On July 23, 2022, the Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Monkeypox Virus (MPV) a public health emergency of international concern. A growing number of states, including California, Illinois, and New York, have declared a state of emergency. On August 4, 2022, the U.S. Federal Government declared MPV a public health emergency.  Such a designation permits greater access to funding, increased vaccine production and distribution, data sharing, and the like.

New research from employee benefits provider Unum shows over half (56%) of U.S. workers, primarily Millennials and Gen Z, felt mentally unwell in the previous year. Additionally, 42% of employees said they needed to take time off from work to deal with their mental health. Fortunately, 71% of workers believe their employer is more concerned about employees’ mental health than they were in the past according to the recently released 2022 Work and Well-being Survey from American...

As more and more states are legalizing the use of marijuana for medical use, recreational use, or both, employers are facing more challenges with maintaining workplace safety while avoiding the pitfalls of laws that are employee friendly to users of marijuana.

Today’s heat index in Michigan is set to hit 106 degrees.  Are your outdoor workers prepared and protected? Heat is the leading cause of death among all weather-related workplace hazards, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Many employers are investing in health programs for their employees. It could be offering to co-pay for a gym membership, providing online health support programs, or providing on-site fitness centers. However, one important health benefit that employers have offered for a long time is vacation time.

Last Sunday, General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis (Chrysler parent) announced that they are reinstituting mandatory masking for workers at their facilities in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, and Washtenaw counties.  Those counties are now deemed as having HIGH COVID-19 levels by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The workforce is currently facing an unprecedented amount of burnout, stress, and loneliness. SHRM and the SHRM Foundation have released Mental Health in America: A 2022 Workplace Report, which shows how HR policies can make an impact and create empathetic communities in the workplace.

Associations Now recently published a 5-Day Anti-Burnout Challenge. The goal is to offer one small task each day for a week that could be worked into daily routines in hopes of preventing burnout.  It is a great challenge to offer your workforce – especially with May being Mental Health Awareness Month. 

By now most everyone has seen or heard that at the Oscar awards on March 27th actor Will Smith took offense at a joke made by Chris Rock about Smith’s wife. Smith proceeded to walk up on stage and slap (hard) Chris Rock and then yell at him to leave his wife out of his remarks (with expletives) after returning to his seat.

As more organizations solidify return-to-office plans, a new Korn Ferry survey reveals that most professionals don’t think returning will be healthy for them.

Employee mental health has taken center stage as one of the top HR priorities facing employers with nearly all companies identifying stress and burnout as a threat for their workforces, according to a survey by Willis Towers Watson (WTW).

With air travel opening and requirements for vaccines required, the fake vaccine card market is taking off.  There are a number of cases reported in the news.  For example, a spelling-challenged Illinois woman who doesn't know her Moderna from 'Maderna' was arrested after using a fake COVID-19 vaccination card to go on vacation in Hawaii.  In another case, a New Jersey woman calling herself the “AntiVaxMomma” on Instagram sold several hundred fake COVID-19...

As more and more states make the use of cannabis being legal, for medical or recreational use, employers have been challenged with making policies that will best protect the company while still allowing them to fill positions.

As we wait for the OSHA guidance detailing how employers (over 100 in employment) can implement mandated vaccination for employees, employers need to keep in mind how they require vaccination and testing may impact proper pay for non-exempt employees.

A new Randstad USA survey found that workers have health and safety concerns around returning to work. The survey revealed three main findings: