I was recently reminded of a time when I was serving as the HR leader in an HR outsourcing engagement and one of my client's employees came to me with a query about family leave options available. This employee was about to become a mom through surrogacy, and she was unsure about what kind of benefits she could claim. Questions like, can adoptive parents claim short-term disability leave, like other employees do after childbirth?

Helios HR consultants partner with a variety of organizations that bring different cultures, missions, values, priorities, and expectations to the table. You will often hear us say there are no two engagements that are alike, which is why we pride ourselves in offering a truly tailored solution to fit each of the unique clients in front of us.

Why Helios? As new consultants join the growing Helios HR team, they often ask me what I like most about working at Helios. I always take a moment to reflect on that question and to date, my response has always been, “our team”. When I say our team, I mean just that. It's the people we are surrounded by who at the drop of a dime are willing to help out, people I can count on, their expertise, the fun we have together, and our collaboration that inspires us to be innovative and continuously improve.

As HR consultants, we are all too familiar with the Form I-9 and the requirement of all US employers to complete and maintain a form for each employee hired into their organization. Yet, in many organizations when we conduct an HR compliance audit, we find there to be some level of non-compliance with the Form I-9. Why is that? I believe it’s because of a general lack of understanding of the many nuances involved in completing the form.

The Incentive Plan Problem A growing consulting firm with employees across the United States and internationally engaged with Helios HR to enhance their current incentive plan to align with the current and future business strategy. This business had previously designed and implemented a successful incentive program to drive the behaviors of their consultants; and as the business grew, they outgrew the incentive program. They applied the original plan goals and structure to new functional areas of the business and they just simply didn’t marry up anymore.

As a consultant in the field of Human Resources, I am often approached for guidance on how to conduct a difficult conversation in the workplace. I’ve had COO’s come to talk through how to share with their CEO (and boss!) that their contributions in staff meetings are negatively impacting employee morale and undermining their position as COO. I’ve had employees come to me and ask how to talk to their manager about why they feel overwhelmed and underpaid in their role. I’ve had friends call me up and ask about best practices for approaching their manager to let them know they will be resigning from their position. These topics, along with a number of other topics in the workplace, are never an easy conversation to approach and I have found myself consistently providing the following advice in each scenario. Added bonus, these tips apply to those not-so-easy conversations at home as well!