April 1, 2025
Hello, and happy April Fool’s Day. Rest assured that I am here in your inbox today for reflection and encouragement, not practical jokes!
I’ve been looking back at how we at KMA responded as COVID-19 broke out, five years ago last month. Somehow it seems like it’s been an eternity, but also like it happened last week. In handling COVID-19, much of the burden was placed on HR teams to develop company policies and practices to respond to the pandemic – practically overnight – and at KMA we felt a deep responsibility to offer support, advice and solutions for our clients and our HR community. I am proud of our team, as I am sure you are of yours, for their resilience, endurance and ability to flow with change.
So much of how we adapted during COVID has had lasting impacts on business operations, workplace culture, and HR policies, shifting how we work, where we work, and even when. Although we are seeing some pushback on employee flexibility in some sectors, it’s clear that going back to the “before times” is not possible. Employees and candidates demand a different work/life balance today. They are more focused on positive workplace culture, enhanced mental health and wellness support benefits, and they are rejecting burnout and stress as workplace norms.
And now, with all that’s going on with our new administration, many familiar feelings are bubbling up: confusion, apprehension and anxiety. These personal emotions are being brought into our workplaces, impacting employee wellbeing, morale and performance. We’re hearing this over and over from our clients.
During times of change, employees need clear communication, transparency, and assurance to remain engaged and productive. Effective leaders can meet these needs by modeling adaptivity, offering a steady source of guidance, anticipating future challenges, and creating an environment where uncertainty is transformed into opportunities for growth.
The team at KMA is monitoring the fluctuations on the employment landscape and is here to support you with these useful resources you may have missed:
Read our article on The Importance of I-9 Compliance
Read our article on the Risks of Employee Misclassification under FLSA
Read our article on What to do if Your Business is Visited by ICE Agents
Watch our webinar with Katy Rand, Partner at Pierce Atwood, on Managing Employment Law Through Times of Change
As always, please reach out to me if you have any workplace questions or challenges we might be able to help you solve.
Kim Anania
President and CEO
KMA Human Resources Consulting