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Given that heat-related illnesses in the U.S. have spiked over the past few years, I wanted to share some helpful safety reminders that you can pass along to your leadership team and workers. Hydration: Stress the importance of staying hydrated by drinking water regularly, regardless of thirst. Advise against consuming drinks high in sugar or caffeine on hot days, as these have a diuretic effect that can lead to dehydration. Instead, suggest opting for water, coconut water, or electrolyte-replenishing drinks. Protective Clothing: Remind employees to wear loose, lightweight, and light-colored clothing. Urge them to use broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, applying it generously on exposed skin 15 minutes before going outdoors and reapplying every two hours. Schedule Wisely: Consider scheduling tasks earlier or later in the day to avoid working during the hottest hours. Educate your management team on monitoring the heat index, not just temperature, as humidity plays a crucial role in how hot it actually feels. Use this information to adjust workloads and schedules accordingly. Cooling Areas: Advise employees to take breaks and seek refuge in air-conditioned spaces during rest periods. Advocate for regular breaks among teams to allow for cooling off and hydration. Eat Lightly:  Recommend consuming smaller, lighter meals that include hydrating fruits. Caution against consuming large amounts of high-protein foods, which can increase metabolic heat and water loss. Encourage choosing salads, smoothies, and other light options that are easier to digest and can help keep the body cool. By implementing these simple yet effective measures, you can help safeguard the health and well-being of your workforce during the summer months.

Long before a need or crisis arises, let employees know you care about their well-being and desire to support them in all of life’s ups and downs. However, make sure they know what can and cannot be modified in their individual positions. This means your job descriptions should have essential duties clearly identified so everyone understands their job requirements. Remember there are two types of leave: mandatory and voluntary. Federal and state laws regulate mandatory leave. Mandatory leave includes medical leave (leave associated with the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Family and Medical Leave Act), military leave, and short-term leave for voting, vaccination, and jury duty. Voluntary leave is not required by law and is offered as a benefit to employees per company policy. A company may grant voluntary leave to employees who have exhausted their time off and don’t otherwise qualify for mandatory leave. Unlike mandatory leave, companies do not have to offer job protection during a voluntary leave, although some may choose to do so. If an employee is suddenly or excessively absent from work, ask if there is something they need to tend to and any way your company can assist. Should they need extended time off, designate it FMLA if your company is a covered employer and your employee is eligible. An employee is eligible for FMLA if they have worked 1250 hours. It allows up to 12 weeks off in a 12-month period. Employees may take it for: Childbirth, adoption, and foster care Serious health condition Caring for a family member with a serious health condition Specific military reasons (including care of a service member)  Companies are obligated to pay employees on FMLA only if the employee has paid time off or sick time. However, some companies write additional paid leave time into their leave of absence policy as an added benefit to employees. To cover all the details, companies need a detailed leave of absence policy as well as a leave of absence request form for employees. While there are free templates floating around, it’s best to work with an attorney to create a policy that fits your company’s needs and is legally compliant.

While things like retirement benefits, health insurance, and short- and long-term disability are still crucial, they’re hardly enough to woo today’s top-tier employee. If you really want to attract the best candidates, a benefits package stuffed with perks is essential. One of the easiest ways to stand out from the rest? Add a wellness program to your current package. Consider these statistics: About 87% of employees said they consider health and wellness offerings when choosing an employer (Forbes, 2013). 63% of employers offering wellness programs reported increased financial sustainability and growth (IFEBP, 2017). For every dollar spent on wellness programs, a business saves $5.82 in employee absenteeism costs (ISDH). The most popular wellness programs include smoking cessation (91%), physical activity programs (86%), and weight management (79%) (Fidelity, 2017). 61% of employees enrolled in a company’s wellness program reported healthier lifestyle changes (Alfac, 2017).  A workplace wellness program positively influences everyone in an organization—yours would be no different.

It’s one of the things you hate most about being a business owner but sometimes it’s unavoidable — letting an employee go. Most of the time, the dust settles, your team regroups, and you move forward. But occasionally you find yourself questioning an unemployment claim filed by a former employee. While your state’s unemployment office will make the final decision, understanding the law and the circumstances around the layoff will help you know if contesting a claim is the right step. Employees are eligible for unemployment benefits only if they are out of work through no fault of their own. Translation: It matters how the employee left your company. Consider the following : An employee who was laid off is always eligible for unemployment benefits. An employee who was fired is eligible for unemployment if the violations were relatively minor, unintentional, or isolated. If you fired an employee for misconduct, he or she is not eligible for benefits. Examples of misconduct include: revealing trade secrets, sexual harassment, chronic tardiness or unexcused absences, extreme insubordination, intoxication on the job, and dishonesty. An employee who quits is eligible only if the employee resigned for “good cause” — that is, the worker would have suffered some sort of harm or injury by staying. You should contest a claim only if you have grounds to do so — meaning your former employee engaged in serious misconduct or quit without a compelling reason.

The last few years have shown us that while the necessity of remote work may have evaporated, the zeal for it has not. And though IT managers have worked to set employees up for success with portable technology and remote logins, there remains a viable threat to many networks. With that in mind, I wanted to reach out today with a few steps you can take to reinforce the security of your network and your business assets if you haven’t already. Implement MFA: Multifactor authentication is a vital way to ensure that those logging on are who they say they are. Limit access: Least privilege access is designed so that only people who need access have access. Update devices: Institute an IT protocol so that all devices that touch your network are updated with the latest programs and security. Protect with VPN: A virtual private network (VPN) can help protect traffic to and from your assets by encrypting data. Use a password manager: Employees will be less likely to forget or compromise their access if it’s all in one place. Revisit your cyber coverage: Given that cyber-attacks have risen 238% since 2020, it’s important to recognize that a cyberattack could very well happen, even if you take all of the necessary steps.

Have you ever had something in your teeth during a meeting where you were smiling the whole time and no one told you? I have. And it’s quite embarrassing. I find there are two camps of people. Those that motion to you so you can do something about it and those that just sit quietly because they don’t want to embarrass you. Both are kind gestures with two very different outcomes. This is an interesting scenario for me because it’s a lot like leadership. If a leader doesn’t give you the hard facts to let you know something is off then how will you know and therefore, improve? If a leader observes you going off track time and time again and doesn’t point it out to you because they are trying to be kind- you may not know you are going in the wrong direction and will never arrive. There are so many stories about how terrible a leader is because they call a spade a spade when they see it. They are willing to risk not being liked- because they are trying to help. This often is perceived wrong… or dare I say…unkind? Delivery is everything and it’s in the HOW this is done that matters- no one wants to give or receive bad news- but it is an unavoidable action that needs to happen for improvement and resolution. So what to do? Next time someone tells you have something is in your teeth at a meeting- don’t get mad at them. Thank them. It’s not easy to tell people things that are embarrassing or things they really don’t want to hear. And sitting idly by saying nothing at all may feel like being a friend… But it certainly isn’t being a leader.

Letting an employee go is never easy.

Global Employee Health and Fitness Month shine a light on mental health during Mental Health Awareness Month.

Given that heat-related illnesses in the U.S. have spiked over the past few years, I wanted to share some helpful safety reminders that you can pass along to your leadership team and workers. Hydration: Stress the importance of staying hydrated by drinking water regularly, regardless of thirst. Advise against consuming drinks high in sugar or caffeine on hot days, as these have a diuretic effect that can lead to dehydration. Instead, suggest opting for water, coconut water, or electrolyte-replenishing drinks. Protective Clothing: Remind employees to wear loose, lightweight, and light-colored clothing. Urge them to use broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, applying it generously on exposed skin 15 minutes before going outdoors and reapplying every two hours. Schedule Wisely: Consider scheduling tasks earlier or later in the day to avoid working during the hottest hours. Educate your management team on monitoring the heat index, not just temperature, as humidity plays a crucial role in how hot it actually feels. Use this information to adjust workloads and schedules accordingly. Cooling Areas: Advise employees to take breaks and seek refuge in air-conditioned spaces during rest periods. Advocate for regular breaks among teams to allow for cooling off and hydration. Eat Lightly:  Recommend consuming smaller, lighter meals that include hydrating fruits. Caution against consuming large amounts of high-protein foods, which can increase metabolic heat and water loss. Encourage choosing salads, smoothies, and other light options that are easier to digest and can help keep the body cool. By implementing these simple yet effective measures, you can help safeguard the health and well-being of your workforce during the summer months.

Long before a need or crisis arises, let employees know you care about their well-being and desire to support them in all of life’s ups and downs. However, make sure they know what can and cannot be modified in their individual positions. This means your job descriptions should have essential duties clearly identified so everyone understands their job requirements. Remember there are two types of leave: mandatory and voluntary. Federal and state laws regulate mandatory leave. Mandatory leave includes medical leave (leave associated with the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Family and Medical Leave Act), military leave, and short-term leave for voting, vaccination, and jury duty. Voluntary leave is not required by law and is offered as a benefit to employees per company policy. A company may grant voluntary leave to employees who have exhausted their time off and don’t otherwise qualify for mandatory leave. Unlike mandatory leave, companies do not have to offer job protection during a voluntary leave, although some may choose to do so. If an employee is suddenly or excessively absent from work, ask if there is something they need to tend to and any way your company can assist. Should they need extended time off, designate it FMLA if your company is a covered employer and your employee is eligible. An employee is eligible for FMLA if they have worked 1250 hours. It allows up to 12 weeks off in a 12-month period. Employees may take it for: Childbirth, adoption, and foster care Serious health condition Caring for a family member with a serious health condition Specific military reasons (including care of a service member)  Companies are obligated to pay employees on FMLA only if the employee has paid time off or sick time. However, some companies write additional paid leave time into their leave of absence policy as an added benefit to employees. To cover all the details, companies need a detailed leave of absence policy as well as a leave of absence request form for employees. While there are free templates floating around, it’s best to work with an attorney to create a policy that fits your company’s needs and is legally compliant.

While things like retirement benefits, health insurance, and short- and long-term disability are still crucial, they’re hardly enough to woo today’s top-tier employee. If you really want to attract the best candidates, a benefits package stuffed with perks is essential. One of the easiest ways to stand out from the rest? Add a wellness program to your current package. Consider these statistics: About 87% of employees said they consider health and wellness offerings when choosing an employer (Forbes, 2013). 63% of employers offering wellness programs reported increased financial sustainability and growth (IFEBP, 2017). For every dollar spent on wellness programs, a business saves $5.82 in employee absenteeism costs (ISDH). The most popular wellness programs include smoking cessation (91%), physical activity programs (86%), and weight management (79%) (Fidelity, 2017). 61% of employees enrolled in a company’s wellness program reported healthier lifestyle changes (Alfac, 2017).  A workplace wellness program positively influences everyone in an organization—yours would be no different.

It’s one of the things you hate most about being a business owner but sometimes it’s unavoidable — letting an employee go. Most of the time, the dust settles, your team regroups, and you move forward. But occasionally you find yourself questioning an unemployment claim filed by a former employee. While your state’s unemployment office will make the final decision, understanding the law and the circumstances around the layoff will help you know if contesting a claim is the right step. Employees are eligible for unemployment benefits only if they are out of work through no fault of their own. Translation: It matters how the employee left your company. Consider the following : An employee who was laid off is always eligible for unemployment benefits. An employee who was fired is eligible for unemployment if the violations were relatively minor, unintentional, or isolated. If you fired an employee for misconduct, he or she is not eligible for benefits. Examples of misconduct include: revealing trade secrets, sexual harassment, chronic tardiness or unexcused absences, extreme insubordination, intoxication on the job, and dishonesty. An employee who quits is eligible only if the employee resigned for “good cause” — that is, the worker would have suffered some sort of harm or injury by staying. You should contest a claim only if you have grounds to do so — meaning your former employee engaged in serious misconduct or quit without a compelling reason.

The last few years have shown us that while the necessity of remote work may have evaporated, the zeal for it has not. And though IT managers have worked to set employees up for success with portable technology and remote logins, there remains a viable threat to many networks. With that in mind, I wanted to reach out today with a few steps you can take to reinforce the security of your network and your business assets if you haven’t already. Implement MFA: Multifactor authentication is a vital way to ensure that those logging on are who they say they are. Limit access: Least privilege access is designed so that only people who need access have access. Update devices: Institute an IT protocol so that all devices that touch your network are updated with the latest programs and security. Protect with VPN: A virtual private network (VPN) can help protect traffic to and from your assets by encrypting data. Use a password manager: Employees will be less likely to forget or compromise their access if it’s all in one place. Revisit your cyber coverage: Given that cyber-attacks have risen 238% since 2020, it’s important to recognize that a cyberattack could very well happen, even if you take all of the necessary steps.

Have you ever had something in your teeth during a meeting where you were smiling the whole time and no one told you? I have. And it’s quite embarrassing. I find there are two camps of people. Those that motion to you so you can do something about it and those that just sit quietly because they don’t want to embarrass you. Both are kind gestures with two very different outcomes. This is an interesting scenario for me because it’s a lot like leadership. If a leader doesn’t give you the hard facts to let you know something is off then how will you know and therefore, improve? If a leader observes you going off track time and time again and doesn’t point it out to you because they are trying to be kind- you may not know you are going in the wrong direction and will never arrive. There are so many stories about how terrible a leader is because they call a spade a spade when they see it. They are willing to risk not being liked- because they are trying to help. This often is perceived wrong… or dare I say…unkind? Delivery is everything and it’s in the HOW this is done that matters- no one wants to give or receive bad news- but it is an unavoidable action that needs to happen for improvement and resolution. So what to do? Next time someone tells you have something is in your teeth at a meeting- don’t get mad at them. Thank them. It’s not easy to tell people things that are embarrassing or things they really don’t want to hear. And sitting idly by saying nothing at all may feel like being a friend… But it certainly isn’t being a leader.

Letting an employee go is never easy.

Global Employee Health and Fitness Month shine a light on mental health during Mental Health Awareness Month.