Nearly 60% of employees received some form of return-to-office (RTO) mandate in 2023, with the percentage of fully remote employees dropping to 33% last year (from 44% in 2022). Yet, more than half (54%) of employees surveyed in the Appspace 2024 Workplace Experience Trends & Insights Report agree that going to the office “feels like a waste of time,” with many respondents noting their office space isn’t conducive to working productively and not enough colleagues are there to foster collaboration. One trend stemming from the RTO movement is the collective desire for a “purposefu ..read more

Employers have seen an enormous number of changes recently to various rules about how they manage their employee base. This includes a notice of proposed rulemaking by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in late 2023, sweeping memoranda from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and final rules from the NLRB on joint employment. All of this is deeply complicated for employers of all types, but in the healthcare world, it can be particularly cumbersome to try to mesh competing agency expectations and demands—from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to the NLRB. H ..read more

Heidi Burton isn’t your average HR leader. She’s a strategist, a sculptor of talent, and the mastermind behind Stinson LLP‘s thriving HR landscape. As chief HR officer, she works together with firm leadership to identify the needs that fuel growth. But her vision extends far beyond simply filling roles. Her mission? To cultivate a culture in which exceptional client service and employee advancement go hand in hand. Heidi Burton Through Burton’s expertise, best practices are implemented, and targeted training programs are born. Efficiency soars as skill sets are sharpened, leadership capabiliti ..read more

Recent data shows workplace engagement is at an 11-year low, with the biggest drop among Gen Z workers. For such organizations that want to keep a productive and satisfied workforce, the decline of the engagement level to the lowest level in the last decade is a very alarming issue. Understanding Employee Engagement Employee engagement is an attitude, an enthusiasm of affiliation, and a commitment from the employee to the company and the job. Engaged employees are those that are more disposed toward contributing positively to organizational goals, more productive, and are destined to stay lon ..read more

My work as a DEI expert for institutions in the health ecosystem (think pharma, medical schools, hospital systems, etc.) has made one thing consistently clear: finding solutions to health disparities means addressing the issue of poverty. The two are inextricably intertwined, and businesses must lead out front. A recent study outlined poverty’s impact on mortality in the U.S. and highlighted the seldom-explored intersections between poverty and death. Put simply, poverty is dire for our health and is the 4th greatest cause of death in the U.S., behind heart disease, cancer, and smoking. We’re ..read more

In today’s workplace, many employers allow employees to play music. While this is generally a cost-effective way to improve culture, morale, and productivity; it also creates potential exposure for hostile work environment and sexual harassment claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This is particularly true given a recent decision from the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose rulings apply to all employers in Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington) in which the court unequivocally held that music played in the workplace can constitute acti ..read more

As of artificial intelligence (AI) evolves, its potential to handle not just routine and menial tasks but even complex responsibilities—which were originally under the mandate of the most learned professionals—is becoming clearer. One area where this transition is prominently visible is accounting, within which AI is set to bring a revolution to how professionals practice their trade. AI and the Role of Accountants Accounting has long been a domain requiring strong knowledge of regulations, financial reporting, and tax planning, something beyond the reach of even highly sophisticated computer ..read more

Organizations today face tremendous pressure to adapt and innovate to survive—let alone thrive—amidst global instability and rapid technological change. Companies must take a strategic, forward-looking approach to workforce planning to meet these challenges rather than simply reacting to external forces. Organizations that mature from a reactive approach to a proactive one — and who do so with a transformative mindset — will gain a remarkable competitive advantage. The Reactive Approach Many companies find themselves locked into a reactive approach to workforce planning, watching, and trying ..read more

With rising workplace violence and burnout rates, it’s important for CNOs and other nurse leaders to be aware of the safety and wellbeing of their nurses. Safety goes beyond just the physical. Nurses must feel psychologically safe as well—they should be able to voice their feelings and concerns without fear. During the HealthLeaders’ Nurse Labor and Compensation NOW Summit, Jennifer Croland, vice president and chief nursing officer at OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center, and Dr. Marie Giordano-Mulligan, vice president for nursing and chief nursing officer at Huntington Hospi ..read more

AI has become an undisputed corporate priority across industries, with many business and HR leaders viewing the technology as a critical component of their success in the future of work. According to Gartner, a staggering 76% of HR leaders believe that failing to adopt AI solutions within the next few years could leave their companies trailing behind in organizational success – and C-suite leaders share this concern, with 72% of CEOs saying generative AI is a top investment priority.   Under immense pressure to digitize rapidly and fuel AI transformation, many companies are aggressi ..read more