Quarterly HR Update – September 2022

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall!

As we say good-bye to Summer, we bid farewell to the warmer weather and longer days. Fall is upon us – bringing with it (potentially) hectic schedules and a new season of activities. This year we are embracing a fall that feels a bit more normal than the last two years. COVID restrictions have eased and most people are resuming their “normal” activities.

We also acknowledge that while there might be more normalcy, we all continue to navigate a very challenging time both in our workplaces and our personal lives. Stress levels may be high and when that happens, it can trickle into our teams, making it harder for people to communicate and get along.

This Update focuses on the usual legal updates but also takes a moment to first touch on a topic that speaks to our soft skills as we look at how we can help our teams and colleagues connect and work together through these continued challenging times.

Helping Employees (and Ourselves) Manage Stress

All workplaces come with some element of stress – it’s a common factor as everyone balances their responsibilities, works hard to meet their deadlines, and collaborates/interacts within a team. There might be times of higher stress due to certain projects or milestones, followed by less stress during a slower season of the business. Each individual in the workplace has their own individual life stressors as well, which can sometimes impact the workplace dynamic.

Interpersonal relationships can sometimes suffer when stress is high. People may have a shorter “fuse”, less patience, and respond without thinking. Sometimes it feels like getting along is easier said than done. We see this happening and have been thinking: how can we help our teams get along? We have a few ideas…

Consider Incorporating Various Activities, Systems, and/or Expectations into Your Culture:

Create opportunities for casual social interactions. A regular coffee break for the team or other chances to interact on a personal level.
Do quick, fun ice breakers at the beginning of meetings. This can lighten the mood and provide an opportunity for people to learn new things about one another.
Establish a buddy or mentor system. Pair up employees across departments or assign a “buddy” to new employees. This can help strengthen relationships with employees who many not regularly work together while also creating a connection to someone besides their manager or direct teammates to ask general questions of.
Recognize and celebrate contributions. This does not have to be a formal recognition program or involve money. Simply incorporate dedicated opportunities for team members to recognize and thank each other; “Raves” or “Shout outs” before meetings or on a public “kudos” board can create a truly appreciative environment where employees feel valued and acknowledged for their work.
Provide reasonable flexibility. Studies have shown that creating an environment with more flexibility can help with overall job satisfaction, which can certainly help in times of stress.
Celebrate time off. Creating a culture where time off is truly celebrated, supported, and encouraged can make a huge impact on stress levels. Celebrate when employees take PTO and help establish a culture where the team is happy to step up to cover while an employee is out because they know they will receive the same coverage when they go out.
Conduct a “Communication Styles” Training. Conflict or tension can sometimes arise when people have different communication “styles”. Their differences can lead to misunderstandings and unintended confusion. Engaging in some type of “communication styles” training to better help team members understand their own style and how best to communicate with other styles, can often have an immediate and lasting impact on the work environment.
Ensure issues and conflict are addressed. This is HUGE! Ignoring/making excuses for reported issues or hoping conflict will just go away “on its own”, generally won’t have positive impacts on your team.

We know that addressing issues and conflicts can be intimidating so the following section outlines some ideas and pointers to help with this one!

Ensure Issues and Conflict are Addressed!

Ask questions. Often times we may not know the true issue unless we learn more. Or, we’ve made assumptions that can be incorrect. Ask questions to help find out what the root issue is before moving to resolution.
Listen. Actively listen. Really hear what your employees are saying. And, help your employees hear each other by modeling active listening. The only way for someone to feel truly heard is if we do our part to truly listen and given them a chance to share/speak.
Facilitate resolution if needed. If two employees are having a hard time getting along or working together, have a manager or HR partner help facilitate resolution by mediating a conversation. This can be especially helpful if the conflict/issue is between two employees with a different style of communication.
Address issues or concerns directly. We use the term “direct” in the sense that we don’t want to “dance around” the issue or talk about something too generally. Delivering a direct message can still be done in a thoughtful, caring, and professional way. Afterall, ignoring issues will only make them worse or create additional stress within the team.
Change the environment. Meet with employees in a different/new location – someplace outside of the workplace to help calm nerves, if needed. The goal is for the employee(s) to be receptive to the message so a change of scenery or environment can sometimes help.
Give people time. Allow people time to vent and process through things. Schedule a meeting or discussion when everyone is ready, or has at least had some time to prepare.

Interpersonal relationships are complicated. We hope these ideas or reminders will help you and your team. As always, HRT is available to provide advice and support!

Legal Updates & Info

In Oregon…

Oregon Paid Family Medical Leave Insurance (PFMLI): We shared some information regarding PFMLI in our last Update and employers should now be preparing for the contribution requirements that are effective January 1, 2023. For more details about the contributions and what to do now, check out our recent article.

In Washington…

Exempt Employee Salary Threshold Requirements: Washington’s minimum salary threshold for exempt employees is increasing again, effective January 1, 2023. We’re mentioning this now so employers can start reviewing exempt employee compensation and identify any areas that need attention.

Washington’s Department of L&I has the projected numbers on their implementation schedule, with the final amounts expected in early October once the 2023 minimum wage rate is announced. While the projected increase is not too much for the small employer category (1-50 employees), large employer (51+ employees) are looking at a more significant increase:

Small Employers: Projected increase from $52,743 to $54,132

Large Employers: Projected increase from $52,743 to $61,828

We will provide the final numbers once they are published. If you have questions about this upcoming change, please reach out to HRT.

Pay Transparency: An article we published in May 2022 outlined upcoming requirements, and our recommendations, regarding pay transparency specific to disclosing salary ranges and benefit information in job postings. The January 1, 2023 effective date will soon be here. So, what more do we know about the requirements? At this point the Administrative Rules, intended to provide further instruction regarding the terms “wage scale or salary range” and “general descriptions of all benefits” are in draft format. Public review and comment of the draft rules (which can be submitted via ESRules@LNI.wa.gov) is requested by Friday, September 16, 2022. We will share more as we learn more!

COVID-19 Emergency Orders: Governor Inslee announced all COVID-19 Emergency Proclamations enacted since the start of the pandemic are set to end October 31, 2022.

HRT Northwest: Your Northwest HR Team

Seattle: (253) 642-7372 | info@hrtnorthwest.com

HRT Northwest is staffed by professionals in the field of Human Resources and business management. We are glad to help with your HR needs; however, we do not offer legal advice and our services are not a substitute for the help of a qualified attorney.