Will employer vaccine mandates pick up with emerging Delta variant? Several months have passed since the COVID-19 vaccines became widely available in the U.S. And while employers have been encouraging the vaccines to their employees in a number of ways—from offering incentives and paid time off to providing education on the merits of inoculation—vaccine rates have waned and now nearly stalled with less than 50% of Americans being fully vaccinated. Those stalled rates, coupled with the new Delta variant that is emerging as the dominant strand, might cause employers to rethink their vaccine plans, experts say. Read more here.
‘Massive shift’ in HR leaders’ top 5 priorities for 2021: Forget digital transformation and developing next-generation leaders—mental health is now HR’s top priority. That’s according to new research out from Lyra Health, Boston University and Future Workplace, an advisory and membership organization that prepares HR leaders for the future of work. Their HR Sentiment Survey of more than 200 senior HR leaders across the U.S. finds a shift of priorities from the early months of COVID-19 in 2020 to where they are now, nearly a year and a half into the pandemic. Read more here.
HRE seeks speakers for 2022 Health & Benefits Leadership Conference: Are you an innovative HR leader relying on benefits to retain, help and develop employees? Then you might want to consider submitting a proposal to speak at next year’s Health and Benefits Leadership Conference. Organizers of HRE’s annual event are seeking speaker proposals to present at the conference, which will be April 5-7, 2022, at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The deadline for submissions is July 22. Read more here.
Here’s how eMoney is helping its workers manage their finances: While employer attention to financial wellness has been gaining speed in light of the pandemic, for eMoney Advisor—a provider of financial planning software—it’s always been at the heart of the organization’s work, both internally and externally. Read more here.
Employees looking to use vacation days: The vast majority of employees (79%) intend to use more vacation days this year than in years past, according to a survey by consulting firm Korn Ferry. Here’s what that means for HR leaders. Read more here.