Overall gains have been made at the summer associate level in the representation of women, summer associates of color, and LGBTQ summer associates at major U.S. law firms in 2021 as compared to 2020. The annual Report on Diversity at U.S. Law Firms, released this month, is based on the 2021-2022 NALP Directory of Legal Employers (NDLE). The percentage of summer associates of … [Read more...] about Summer associate diversity gains but challenges remain
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Better primary care relationships save healthcare dollars
By David Fortosis The law office manager has always worn multiple hats. From administrative oversight of payroll, talent acquisition, performance reviews, finance and human resource management to providing guidance to firm leadership regarding employee benefits—the office manager looks after it all. This briefing will address one of those topics—how to support and encourage … [Read more...] about Better primary care relationships save healthcare dollars
What stops you from saying what you want to say?
By Lynne Curry A law office manager must be able to have difficult conversations with staffers, speaking up with the right words at the right time. Is this difficult for you? Why can't you say what you want to say? Is it: You’re afraid if you speak up or try to fix things, you’ll make them worse? You’re afraid you’ll make someone angry and lose a relationship or job? … [Read more...] about What stops you from saying what you want to say?
Job descriptions have hidden powers
By Paul Edwards When it comes to hiring practices, the job description is usually not top of mind for small practice entrepreneurs. In fact, it’s usually one of the last things on the HR to-do list of small medical offices. Still, if small business leadership understood how much heavy lifting a good job description can do, they would likely be seen as the first thing you need … [Read more...] about Job descriptions have hidden powers
What to do if an employee defies your mandatory vaccination policy
Mandatory vaccination policies have become a touchstone issue for employers in just about every industry. And all of this begs a question of crucial importance: What should you do when employees defy your law office’s mandatory vaccination policy? Your choices: Terminate them immediately Accommodate them immediately None of the above The answer is C, none of the above. … [Read more...] about What to do if an employee defies your mandatory vaccination policy
Religious discrimination and pitfalls for diversity efforts
By Mike O’Brien Religious discrimination An Asian-American engineer who worked for a municipal utility in Stockton, Calif., filed a lawsuit claiming that city officials belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the “Church”) sought to recruit, hire, and promote members of their own faith and that he was denied a promotion because he was a member of the … [Read more...] about Religious discrimination and pitfalls for diversity efforts
Employees say job pressures take bigger mental toll than COVID-19 fears
Managers, take note: As the pandemic drags on, the mental health of your staffers may be deteriorating as new survey results would suggest. In a recent survey, 57 percent of workers surveyed say their mental health has degraded since the start of the pandemic. The driving factor behind this decline: their workload. In fact, work pressures are so great that half of respondents … [Read more...] about Employees say job pressures take bigger mental toll than COVID-19 fears
Fear of COVID-19, demand for flexibility dominate return to the office
As the Delta variant continues to proliferate, 42 percent of workers are worried about returning to the workplace for fear of contracting COVID-19. This marks a substantial jump to Sept. 1 from June 2021 when only 24 percent had that concern. “With headlines about the rise of the Delta variant, breakthrough cases among the vaccinated, and an overburdened healthcare system in … [Read more...] about Fear of COVID-19, demand for flexibility dominate return to the office
New technical guidance on religious exemptions to vaccination
By Mike O’Brien EEOC Issues New Technical Guidance on Religious Exemptions to Vaccine Mandates On Oct. 25 the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued new updates to its Covid-19 technical guidance. Specifically, the EEOC seeks to clarify employer obligations and employee rights related to religious exemptions to vaccine mandates. The guidance addresses the … [Read more...] about New technical guidance on religious exemptions to vaccination
How to improve employee experience and organizational culture as COVID-19 takes toll on staff
The pandemic dramatically changed how, when, and where work gets done. And while a majority of businesses reported that productivity increased as employees settled into working remotely, for many, it came at the expense of the employee experience. Employee burnout, time spent in meetings, and the number of employees with mental health problems increased, while work-life … [Read more...] about How to improve employee experience and organizational culture as COVID-19 takes toll on staff