As many HR Professionals know, an employee on a leave of absence may be covered by a myriad of laws and regulations. It often feels like a relief when an employee declares that they are ready to return to work. But what if the employee has restrictions on their activity? At Helios, we hear from companies all the time who are unsure whether or not they have to accommodate restrictions. They’re unsure if they can ask for more information and how to filter the information they receive. Understanding your legal obligations is important; and it’s just as important to have an integrated process in place to minimize employee relations and compliance issues.

What does it mean to be an inclusive workplace environment? Employees vary greatly in every organization. When making a decision to hire an individual based on whether they “fit” into the culture many companies view an individual’s personality, attitude and whether they are able to be trained to excel in the position or if they are currently equipped to handle the responsibilities immediately. Many employers probably never think about how to integrate a transgender employee into the organization’s environment or how well the organization succeeds or fails can be life-altering for all involved.

Performance reviews often get such a bad rap – and yet, we HR Professionals know how critical they are in terms of managing organizational effectiveness. At Helios, we work with many of our clients to revise their performance review process and we’ve learned many lessons along the way. With these 3 easy adjustments, you can start improving your performance review process today.

If you’ve ever had a conversation with an HR professional, you’ve likely heard us go into detail about how important a positive onboarding experience is for your new hires. This is your organization’s chance to not only validate for the employee that they chose the right position/organization to join but to also energize them to help create an engaged and effective member of your team down the road.

As an HR professional or a senior member of an organization that has conducted a reduction in force (RIF), you are well aware that it is a lengthy, meticulous, and difficult process. So much time and energy is focused on ensuring due diligence, determining what positions may be affected, preparing severance packages, planning for the separation meetings…you get my drift. It’s easy to get so caught up in focusing on the details that affect the employees who will be leaving the organization that appropriate attention isn’t always given to the employees who remain with the organization. Layoff survivors often feel a range of emotions that your organization needs to be prepared for including guilt, anxiety, sadness, stress and anger. The side effects of an organizational restructuring can be physical, emotional and psychological to your employees. So how do you best manage the staff that will remain with your organization after announcing that you’ve just laid off members of their team?

A change in your senior management team can be an interesting time for your organization. The change can either go one of two ways: it can be a smooth process where a new leader comes in and helps steer your company to new heights or it can turn into a disaster where the position is open for months at a time and you end up rushing to fill the role. By rushing to fill the role, the organization hires someone who ends up not being a fit. Fast forward one and a half or two years later and that position has turned over again. You are right back where you were 24 months prior and your organization is a little worse than it was previously and the position is still open.