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How HR can support Employees after the Election?

In a survey by Reflective of 1,000 U.S. employees—conducted earlier this year—54 percent of participants said that if their candidate loses this election, it will impact their performance at work. Another 29 percent felt that office politics would make it difficult to go to work the day after the election. As part of creating an inclusive and welcoming environment, a good practice is to remind your colleagues on the importance of listening to understand, showing empathy, and respecting everyone's point of view. Follow these "rules of engagement" to have discussions where no employee feels bullied or punished for their political views.

How can we help?

JOIN US in celebrating our newest team member!

We are thrilled to introduce the newest member of our team at Gotcha Covered HR!

Shannon Coleman-Cryer is a former Federal Investigator with eight years of experience with the United States Department of Labor’s Wage & Hour Division (WHD). Shannon investigated and resolved issues and enforced compliance in cases related to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Davis Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA), and the Service Contract Act (SCA). She conducted outreach training with firms, owners, managers, governmental agencies, and attorney representatives to ensure and maintain compliance with federal labor laws. Shannon specialized in detecting payroll violations of the Minimum Wage, Overtime, Record-Keeping, and Child Labor Laws.

Shannon’s career in government began in 2006 with the National Finance Center (NFC) and continued to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Shannon is a New Orleans native; she graduated from Loyola University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Law and attended the University of New Orleans Executive MBA program.

Welcome to the team, Shannon! We are glad to have you!

Read Shannon's first of two articles where she talks tip credit, minimum wage, and how to stay in compliance with the Department of Labor regulations.

Learn more about Shannon and our whole team by clicking here!

Connect with Shannon!

Speaking of team members, our very own Martha Martinez will be volunteering as a mock interviewer for Tulane’s Virtual Interview week. As a volunteer, she will provide students enrolled in career education courses with an authentic interviewing experience to help prepare them for real-world internship and job searches.

Thank you, Martha, for all you do!

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller

Hot HR Topics this month:

Express Empathy through communications:

Empathy is more important this year than before. Employees are facing situations far different from others; whether they have been furloughed, are laid off, are working limited hours, are working from home while home schooling their kids, or they are the only income provider as the spouse has been laid off, etc. Employers should make time to truly listen and understand the fears and anxieties their employees are feeling.

5 generations in the workforce:

Today's business environment includes five different generations working side by side toward shared business goals. Is your workforce prepared? Are you running into intergenerational issues? Gotcha Covered HR can help you navigate generational differences and prepare your workplace for the future!

401(k) Contribution Limit:

Employee 401(k) contributions plan for year 2021 will once again top off at $19,500 with an additional $6,500 catch-up contribution allowed for those turning age 50 or older. But maximum contributions from all sources (employer and employee combined) will rise by $1,000. The IRS announced this and other changes in Notice 2020-79.

In November, we celebrate two major events — Veterans Day and Thanksgiving!

What is your company doing to include veterans in the workforce?

Hiring military veterans has proven to be a successful strategy; in addition to gaining high-performing employees with low turnover, companies generally earn enormous goodwill from customers and a public-image boost when they commit to hiring more military veterans. To all our veterans...thank you for your service!

How will your company show thanks and give back this holiday?

This year demands a recipe that is a little different from previous ones since social gatherings and communal eating are highly not advised. You can consider other COVID-friendly ways to still celebrate Thanksgiving at “the office” such as: hosting a remote Thanksgiving feast, coordinating an office-wide card send, showing off your star team on social media, setting up a budget for e-gift cards for your team members, etc.!

Click here for GCHR support!

Learn More about Gotcha Covered HR