What the ESTA is Going On?
If you’ve been waiting to hear the status of the Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA) before updating your leave policy, you’re in good company. We had hoped that there would be some movement on this during the end of the…
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When HR Goes Wrong
When HR Goes Wrong I recently facilitated an HR session for Humanergy’s High Impact Leadership Training (HILT) program. During it, a leader described a situation that was occurring at their organization. While I’m usually careful never to say this, there…
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How Not to Terminate an Employee
How Not to Terminate an Employee Hate having to terminate employees? When you work in HR, or leadership, it comes with the territory. That doesn’t make it easy. Still, it can be necessary. Let’s start with what not to do.…
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ESTA, ESTA - Read All About It!
ESTA, ESTA - Read All About It! ESTA, Michigan’s Earned Sick Time Act continues to raise questions for employers, particularly smaller employers who offer limited paid sick time. For example: • If you have 10 or more employees (including full-time,…
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Michigan's Minimum Wage and Paid Medical Leave Laws - Here We Go Again!
Michigan's Minimum Wage &Paid Medical Leave Laws - Here We Go Again! If you’re feeling a bit of whiplash regarding the minimum wage and paid medical leave news in Michigan, you’re in good company. Frankly, I’ve lost track of the…
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Employees and Substance Abuse
Employees & Substance Abuse One of the hardest issues a leader may face is an employee with a substance abuse issue. I wanted to learn more about managing this situation, so I took my Fun Socks notebook on the road…
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Fun Socks | Are You Evaluating Employees or Developing Them?
Are You Evaluating Employees or Developing Them? While leaders inevitably complain about having to do reviews, they also say that they want to develop their employees. How do those two concepts coexist? Think of it like this: Reviews are foundational.…
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Fun Socks | It’s Time to Take a New Look at your Exempt Employees
Tuesday, April 23, the Department of Labor announced the new rule for a minimum salary threshold for exempt employees. Effective July 1st, 2024, the annual salary threshold for exempt employees will increase to $43,888. This is an increase of $8,320…
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Fun Socks | Encouraging Change in Your Organization
When we talk to our customers' employees, we often hear two different things: 1. They would like to see changes. 2. There's too much change. We all love to hate change, but we also get bored without it. How can…
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Fun Socks | Are Your Independent Contractors Properly Classified?
While I always encourage folks to read my blogs, if you employ independent contractors, then this is a must read. It’s also an example of “what’s old is new again.” On March 11th, 2024, the Department of Labor (DOL) will…
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Fun Socks | What to Expect for HR in ‘24
Each year I start with a blog about predictions for the upcoming year for HR professionals. This year as we look to 2024 there will be some interesting things happening. Some of the more popular HR topics this year will…
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Fun Socks | Helping Your Employees Through the Holidays
The holidays are here and while they can be a wonderful time, they are also stressful. In addition to all the personal activities, this is typically the time that goals, performance evaluations, and year end reports are due. Here are some…
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Fun Socks | What Does Your Employee Handbook Say About You?
Picture this. You’re a new employee at your organization and on your first day, they give you the employee handbook. What’s your reaction: Is it written in a way that you might actually read it? Does it represent the kind…
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Fun Socks | Is Your Organization Ready for Pay Transparency?
Early in my career I hired someone who came to us from local government where compensation information was publicly available. Right after she started, a coworker asked about her compensation, which she shared. Since she was paid more than her…
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Fun Socks | Are You Ready for the New I-9 Form?
Let’s start this blog with some honesty. We can usually make a blog topic interesting or at least a little bit fun. This one is the exception. I’ve procrastinated writing about this because, frankly, it’s a bit underwhelming. With that,…
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Fun Socks | The Rise of AI in HR: Empowering Professionals for a Brighter Future
In today's fast-paced world, the role of Human Resources (HR) professionals is evolving, thanks to the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. AI is revolutionizing various industries, and HR is no exception. HR professionals are now leveraging AI to streamline…
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Fun Socks | Michigan Passes the CROWN Act
Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair The CROWN Act was recently passed by the State of Michigan. The Act prohibits discrimination based on “natural and protective hairstyles”, particularly those associated with race by updating the Elliott-Larsen Civil…
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Fun Socks | The Three R's
The Three R's: Recognition, Rewards, and Retention Last week we cohosted a Leadership Oasis event with our friends at Bronson’s Helpnet. We brought in a group of panelists to discuss employee recognition, rewards, and their impact on retaining employees. Our…
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Does the Repeal of Michigan's Right to Work Laws Impact Businesses?
On Friday, March 24th, almost exactly 10 years after Michigan passed their right to work laws, the State repealed them. What does that mean for HR and business leaders? First off, it is important to understand what the Right to…
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Michigan's Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act - Update
On March 8th, the Michigan Senate passed an amendment to the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act. Elliott Larsen, passed in 1977, provides protection from discrimination based on religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial or marital status. …
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You Can Make a Difference
Shortly after I started my career in HR I met with an employee who was in the progressive discipline process for attendance issues. In the meeting, we were trying to help her get to the root of the problem when…
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Michigan Earned Sick Time Act Update
Michigan Earned Sick Time & Minimum Wage Acts (published 1.27.23) HOLD YOUR HORSES! Just one week ago, the blog below was published stating that businesses should prepare for the likely implementation of the original ballot initiative language relating to the…
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Compensation, Compensation, Compensation
The end of the year is traditionally the time to plan for compensation adjustments. This year, with the competitive job market and inflation at 7.7%*, there is a whole new level of angst as employers try to determine how much…
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Are Your Employment Posters Up to Date?
Picture your employment posters. Are they in the employee entrance? By the coffee pot or in the cafeteria? You know you love them and willingly fork over the subscription fees for endless reminders that you need to keep them up…
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Michigan's Minimum Wage Mayhem
If you are like most businesses, October is prime time for budget development. For those employees who earn close to the minimum wage, the question is how much will we need to pay them in 2023? Let’s start with a…
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I Wear Fun Socks and You Should TOO!
I wear fun socks. I wear socks that have bright colors, tropical fish, palm trees, flamingos, fun jokes, and big dots. Last month I presented at a local chamber meeting, wearing socks with pictures of our building on it. While…
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Current Compensation Challenges
Have you talked about compensation with your employees lately? Chances are that you have, and it was not an easy conversation for either party. What’s driving these challenges? As of the end of May, the reported rate of inflation was 8.6%. …
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Are Your Employees Happy at Work?
Are Your Employees Happy at Work? We all have those days. Maybe it’s the Monday after a long weekend when you keep hitting the snooze button, or the Friday of a painfully long week when it’s challenging to drag yourself…
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Relationships are Foundational | Our Core Values
Relationships Are Foundational Whether internal or external, our business works when it's personal. At Rose Street the phrase “Relationships are Foundational” is one of our core values. Taken at face value, it’s hard to argue that our relationships with others…
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Energizing Your Pandemic Fatigued Employees
Energizing Your Pandemic Fatigued Employees Let’s face it, we’re all tired of talking about the pandemic. But it’s still here and it’s giving leaders a run for their money. Usually, stressful situations are more short term. Something bad happens, we…
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