Five Employee Engagement Trends We’re Grateful For This Season
Cultivating an attitude of gratitude is a no-brainer for a host of reasons, not the least of which is it makes you happier. And this year, we have lots to be thankful for when it comes to trends in the human resources sector. Here, we’re counting down our top five!
Counting Down Our Favorite Employee Engagement Trends from 2022
5) Salary Transparency
Inc. dubbed 2022 as “The Year of Pay Transparency” and we are here for it. Just this month, New York City joined 17 states requiring pay transparency in salary postings. This is great news for workers, as it shifts the responsibility of equitable pay from employees to employers and will go far to support more fair pay among women and minorities. We wrote more about pay transparency earlier this year, highlighting how companies who do so have a competitive advantage, especially among Millennial and Gen-Z workers.
4) Flexible & Remote Work as the Norm
Flexible work options are having a (hopefully permanent) moment. When given the opportunity to work remotely, 87% of workers take it, according to a McKinsey survey conducted over the summer. That same survey found that 58% of American workers, (some 92 million individuals), say that they can work remotely at least part of the time.
Image credit: McKinsey & Company
3) Backlash Against Roe-Reversal
With the devastating reversal of Roe Vs. Wade in August, many companies were quick to speak out to protect their workers’ rights to essential health care. Starbucks, Microsoft, PayPal, Amazon, and Reddit were all among organizations who promised to pay for travel for abortion costs in states where it remains legal. While we remain appalled at this unprecedented decision, we are incredibly pleased at the swift response by companies of all sizes around the country.
Abortion Access by State - Image Credit: Center for Reproductive Rights
2) Parental Leave Laws
Parental leave is a human right - but hasn’t historically been treated as such in the United States. The tides, however, are slowly starting to turn. Currently, 12 states offer paid parental leave, and 10, plus Washington, D.C. provide a limited number of hours for parents to attend school-related activities and events for their children. We hope that more states will follow suite on this vital worker support in 2023
State Family & Medical Leave - Image Credit: NCSL
1) More Women-Led Organizations Doing Good For Humanity
As a women-led, founded, and run organization, we’re all about like-minded companies making the world better for our fellow humans. Some of our favorites? Mother Honestly, a membership organization that supports women navigating multiple priorities post-pandemic, Parentaly, which provides resources for parents pre-arrival, Southerners on New Ground (SONG), which is a home for LGBTQ liberation across all lines of race, class, abilities, age, culture, gender, and sexuality in the South, and Movemeant Foundation, a nonprofit supporting body positivity in girls.
Here’s to a season of more empowerment, more work-life balance, and more gratitude.
