XpertHR Survey Offers Guidance on Top Employment Trends, Challenges of 2017

NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J., Dec. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2017 employers will be faced with a significant number of employment law challenges, according to results of a survey conducted in November by XpertHR.

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"Changing leave laws, the uncertainty of the overtime regulations, expanding equal pay initiatives, benefits and the Affordable Care Act, the rapid rise of the on-demand workforce and gig economy, and the threat of a cyber breach in an increasingly digital world are just a few of the challenges employers will face in 2017," says Legal Editor Beth Zoller of XpertHR.

In addition, she notes that employers face the uncertainty of a new Republican government in Washington, D.C., with a transitioning Trump administration, and Republican control of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate.

"It's clear to me that many of the challenges cited in the survey will cause employers to review and revise their workplace policies, practices and procedures," Zoller said.

Nearly 1,200 small, medium and large employers responded to XpertHR's survey, which solicited input about compliance challenges, resulting in a list of 10 top employment law trends and challenges of 2017.

Full survey results, including questions that will affect the workplace and XpertHR guidance for employers, are available online.

The No. 1 item referenced by survey respondents, election uncertainty, sparks the following questions:

• Who will the president-elect nominate for the open seat on the U.S. Supreme Court and what effect will this have on labor and employment law cases?
• What will happen to the National Labor Relations Board if the president-elect appoints two Republicans? Will that affect the expansion of workplace rights?
• Will the president-elect, as previously stated, support six weeks of paid maternity leave for working mothers?

Coming in as the second-ranked challenge, workforce planning, brings a set of complexity fostered by changing societal demographics and the global marketplace, which affect recruiting, hiring and retention of workers, Zoller explains.

In fact, 55 percent of respondents said they were extremely or very challenged in finding high-quality applicants.

The third-ranked challenge, mandated employee leave protections, continues to be a significant trend affecting employers today.

"Employers are feeling the heat of leave laws," Zoller says, explaining that 34 percent of survey respondents find the administrative burden of managing leaves to be extremely or very challenging. It's even more complicated for employers who need to manage leaves across states, Zoller adds.

XpertHR recommends that employers effectively utilize human resource departments to help shape the evolving workforce, and strongly urges that HR objectives be aligned with the objectives of the business, Zoller explains.

XpertHR is a practical online service to help HR professionals comply with federal, state and municipal laws. Resources for managing employment challenges can be found on XpertHR's website.

Media inquiries:

Mary Heimstead
[email protected] 
715-577-2828

SOURCE XpertHR

Related Links

http://www.xperthr.com