?

For many employees, the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing widescale, prolonged work-from-home

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experiment demonstrated that they can be equally productive at home as in the office – in some cases, more so. Employees prefer no commute and, instead, have enjoyed greater work-life balance. They can spend more time with family, easily pursue outside hobbies and interests, and better fulfill caregiver or parent responsibilities. The pandemic has also caused employees to reevaluate their priorities. Salary and benefits are still important, but higher numbers of U.S. employees cite their physical and mental health, wellbeing and work-life balance – directly associated with workplace flexibility – as their top concerns.

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Benefits And Challenges Of A Flexible Workplace

For many employees, there’s simply no going back to a pre-2020 world. ●● Advances in technology have made it easy and efficient for colleagues and managers to collaborate with teams across distances and even time zones. ●● Younger workers – Millennials and Generation Z – are beginning to dominate the workforce. Employees across the board, of all generations, are interested in more flexibility at work, but this is especially true with younger workers. They prioritize personal satisfaction and crave more balance in their lives. Generally, younger workers want the freedom to work where and when they want, as long as they get their work done. Notably, they tend to be early adopters of, and advocates for, the technology that makes flexible work arrangements possible. Furthermore, workers in this age group change jobs more frequently – and their tenure may be even shorter if they are unhappy with their current work conditions. Companies refusing to get on board with workplace flexibility may face challenges in recruiting and retaining top talent – especially in today’s fiercely competitive job market – compared to companies that are willing to adapt to new employee expectations. If your company falls within one of the following camps, this discussion about workplace flexibility is for you. ● Are you curious about introducing flexibility into your workplace, but aren’t sure where to start? ● Does your company leadership cling to the traditional “on-site, full-time” workplace? Have you considered alternative ways to embrace flexibility to remain competitive? ● Is it impossible for your business to support remote or hybrid work? Perhaps you have frontline-type employees, such as those working in retail or at manufacturing facilities, for whom remote or hybrid work is not feasible. Are you concerned that you are doomed to lose

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employees and there is nothing you can do about it?

What Is a Flexible Workplace?

First, let’s tackle what a flexible workplace actually means. Its scope is much broader than many of us think, extending far beyond just remote or hybrid work – although that is an important component. A flexible workplace acknowledges that there is no one-size-fits-all work environment that makes everyone happy, engaged and productive. Therefore, a flexible workplace allows employees to have more freedom and autonomy in at least one of these three categories: ●● WHERE employees work ●● WHEN employees work ●● HOW employees work Examples of WHERE flexibility: ● Offer remote work. ● Offer hybrid work. ● Within offices, give employees the option to choose their preferred workspace – versus having an assigned, permanent desk – from among collaboration spaces, private rooms, casual lounges or outdoor areas. You could also implement co-working spaces or try hot desking. Examples of WHEN flexibility: ● Implement flexible scheduling, such as a shorter work week, seasonal hours or even permitting employees to customize their daily hours. ● Consider job sharing, an arrangement in which two employees work part-time and essentially “share” a single, full-time position. This is beneficial for employees who want to work but cannot commit to a full-time job, such as parents, caregivers or those with certain medical conditions. ● Let employees take their lunch break when they want.

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Benefits And Challenges Of A Flexible Workplace

● Provide increased quantities of paid time off (PTO) beyond the standard two weeks – or even consider unlimited PTO, if it works for your business and you have assessed the pros and cons. ● Offer other types of paid leave that recognize employees’ other life obligations. Alternative types of leave could support caregivers, parents, volunteerism or continuing education. Examples of HOW flexibility: ● Let employees dictate their daily schedules, including planning their day and when they will tackle certain tasks, projects or processes. ● Permit employees to communicate and collaborate with colleagues according to their preferences. ● Relax the dress code. Evaluate whether it is truly necessary for employees to wear formal business attire every day as opposed to more casual attire – and why. (Of course, this does not apply to uniforms.) ● Give employees a say in the decor and ergonomics of their workspace. ● Let employees bring pets to work. ● Allow employees to have their personal cell phone with them and access to the internet for personal use. For each of these examples, employers should still set consistent rules, establish clear expectations and explain the business rationale for each decision made on workplace flexibility. After all, flexibility and a utonomy do not equate with anarchy.

Benefits and Challenges of a Flexible Workplace

Companies that embrace workplace flexibility can reap significant benefits, such as: ● Greater employee autonomy improves confidence, motivation and resilience ● Employees feel that their employers are listening to them and care, which translates into increased engagement and higher morale

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● Employees can work according to their preferences and needs, which can boost productivity and general happiness ● A positive workplace culture that prizes respect, trust, empathy and work-life balance ● Good reputation and word of mouth among employees and job candidates ● Positive effect on recruiting and retention ● Potential antidote to negative workplace trends seen during the pandemic (examples: employee burnout and the exodus of parents, particularly mothers, from the workforce, also known as the SHEcession) A flexible workplace is a critical component of creating a workplace that employees never want to leave. However, having a flexible workplace isn’t without challenges either. ● If employees are not consistently in the same office together, it can take greater effort to build human connection and, as a result, maintain team cohesion and workplace culture. You will have to be intentional in fostering a sense of camaraderie and teamwork, and may have to be creative with team-building activities. ● Especially with employees who are permanently remote – potentially even located a significant distance away – you will have to ensure that an employee’s lack of physical presence doesn’t result in less involvement and feelings of isolation. Employers cannot forget about out-of-office employees or show favoritism to in-office employees. ● When colleagues cannot just walk down the hall and find someone at their desk, on-the-fly, real-time communication can be disrupted. However, managers and team members should know where other employees are and when they are available, regardless. Establish expectations around schedules and availability, keep work calendars updated and encourage employees to leverage communication platforms and practices that keep everyone connected.

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Benefits And Challenges Of A Flexible Workplace

● Some managers who are accustomed to a traditional work environment will have to adapt to be effective in a flexible environment. This may involve additional manager training. When leaders cannot watch over their employees all day and know exactly what they are doing at every moment, they must shift their focus to managing results and outcomes. Major questions should be: ●● Is the employee’s work getting done on time and in accordance with quality standards? ●● Is this employee meeting their personal goals that we set weekly, quarterly or annually? ●● Does the employee have a positive impact on their team and company? Aspire to an uplifting and engaging workplace, not one in which managers feel frustrated over misguided expectations and employees feel smothered. ● Some employees, especially remote or hybrid employees, may need additional training about how to be effective workers in a flexible environment. ● With flexibility comes the potential for abuse by employees. You must have clear, written policies in place so there is no mystery about the rules and when they apply. When negative

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patterns of behavior emerge and cause problems, be prepared to discuss problems with employees and have a disciplinary policy in case.

Basic Steps to Create a Flexible Workplace 1. Review and reassess current workplace rules and policies As you examine what your workplace currently allows, evaluate which rules seem arbitrary. Ask yourself: ● Do your rules serve a clear, critical business need? ● Do your rules serve employees well? ● How can you improve employees’ work environment? ● How can you give employees more autonomy? ● Is there a better way to get work done that makes life easier for them? 2. Talk to your employees You cannot take truly meaningful, effective action if you don’t know what your employees consider important. Find out what they value and want in their workplace.

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For most companies, the easiest, most efficient option will be to survey employees. Ask what they like and dislike about their workplace. What should the company start doing, stop doing and continue doing? Of course, it is not realistic to assume that all feedback can be accepted and implemented. However, if you are going to survey employees, be prepared to explain to them why you did not implement certain feedback. Cite business reasons when doing so. Otherwise, employees will feel ignored, become discouraged and hesitate to participate in future surveys. 3. Assess what works for your business Armed with your own research and the results from employee surveys, figure out where win-wins potentially exist for both employees and your business. Having a flexible workplace is about striking a balance between employee wants and business demands. 4. Document and communicate all changes in rules and policies Add new rules and policies to your employee handbook surrounding a flexibility initiative. You don’t want to create new layers of complexity or inflexibility, but you need basic, consistent parameters. You have to protect your business in case an employee abuses new policies or claims unfair treatment.

Summing it All Up

There’s no going back – the majority of employees clearly want a more flexible workplace and greater autonomy over their work day. Ignore this major shift underway, and you’ll risk significant recruiting and retention problems. However, don’t fall into the trap of thinking flexibility is only about remote or hybrid work – though that is a big, highly desirable piece of it. If your workplace cannot accommodate remote or hybrid work, there are many other ways to embrace flexibility and autonomy, and improve working conditions for employees. As a result, you can raise morale and engagement, and more easily entice employees to stay with your company. Going forward, a flexible workplace will be a critical ingredient for and indicator of a positive workplace culture. This article originally appeared here.

Amy Schisler is the Managing Director of Middle Market Consulting and Development at Insperity. Since joining Insperity in 2004, Amy has served in various roles – senior recruitment and outplacement specialist, team manager, director of operations, director and managing director – with a steadily increasing emphasis on serving middle market clients who have 1000+ employees. Currently, Amy responsible for the Insperity consulting platform that aligns human capital strategies and deliverables with middle market clients’ business drivers to positively impact key results.

Announce all changes to your workforce, so everyone is aware. Leverage different communication channels, including townhall-style meetings and email. This is your chance to introduce the new policy, generate enthusiasm around the change, establish expectations and answer questions. 5. Enable feedback Making your workplace more flexible isn’t a one-and-done change. Have a feedback mechanism in place so you can learn what is and is not working for employees, and respond accordingly. This is how your organization maintains its morale and engagement internally, and a good reputation externally.

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Covid-19 Frontline Worker Pay Law: What Minnesota's Employers Need To Know Learn which employees are eligible for the pay, and as an employer what are your obligations By Jenny H. Fuller, Fox Rothschild LLP

What Are the Eligibility Criteria?

Below is an outline of what employers need to know about this new law, including what it requires of them.

1. Have been employed at least 120 hours in Minnesota in one or more “frontline sectors” between March 15, 2020, and June 30, 2021. 2. For at least 120 hours worked during this period:

ligible Minnesota workers can now apply through the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) for a bonus under the Covid-19 Frontline Worker Pay Law.

What Is the Covid-19 Frontline Worker Pay Law?

The Minnesota Covid-19 Frontline Worker Pay Law, signed into law by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on April 29, 2022, authorizes direct payments to eligible Minnesota workers whose work put them at risk of contracting Covid-19 during the peacetime emergency. Employers are not required to fund the bonus, rather, the bonus payments will come from a state fund of $500 million that the state has set aside to split amongst approximately 667,000 Minnesota frontline workers. At this time, the state anticipates each eligible worker will receive approximately $750, although the amount of the bonuses will ultimately be determined by the number of eligible applicants, not to exceed $1,500 per applicant.

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In order to be eligible for frontline worker pay, the worker must:

● Have not been able to telework due to the nature of their work. ● Have worked in close proximity to people outside of the worker’s household. 3. Meet income requirements for at least one of the 2020 or 2021 tax years. 4. Have not received an unemployment insurance benefit payment for more than 20 total weeks between March 15, 2020, and June 26, 2021. The state has defined “close proximity to individuals outside of the individual’s household” to mean within six feet of individuals with whom the worker does not live. In order to be eligible, a worker must not have had an option to perform work remotely or in a telework status.

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Covid-19 Frontline Worker Pay Law: What Minnesota's Employers Need To Know

To qualify for a payment, a worker’s adjusted gross income must be less than the following amounts for at least one of the 2020 or 2021 tax years: 1. For a worker who was employed in an occupation with direct Covid-19 patient care responsibilities, $350,000 for a married taxpayer filing a joint return and $175,000 for all other filers. 2. For all other workers, $185,000 for a married taxpayer filing a joint return and $85,000 for all other filers.

What Are the Frontline Sectors?

The state has defined the “frontline sectors” to include the following: 1. Building services, including maintenance, janitorial and security 2. Child care 3. Courts and corrections 4. Emergency responders 5. Food service, including production, processing, preparation, sale and delivery 6. Ground and air transportation services 7. Health care 8. Long-term care and home care 9. Manufacturing 10. Public health, social service and regulatory service 11. Public transit 12. Retail, including sales, fulfillment, distribution and delivery 13. Schools, including charter schools, state schools and higher education 14. Temporary shelters and hotels 15. Vocational rehabilitation

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Industries not included in the definition of “frontline sectors” include the professional, scientific, and technical services industries, the information services industry, the finance and insurance industries, the utility industry, the construction industry and the arts, entertainment and recreation industries. The state recently issued a fact sheet that provides employers with further guidance on assessing whether they fall into one of the frontline sectors, including examples of specific types of employers within each sector.

How Do Workers Apply?

Workers can apply on the Minnesota Covid-19 Frontline Worker webpage. The application period is expected to be open from June 8, 2022, through Friday, July 22, 2022, although the dates may be subject to change. If an application is denied, applicants have 15 days from notice of the denial to appeal.

What Are My Obligations as an Employer?

By June 23, 2022, employers in the frontline sectors are required to provide notice, in a form approved by the DOLI Commissioner, advising all current workers who may be eligible for Frontline Worker Pay of the assistance potentially available to them and how to apply for the benefits. Employers are to provide the notice using the same means the employer uses to provide other work-related notices to employees. The notice must be at least as conspicuous as (1) posting a copy of the notice at each worksite where workers work and where the notice may be readily observed and reviewed by all workers working at the site; or (2) providing a paper or electronic copy of the notice to all workers. This article originally appeared here.

Jenny H. Fuller is an Associate at Fox Rothschild LLP.

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Blue Law Holidays: Can Retailers Mandate Work On Holidays? Juneteenth National Independence Day becomes the latest addition to the premium pay holidays in the Commonwealth’s “Blue Laws” By Joshua D. Nadreau, Fisher & Phillips LLP

his summer marked the second year with Juneteenth as a premium pay holiday for Massachusetts retailers. In 2020, as part of a Covid-19-related spending bill, the Massachusetts legislature added Juneteenth National Independence Day

(June 19) to the list of premium pay holidays in the Commonwealth’s “Blue Laws.” Juneteenth joined New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day as holidays, where retail employers must

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pay a premium hourly rate to non-exempt employees (until the obligation phases out on January 1, 2023) and cannot require employees to work. What do Massachusetts employers need to remember about this obligation and the Blue Laws generally?

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Blue Law Holidays: Can Retailers Mandate Work On Holidays?

What Is Juneteenth National Independence Day?

Juneteenth National Independence Day commemorates the reading of President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation by Union General Gordon Granger in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, two months after the Confederacy’s surrender ended the Civil War. Over the years, the holiday has spread from Texas throughout the country as an annual celebration of freedom from slavery and of African American culture. Juneteenth is now a federal holiday and forty-nine states and the District of Columbia recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday or day of recognition.

What Are the Blue Laws?

Dating back to the state’s Puritan founding, Massachusetts has long outlawed “any manner of labor, business or work” on Sundays and certain holidays. Rather than repeal this law, the legislature has added 56 exemptions covering nearly all forms of business and industry over the past four centuries. While most of the exemptions simply permit a business to operate on Sundays or holidays, a few add other obligations for certain types of employers. Specifically, the following employers must pay their non-exempt employees a premium rate for work on Sundays and the seven holidays listed above if they:

● are a “store or shop” open for the “sale of retail goods” that employs more than seven people; or ● sell tobacco products, soft drinks, confectioneries, baby foods, fresh fruit fresh vegetables, dairy products and eggs, or poultry raised by the seller; or ● sell drugs, medicine, medical devices, personal health or sanitary supplies; or ● sell alcoholic beverages.

What Are a Retail Employer’s Obligations on Sundays and Blue Laws Holidays?

A retail employer’s obligations under the Blue Laws fall into three categories: whether the business may legally open; the premium pay rate owed to employees who work on Sundays/holidays; and whether an employer can require work on Sundays/holidays.

Can We Open?

The Blue Laws are “closure laws” requiring businesses to be closed unless exempted. A few exemptions permit retailers to open any time on a Sunday and most holidays. However, retailers wishing to open prior to 12 p.m. on Columbus Day, prior to 12 p.m. on Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas need to ensure that both a state-wide permit for such opening has been granted by the Department of Labor Standards, and that the retailer has obtained a permit from the local chief of police.

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Blue Law Holidays: Can Retailers Mandate Work On Holidays?

What Is the Premium Pay Rate?

As of January 2022, non-exempt retail employees must be paid at least 1.1x their regular rate for any time worked on Sundays, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day. Due to recent changes in Massachusetts law as a result of the “Grand Bargain” in 2018, the premium pay multiplier has decreased by 0.1x each year since 2019. The premium pay obligation will be completely eliminated in 2023.

Can Retailers Mandate Work on Sundays or Holidays?

No. Work on Sundays/holidays must be voluntary, and an employer cannot take adverse action against an employee who refuses to work on Sundays/ holidays. While there is little guidance about whether an employee who normally works Sundays can call out on a specific Sunday (versus stating upon hire that they are unavailable on all Sundays), employers are advised to be upfront about Sunday/ holiday work expectations during the hiring process to avoid unnecessary confusion down the road. Likewise, an employer may not treat an employee negatively because of their unwillingness to work Sundays/holidays. This includes any discrimination, dismissal, discharge, reduction in hours, or any other penalty.

Importantly, the voluntariness of work requirements will not expire when the premium pay obligations sunset in 2023.

What Else Should Employers Consider?

The Massachusetts Blue Laws are an intertwined hodgepodge of statutory obligations that are both overlapping and contradictory. The lack of clarity and dearth of relevant guidance from enforcement agencies places employers at peril and leads to considerable confusion. A few issues frequently raised by retail employers are discussed below. 1. My business is authorized to open by an exemption other than the “retail store” exemptions. Do the premium pay requirements apply to me? There are presently 56 exemptions to the Sunday closure law. Only the exemptions in paragraphs 25, 27, 50, and 52 of § 6 of the statute require premium pay. If your entire operation fits into one of the other 52 exemptions, your employees may not be entitled to premium pay on Sundays or some of the Blue Law holidays (Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, or Labor Day) because the premium pay obligations for those holidays specifically incorporate the Sunday pay law by reference. However, the authority to open on three other holidays (New Year’s Day, Columbus Day, or Veterans Day) is derived from a separate statute that does not rely on the Sunday pay law.

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Instead, it requires premium pay to employees of any “retail establishment.” Massachusetts courts have concluded this statute compels payment of premium pay even if the employer is otherwise exempt from the Sunday pay law, with one court calling this conclusion a “somewhat odd result.” These courts have concluded that the use of the term “retail establishment” was meant to apply to a much broader swath of business operations and does not require reference to the Sunday pay law. If any of your operations involves retail, you need to consider whether you are required to pay premium pay on New Year’s Day, Columbus Day, or Veterans Day, even if otherwise exempt from the Sunday pay law. 2. What happens when a holiday falls on a weekend? Under Massachusetts law, when a holiday falls on a Saturday, it is observed on that Saturday. Sunday holidays, however, are observed on the following Monday. This means that in certain holiday weeks, employers may be on the hook for Sunday pay and holiday pay, despite the holiday being on a Sunday. For example, Juneteenth National Independence Day falls on a Sunday (June 19) in 2022. Therefore, any employees working the following Monday (June 20) are entitled to premium pay for both June 19 (under the Sunday pay law) and June 20 (under the holiday pay law).

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Blue Law Holidays: Can Retailers Mandate Work On Holidays?

3. How do Sunday/holiday premium payments interact with overtime and the calculation of an employee’s regular rate? Prior to 2019, the answer to this question was simple. Sunday and holiday payments were not considered in determining an employee’s regular rate under either Massachusetts or federal law, as both exclude payments for Sunday/holidays if such payments are at least 1.5x the employee’s regular rate. However, neither Massachusetts nor federal law permits an employer to exclude premium payments from the regular rate calculation when they are less than 1.5x the regular rate. If an employer attempts to avail itself of the reduced premium pay rate for Sundays/holidays, it must carefully consider the impact of those payments if its employees also work overtime. The following examples illustrate how the reduced premium rates factor into determining the overtime rate, using the current minimum wage of $14.25/hour. 1. Employee works 30 hours between Monday and Saturday and 8 hours on Sunday ● Employee is owed 30 hours at minimum wage plus 8 hours of Sunday premium pay at 1.1x her regular rate: (30 x $14.25 = $427.50) +(8 x $15.68 = $125.44) = $552.94. 2. Employee works 35 hours between Monday and Saturday and 10 hours on Sunday

● Employee is owed 35.0 hours at minimum wage, plus 5 hours of Sunday premium pay at 1.1x her regular rate, plus 5 hours of overtime at 1.5x her regular rate. ● The regular rate, however, must include both the straight time rate and the Sunday premium rate. In this scenario the regular rate is calculated as follows: ((35 x $14.25) + (5 x $15.68)) ÷ 40. This employee’s regular rate is, therefore, $14.43, and all overtime hours need to be paid at 1.5x this rate, or $21.65. ● This employee’s total pay is calculated as: (35 x $14.25 = $498.75) +(5 x $15.68 = $78.38) +(5 x $21.65 = $108.25) = $685.38. 3. Employee works 40 hours between Monday and Saturday and 8.0 hours on Sunday ● Employee is owed 40.0 hours at minimum wage plus 8 hours of overtime at 1.5x her regular rate: (40 x $14.25 = $570) +(8 x $21.38 = 171.04) = $741.04. As the last two examples demonstrate, when an employee works more than 40 hours and on a Sunday/holiday in the same workweek, employers must be careful in calculating the regular rate. In Example 3, the calculation is simple—when all Sunday/holiday hours are also overtime hours, the employer

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must pay the higher rate of 1.5x for all hours. When some of the Sunday/holiday hours are not also overtime, the math gets complicated. To avoid this, many employers have continued paying 1.5x for all holidays, despite the lower rate provided by statute. This article originally appeared here.

Joshua D. Nadreau is a Partner and Labor and Employment Litigation Attorney at Fisher & Phillips LLP. Working with clients in New England and throughout the country, Josh routinely advises and represents clients in collective bargaining, arbitration proceedings, and before state and federal administrative agencies. His litigation practice focuses on class and collective wage and hour litigation. Josh also advises clients on compliance with state and federal leave laws, restrictive covenants, and matters concerning allegations of employment discrimination.

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Fixed Or Rotating Work Schedules: How To Choose? A manager’s guide to rotating and fixed work schedules By Noelle Forseth, When I Work

very morning Rebecca gets up at the same time and is at work by 8 a.m. She has her lunch break at noon, and heads home by 5 p.m. She has weekends off. She plans her appointments and errands on the weekends, after work, or over her lunch break. Her roommate’s schedule looks very different. Sometimes he’s coming home as she’s leaving, and sometimes, they leave around the same time. He carefully checks his schedule on an app every time his boss releases it so he can make plans. One has a fixed work schedule, the other does not. When we think of people working 9-to-5, we’re thinking of fixed work schedules. Rebecca would be a classic example, though not all fixed schedules are structured exactly like that. A fixed schedule is any schedule that doesn’t change. While there is an increasing rise in alternate work schedules, the fixed work

schedule remains stubbornly popular. But not every business can use a fixed work schedule. What if you’re open 24 hours? What if you’re open for 12 hours? What if you’re open on the weekends? Have seasonal fluctuations in customer demand? We’ll show you the pros and cons of a fixed work schedule so you can decide if it’s right for you and your employees.

Pros and Cons of Fixed Work Schedules

Generally, fixed work schedules have full-time employees working 35-40 hours a week with a standard eight-hour day for a five-day work week. There are variations (which we’ll get to), but with this generalization in mind, let’s take a look at it from the employee and manager's points of view.

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Advantages: Employees like fixed work schedules because: ●● It’s predictable They know the hours they’ll work, and can plan around it. When you know your schedule is the same week after week, it’s very easy to balance your work and your personal life. It’s easier to plan for family needs, school, appointments, daycare, and events, and that stability and predictability trickles down into their household. Family members know when they’ll be home. ●● It’s less stressful Fixed work schedules also prevent the health issues that come from rotating shifts that can mess with your sleep cycle. When your work shift is the same, your sleep patterns don’t have to change.

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Fixed Or Rotating Work Schedules: How To Choose?

many revert to a “normal” day so they can be with their family. That means a constant state of disrupted sleep patterns.

●● It fosters a better connection with coworkers When you work the same shift with the same people, you have an opportunity to connect. Communication and relational creativity is greater than if you were working with a different group of people every time you came to work. Fixed schedules create unit cohesion. Managers like fixed work schedules because: ●● It’s easier to build the schedule. Building schedules is simple because they simply repeat. If you’re using a scheduling app like When I Work, you simply copy the schedule from one week to the next. The only changes are sick days and paid time off requests. ●● Workforce planning is easier. With repeat and predictive scheduling, workforce planning is a snap. The thing about fixed work schedules is you can

easily see where you’re headed because you’re dealing with the same days and hours. ●● It offers a free incentive to stick around. Fixed work schedules can help with employee retention. If you have a shift you like, you don’t want to leave. If you’re new and have a less-than-desirable shift, stick around long enough and you’ll get the preferred shift, too. Disadvantages: Employees don’t like fixed work schedules because: ●● They can get stuck on a bad shift Rotating shifts allow the “good” and the “bad” shifts to be shared among all employees. Fixed work schedules don’t. ●● Sleep can still be hard to come by For some people, working the night shift is something they never adapt to. And on the weekends or days off,

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●● They actually want flexibility Previous generations may have appreciated the predictability of a fixed work schedule, but not all of today’s workers want that. Some grow bored with the sameness, and prefer flexibility and frequent updates. Different location, different time, different shift—it keeps things feeling new. They don’t want to be stuck at work so much every day. Managers don’t like the fixed work schedules because: ●● Experience is weighted towards the better shift The more experienced workers usually have the most seniority, and that means they’re probably all on the better shift. It’s hard to spread the experience and work quality around to all the shifts. Putting workers with seniority on less popular shifts means you run the risk of them leaving. ●● Turnover on unpopular shifts is high If people don’t like a particular shift, that shift may suffer from continual turnover. Combine that with inexperienced workers in general, and that shift becomes a weak spot.

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Fixed Or Rotating Work Schedules: How To Choose?

●● Scheduling is much more challenging When you’re dealing with work schedules where different people are always on different shifts, it’s a lot to keep track of. It takes more time to schedule employees. The differences between rotating work schedules and fixed work schedules are significant. Nearly 45% of workers with irregular or rotating work schedules struggle with work-family conflict, while just over 10% with a fixed work schedule make the same claim. That has an impact on the employee’s focus, attitude, and willingness to stay on the job. However, your business may not be able to function with a fixed work schedule. If that’s the case, are you stuck with unhappy employees? High turnover? Absolutely not. There are other kinds of work schedules that you can use, and you can mix more than one type together, to find the best solution for everyone.

Other types of work schedules

There’s no shortage of ways to arrange your work schedule. Some of these types would fall under the category of rotating work schedules, while others are unique on their own. ●● Frequent rotating shifts Employees cycle from the day and night shifts from week-to-week. This can be very hard on people and lead to significant burnout.

●● Slow rotating shifts Employees cycle from day and night shifts over the course of several weeks or months to cut down on sleep pattern issues. ●● Weekend rotating shifts Employees take turns working weekends. ●● Partial rotating shifts Some employees work fixed schedules, while others have rotating schedules. This may be because of differences between hourly and salaried workers, or qualification requirements that require some employees to always be on certain shifts. ●● Split shifts Employees split their shift in the day, generally because they are needed at different times. (e.g. a school bus driver is needed before and after school, but not during). ●● On-call shifts Employees are scheduled, but only come in if needed. Be wary of this one; new rules and laws—called “fair workweek” laws—have popped up in cities and states to put a stop to this, as it is hard on employees. ●● 9/80 work schedule A fixed schedule covering a two-week period, eight days have nine hours, one day has eight hours, and one day is off. An alternate version would be 4/10, with four days of ten hours

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each (also known as a compressed workweek). ●● Flextime schedule A set number of hours (“core” hours) must be worked during a standard time, with the remaining hours worked however the employee prefers. ●● No schedule When the work that needs to be done is about completing projects or responsibilities, not the hours worked or when an employee is present, there is no need for any schedule. There are so many ways you can set up your schedule based on what you need, your customers' need, and your employees' need. It is possible you can get the right employee coverage you need by using a mixture of these schedules. It isn’t possible to do that, though, unless you have a robust employee scheduling app. This article originally appeared here.

Noelle Forseth is a Digital Marketing Specialist at When I Work.

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Scheduling Platforms: The Answer To Fix Your Meetings A scheduling platform that respects your time! By Gilles Raymond, Letsmeet

ypical tips on meeting productivity include sharing the agenda beforehand, starting your meeting on time, keeping the conversation going, and asking questions.

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Although those are great tips that will make any meeting more productive, it’s easy to forget the one thing that can make or break meeting productivity: the scheduling.

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Scheduling Platforms: The Answer To Fix Your Meetings

Do you often feel unproductive during online meetings? It’s not your fault. If you’ve been trying to get this online meeting thing right for a couple of years now, you’ve probably struggled with at least one of the following situations:

If scheduling a meeting sounds like a horror film title, it’s because it is. For most of us, at least. From checking in on each and every attendee, one by one, to emailing them back and forth until you can find a time that works for them…and then having to do it all over again, because — surprises, surprise — they won’t be able to attend the meeting at the scheduled time. If you’re currently operating like that, you shouldn’t be surprised that it takes hours or even days for you to schedule a single meeting. You shouldn’t blame yourself for developing a toxic relationship with meetings, either. If just scheduling them drains all of your energy, the meeting prep and the actual meetings will always feel like exhausting work.

● The pain of scheduling and setting up meetings on a bunch of different platforms. ● Emailing guests back-and-forth until you can, by some miracle, settle on a time slot that works for them. ● Organizing unproductive meetings that bring up “this could’ve been an email” jokes. The blame (and the joke) is on the platform you’re using. ‍But, the truth is, everyone is wrestling with the same online meeting issues as you are. Every. Single. Day. Yes, even though they might look like they’re experts at it. Here’s Why: Because the seemingly simple task of scheduling emails takes us days, when it should take us seconds. And we all know that it’s virtually impossible to plan an effective meeting when we’ve spent half of our planning time on haphazard scheduling. You don’t need a better agenda. Not necessarily. What you need is a scheduling platform that respects your time!

Gilles Raymond is the CEO and Founder of Letsmeet. He is a three time startup CEO and Founder, who also created In-Fusio and News Republic, acquired by Bytedance. Additionally, Raymond is the Founder and President of The Signals Foundation, an organization that protects and supports whistleblowers.

You can follow every meeting productivity tip to a “T”. Unless you have a scheduling platform that helps you do your job, your meetings will remain the same. With that in mind, here are today’s best productivity tips for meetings: ● Schedule your meetings with one email. No more, no less. ● Find the best time for every attendee without emailing them back-and-forth. ● Schedule and organize your meetings inside your inbox, instead of switching to multiple tabs.

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Reimagining The Modern Office As A Flexible Collaboration Hub Here are five questions to ask as you rethink your workplace By Maria Aveledo, Octane

fter two years of acclimating to fully remote work, businesses face a new challenge as employees begin returning to the office in one capacity or another. While key aspects of operations may always demand in-person work, attracting and retaining talent amid the Great Resignation requires a flexible approach to the workplace. Caught between these realities, many business leaders are scrambling to adjust. As an executive, I’ve grappled with this problem myself. What I’ve learned is that success depends on a critical shift in mindset. Attempting to replicate the traditional in-person office in a remote setting is bound to failure. Instead, business leaders should take this opportunity to reimagine the modern office as a flexible collaboration hub and a welcoming place for employees when they need it.

Here are five questions to ask as you rethink your workplace.

Take this time to realign employee productivity metrics with tangible business goals. Start by setting your company goals for a given period, then breaking those down into the team and individual goals. Clearly communicate these goals to each employee, then schedule regular check-ins to monitor progress and make adjustments.

At the same time, digital monitoring tools can feel invasive and generate undue stress. The “always-on” environment inadvertently created by instant messaging services was a leading cause of burnout early in the pandemic.

2. Is There Adequate Communication Between Employees and Supervisors? Whether your workplace is remote, in-person, or hybrid, communication is key to ensuring productivity. One-on-one meetings with supervisors are critical to empowering employee success. Perhaps your business was great at maintaining regular one-on-ones in the pre-pandemic office. But if your workplace was like most, the often hectic nature of the office interrupted these sit-downs.

1. Is Employee Productivity Measured by Outcomes? Monitoring employee productivity in the traditional sense isn’t possible in a remote environment. You can’t walk down the hall or strike up an impromptu discussion in the break room.

So, how do you know your employees are hard at work at any given moment? Here’s another question: do you need to? Business success isn’t measured by hours logged in the office or time spent at the computer. It’s measured by outcomes.

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Reimagining The Modern Office As A Flexible Collaboration Hub

Use this transition period to reestablish and optimize these meetings. Ensure that everyone has regular touchpoints with their managers where information is shared, expectations are set, and employees can ask questions and raise concerns. Create transparent systems for monitoring employee progress and performance, then refine your approach in each meeting. 3. What Do Employees Want? Aside from alignment with company goals, the most important factor in determining the best workplace model for your organization is to understand your employees’ needs and preferences. We conducted surveys over the past two years asking our people about their ideal workplace

structure. Most of our team in New York—where cramped apartments aren’t ideal for long-term remote work—wanted access to an office. So we focused on providing optional office space for those employees. We also heard that hybrid meetings can be difficult for individuals calling in remotely— key side conversations and off-screen information are lost to participants joining via Zoom. As a result, we established hybrid meeting guidelines: if one participant is remote, for example, the entire group may join remotely from their desks. Asking for employee feedback doesn’t just provide actionable data, it gives employees ownership in the decision-making process and fosters a positive

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workplace culture. People will be more willing to accept workplace changes if they feel as though leadership has taken their concerns into account. 4. Are Different Teams Collaborating with One Another? A key part of company culture is how we collaborate with one another. Replicating the organic collaboration of an in-person office is difficult in a remote or hybrid setting. That’s just the reality. But difficult doesn’t mean impossible. We’ve focused on creating cross-functional teams to encourage people to work with other departments. These groups both increase productivity and allow employees to get to know colleagues they otherwise wouldn’t interact with.

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Reimagining The Modern Office As A Flexible Collaboration Hub

● Clearly communicate business goals and workplace practices with employees and regularly solicit their feedback. ● Consistently reevaluate your practices, measuring against your business goals. ● Continue to refine your workplace approach as needed.

Think about bringing together people from departments that share goals at the company level to brainstorm and present their work. Cross-functional touchpoints provide visibility into what other teams are doing, encourage creativity, and foster a collaborative company culture. Also, consider bringing people together in person on a consistent schedule—perhaps quarterly strategy meetings or team retreats—so that people build stronger relationships and have the organic conversations missing from virtual interactions. If your business is spending less on office space, you may move budget toward travel and expense to foster more meaningful connections. 5. What’s Working? What’s Not? Finding the workplace structure that fits the unique needs of your

employees and business is an ongoing, interactive process. Don’t be afraid to experiment! You may require a specific department to work in person two days per week instead of three. You may test the effectiveness of biweekly instead of weekly direct report meetings. Or you may find that some teams are most effective with purely remote roles (which carries the added benefit of being able to draw talent from anywhere in the country).

Create a Testing and Evaluation Workflow

● Evaluate your business goals, from company level to team level to individual level. ● Establish workplace practices that best align with these goals—and don’t be afraid to try something new.

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Ultimately, a successful work environment is one that empowers employees to do their best work. By approaching this period of disruption as a unique opportunity to reimagine the workplace, your business can get the most out of the new normal.

Maria Aveledo is Chief Business Officer at Octane. She leads the Operations, People and Strategy departments. Maria joined Octane in 2016 to build and manage the Credit Operations function. Since that time, she has led and supported the launch of other Risk, Operations, and Servicing related initiatives at Octane. Maria also served as Chief of Staff to the CEO, where she was responsible for driving Octane’s strategic initiatives by partnering with all departments across the organization. Prior to Octane, Maria worked at JP Morgan as an investments analyst.

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Maryland And Delaware Paid Family And Medical Leave: What To Expect? It’s time to review your existing policies to prepare for these changes By Ursula Siverling, McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC

aryland and Delaware recently joined the growing list of states that have enacted legislation requiring employers to offer paid family and medical leave. Both states are still working on implementing regulations for the new laws; but, in the meantime, below is a brief summary of what you need to know about these laws and when they will take effect.

Maryland

Maryland’s new law will cover all employers with at least one employee in the state. To be eligible for the leave, employees must have worked at least 680 hours over the 12-month period before the leave begins. Employees also must exhaust all voluntarily provided paid leave before taking paid leave under this law. Beginning on January 1, 2025, all eligible employees may take up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave in an application year for the following reasons: ● To care for a child in the first year following a birth, adoption, or foster care placement; ● For an employee’s own serious health condition;

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● To care for a family member with a serious health condition; ● To care for a service member with a serious health condition who is the employee’s next of kin; or ● For a qualifying exigency relating to a family member on active duty. Employees may also be eligible for an additional 12 weeks per year for their own serious health condition if the initial 12 weeks of leave were taken to care for a new child, and vice versa. The paid leave will be funded by employee wage deductions and, for employers with 15 or more employees, employer contributions or the establishment of self-funded private employer plans to provide paid leave. The benefit amount will be determined by the state average weekly wage and the employee’s current rate of pay, with the maximum benefit for 2025 being $1,000 per week and the minimum amount being $50 per week. The amount of the benefit will be adjusted annually based on the consumer price index.

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Maryland And Delaware Paid Family And Medical Leave: What To Expect?

Delaware

Delaware’s new law creates a statewide insurance program for paid parental, family caregiving, and medical leave funded through employer and employee contributions. Employers with at least 25 employees in Delaware during the prior 12-month period must provide eligible employees with a maximum of 12 weeks of job-protected leave. Employers with 10 to 24 employees only need to offer parental leave. Employer contributions begin on January 1, 2025, and eligible employees will be permitted to take leave beginning on January 1, 2026. Similar to the federal FMLA, employees are eligible for this leave if they have worked 1,250 hours during the previous 12-month period and have worked for a covered employer for at least one year. Eligible employees will be able to take leave for the following reasons:

period for their own health condition, to care for a family member, or for a family member’s military deployment. Employers may require employees to use accrued paid time off to substitute for paid leave. Eligible employees will receive 80% of their average weekly wage, with a minimum weekly benefit of $100 and a maximum weekly benefit of $900 for 2026 and 2027. For each year thereafter, the state will adjust the contribution rate based on the consumer price index. The benefits are funded by employer contributions, but employers may deduct up to 50% of the premiums from employees’ wages. Employers have some time to prepare for these new requirements, and now is a good time to start reviewing your existing policies to prepare for these changes. This article originally appeared here.

● To address their own serious health condition; ● To care for a family member with a serious health condition; ● To bond and care for a child during the first year following birth, adoption, or foster placement; or ● To address a family member’s military deployment.

Ursula Siverling is Of Counsel at McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC.

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Employees can take up to 12 weeks in an application year for parental reasons and 6 weeks in a two-year

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Blue-Collar Workers And Benefits: Top 3 Things Hourly Workers Want Creating a win-win situation By Vivian Wang, LANDED

car drives up to a fast-food restaurant drive-thru only to see a hand-made sign that reads: “Sorry. Not enough workers tonight. Closed.”

United States. Staffing shortages have caused long lines and temporary closures—not only at restaurants, but also in other blue-collar industries as well.

This scene is becoming increasingly common across the

However, there has to be a way to attract workers back to jobs.

Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence presented by HR.com

JUNE 2022

According to a recent survey over 1,000 hourly workers to find out what benefits they would find most attractive when job hunting. Read on to find out which ranked highest.

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Blue-Collar Workers And Benefits: Top 3 Things Hourly Workers Want

#1: Paid Vacation and Sick Time (69 Percent) Everyone needs some downtime now and then—especially in blue-collar industries, which tend to be physically demanding and exhausting jobs. However, blue-collar workers are typically paid hourly. This provides an incentive to work more hours to earn more money. Overtime, which is often paid at a time-and-a-half rate, further incentivizes workers to work to the point of burnout. Offering paid vacation to rest and recover can be a huge selling point for prospects, leading them to contact a company about an open position. Also in the paid time off (PTO) category is sick time, which has become increasingly important in the Covid-era. Workers know the dangers of falling ill, and they may worry about caring for a sick child or elderly relative. Ultimately, two-thirds of respondents cited PTO as an important benefit, earning it the top spot in the survey results.

#2: Flexible Scheduling (65 Percent) The pandemic taught all of us a lot about flexibility. However, while many white-collar employees worked remotely, fewer blue-collar employees had that chance. Blue-collar employees still want options though, with flexible

scheduling landing second on the benefits survey list. Sixty five percent of respondents thought that scheduling options would stand out to them when job hunting. Some retailers and food/ hospitality companies, for instance, are starting to let workers set their own schedules. With self-scheduling, employee engagement rates go up. Other companies are simply listening to employees and offering choices between full-time and part-time, four-day and five-day work weeks, and days and nights. Some employers offer the chance for a split shift: The employee works eight hours a day but with a longer-than-usual break in the middle. Life can be busy and unpredictable. A candidate wants to see that their potential employer recognizes that and is ready to work with them.

So, a line cook with five years of experience would hope that she would be offered a similar hourly rate at one burger joint in Dallas as she made at another. 63% of respondents found competitive pay to be enticing while job hunting. The same percentage of respondents also called health insurance a sought-after benefit. As healthcare costs rise, workers find continued value in their employers’ contributions. Health insurance provides reassurance that employees can access medical coverage in case of an unexpected accident or illness.

Creating a Win-Win Situation

By offering benefits attractive to blue-collar workers, companies can help fill more positions and create happy employees.

#3: Competitive Pay and Health Insurance (63 Percent—Tie!)

Well, this one is pretty clear. Everyone wants to be paid fairly for the job they do, right?

Vivian Wang is the Founder and CEO of LANDED.

But what exactly is competitive pay? Competitive pay means that the position pays as well as (or better than) similar jobs in the market. This wage is dependent on the person’s years of experience, region/location, job title, industry, and market conditions.

Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence presented by HR.com

JUNE 2022

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How The Right Digital Tools Can Make Four-Day Workweek Succeed 3 steps to foster a four-day workweek By Andrei Faji, PandaDoc

he four-day workweek is happening. As companies look to facilitate work-life balance and mental well-being inside their organizations while holding onto top talent during the Great Resignation, a growing number across the globe are testing out the four-day workweek. Technology, connectivity, and trust are essential to the viability of a four-day workweek. This was certainly the case for Feathr, a marketing automation platform for nonprofits, which during the pandemic’s early days implemented a four-day workweek with temporary scaled pay cuts as an alternative to layoffs. The 20% reduction in overall payroll expenses weighted more heavily towards higher salaries; employees in a lower salary range did not receive a cut. From the outset, Feathr worked toward reinstating 100% salaries and keeping the four-day workweek. Feathr has since reinstated salaries to their full amount and is now operating at 100% efficiency. The four-day workweek is now permanent; management sees the shortened workweek as a strategic benefit facilitating a more efficient and streamlined company, rather than seeing it as a compromise or limitation. Feathr’s exceptional level of service to its customers has remained constant.

Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence presented by HR.com

Feathr also grew its revenue — up 28% in 2020 and over 80% in 2021, confirming the efficacy of its approach and customer satisfaction. Using the right set of digital tools and technology helped Feathr successfully achieve its business objectives and efficiently scale while nurturing its focus on employee needs and work-life balance. Working with nonprofits, however, poses some additional challenges. Feathr’s clients are not selling socks or Apple watches. Their raison d’etre is to further a given mission. But most of their customers are also very short-staffed. They are lucky if they have one or two people in communications or marketing. Feathr requires automated systems and technology that streamline procedures and expedite internal and external processes, for employees and clients. Following are three tips to ensure that the digital tools and technology you are implementing are helping you foster a four-day workweek.

1. Streamline Operations to Save Time and Increase Flexibility Employ systems with built-in flexibility to meet any needs specific to your operation and save your employees valuable time that they can dedicate to non-work related pursuits.

JUNE 2022

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How The Right Digital Tools Can Make Four-Day Workweek Succeed

one automated digital document system for use throughout the company. At one point, Feathr had three contract signing systems.

Feathr’s marketing automation platform packages and pricing are constantly evolving. No two of its nonprofit clients are alike in size, scope or what they are looking to accomplish. To that end, Feathr has built 40 different combinations of its platform offerings that salespeople can choose from to present to customers. As part of its digital document platform, it is essential that contract signing is editable on the fly. Pricing updates may require Feathr’s custom-built marketing solutions to be instantly changed. Flexibility is also necessary to manage client interactions with various documents, including contracts, renewals, upsells and new business. As a company implementing a four-day workweek, Feathr must save time wherever and whenever possible. Its automated systems enable each Feathr salesperson to save two-to-five minutes a day, which adds up to usable time that the employee is getting back. For example, its digital document system allows team members to collaborate easily and quickly to turn around contracts, renewals and other important documents.

Employing different systems to perform the same task — in this case, digital document management — can cause chaos and errors, with a real possibility of essential client documents falling through the cracks. Having one unified system minimizes time wasted jumping in and out of different systems and allows faster collaboration between team members and clients. Job functions may overlap between different employees, such as customer service representatives and sales. A system that fosters transparency and allows team members to see what each is doing helps expedite client deliverables, eliminating redundancy and errors.

3. Get the Right App

Feathr’s four-day workweek sometimes requires management to follow through on a contract signing on a Friday, and the digital document system’s app means that they can do it via smartphone. The Feathr team uses the app to monitor all documents expected to be signed that day. It is a lot more efficient than going into the office and logging onto a computer. Feathr’s sales and customer success teams use it for external communications with clients for upsells and renewals and internally for reimbursement and other HR-related forms. More organizations are looking to a four-day workweek as they embrace ways to promote work-life balance and mental well-being. Tools that facilitate agility, time-saving practices, and collaboration and communication in real time are key to making the four-day workweek successful and meeting business objectives.

Andrei Faji is Director of Engagement Marketing at PandaDoc.

2. Leverage Unified Systems Throughout the Company Coming from the marketing world, where people are using 8-to-10 different platforms and bloated technology stacks, Feathr realized the need for

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