Employee Engagement in the Digital Workplace

Last year brought its share of the unexpected and unpredictable to businesses across the country. This unprecedented environment compelled employers to look deeper into what attracts, engages and inspires employees; HR learned it had to be proactive to stay ahead of the curve. “2023 will continue to keep HR on its toes with new challenges and opportunities for success looming on the horizon,” says Trish McFarlane, CEO and principal analyst for H3 HR Advisors.

Employees taking leave for medical reasons create a special challenge for employers, who must consider compliance with multiple employment laws, including FMLA, ADA, and workers' compensation. Laws may require employees to be reinstated after leave. It is often difficult to understand when the requirements of the law apply and how to handle the interplay of these laws and walk the tightrope of all the legal requirement. This information helps people responsible for administering leave and return-to-work programs to understand the leave and return from leave requirements and explains when and how to use fitness for duty or return-to-work evaluations, and tips and best practices for light duty work programs.

As factors like the Great Resignation, hybrid and remote work, and health care consumerism continue to take center stage, organizations must develop (or refresh) an infrastructure capable of supporting a virtual workforce. It also is essential for organizations to maintain a personal connection with employees as they navigate their way through another annual enrollment season. Employers can deliver a virtual yet personal benefits experience - both during annual enrollment and year-round - to their workforce with the right combination of innovative tools and technologies and engaging communication strategies. In this program, HR, employee benefits and communication expert Candace Jodice, Vice President of HR Benefits at CVS Health, and Tanya Mulqueen, Communication Practice Director at bswift, share their thoughts and recommendations for employers navigating the evolving work and benefits landscape.

With inflation near a 40-year high amid a slowing economy, employees are expecting more from their employers than just putting a new façade on the same old benefits package. To attract and retain talent, enrollment season 2023 should showcase creative benefits that focus on employees' physical, mental/emotional and financial needs. In this webcast, Stephen Miller, CEBS, SHRM Online compensation and benefits editor/manager, and two senior researchers at the SHRM Research Institute, Daniel Stunes, SHRM-SCP, and Derrick Scheetz, will present a look at how benefits are changing and suggest ways to help employees select benefits that best fit their needs and budgets.