The Most Important Workplace Issues of 2023

Cultural trends, hybrid work and Supreme Court rulings were among our most-read articles of the year.

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Cultural Trends at the Forefront   The most-read All Things Work articles of 2023 provide some insight into what was on the minds of our readers this year—and what stands to be of most interest in 2024. The implications of wide-ranging social and cultural trends garnered significant readership in 2023. Employers and employees alike continue to focus on culture, with an upcoming presidential election guaranteed to introduce more conflict into the workplace. To that end, our most-read articles explored how company leaders can best keep the peace in a polarized society with increasingly entrenched opposing camps. Some of these contentious issues wound up in front of the Supreme Court this year, which ruled on several cases with broad ramifications for employers—including those involving affirmative action, student loan relief, religious liberty and the authority of federal agencies. While the answers to some outstanding legal questions have been clarified, many others are still murky, and it remains to be seen how employers will navigate the practical implementations of these new rulings. When established law varies from state to state and locality to locality, interpreting its impact on the workplace can be even more challenging for employers. Our popular story on marijuana policies examined how companies are handling new freedoms in this and other areas. And employers are still navigating the post-pandemic impact of remote and hybrid work. While many CEOs are now calling their employees back to the office in the name of productivity, others have chosen to stay with their pandemic-era work arrangements. There are pluses and minuses to each approach, but our readers told us that loneliness can be a real problem for employees working remotely. Regardless of the news events currently rocking the workplace, there are ongoing concerns that employees and employers must deal with year after year. Performance reviews, unexpected layoffs, work incentives and vacation time continue to be popular topics. Whatever's in store for 2024, All Things Work will be here to help business leaders understand it all. Here's to a healthy and productive new year!       ADVERTISEMENT       Are you up to date on 2024 workforce trends?     Staying current will be crucial for leaders hoping to move forward with clarity and confidence in the rapidly changing world of work. Are you taking into account the numerous HR trends and changes happening when making strategic plans for your business? Check out these 10 HR trends to follow in 2024.        The Meaning of 'Woke'   Three years after the murder of George Floyd, the term "woke" has become a bad word in certain circles. The word, coined by marginalized communities to express the recognition of historical injustice, is often co-opted by other groups to strip it of its power by using it pejoratively. As the rise in "anti-woke" rhetoric leads to a palpable decline in inclusion, equity and diversity efforts across organizations, where does that leave such initiatives by companies?  Read More       Recent Supreme Court Rulings Are a Mixed Bag for Employers   The U.S. Supreme Court recently wrapped up a term with several momentous cases focused on affirmative action, student loan relief and religious liberty. "The important employer takeaway from the '22-'23 term is to review policies and practices relating to compensation, religious accommodation and [diversity, equity and inclusion] initiatives," one attorney said. "Failure to do so could be very costly to employers." Read More       Reducing Employee Conflict   Employee conflicts can be a huge distraction at work, leading to reduced productivity and low morale. They can also be time-consuming: One survey found that employees and managers spend an average of 4.3 hours a week dealing with conflict. The most common causes? Poor communication, lack of role clarity and heavy workloads. What can employers do to keep the peace and boost productivity? Read More       Podcast Improving Experiences and Outcomes for Front-Line Workers   Upward mobility for front-line employees is critical for growing economies and creating inclusive, resilient workforces. But these employees face many obstacles to advancing in their careers. Host Tony Lee speaks with Monne Williams, a partner at McKinsey & Company, about the plight of front-line workers and solutions to create better experiences and outcomes for them. Listen Now       Employers Have Leeway on Marijuana Policies   Nearly half of Americans now live in states where marijuana is legal, and companies are struggling to understand what they're allowed to accept within the confines of the office. Answers to these questions, along with seemingly everything else cannabis-related, can be murky.  Read More       Lonely at Work   For millions of employees, remote work has been life-changing. Many say the ability to work remotely ranks higher than compensation and benefits when they consider what makes them happy about their jobs. But while people clearly value the ability to work remotely, it can come at a personal cost, as a growing number of employees say they feel isolated from their employers and colleagues.  Read More       Reimagining the Performance Review   Both employers and employees give their companies' performance reviews a failing grade. One survey found that only 26 percent of companies in North America believe their performance management systems are effective, and only one-third said employees felt they were evaluated fairly. How to fix that is a source of hot debate.  Read More       Podcast How ChatGPT Can Best Serve Workers   Advocates for AI chatbots such as ChatGPT point to their potential to boost employee efficiency and productivity, but skeptics express concerns about their reliability and accuracy. Host Tony Lee speaks with Avi Gesser, a partner at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York City, about where AI tools fare best and where they falter.  Listen Now       Layoff Mistakes to Avoid   Not planning. Not training. Offering trite words of comfort. Making empty promises (such as by saying, "A new job is around the corner"). These are among the mistakes companies can make when implementing a layoff. How executives prepare for these firings can have consequences that reverberate among clients, customers, boards of directors, potential applicants and the workers who remain behind.  Read More       When Employee Incentives Go Wrong   Many companies invest big dollars in employee incentives because they believe the programs improve engagement, retention and productivity. An industry has even sprung up to provide the little sister of cash incentives: rewards programs that offer products and services with monetary value. But recent headlines remind us of what happens when incentive plans spawn unethical or even illegal behavior.  Read More       The Elusive Vacation   Several recent surveys and reports indicate that U.S. employees are leaving an increasing number of vacation hours on the table. Many don't take full advantage of open-leave policies and tend to enjoy only brief breaks or else spend time during their days off working anyway. To help their workers take advantage of time off, business leaders need to encourage its use and demonstrate that it's OK to take a break.  Read More       Podcast How to Support Employees with Hidden Disabilities   Employees are often hesitant to disclose their invisible disabilities to their employers. In this podcast, host Tony Lee speaks with Kara Yarnot, vice president of strategic consulting services at HireClix, about her experiences navigating her own invisible disabilities and what company leaders can do to create more inclusive workplaces.  Listen Now       The CPA Shortage   Looking to hire an accountant for your organization? Good luck. The declining number of people entering and staying in the accounting field is posing a significant challenge for public and private organizations. While retiring Baby Boomers account for part of this exodus, accountants in the 25-to-34-year-old age range and midcareer professionals ages 45 to 54 are also leaving the profession. Companies are scrambling to fill these roles.  Read More     Note to Readers: All Things Work will not be published for the next two weeks. We will resume publication on Jan. 6, 2024. Happy holidays and thanks for reading! Every Saturday, All Things Work from HR Magazine offers thoughtful insights into the rapidly transforming nature of work and the workplace, and how HR, decision-makers and organizations worldwide are navigating and leading this change.       Connect with us on social!              1800 Duke Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 USA Contact Us | shrm.org This email was sent to manojdole1.Architectural@blogger.com. This email may contain advertisements. Unsubscribe or Change Email Preferences | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy © 2023 SHRM. All rights reserved.