September 2024 TogetHR Times

It’s a Marathon…Not a Sprint

by John Wright

On August 11th, 2024 the XXXIII Olympic Games were brought to a close in a majestic fashion, celebrating the joys, triumphs and pride. Over the course of sixteen days, the games featured 329 events across 32 sports, with more than 10,000 athletes from over 200 nations competing. 

Many of the athletes who participated get the chance to step into the arena of the Olympics only every four years. Planning, preparations and practice begin years before the actual games commence.

Athletes don’t start as Olympians. Athletes become Olympians through hard work, practice, dedication, failing, getting right back up, trying again and again until that practice becomes perfect. Dedication, patience and persistence are all hallmarks of exceptional athletes. Small wins can be celebrated and smaller scale events offer ample opportunities to build confidence as well as hone skills and abilities.

Having a solid and strong team is also a critical piece of being a world class athlete (or someone in business). No one person can do it alone. Coaches, trainers and team mates all perform essential functions through guidance and motivation. It’s the cyclists taking turns drafting, runners pulling teammates or even rivals up off of the track, and rival swimmers congratulating one another at the end of the race that are heroic moments of goodwill and kindness we witness and can’t help but beam from the inside out.

Both collaborative and competitive, the Olympics bring to mind a similar arena: business.

So, who’s on your team? Even if you’re a solopreneur, a team can be built, a support system can be implemented, mentors can be found. As your business grows your team can be assembled based on strengths and weaknesses, opportunities that exist out there in the world and in preparation for setbacks.

Yep. I said it. Setbacks. They happen. They happen frequently. Channel that frustration or anger or whatever else you might be feeling when you experience a setback into fuel. Fuel for a comeback, fuel for getting up, dusting yourself off and getting right back to it. 

Ask yourself the same thing an athlete might: what kind of feedback do I need, or we need, to perform our best each and every day? How can my team deliver on our mission? What are the tools we need? What experiences should each of our team members have?  

In business, planning years in advance often isn’t possible and specific goals are far more difficult to define. However challenging and complex, establishing the broad strokes of what you want your business to achieve is essential. From there, the steps necessary to reach that goal can be planned. And your all-important team will be right there with you, supporting you and motivating you. Your team is inspiring, empathetic, inclusive and willing to step up or down when it matters most.

Dedication to the journey, the practice and yes, the setbacks are part of being in business. Commit to the long haul, build your team and celebrate all those successes. Strive for success each and every day and make 2024 your Olympic year in business!

Gossip and a Hostile Workplace?

by Kim Keene

Could gossip in the workplace create a hostile environment? Workplace gossip is informal communication that people share about their colleagues, coworkers or supervisors. Gossip typically involves information that is personal or private. Gossip typically involves sharing unverified or private information about others. It can range from harmless chatter to malicious rumors.

While excessive workplace gossip can be a part of a hostile work environment, the two concepts are different in several keyways. Following are three ways in which workplace gossip is distinguishable from a hostile work environment:

INTENT:

Is it positive or negatively intended? When someone gossips about another person at work, their intention may be positive or negative. For example, two employees might discuss how much they like a third colleague’s professional attire. While the discussion isn’t related to work tasks, it is evidence of a positive intention.

When employees create a hostile work environment, the intention is generally negative. The motivation behind creating a hostile work environment is to exclude certain employees based on a protected characteristic; race, religion, gender identity or other factors.

DISCIPLINE:

Office gossip is usually casual in nature and involves spoken or written conversations.  When someone gossips about a colleague, coworker or supervisor, the act typically occurs while the person in question is elsewhere. For example, if one sales representative spreads a rumor about another sales representative over a group chat platform, that’s an example of workplace gossip.

Workplace hostility is more overt and may involve a wider range of acts, which could include physical intimidation.  While some acts of workplace hostility occur when the target is absent, others occur near the target. For example, in a hostile work environment, an employee might receive threatening notes or find graffiti on their car after work.  

CONSEQUENCES:

Both workplace gossip and any actions contributing to a hostile work environment can have negative consequences. However, those consequences differ in type, range and severity.

Unwanted gossip in the workplace can leave people feeling unsupported and lower a person's sense of trust or comfort while they are at work. In a situation in which an employee is experiencing a hostile work environment, they may feel unsafe in or outside of work. 

Because these actions have different types of consequences, they may also have different corrective action. Employees may receive verbal or written warnings for spreading negative gossip in the office. Actions resulting in a hostile work environment may be grounds for termination.

ADDRESSING GOSSIP:

If you notice that your colleagues are gossiping about a customer, manager or other employees, you can either ignore the situation or intervene. When the gossip is positive, or pro-social, you might stay out of the situation and focus on your own work. Positive gossip can encourage employees to work harder and build closer relationships with their colleagues. If the gossip is negative, discriminatory or exclusionary, report it to your manager and/or HR representative.

COACH YOUR LEADERS ON HOW TO DEAL WITH GOSSIP:

If you’re a leader of people, you can create a work environment that encourages positive workplace communication and reduces negative gossip. Create an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their concerns directly with leadership.

Educate leaders by establishing clear policies regarding workplace behavior and the consequences. 

Here are some tips to help you manage any gossip in the workplace:

1. Lead by example

One great way to contribute to a positive work environment and avoid gossip in the workplace is to lead by example. From the time you arrive at work until you go home, make sure that your actions are professional and considerate of others. Before you begin your workday, you might spend a few minutes reflecting on your daily goals and getting into a positive mindset.

When speaking to other colleagues, coworkers or supervisors, it's important to act with integrity. If someone shares private information with you about their personal lives, be trustworthy and keep that information to yourself.

Do your best to only speak positively about people at the workplace and try to avoid speaking about people's personal lives, intimate relationships or social status at work. If someone at work attempts to gossip about another person, you can always kindly let them know that you don't want to participate.

2. Be inclusive

Another great way to avoid workplace gossip is to take an active part in developing an inclusive work environment. This means you might behave in a way that makes everyone feel welcome and important. When meeting colleagues, coworkers or supervisors, be open-minded and treat everyone with care and respect. If you’re a manager or other leadership professional, you might launch a professional development program that focuses on diversity and inclusion.

Being inclusive also means celebrating people's differences and recognizing the value of each person's unique vantage point. By being inclusive of others, you can help support a healthy and positive workplace culture. When people feel safe and appreciated, they are less likely to separate or form exclusive social cliques, which should help prevent unwanted gossip.

3. Encourage positive communication 

People regularly think of rumors or unwanted chatter when they think of the word gossip, however, sometimes this term can refer to positive and pro-social conversations. Positive gossip is workplace talk about another person that is meant to positively affect other people's impressions of their personality or character.

When possible, encourage positive gossip by mentioning impressive qualities regarding your colleagues’ work ethic, courage or endurance. Here are four examples of positive gossip you can initiate in the workplace:

"Wow, can you believe how resourceful Sandy is? That client was probably going to cancel their contact and she was able to save the deal."

"I'll tell you what, the new front office receptionist is fantastic. He's brought a lot of energy and excitement to our team. I hope he applies for a job in our department when his probation period ends."

"It's amazing how hard Jim works. He's going through a lot personally, but you would never know it. He always manages to get everything done so well and usually ahead of time.”

4. Show empathy and care

Empathy is a person's ability to connect with others and perceive what they are feeling or experiencing. If you know that someone is the subject of workplace gossip, try to imagine how they may feel. Offer empathy, kindness and care to that person. Doing this can help to counterbalance some of the negative impacts of the event. Also, being friendly and thoughtful toward all of your coworkers, colleagues and supervisors is also likely to help encourage others to behave similarly.

CONCLUSION:

Gossip in the workplace is more than just idle chatter; it can have serious repercussions for both employees and the organization. By addressing gossip proactively and fostering a culture of respect and open communication, organizations can create a healthier and more productive work environment.

Sources:

HRBrew.com 

SHRM.org

Payroll Trends That Will Change the Way we Work in 2024

by Kari Gras

Payroll operations have undergone a significant shift in recent years as technology has advanced and teams have become more dispersed.  Not long ago, only large enterprises could hire remote teams, but now companies of all sizes can expand. 

These trends are set to continue in 2024 and will be accompanied by the need for simplified payroll management.

Integration of Payroll Into Holistic HR Systems

Over half of organizations say the next big trend in payroll is using consolidated HR and payroll solutions to simplify and streamline their operations. 

If you use multiple payroll providers, you’re more than twice as likely to encounter difficulties with management, compliance, and reporting.  With an integrated solution, your human resources and accounting teams will have access to holistic, real-time data and standardized reporting and processes that minimize the risk of payroll errors.

An all-in-one platform like Gusto enables companies to manage payroll, HR, compliance, and more for their entire workforce in one place. This includes direct employees hired from an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) platform, sending offer letters, running background checks, paying independent contractors electronically, and many more features.

Businesses at the forefront of this movement have noticed significant time savings. For example, one of our clients was able to save 51% in their monthly payroll costs after switching over to Gusto.

Centralizing payroll software also supports the HR trend of prioritizing the employee experience, which 75% of CHROs plan to make their top focus in 2024. To learn more about the role of people teams in coming years, download our Future of HR Report.

Further Investments in AI

One in three businesses plan to increase their investment in artificial intelligence, which is becoming more commonly used in payroll systems.

Generative AI has major implications for HR management and payroll processing, given the large volume of personal and financial data involved. It can analyze this information in virtually no time, recognize patterns humans wouldn’t, and make suggestions. You could use it to spot issues like pay discrepancies or unused benefits and leverage the insights to refine your payroll best practices

The Rise of On-Demand Pay Services

On-demand pay is a payment method that gives employees access to their wages before the scheduled payday, allowing them to take home a single day’s wages or all the money earned in the stipulated payment period to date. 

By offering flexible payment methods like on-demand pay, companies can support employees’ financial wellness by ensuring they have money when they need it and alleviating financial stress.

On-demand pay is gaining popularity, particularly among young workers—in fact, 83% of Gen Z say flexible payroll is important to them. As more of this generation enters the workforce in 2024, companies should embrace on-demand payroll options to attract and retain key talent.

Flexible pay is especially well-suited to the gig economy, as you can pay freelancers the moment you’ve completed a project and maintain their trust. 


Embrace the Future of Payroll Management with Deel

As we move into the 4th quarter of 2024, there will be significant advancements in payroll technology that will affect businesses of all sizes, from small businesses to multinational corporations. By embracing these opportunities, you can streamline your operations and enhance accuracy, while also promoting the well-being of your employees.

Gusto’s all-in-one platform can help you capitalize on emerging trends. Their compliance management tools allow you to keep pace with constant changes across the US and within your own company, and our range of automation and self-service features enable you to streamline payroll processes and focus on high-value tasks.

Contact your TogetHR Associate today to learn more about making a switch to Gusto.

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