Human resources professionals are the beating heart of every business. The right human resources team can help promote a positive culture, make employees feel valued, and extinguish conflict in the workplace. But, when things aren’t going well in your HR department, you could start to see problems across the entire organization.

Shortly after President Biden assumed office, he announced that “closing the gender pay gap is more than just an economic imperative — it’s a moral imperative as well.” The Biden administration approached this priority by backing the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that would create new regulations in support of pay equity.

Acknowledging and appreciating employees is essential for a more positive, productive, and profitable organization. Over the years, there has been more and more evidence and data that links employee appreciation with customer satisfaction, and organizational growth.

Few of us could have imagined 25 years ago how much the internet would change the way we work. Today’s globally connected labor force works whenever and wherever thanks to technology that has all but made the corporate office obsolete in certain fields. And thank goodness we have the technology and infrastructure set up as we face this global pandemic together, forcing so many employers to go 100% virtual practically overnight. While there are many great benefits of being virtual or remote, especially considering the safety and health of your team, it's not necessarily a cakewalk. The challenges with telework and virtual teams are real and require managers to think strategically and creatively.

With Valentine's Day and Employee Appreciation Day around the corner on March 2nd, it's a good reminder to check in on your employee engagement. Not only is an engaged culture more fun to work in, creating a culture that embodies happiness and satisfaction just makes cents! (Pun-intended.) Effective human capital practices can and will, lead to positive financial outcomes.

You just met with your Meltzer Rep and signed the renewal for next year’s insurance programs. What should you do now with your benefit plan changes going into effect in few months? Getting organized is the first step to a successful Open Enrollment.