Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Change in 2022
Cailin Potami
Business News Daily Staff
Updated Aug 11, 2022
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In 2022, HR departments will release information publicly to outline the steps they’ve
taken over the past two years to address racism in the workplace and the progress
they’ve made toward their goals, thus demonstrating that their genuine commitment
to racial justice goes beyond optics.
Jared Rosenthal, CEO and founder of the automated onboarding and screening
system StaffGlass, pointed out the growing trend of adopting cloud software to
automate and manage workflows. In 2022, the workplace automation trend is
expected to keep growing, spreading into industries that have traditionally been
slower to adopt automated tools.
Even small business HR processes could benefit from technological innovations and
cloud-based computing, including remotely hiring and onboarding new employees.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced many businesses to shutter their doors in
2020, in-office employees abruptly transitioned to working remotely. Managing a
remote workforce has since become a permanent situation for many businesses.
Remote work options have proved valuable for responding to new COVID-19
variants and surges and meeting employees’ needs.
“Employees love the flexible schedule and the absence of a commute so that there is
more time in the day to spend with their families,” said Angela Rochester, former
assistant general counsel and human resources consultant for Engage PEO and
current deputy general counsel for labor and employment at GoHealth. “Employers
should leverage technology as much as possible to maintain employee
engagement.”
Despite the popularity of remote work and flexible work policies, some employers
and employees prioritize in-office time to collaborate more efficiently as a team or to
get a change of scenery. In response, more offices in 2022 will adopt hybrid policies
for remote and in-office days, offering employees the flexibility to make the best
decisions for their situations and pivot according to changing public health needs.
Depending on your company’s size, this policy might include a schedule or sign-up
sheet for your team to coordinate their in-office days.
Entirely or partially remote organizations must find creative methods to keep remote
employees engaged and foster the company culture. Without a physical office space
and daily routine to connect with co-workers, employees – especially new hires –
may feel isolated or disengaged.
Health and wellness are hot-button topics. Employers are more aware than ever of
the importance of employee well-being and its impact on business success.
However, employees’ well-being and mental health will undoubtedly fluctuate during
stressful and uncertain times.
“Small business leaders must step up to support their employees’ well-being and
engagement, likely in ways they haven’t had to before,” Reid said. “They must find
ways to create a flexible and healthy work environment and support mental well-
being in some of the toughest times we’ve seen.”
Company leaders can help improve their employees’ health and wellness by
maintaining transparency and clear communication within their organization.
“Make sure that people aren’t getting too exhausted and burning out,” Reid said.
“Have conversations so you know how your team is feeling as well as what they’re
doing.”
Reid also advised small business owners to lead by example. Take the time for self-
care, and set boundaries and expectations so your team can follow suit.
“Enable flexible work, whatever that means for the individual,” Reid said. “Some
parents of young children, for example, might need to juggle childcare and work
during the day, and being able to work in the evening instead could be one less
stress. A key point is that everyone has their own unique circumstances, and you’ve
got to open those conversations, listen and take actions that are supportive.”
Employers are also offering more thoughtful vacation options that suit workers with
unconventional schedules. For example, some companies have adopted a policy of
offering new employees two paid weeks before they start their new positions.
As COVID-19 variants lead to more surges, employees will need time off to isolate
and recover. Furthermore, long-haul COVID-19 symptoms, or “long COVID,” have
affected up to 23 million people in the United States, often leading to a wide range of
severe health issues. In fact, American with Disabilities Act (ADA)
regulations recognize long COVID as a disability, as it can significantly affect
people’s daily lives and abilities.
Rochester said employers must reasonably accommodate employees’ COVID-
related disabilities that create new or different circumstances for them in the
workplace. “Employers should continue to do what they normally would with respect
to accommodation requests and identify the limitations that a disability imposes on
the employee’s essential job functions, engage in an interactive dialogue to
determine whether a reasonable accommodation exists and, where circumstances
require, provide an accommodation,” Rochester said.
Additionally, many state and local jurisdictions have expanded their paid-sick-leave
laws to apply to COVID-19-related circumstances.
When companies open their offices, it’s critical to take every reasonable precaution
to keep their teams safe from COVID-19. For some workplaces, this has meant
implementing mask policies and providing employees with high-quality masks, like
N95s. Other companies have instituted vaccine requirements.
Other interventions include moving into an office space with many windows you can
open, high ceilings and ample space between work areas. In addition, outdoor
spaces within office settings are in high demand right now.
As laws and guidelines change, HR departments will grapple with new compliance
requirements. HR managers will rewrite employee handbooks and reevaluate rules
pertaining to workplace harassment measures, leave benefits and drug testing.
HR departments will also have to navigate the pay transparency laws that are rapidly
becoming more common across states. Illinois and California have laws requiring
businesses of a specific size to report aggregate pay data to their labor
departments.
In the past few years, more states have legalized or decriminalized marijuana use to
various degrees, and that trend will reach a fever pitch in 2022. As of early June, 38
states have legalized medical marijuana use and 19 have also legalized recreational
use.