HR Workforce Solutions
By Nonprofits, For Nonprofits
A UST partner since 1990, the Center for Non-Profits has been providing advocacy, resources and training to New Jersey nonprofit organizations since 1982 and is the only umbrella organization for all charities in the state.
Center for Non-Profit members receive a vast variety of services, resources and support that include:
One the of the Centers partners in representing grant makers, Nina Stack, President of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, said it best – “For those of us who work in, work for, donate to and are served by nonprofit organizations in New Jersey, we are fortunate to have the Center for Non-Profits watching our backs and protecting our independence.”
For 35 years, the Center for Non-Profits has been New Jersey’s champion and “go-to” resource for and about the non-profit community. They provide non-profits with expert guidance on management and compliance issues, professional educational opportunities through trainings and webinars, inspiration and dialogue through the state’s largest annual non-profit conference, while advocating for a strong non-profit community to leaders in government, business, philanthropy and in non-profits. Members are eligible for additional benefits and special discounts. To learn more about the Center for Non-Profits visit http://www.njnonprofits.org/.
Telecommuting has grown exponentially over the last several decades and is more popular now than ever before as employees seek to find more balance between work and their personal lives. In order to achieve, both employees and employers are reinventing what it means to go to work every day.
Technology has made it possible to work from just about anywhere and as such; many employers are providing their employees the opportunity to work remotely. According to the 2017 State of Telecommuting in the U.S. Employee Workforce Report, released earlier this year, from Global Workplace Analytics and FlexJobs, the number of workers who are telecommuting at least part –time has increased by an astronomical 115% in a decade.
Working outside of the office allows employees to have that better work-life balance and often results in more productive and engaged workers who are less stressed and more likely to stay on the job long term. Not to mention that less stressed individuals are typically healthier individuals who take fewer sick days. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, average commute times in the United States are 25.4 minutes which means workers can free up almost 4.5 hours over a 5-day work week.
Employers also see the savings from flexible scheduling – by allowing an employee to telecommute just part-time companies can save more than $11,000 a year on things like real estate space, office supplies and healthcare costs. It’s important not to forget that telecommuting is also the greenest way to work, reducing the carbon imprint for each non-commuting worker.
On the flip side, there can be challenges such as a loss of boundaries between work and home, a lack of discipline on the employees part – they become unavailable for hours at a time, don’t communicate with co-workers for extended periods or more simply put just aren’t working when they should be. Telecommuting can be disastrous for anyone who is unmotivated or disorganized and some individuals just don’t operate well in isolation. When managers lose the ability to control work and oversee timelines for these individuals things can go downhill quickly.
Remote work, like any work, isn’t for everyone and not everyone wants it. The range of flexible work options is broad so companies should consider the needs of each department and individual roles before electing to offer such a program. Also having clear guidelines and policies on what’s expected from remote workers can help to alleviate any unexpected surprises. Remote work is about working smarter, not harder, making the company and its employees, better.
UST helps 501(c)(3)s lower their unemployment costs & maintain HR compliance, providing resources to help refocus on mission objectives.
UST, a program dedicated to providing nonprofits with workforce solutions to help reduce costs and focus on their missions, today announced that their 2,200+ participating nonprofits saved more than $1.1 million dollars in human resource expenses within the last year through its value-added UST HR Workplace program.
UST HR Workplace, powered by ThinkHR, provides nonprofit professionals with the guidance they need to streamline HR procedures, maintain best practices, and ensure compliance with state laws. By providing expert HR advice, thousands of HR templates, hundreds of training courses and an award-winning online library for all workplace concerns, UST HR Workplace gives nonprofits the knowledge they need to avoid costly risks and liability issues.
“Regardless of the size of a nonprofit’s HR department, UST HR Workplace provides an invaluable sense of security—helping nonprofits save both time and money,” said Donna Groh, Executive Director of UST. “This on-demand HR service helps nonprofit HR professionals avoid costly litigation and stay up-to-date on evolving HR best practices and legal changes.”
Staying on top of the latest HR laws and educating employees on organizational policies can help mitigate volatile unemployment claims and reduce costs long-term. Last year, UST members took over 5,900 online training courses and submitted close to 1,200 HR questions. The most popular resources included Sexual Harassment Prevention for Employees training, hotline inquiries regarding compliance and compensation, the Employee Handbook Builder and downloadable HR forms and policies.
UST HR Workplace has been a go-to resource for UST’s participating nonprofit employers since its launch in 2014 and is a robust support system that helps to save time and money—offered at no additional cost to UST members.
To learn more about how nonprofits can get a free 30-day trial of UST HR Workplace, click here.
Question: An employee is claiming a hostile work environment situation. What should I do next?
Answer: Employees may use the word “hostile” without completely understanding what it means in the employment setting. Sometimes an employee will allege a “hostile work environment” simply due to a negative work experience such as being held accountable for found errors, or a feeling of unfair treatment such as not being permitted to take time away from work when others may be permitted to for a number of reasons.
Harassment is unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information. Harassment becomes unlawful where 1) enduring the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment, or 2) the conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive.
Petty slights, annoyances, and isolated incidents (unless extremely serious) will not rise to the level of illegality. To be unlawful, the conduct must create a work environment that would be intimidating, hostile, or offensive to reasonable people.
Offensive conduct may include, but is not limited to, offensive jokes, slurs, epithets or name calling, physical assaults or threats, intimidation, ridicule or mockery, insults or put-downs, offensive objects or pictures, and interference with work performance.
However, the fact that an employee has come forward with a concern is important and compels you to investigate further. Helping an employee understand the difference of experiencing a negative event and the legal term of hostile work environment is a first step in moving forward to ask very specific questions of the employee to understand the nature and scope of the situation. Depending on details, you may need to do a complete investigation and administer appropriate training or disciplinary action. Best practice is to access a third party to perform investigations to minimize any perception of bias through the process, findings, and determined action(s).
Q&A provided by ThinkHR, powering the UST HR Workplace for nonprofit HR teams. Have HR questions? Sign your nonprofit up for a free 30-day trial here.
What makes a workforce diverse? According to Merriam-Webster, diversity is defined as “an instance of being composed of different elements or qualities.” As a nonprofit organization, expanding diversity in the workplace can be a good way to propose fresh ideas into an otherwise stale environment, and incorporating new perspectives can help employees tackle problems from a number of different angles.
When building a diverse workplace, it’s important to implement policies that encourages employees to feel supported, protected and valued. Creating an environment where your employees can feel at ease to be themselves, regardless of their ethnicity, should be a priority when diversifying a workforce.
Adopting a new approach can be overwhelming or can even cause confusion of where to begin. Here’s a few helpful tips and resources for introducing diversity and inclusion into the workforce at your nonprofit.
While it is true that American organizations are one of the top most productive business sectors in the world, lack of vacation will inevitably lead to poor physical and mental health, as well as increased turnover rates. Vacations are imperative to maintaining vitality and work ethic throughout the office—increasing both productivity and happiness with one’s job and others.
With 61% of employed Americans expecting to work during their summer vacation, it’s no wonder many employees lack enthusiasm when planning their vacation time. Here are some prevalent work-related activities vacationing workers often find inevitable:
Developing stress prior to, during, and after vacation, due to interrupted work flow and lack of routine, many workers fail to recognize the positive effects vacation has on one’s work.
Use these methods to make vacations relaxing and work-free:
Vacations are crucial to a worker’s sanity and general attitude towards the workplace. Though it’s tough to step away from the computer and turn off the smartphone, time away from the office will provide you much needed rest, and the break you deserve. Vacations are what help employees remain satisfied with their jobs, in turn keeping organizations competitive and successful.
Learn more about vacation and work time here.
Having recently joined UST as a Marketing Project Specialist, Chelsi is excited to be part of a company that strives to help and be an advocate for nonprofit organizations. While she isn’t currently doing any volunteer work herself, she does donate blood regularly and has already participated in corporate volunteer events during her off hours – I think it’s safe to say she’s a good fit.
Chelsi started dancing competitively at the age of three and stayed active in the dance community for the next ten years. She moved from Utah to California when she was nine and later went on to obtain a degree in Health Administration at CSUN. Before taking a position at UST, Chelsi was a Marketing Specialist within the healthcare arena.
Outside of the workplace, she enjoys living an active lifestyle that includes running, yoga and hiking as well reading, DIY projects and binge watching Netflix. She says she loves to bake and is a die-hard Dodgers fan (tough loss this year). Most of all, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and says her favorite childhood memory was time spent having tea and playing dress up with her Grandmother.
When asked which TV show her life emulates, she answered Gilmore Girls, sharing “Growing up with a single mom, our lives were full of ups and downs but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.” Her favorite holiday is Christmas and apparently she especially loves to bake during the holidays – I guess that means extra holiday pounds for the rest of the team though I don’t think anyone will be complaining.
Help us in welcoming Chelsi to the UST team via Twitter @USTTrust or Facebook @ChooseUST with the hashtag #MeetUSTMondays!
Question: While working, an employee assaulted his coworker in our California workplace. May the injured employee pursue a workers’ compensation claim?
Answer: Yes. An employee who is assaulted at work by a coworker may elect to file a workers’ compensation claim. However, he or she may also file an internal complaint, report the assault to the police, or pursue a civil lawsuit. Whether the workers’ compensation claim (or any other claim) will be successful depends upon the facts. For example, was the injured employee the initial physical aggressor? According to California Law, at Cal. Labor Code § 3600(a)(7), employers are not liable under the state’s workers’ compensation law for an injury that arises out of an altercation in which the injured employee is the initial physical aggressor.
Regardless, after an injury occurred in the workplace, California employers must:
It is not for the employer to determine whether the injury will be covered under its workers’ compensation insurance. Rather, the claims administrator will determine whether the injury is covered.
Another issue worth mentioning is that California employers are required to abide by a duty of care in the workplace. According to Cal. Labor Code § 6401, “[e]very employer shall furnish and use safety devices and safeguards, and shall adopt and use practices, means, methods, operations, and processes which are reasonably adequate to render such employment and place of employment safe and healthful. Every employer shall do every other thing reasonably necessary to protect the life, safety, and health of employees.” Violations of this duty incur significant monetary damages.
Read more about workers’ compensation and the process on the State of California, Department of Industrial Relations’ website. Read more about workplace assaults and Cal/OSHA Guidelines for Workplace Security.
Q&A provided by ThinkHR, powering the UST HR Workplace for nonprofit HR teams. Have HR questions? Sign your nonprofit up for a free 30-day trial here.
After reviewing data about improved win rates and how the education provided during the process of working with a hearing representative helps further reduce UI costs, the Trustees of UST elected to add this enhanced level of service on June 4th.
A part of the Appellate division, hearing representatives at TALX have an average of 12 years unemployment claims experience and receive a significant amount of training on the nuances of individual state laws and requirements. As such, utilizing a hearing representative provides UST’s members with substantial leverage while planning and preparing for a claims hearing.
Available as a consultant before a claims hearing, and as a representative during the hearing, the hearing representative will assist UST members in:
Although members can elect to not have a hearing representative work with them throughout the claims process, data has consistently shown that while employers who represent themselves have a 57.4% win rate, employers who use a TALX hearing representative throughout the claims hearing process increase their win rate to 72.3%.
While in the past it was necessary for members to request a hearing representative, this upgraded service is now the UST standard and is a benefit of your UST partnership at no additional charge.
For questions or further information about these changes, please contact your TALX Account Manager Garry Koch at gkoch@talx.com or at (614) 658-3007.
UST maintains a secure site. This means that information we obtain from you in the process of enrolling is protected and cannot be viewed by others. Information about your agency is provided to our various service providers once you enroll in UST for the purpose of providing you with the best possible service. Your information will never be sold or rented to other entities that are not affiliated with UST. Agencies that are actively enrolled in UST are listed for review by other agencies, UST’s sponsors and potential participants, but no information specific to your agency can be reviewed by anyone not affiliated with UST and not otherwise engaged in providing services to you except as required by law or valid legal process.
Your use of this site and the provision of basic information constitute your consent for UST to use the information supplied.
UST may collect generic information about overall website traffic, and use other analytical information and tools to help us improve our website and provide the best possible information and service. As you browse UST’s website, cookies may also be placed on your computer so that we can better understand what information our visitors are most interested in, and to help direct you to other relevant information. These cookies do not collect personal information such as your name, email, postal address or phone number. To opt out of some of these cookies, click here. If you are a Twitter user, and prefer not to have Twitter ad content tailored to you, learn more here.
Further, our website may contain links to other sites. Anytime you connect to another website, their respective privacy policy will apply and UST is not responsible for the privacy practices of others.
This Privacy Policy and the Terms of Use for our site is subject to change.
UST maintains a secure site. This means that information we obtain from you in the process of enrolling is protected and cannot be viewed by others. Information about your agency is provided to our various service providers once you enroll in UST for the purpose of providing you with the best possible service. Your information will never be sold or rented to other entities that are not affiliated with UST. Agencies that are actively enrolled in UST are listed for review by other agencies, UST’s sponsors and potential participants, but no information specific to your agency can be reviewed by anyone not affiliated with UST and not otherwise engaged in providing services to you except as required by law or valid legal process.
Your use of this site and the provision of basic information constitute your consent for UST to use the information supplied.
UST may collect generic information about overall website traffic, and use other analytical information and tools to help us improve our website and provide the best possible information and service. As you browse UST’s website, cookies may also be placed on your computer so that we can better understand what information our visitors are most interested in, and to help direct you to other relevant information. These cookies do not collect personal information such as your name, email, postal address or phone number. To opt out of some of these cookies, click here. If you are a Twitter user, and prefer not to have Twitter ad content tailored to you, learn more here.
Further, our website may contain links to other sites. Anytime you connect to another website, their respective privacy policy will apply and UST is not responsible for the privacy practices of others.
This Privacy Policy and the Terms of Use for our site is subject to change.
Extended benefits are being cut across the country as average unemployment rates drop. To stay on extended benefits, the average unemployment rate for the past three months must be at least 110 percent of one of the rates from a comparable three-month period in one of the last three years. For each of the states affected, their average unemployment rate is currently lower than at any of the same three month periods in the last three years.
While the drop in unemployment rates will be a positive change for the overall economy, for the hundreds of thousands of job seekers who have already exhausted their state and federal unemployment benefits, the cuts don’t bode well.
So what do the nearly 400,000 job seekers who have been cut from extended unemployment benefits mean to the nonprofit sector?
Putting more strain on at-capacity nonprofits, the newest round of cuts will mean that more job-seekers will be turning to nonprofits for job re-training and employment support.
The newest round of unemployment cuts also means that state and nonprofit programs that lend aid to the needy will be the last place for the long-term unemployed to turn.