Human Resources

​Q: Our employees have worked really hard this year and we wanted to acknowledge it with a year-end bonus? Would this create any issues for us if we do not do it again?A:  It's wonderful that you are acknowledging the role your employees played in this year's success - we love to hear it! You can always make a one-time decision based on current circumstances. We recommend explaining that to your employees up front so they do not have the expectation of receiving this bonus each year going forward.  As a one-time occurrence, this bonus should be able to be classified as a discretionary bonus, meaning there is no expectation…

​By Susan Palé, CCP, Vice President for Compensation – Affinity HR Group, Inc.You're probably sick of hearing about The Great Resignation but listen up! Not only isn't it going away, it is gaining momentum. Consider the following statistics from the US Department of Labor:3% of the total US workforce left their jobs in September. That is an astonishingly high number.As of November 5, there were 11.2 million job openings in the US. That is also a record.Education and health services lost more than 50,000 workers in September. Remember that these are essential workers.300,000 women left the workforce in September.These are jaw-dropping statistics. For employers who…

​By Claudia St. John, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, President – Affinity HR Group, Inc.​I was recently sharing a cab with the business owner of a print manufacturer heading to an industry conference where I was slated to be a presenter on workforce trends and solutions. He turned to me and said, “Ok, then tell me… where the heck did everyone go? Where are the workers and how do we get them to come work for us?"Where indeed! Unfortunately, they have gone to a variety of places and for a variety of reasons. Some have quit their jobs because of continued COVID hesitancy, some because of ongoing child…