You’re a manager of a busy department. A job offer has been extended to a great applicant, and she calls to accept the position. She asks specifics about the benefits package your company offers and then about maternity leave because she is pregnant.

With the summer season comes the opportunity for outdoor activities and a lighter summer wardrobe. As employers, this could pose both opportunities and challenges. Here are some topics to keep in mind and prepare you for this upcoming season.

Equal Pay Law

Some jobs, such as evening, weekend, and summer work, attract a high number of applicants under the age of 18. Hiring these applicants makes good business sense to many companies. Employers considering using child labor must understand their responsibilities with the employment of minors (individuals under 18 years of age).

Between a global pandemic and the Great Resignation/Great Reset, it’s clear to see that the workplace is changing. As unemployment rates have declined, employees consider career changes, and automation/AI is revolutionizing the way we work, employers are looking for ways to retain and attract talent. This is where reskilling and upskilling may be useful to your business.

Spring is the time of year when our thoughts go to the outdoors, where we may envision a relaxing day in a park or on a beach.

In the digital age, consumers look up reviews online for everything from insurance providers to toothpaste. Even your local jail probably has online reviews! Employers are not exempt from this trend and websites like Glassdoor and Indeed provide opportunities for employees to write reviews about their places of employment. While positive reviews can be a boost for recruiting purposes, what if an employee writes a scathingly negative review about your company? Or perhaps they write a bad review on a website highly visible to your customers, such as Google? While an initial reaction may be to retaliate and fire the employee or to respond online directly for the world to see, take a step back and consider these tips first:

Of all the obstacles and surprises managers know may be heading their way each day, the one they usually least anticipate and prepare for is the resignation of a seemingly happy and extremely valued employee. With the current labor market, are you noticing employees resigning for other positions? Are you worried about keeping your best talent? Consider stay interviews.

With the prevalence of workplace romances and the drama they can bring, many employers opt to put policies in place that forbid these types of relationships. It’s a quick and easy way to avoid the complications that come with workplace dating. However, these policies are not always effective and can result in employees dating in secret, which can lead to its own issues. This is where a love contract may be a good option.