Immigration, both legal and illegal, has been a driving force of the economy over the past few years. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), less than 30%, or 2.6 million, are what the CBO counts as “lawful permanent residents,” which includes green-card holders and other immigrants who came through legal channels, such as family or employment-based visas.  The remaining are arguably the illegal, unauthorized, or undocumented immigrants (depending on who is...

ASE recently released its 2024-2025 Salary Budget Survey, offering a comprehensive view of salary trends, pay structure adjustments, and incentive-based compensation programs among employers. This data provides key insights into the challenges businesses face in an uncertain economic environment.

Earlier this year the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued final regulations setting a new salary level test for determining job exempt status. To classify a job as exempt from overtime and certain record keeping compliance requirements, a job typically must meet three tests:

Increasing headcount through the end of 2024 may not be feasible for some U.S. companies, as 33% of hiring managers say budget constraints or the inability to hire is responsible for stagnant or decreasing hiring plans. However, reskilling current employees may be the key to balancing the desire to strengthen workforces while keeping costs in line, according to a recent Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey.

With election day approaching on November 5, Michigan employers should be prepared to handle requests from employees seeking time off to vote. Although Michigan does not have a specific law mandating voting leave, employers can play a critical role in encouraging civic participation by creating policies that allow employees to exercise their right to vote.

Next Going PRO Training Grant Application Period Opens October 1^: Many of ASE’s members take advantage of the Going PRO Talent Fund each year. This is state grant money available to employers for employee training. In addition to skill-based training, this grant money can be used for some of ASE’s most popular supervisory and leadership courses.

AI has become a staple in the workplace for many, although depending on comfort level and job type, the usage varies. Slack surveyed over 5,000 full-time desk workers across the U.S., Australia, India, Singapore, Ireland, and the U.K. in August. Based on the responses, they categorized employees into five AI personas and provided recommendations for employers to engage each group. Which group do you fall into?

With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) coupled with the need for cost cutting to maintain or improve margins, a new type of career in HR is becoming apparent: the HR Ultra-Generalist.  Coined by Faye Almeshaan and Alexis Clarfield-Henry in an article for SmartBrief, the term refers to the generalist who can navigate AI to complete a variety of tasks from benefits and compensation to recruitment anything in between.

Since the Michigan Supreme Court ruled the process of adopt and amend to be unconstitutional earlier this summer, employers have been faced with the prospect of complying with two problematic employment laws early next year. Michigan’s minimum wage law and the paid sick leave law will change back to the original ballot initiatives passed back in 2018 on February 21, 2025. 

Corporate donation matching programs have become a mainstay in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. With 65% of Fortune 500 companies and 51% of Russell 1000 companies offering these programs, it is clear that donation matching is a popular and effective way for companies to support philanthropy. These programs not only amplify the social good achieved by nonprofits but also engage employees in meaningful ways. Here is some more information on the essentials of donation...

You are more influential than you may realize, or at least have the potential to be. Being influential in the workplace doesn’t always mean holding a high-ranking position or having years of experience. Influence is more about the ability to inspire, motivate, and drive positive change among your colleagues, no matter your role. Here are several strategies to help you build and sustain influence at work.

Resume gaps still problematic:  Resume gaps may no longer carry the same stigma they once did, but they are not entirely free from negative impacts on hiring and compensation, according to research by Harvard Business School professor Boris Groysberg and Oberlin College associate professor Eric Lin.

Another Labor Day has come and gone.  This weekend is set aside to celebrate our workers and typically unions.  For decades each Labor Day we have heard that the tide has turned, and unions are coming back.  Over the past few years, union activism and activity have “popped.” But what has resulted from this recent uptick in union activity?

The independent contractor (IC) definition has many variations depending what jurisdiction the parties are in, including overlapping federal and state definitions, and within the federal agencies and courts, different definitions.  It is confusing.  Further, the relationship is under attack from a variety of sources, with more push toward the California approach to independent contractors. 

A new survey release by Indeed and Harris Poll shows that nearly 40% of Gen Z and millennial workers (ages 18-34) said they would leave a job because of political differences at work, and 40% said they would leave if their CEO expressed political views they disagreed with. Overall, 28% of workers would consider resigning over political differences, and 32% might leave if the CEO expressed views they disagreed with, Indeed found.

There are specific fundamentals that may contribute to the success of training courses and the overall impact your learning strategy is having on employees. Since one of my favorite thought leaders is Stephen Covey, I will borrow one of his “7 habits” to begin our exploration of the fundamentals of training. That habit is number two on his list and it is “Begin with The End in Mind.” To that I say, let us explore the effectiveness of evaluations.

"Appreciation is an application for more." This quote resonates when we consider the importance of expressing gratitude in our relationships, whether personal or professional. Essentially, showing appreciation acts as a motivator or reinforcement, prompting the person being appreciated to continue their efforts or contributions. It implies that by valuing and acknowledging someone's actions, you create a positive feedback loop that can lead to more of the same positive actions.

Four-year degrees still worthwhile: The number of good jobs will grow substantially by 2031, and the majority of them will require at least a four-year degree, Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce predicted in a new report.

Earlier this week as I was browsing LinkedIn, I came across a great story from Harvard Business Review on making joy a priority at work.  Joy is an intrinsic human desire that connects people more powerfully than almost any other experience. When employees experience joy at work, they are more engaged, motivated, and productive. Unfortunately, while 90% of employees expect to feel joy at work, only 37% actually do. We as leaders can change that.

ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance. These are policies that companies are being asked to adopt that are “strategic frameworks that guide businesses in managing their environmental footprint, fostering social responsibility, and upholding strong governance practices.”

Employee wages and raising the minimum wage has been a hot topic for HR professionals and organizational leaders for a little while now as inflation continues to rise, yet wages have not increased at the same pace. Raising the minimum wage may have various effects on several industries, but one that is likely to see larger effects is the hospitality industry. This is mainly due to the large portion of tipped workers it consists of and the recent legislature to remove the tip credit which...

More than two-thirds of employees said that health care benefits are second only to salary when considering a job offer, and 78% said they would find a new job if their benefits package was inadequate, according to recent research from Intuit QuickBooks and Allstate Health Solutions. The 2024 Intuit QuickBooks Allstate Health Solutions Benefit Survey noted that the survey results emphasize the important role health care benefits play when it comes to an employer’s ability to...

A recent federal case from California highlighted the importance of social media harassment under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. In Okonowsky v. Merrick Garland, No. 23-55404 (U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, 7/25/24), Okonowsky was a staff psychologist working at a federal prison where a coworker was posting derogatory content about her on social media.

Is your Canadian operation ready for the Equal Pay Act requirements? On Aug. 31, 2021, following the enaction of the federal Pay Equity Act, federally regulated employers with 10 or more employees had three years to develop their pay equity plans. This time frame is now coming to an end.

Yesterday a federal court in Texas (Northern District) blocked a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule that would have put a ban on most all employee non-compete agreements scheduled to go into effect September 4th. The FTC’s rule banned non-compete agreements and other contract terms employers use to protect themselves and their businesses against unfair competition and theft of trade secrets by unscrupulous employees.