Ep: 44: HR Insights: The Data Speaks

In this episode, podcast host Natalie Ivey discusses some of the data from the 8thannual employee relations benchmark study provided by software company, HR Acuity.

Natalie shares important information regarding the trends noted in the benchmark study such as organizations seeing sharp increases in allegations of policy violations, behavioral issues, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation allegations.

Key topics:

• Examining 3 Key Trends from the 8th Annual Employee Relations Benchmark Study:
  • Policy violations, behavioral issues, discrimination, harassment or retaliation allegations and EEOC charges reached their highest levels since 2018
  • Mental health issues continued to be the primary factor behind case volumes, with 70% of organizations attributing increases to mental health-related challenges
  • Organizations are starting to respond to continually growing case volumes by examining data to identify patterns and predict and prevent future issues
• Reviewing strategies on how to address the increase in allegations and increasing employee relations’ case volumes
• Examining the importance of using data and analytics to drive meaningful organizational change
• Examining the increase in mental health issues to more clearly define root causes and develop action plans to reduce employee complaints

Visit RPC HR for show notes and more information.

Check out Natalie's book How to Conduct Internal Investigations: A Practical Guide for Human Resource Professionals here: https://tinyurl.com/y39s7n77

In this episode, podcast host Natalie Ivey discusses her observations of capacity issues and the stress and strain that is affecting HR and Employee Relations professionals. Natalie shares some sage advice in taking ownership of one’s workload, assessing leadership support or lack thereof, and some best practices in reducing stress levels and improving one’s state of well-being.

Key topics:

• Examining workloads for HR and ER and increasing caseloads
• Discussing the need to get real with oneself and size the capacity problem
• Examining why “suffering in silence” is a lousy strategy
• Evaluating the importance of documentation, specifically action steps in managing cases to accumulate historical data
• Examining how historical data becomes a platform for meaningful change
• Reviewing the differences in negotiating styles for “managing up” with leadership to obtain the necessary resources
• Natalie shares exciting news:
• Launch of the 2nd edition of How to Conduct Internal Investigations: A Practical Guide for Human Resource Professionals in April 2025
• Launch of the How to Conduct Internal Investigations: A Practical Workshop for HR & ER Professionals
• Launch of the rpchr.com website in March 2025
• Launch of the new RPC Academy, an online training portal at rpchr.com with access to Natalie’s content, launching in April 2025

Visit RPC HR for show notes and more information.

Check out Natalie's book How to Conduct Internal Investigations: A Practical Guide for Human Resource Professionals here: https://tinyurl.com/y39s7n77

In this episode, Natalie Ivey “talks shop” with special guest, Michele O’Neil, the Senior Director of Work Environment with Marriott International. Michele is a seasoned veteran with over 37 years in human resource management and employee relations. Natalie discusses with Michele the current trends in employee relations, particularly in the hospitality industry.

Key topics:

• Allegations of harassment and bullying
• Employees increasingly reporting issues that are increasing their anxiety and affecting their mental health
  • Managing work/life balance
• Performance Management issues
• Best practices in leadership to minimize the risk of employee relations’ issues
  • Consistency in enforcement of organizational policies
  • Training leaders on the ADA to ensure they understand the “dos and don’ts” when it comes to employee mental health issues
• Core competencies that Employee Relations’ team members need to possess to be successful in navigating the current challenges in employee relations
• Recognizing that the words “mental health” can be abused by some employees who simply don’t want to be held accountable

Visit RPC HR for show notes and more information.

Check out Natalie's book How to Conduct Internal Investigations: A Practical Guide for Human Resource Professionals here: https://tinyurl.com/y39s7n77