Seven Trends Worth Watching in Human Resources in 2022

From the "Great Resignation" to controversies over vaccine mandates, the past year has been a rollercoaster for HR professionals. While some issues remain unresolved—such as when the pandemic will end and when the labor market will stabilize—HR Dive's predictions are built on the experiences of the past 12 months. As the pandemic enters its third year, how is the ongoing impact of COVID-19 reshaping the workplace in the long term? Here are seven trends.

Keyword: Flexibility

The remote work revolution driven by the pandemic, along with challenges from talent shortages, is pushing even the most traditional companies to, in unprecedented ways,shift to flexible models. Employers are increasingly confident that work can still get done even amid dramatic changes in how it is performed. This gives HR more room to experiment, whether by allowing employees tochoose their own work hours, introducingfour-day workweeks, or exploring other paths.

Even employers who cannot adopt specific scheduling changes can pursue flexibility in their own ways. Anthony Klotz, the professor who predicted the "Great Resignation," previously told HR Dive: "You can be creative with scheduling, such as innovatively ensuring employees know in advance if they are shifted, or designing a schedule that lets employees take two days off to piece together a ten-day vacation."

Employers will set their own vaccine policies

Since COVID-19 vaccines became available, employers have been weighing how to implement vaccination in the workplace. The Biden administration announced in September a federal emergency temporary standard (ETS) requiring large businesses to ensure employees are vaccinated, but the standard faced obstacles in court. The U.S. Supreme Court on January 13issued a stay, blocking its enforcement.

Shaun Kennedy, a partner at Holland & Hart LLP, told HR Dive that the stay is "by no means the end of the federal mandate, but it does significantly weaken the government's ability to implement a broad mandate under the current framework." The Supreme Court's stay means the government cannot enforce the ETS as it stands, leaving employers in a wait-and-see position until the Sixth Circuit Court of Appealsissues a ruling. Kennedy said this could take six to eight months, and afterward the policy could again be reviewed by the Supreme Court, further extending the process.

What does this mean for employers? At this stage, vaccine policies should be viewed as individual corporate choices. "I expect some companies will push forward with vaccine or testing requirements," Kennedy said. "Others will use the stay as an opportunity to relax requirements. It really depends on each company's culture and values."

Industry reactions are already emerging, and not without pain. For example, Citigroup took ahardline stance, placing office employees who had not uploaded their vaccination cards by January 14 on unpaid leave (the company said it planned to terminate them by the end of January). United Airlines, an early adopter of vaccine mandates, facedlawsuitsafter employees alleged it failed to provide reasonable accommodations and retaliated against them. On the other hand, construction employers have beenfar less enthusiastic，Construction workershave shown stronger resistance to the policy.

The pandemic highlights the importance of timely medical and well-being support

While questions about COVID-19 vaccines may persist in 2022, the employee benefits space also needs to address other healthcare issues. For example, observers have been speculating aboutthe role of virtual care in improving healthcare access, as patient populations have gained more exposure to the concept during the pandemic. Adam Stavisky, senior vice president of benefits at Walmart U.S., said the importance of timely access to healthcare will become even more pronounced in the coming year.

"Growing interest in virtual care has prompted us to expand our telehealth options to include primary care, physical therapy, and digestive health," Stavisky said in an email. "We are also using data to identify doctors who more closely follow current scientific practices, making it easier for more employees to find great physicians."

The retailer was one ofmany employers expanding virtual care options in 2021, especially in mental and emotional health. Additionally, the company plans to focus on financial well-being in the coming year. "Whether it's technologists working on the e-commerce experience, hourly associates stocking shelves, or anyone in any role across the enterprise, employees have access year-round to a range of quality physical, mental, and financial well-being benefits," Stavisky said.

Performance reviews trend toward continuous and informal

Over the past two years, managers have seen a more human, more casual side of employees—from dogs barking in the background of video calls to employees patiently juggling childcare or eldercare. This evolution has broken down hierarchical barriers and fostered flexibility and informality in other aspects of work, including performance management.

Rosette Cataldo of Workhuman told HR Dive that the traditional annual performance review process is "painful." As the company's vice president of performance and talent strategy, Cataldo has observed more companies moving away from the standard process—where managers review an entire year of performance, write summaries, use self-assessments, and sometimes assign ratings, a process Cataldo calls "dehumanizing."

The forward-looking approach more companies are adopting is providing continuous "quick, two-minute feedback," Cataldo said.

Moreover, the mindset around reviews is shifting toward more empowering coaching strategies, which have been shown to boost engagement and productivity. "Imagine I say to you: 'Instead of being evaluated, let me give you a moment to reflect so I can coach you.' Think about those words. 'Then we can co-create a plan for what you will do in 2022,'" Cataldo described the process.

Learning: Small is better than big

Autonomy is now critical to employees. Employers can meet this need by embracing the "two big trends" that Kay Green, founder of learning software company EDesign Consulting, has observed:"microlearning and on-demand learning"。

"The ability to engage in learning at a time and place of the employee's choosing, and to learn in 'bite-sized' chunks, has transformed the face of training," Green told HR Dive in an email. "It has also changed how companies approach training, because it becomes possible to create micro-courses for any culture, process, or industry information that organizations want employees to be aligned on."

In DEI: Parental leave and pay transparency will be in focus

Mandy Price, CEO and co-founder of Kanarys, believes parental leave will be a focal point as companies set DEI goals for the new year. "Since January 2021, the pandemic has forced a 'she-cession' to occur. Nearly3 millionwomen have left the workforce," she wrote in an email to HR Dive.

As the pandemic has laid bare the challenges facing working parents and caregivers, Price said HR should expect ongoing discussions around parental leave and paid family leave, especially after budget cuts related to the "Build Back Better" spending plan. "Employees are demanding better, family-first policies," Price said.

Some companies are already leading on parental leave. For example, Pinterest recentlylaunched a NICU benefitand extended parental leave for birthing parents to nearly six months.

Price also sees a rising trend in pay transparency. To achieve positive change in the new year, she said, "companies need to publish salary ranges for every position; clearly define roles and responsibilities and use market data to set salary bands to eliminate bias and reduce subjectivity; conduct pay equity audits to identify and address existing pay gaps and improvement opportunities; and train managers and employees to have proactive compensation conversations." She added that company leaders also need to work with HR experts to understand the root causes behind gaps.

Organized labor movement heats up

The PRO Actmay be stalled in Congress, but after#Striketoberand with employers facing a tight labor market, workers are still organizing.

Multiple Starbucks locations have recently unionized, andmore storesare set to hold votes. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently ordered are-run electionat Amazon's closely watched Bessemer, Alabama, fulfillment center, with votingscheduled to begin next month. Additionally, a federal judge recently ordered Google torelease documents related to internal anti-union efforts。

In other words, employees are feeling more empowered, and the NLRB is paying close attention. Employers might want to gauge employee morale and revisit theNational Labor Relations Act。