HR Trends for 2018

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) released their list of top HR trends for 2018. Some predictions may not come as a surprise to companies in the Pacific Northwest, where labor laws tend to favor the employee and provide some of the most generous benefits in the country. Below are some of the highlights.

1. SHRM predicts more workplaces will be dog friendly in 2018. An increasing number of Americans consider their dog to be a member of the family, not just a pet. Studies show pets improve workplace morale and employees feel more loyal to a company with pet-friendly policies. It is important to establish pet policies, regardless of company size, to ensure all employees know what to expect from their new furry coworkers and how best to address issues that may arise.

2. Paid leave laws will become increasingly prevalent across the country. Oregon's sick leave law has been in place for 2 years, Seattle's has been in place 1 year, and starting January 1, 2018, Washington has jumped on the bandwagon. These laws help encourage employees to stay home when they are sick, which in turn reduces the spread of illness and increases worker productivity.

3. We'll stop worrying about Millennials and start getting ready for Generation Z. Generation Z, typically defined as people born between the mid-1990's and mid-2000's, are starting to enter the workforce and are proving to be as technologically forward as their Millennial predecessors. This can be beneficial for companies in need of a technological upgrade. Millennials have started the technological revolution in the workplace and Generation Z is expected to pick up the torch.

4. The days of asking applicants for their salary history are quickly coming to an end. In an effort to promote pay equality, many cities and states are passing laws preventing employers from asking applicants about their salary history. Companies will need to find new ways of determining pay for each position and should consider conducting wage audits to eliminate any pay gaps that could be caused by a protected class bias, such as gender.