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  • Employee work-life balance has significantly changed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. As priorities have shifted, employees have become captivated by the idea of quiet quitting. Due to this trending phenomenon, employers have responded with quiet firing practices. By implementing this idea, employers create a hostile work environment to push employees to quit.

    Understanding The Term Quiet Firing

    Quiet firing is defined as a workplace that fails to reward an employee for their contributions to an organization, forcing them to leave their jobs. As managers react to quiet quitting, methods are being used to combat this detachment. According to a recent survey, one in three managers implements passive-aggressive tactics to make work uncomfortable for an employee in hopes that the quiet quitter will choose to leave the company. A workplace that fails to reward employees for their contributions to an organization is forcing them to leave their jobs.

    Employers that implement quiet firing are creating a culture of uncertainty. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) explained four signs of quiet firing: 

    • Passing over an employee for promotions or raises despite high productivity and a strong work ethic
    • Withholding feedback from workers on submitted projects
    • Assigning projects that are beneath an employee’s skill set or job description
    • Regularly canceling one-on-one and progress meetings

    Signs Of Quiet Quitting

    Many managers and business owners notice when employees begin to disconnect from the workplace. According to Forbes, attributes of employee disengagement can be viewed as:

    • Showing up to work on time, not earlier
    • Taking a lunch break, not eating at their desk
    • Leaving exactly when the day ends
    • Turning off emails and calls outside of work hours
    • Not participating in extra activities 
    • Not volunteering for work events
    • Not helping with other’s workloads

    What Is The Cost?

    Quiet firing can be costly for your business. Employees will leave when they believe their career growth is stunted. Quiet quitting and quiet firing often go together. When employers and employees are not in sync, neither party receives any benefit.

    Support From GMS

    When an employee disengages, knowing the proper steps to follow can be challenging. GMS simplifies the process. As quiet quitting has gained traction, employers may face major consequences, including losing quality talent if not handled properly. Our HR specialists are there to step in when you need them the most. They can create policies to manage problems and protect your business. Contact us today!

  • The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission has issued guidance for workplaces, as an initial step toward formulating and approving standards for Workplace Impairment Recognition Expert certifications. The Commission establishes and enforces rules and regulations governing the licensing, cultivation, testing, selling, and purchasing of cannabis in New Jersey. According to the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission, “employees cannot be acted against solely due to the presence of cannabis in their body. However, employers have the right to drug test on reasonable suspicion of impairment.”

    Implementing Drug Tests In The Workplace

    While drug tests are still evolving and becoming more accurate, there are ways to enforce drug tests within the workplace. The beginning of recreational marijuana sales in New Jersey started earlier this year. However, before April, New Jersey only allowed cannabis for medical reasons. Employers should establish evidence-based protocols to document behaviors and physical signs of impairment. Then, if there is a reasonable cause or suspicion, utilizing a drug test to verify would be the next step.

    The new guidelines are intended as the first step toward regulations for certification standards for workplace impairment recognition experts. For the time being, employers can use their established protocols to maintain a drug-free workplace policy.

    Guidelines For Employers As States Legalize Marijuana 

    Employers face complex state laws legalizing marijuana along with conflicting federal laws when developing and implementing workplace drug policies. As more and more states legalize marijuana, a business owner needs to establish drug policies within the workplace while staying compliant. When you partner with GMS, our team helps you create an employee handbook that provides your employees with the policies and guidelines they need to adhere to. In addition, our online HR portal makes it easy for you to measure, track, and review documents. Contact us today to get started. 

  • A nationwide survey found that 50 percent of workers experience the “Sunday Scaries” before returning to work after time off. In comparison, another 40 percent say they struggle with “Imposter Syndrome.” The Sunday scaries are feelings of intense anxiety and dread that routinely occur every Sunday. Imposter syndrome is an internal experience of believing you are not as competent as others perceive you to be.

    What Will You Do As The Employer?

    If you’re an employer and you find that your employees feel anxiety when returning to work, what will you do to combat their feelings? Approximately seven million individuals in the U.S. have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, making it the most common mental illness. Employees who participated in the isolved’s survey stated that their employer could help reduce symptoms of Imposter Syndrome and the anxiety of returning to work by meeting with supervisors regularly and providing resources to minimize burnout.

    The following are steps you can take to reduce anxiety amongst your employees:

    • Set reasonable expectations
    • Communicate frequently
    • Let employees know they’re appreciated, especially in high-stress times
    • Keep your personal life personal
    • Avoid discussing politics or incendiary topics
    • Break up the normal routine
    • Consider hiring an occupational therapist for your team or provide outside resources for counseling/therapy

    Ask your employees what you can do to help ease their anxiety or how you can reduce burnout. Individuals may want to meet one-on-one with their supervisor, while others may want to meet with an outside resource, such as a therapist. You won’t know the answers until you ask.

    Where GMS Comes Into Play

    At GMS, our experts work diligently with you and your team to make your business run simpler, safer, and stronger. While we can’t ultimately take away the anxiety your employees may be feeling; we can certainly provide you with resources that will be able to help. When you partner with GMS, we assist you in conducting performance reviews. You need to communicate with your team to understand where they’re at, how you can help, and answer any questions your employees have. In addition, we have a 24/7 nurse triage hotline your employees can utilize if they are feeling anxious and need to speak with a professional. We are a one-stop shop providing you with risk management, payroll, HR, and benefits assistance. Contact us today.

  • In the wake of the pandemic, employees’ views of work-life balance have significantly changed. As a result, the term “quiet quitting” was established. While there is not one specific definition, the term rejects the notion that employees should go beyond their job description without additional benefits.

    According to NPR, “supporters argue that quiet quitting is a way to safeguard your mental health, prioritize your family, friends, and passions, and avoid burnout.” However, the term has nothing to do with quitting, completing the bare minimum, or slacking at work. When it comes to quiet quitting, Americans are working to integrate their personal lives with their work lives.

    How It Works

    According to Forbes, the following are attributes of quiet quitting: 

    • Showing up to work on time, no earlier
    • Taking a lunch break, not eating at their desk
    • Leaving on time
    • Turning off emails and calls outside of work hours
    • No extra activities 
    • Not volunteering for work events
    • Helping eas other’s workloads

    Is It Effective? 

    Despite the popularity of the quiet quitting trend, disengaging entirely from the workplace may not be the best option. As an employer, begin taking note of situations when employees become distant. If you notice that an employee is less driven when completing everyday tasks, communicate with them. By communicating with your employees, you can establish a plan that best works to suit their needs.

    Many believe that by setting boundaries at work, they are less likely to experience burnout. However, addressing the challenges head-on can help employers regain control. If the employee is not completing their everyday tasks, it might be time to part ways.

    GMS’ Support 

    When you partner with GMS (Group Management Services), you gain immediate access to an HR Account Manager. This support can guide you in the best way to manage a disengaged employee, who may be taking part in the phenomenon of quiet quitting. Communication is key to managing quiet quitting. Employees want to know their efforts are being recognized. Contact GMS today to learn more.

  • The NorthShore University HealthSystem agreed to pay more than $10.3 million to resolve allegations over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Liberty Counsel, a Christian organization, filed a lawsuit on behalf of employees who were denied a religious exemption from the health system’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

    The class action settlement against NorthShore University HealthSystem is on behalf of more than 500 health care workers. Among those workers, half became compliant with the vaccine policy, and the other half were fired or resigned based upon their religious objection to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. This is the first-of-its-kind class action settlement against a private employer who unlawfully denied hundreds of religious exemption requests for COVID-19 vaccines.

    What The Agreement Means

    As part of the agreement, Liberty Counsel stated that NorthShore will change its policy to allow unvaccinated employees to work if they have an approved religious exemption. All religious exemptions are now considered on a case-by-case basis rather than denied to all employees.

    Employees who are unvaccinated and were let go because they claimed a religious exemption now have the opportunity to take their jobs back. In addition, employees who quit or were fired will receive about $25,000 each. The original 13 plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit will get $20,000 more. Employees who agreed to get vaccinated despite their religious objections could potentially receive up to $3,000.

    How This Impacts Businesses

    If you’re a business owner and want to mandate the COVID-19 vaccination, you must consider all religious exemptions, you must notify employees of the exemption process, and what forms should be utilized. Employers can mandate that all employees receive the COVID-19 vaccine. However, the policy must be job-related and consistent with business needs. It’s the employer’s responsibility to show that an unvaccinated employee will pose a direct threat to the health or safety of other employees.

    What Next?

    As an employer, listening to your employees’ needs is vital. When it comes to mandating the COVID-19 vaccine within the workplace, it can stir up issues among employees. Ultimately, you want to do what’s best for your employees. When you partner with GMS, we work with you to provide an employee handbook that will provide your employees with all the information they need to know about rules and regulations. Contact GMS to learn how we can help you and your business.

  • The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received adequate petitions to reach the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap. In addition, the USCIS reached the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree exemption, the master’s cap, for the fiscal year (FY) 2023. This is set to begin October 1st, 2022. To account for employers who do not follow through with the petition process or were denied, rejected, or withdrawn, additional petitions are typically selected.

    An H-1B visa is a nonimmigrant classification that applies to individuals who wish to perform services in a specialty occupation, services of exceptional merit, and ability relating to a Department of Defense (DOD) cooperative research and development, or services as a fashion model of distinguished merit or ability.

    The USCIS has completed sending non-selection notifications to registrants’ online accounts. H-1B registrations that were submitted correctly for FY 2023 but were not selected will appear as:

    • Not selected: Not selected – not eligible to file an H-1B cap petition based on this registration

    They will also continue to accept and process petitions exempt from the cap. Current H-1B workers whose cap number hasn’t expired but who were previously counted against the cap are exempt from the FY 2023 H-1B cap. The USCIS will continue to accept, and process petitions filed to:

    • Extend the time a current H-1B worker may remain in the U.S. 
    • Change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers
    • Allow current H-1B workers to change employers
    • Allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in additional H-1B positions

    Employers can register foreign workers who weren’t selected for an H-1B visa when the FY 2024 cap season begins in the spring of 2023.

    GMS Is Here To Help

    GMS helps you stay up to date on all policies. In addition, our experts provide you with general guidance and advice about Visa questions and concerns, ensuring compliance while hiring employees from another country. While the H-1B visa cap for FY 2023 has been reached, let GMS assist with your application for FY 2024. Contact us today.

  • Providing training for your employees has always had a handful of benefits. When you train your employees properly, you can achieve your business goals while also giving employees the learning opportunities they need to move forward in their careers.

    More than half of all employees will require significant reskilling and upskilling by 2025, according to the World Economic Forum. While companies understand the importance of employee training, implementing it remains quite a challenge. Organizations who invest in their employees are likely to reap significant rewards from increasing employee morale to growing the company’s output. The following are benefits of implementing effective employee training:

    • Reduce employee turnover
    • Reduce layoffs
    • Improve employee engagement
    • Increase productivity
    • Improve team functionality
    • Build a competitive advantage
    • Prevent and address skill gaps
    • Build a talent pipeline
    • Enhance management
    • Increase employees’ sense of security

    What Stops Employers From Offering Employee Training

    While many employers understand the benefits of implementing employee training, there are still barriers that employers face. Businesses are left with difficult decisions when there’s a hit to the economy, similar to today’s economy. Many business owners choose to cut their training and development budgets.

    In addition, employee resistance to change is a significant barrier. Employees accustomed to a particular way of functioning for an extended amount of time tend to avoid doing something new. These employees don’t want to learn or adapt to new processes. For a business to continue to grow and adapt, leadership needs to be engaged in the critical aspects of learning and development.

    The most common barrier most small business owners face is budget. According to a study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), businesses spend between $501 to $3,000 training one employee. Additional barriers HR managers face include:

    • Lack of time to administer training
    • Keeping content current amid changes in the workplace
    • Lack of motivation from employees
    • Forgetting what they learned
    • Not having enough time at work to complete training

    How Employers Can Improve Training And Development Programs

    There are various steps employers can take to implement training and development for their employees. Consider surveying employees to understand how you can meet their training needs more effectively. Alyse Kimble, Training and Development Coordinator at GMS, explains, “More than 50% of businesses face a skills gap in the workforce which is why training is so important. Instead of looking externally to fill gaps, they focus on reskilling and upskilling their current employees. This is especially important if you are hiring Gen Z employees who are highly motivated to grow in their careers. 76% see learning and development as the key step to advancing their careers.”

    What steps will you take to ensure your employees are being trained properly? When you partner with GMS, you gain access to technology that will assist in the training process of your employees. Contact us today to learn more.

  • With recent news regarding gun control, there has been additional confusion over when, where, and how weapons can be carried. Laws and regulations related to carrying firearms, specifically concealed guns and where weapons can be carried, continue to change.

    The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, “a well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” As a business owner, you may wonder how this affects your business. To remain compliant with evolving legislation, employers should communicate expectations consistently throughout their organization.

    Safe Work Environment 

    Employers must provide a workplace for employees that does not pose a severe risk of harm. A weapons-free workplace policy sets the stage for a safe work environment. There should be training for any possible incidents of workplace violence, including those that involve weapons. For this to happen, employers must assess risks through a workplace audit. This will allow the workplace to be prepared should an incident occur.

    In addition, you must monitor any additional changes to relevant laws and regulations. Understand that laws vary at local and state levels. If you’re a business owner with office locations in multiple states, you must understand each law that could impact the organization.

    Ensure you are consistent when issuing and maintaining policies and procedures throughout the workplace. If you’re an employer who enforces a strict no-weapons policy, it must be implemented fairly throughout the organization. For example, if no employee is allowed to have a weapon in the workplace, this policy should include all employees, even executives such as the CEO.

    How Will You Protect Your Employees?

    Partnering with a PEO such as GMS can provide you with the resources you need to make informed decisions. Our safety experts conduct walkthroughs of your facility to ensure you remain compliant with OSHA rules and regulations. In addition, our HR experts work with you to create employee handbooks. If you already have an employee handbook written, we can help you update it with a no-weapon policy. Contact us today to learn more.

  • While there have been multiple signs that the labor market is weakening, the number of Americans who filed for unemployment benefits has increased again. Over 260,000 workers filed for new unemployment benefits throughout the last week of July.

    In earlier months this year, the labor market had been one of the few bright spots in the economy. The unemployment rate remained steady at 3.6% for the fourth consecutive month, reaching a historic low. However, with unemployment claims rising to the highest level since November 2021, businesses such as Apple, Walmart, and Microsoft, are announcing hiring freezes and/or layoffs.

    The U.S. government announced that businesses had posted fewer positions amid concerns that the economy was weakening. In fact, for every unemployed individual, there are currently almost two job vacancies.

    Unemployment Claims Management

    The unemployment claims process can be cumbersome between changing compliance regulations and increasing costs for small business owners. Your company’s bottom line can be severely affected by rising unemployment insurance rates due to an increase in unemployment claims. When you partner with GMS, you no longer need to spend time trying to protect your business from unemployment claims and taxes. Contact us today.

  • In late July, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a “public health emergency of international concern.” While employers are still dealing with the effects of COVID-19 within the workplace, the global spread of monkeypox, the rise of related health advisories, and the extensive media coverage about the virus leave employers concerned.

    Understanding Monkeypox

    The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention define monkeypox as: 

    “Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. The monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as variola virus, which causes smallpox. Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox but milder, and monkeypox is rarely fatal.”

    While experts are still assessing how this disease is transmitted, it is currently understood to be transmitted and spreads from person to person through:

    • Direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or bodily fluids
    • Respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact
    • Touching items that previously touched the infectious rash or bodily fluids
    • Pregnant women can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta

    Steps Employers Should Take

    While the health risk of monkeypox to the general public, including employees in non-healthcare settings, remains low, it’s still critical to evaluate current policies. A good starting point for a business owner is to reinforce specific health and safety protocols adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, it’s vital to consider how you can limit the spread of monkeypox throughout the office. The following are precautions you should take, including:

    • Wash hands often with soap and water
    • Have sanitation stations located throughout the office 
    • Routinely clean all frequently touched surfaces in the workplace
    • Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash
    • Avoid close contact with people who are sick
    • Stay home when you feel sick 

    GMS Is Here To Protect You

    While GMS can’t stop the spread of monkeypox, our HR experts can help you establish health guidelines and update handbooks to ensure your policies protect you as an employer. We help clients write safety manuals to ensure the safety of their employees. There’s no need to stress about the what-ifs and the endless number of questions you may have. Partner with GMS so we can help you take a proactive approach to ensure the safety and well-being of your employees. Contact us today.