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  • 🌟 Inclusion in Practice, The ROI Shift, "Job Hugging" Trend - Aug 25, 2025

🌟 Inclusion in Practice, The ROI Shift, "Job Hugging" Trend - Aug 25, 2025

True inclusion at work, iSpring’s ROI guide, the job-hugging phenomenon, and all the HR buzz you wouldn't want to miss...

August 25, 2025

Hey there, People Pros!👋 Tomorrow is Women’s Equality Day—a timely reminder that equity isn’t just policy, it’s practice. Let’s talk Equity in Action: because job titles may differ, but paychecks shouldn’t.

On today’s agenda:

🌟 Workplace inclusion, done right

đŸ€— Job-hugging trend

đŸ‘©â€đŸ’Œ The return of in-office interviews

WEEKLY GOODY
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THE HR SPOTLIGHT

🌟 Women’s Equality Day: Practical Steps for Real Workplace Inclusion

Tomorrow is Women’s Equality Day – the perfect sequel to “Equal Pay Day” (yep, HR plays the hits). Let’s move from awareness to action with smart, HR-powered inclusion.

🔎 The situation: 

  • Pay still hits a sour note: In 2025, the uncontrolled gender pay gap in the U.S. remains at about 83Âą for every $1 men earn, down just a penny since last year—progress is glacial. (Payscale)

  • Promotion gaps persist: Only 22 of women received promotions in 2024 compared to 34 of men—talk about a broken rung. (HiBob)

📍What HR can do:

1. Conduct a Pay Equity Check-Up: Run regular pay audits—both "uncontrolled" and "controlled." Even when job factors are accounted for, women still make 99Âą on the dollar, so don't skip the deep dive. 

2. Shine a Spotlight on Women Leaders: Celebrate and amplify women in leadership through internal profiles, “Women Who Lead” features, or social posts. Role models aren’t just inspiring—they’re retention magnets.

3. Launch Mentorship & Sponsorship Programs:  Formalize connections: pair junior women with senior mentors or sponsors. Especially since women-focused sponsorship programs dropped from 24 (2022) to 16 (2024), we need to reboot the pipeline. (McKinsey)

You didn’t become an HR pro just to fix spreadsheets—you’re there to fix systems. This Women’s Equality Day, let equity be more than a catchphrase—it’s the freshest workplace remix.

🏁 Start your DEI programs with a good foundational knowledge: Learn all about Diversity in the Workplace and harness the potential of a diverse workforce » 

TOGETHER WITH iSPRING

📈 Most L&D teams can’t prove ROI. Learn how to change that.

In this guide from iSpring, you’ll find out how high-performing teams measure impact by using smarter KPIs, integrated tools, and laser-sharp focus on larger business goals. Based on global research and case studies, this guide offers a clear path from simply reporting activity to proving real training ROI. 

TODAY’S CULTURE CUE
💌 National Kiss & Make Up Day Task - Encourage teammates to clear the air—pair up, share one positive note + one “let’s improve” idea to rebuild trust and teamwork.

THE HR PULSE

☀ Too Hot to Handle? Workplace Heat Crisis - Reuters

  • What’s unfolding: From the UN: extreme heat is damaging worker health and slashing productivity by 2–3 for every degree above 20°C, with over 2.4 billion workers affected globally and 22.85 million heat-related injuries annually.

  • Why it matters: HR must treat heat stress as both a wellness and operational risk. Planning for shaded breaks, hydration stations, flexible schedules, and heat-illness training can prevent injuries—and protect productivity.

đŸ€– AI Replacements Backfire, Humans Rehired - HR Digest

  • What’s unfolding: CBA rehired 45 employees after its AI-powered voice bots failed to handle customer demands properly. The bank admitted the automation overshoot and offered former staff options to return, redeploy, or depart.  

  • Why it matters: Automation can’t replace human judgment. In rolling out AI, pilot carefully, use human oversight, and always assess service quality. When tech misfires, transparent communication and quick corrective action help preserve trust and morale.

đŸ‘©â€đŸ’Œ Back to the Office? Hiring Goes Retro - HCAMag

  • What’s unfolding: With AI-generated rĂ©sumĂ©s and deception rising, giant firms like Google are reinstating in-person interviews. A recent poll shows 65 of hiring pros support mandatory “live-only” interviews to verify candidate authenticity.

  • Why it matters: This is a pivot toward authenticity in recruitment. Face-to-face interviews reintroduce nuance, assess cultural fit, and deter AI-manipulated applications. Use “live interviews” to guard hiring integrity while building genuine human connection.

RESOURCE ROUNDUP

Hacking HR Lab
Kindness in the Workplace
Actionable insights, strategies, and tools to nurture and sustain kindness in the workplace.
Download guide »

Reworked
Optimize Your Communication Efforts
Real strategies to help you scale your efforts without scaling your stress.
See ebook »

HR Morning
FMLA Cheat Sheet
A reliable cheat sheet to help navigate twists and turns in the FMLA rulebook.
Learn more »

COMPLIANCE CORNER

💰 X Marks the (Severance) Spot — Reuters

  • What’s unfolding: X (formerly Twitter), under Elon Musk, has reached a tentative $500M settlement with thousands of ex-employees over unpaid severance.

  • HR implications: HR leaders should prepare for increased scrutiny on severance practices, proactively review severance policies, and ensure future layoffs include fair, documented payouts to prevent litigation.

đŸ‘šâ€âš–ïž Apple Employees’ Lawsuit — HR Grapevine

  • What’s unfolding: Apple’s Fitness Tech VP Jay Blahnik is accused of cultivating a toxic workplace—employees report harassment, verbal abuse, and retaliation, prompting mental health leaves.

  • HR implications: HR must monitor workplace culture vigilantly, ensure effective complaint mechanisms, and act decisively on early signs of misconduct to protect employee wellbeing and company reputation.

🧾 Illinois NICU Leave: New Rights Ahead — NatLaw Review

  • What’s unfolding: From June 1, 2026, IL employers with 16+ staff must provide job-protected unpaid leave to employees whose newborns require NICU care — with reinstatement, benefits continuation, and no forced use of paid leave.

  • HR implications: HR teams operating in Illinois should update leave policies, train managers on law updates, and prepare for early 2026 compliance.

TREND WATCH

đŸ€— Job Hugging: A Fork in the (Talent) Road

Digesting the data: The U.S. labor market is showing signs of stagnation as workers cling tighter to current roles—an emerging behavior experts aptly call “job hugging.” Data from Eagle Hill Consulting points to an uptick in its retention index, with employees planning to stay put over the next six months. But while retention is up, there’s a downside: career development has slowed, and internal talent pipelines may be blocked by employees who, rather than growing, are stuck in place. 

Outlook for HR: For HR professionals, this trend is both a gift and a warning. On one hand, reduced turnover lowers hiring and training costs. On the other, if top talent remains disengaged, innovation stalls. HR must respond with strong internal development programs, clear career paths, and fresh performance management strategies to keep employees engaged and moving forward.

👀 Keen to explore how to turn “job hugging” into “job growing”? Give the full story a squeeze on the source! Read more »

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sept 4, Virtual - Deel
Future-Proofing Global Teams
Navigate workforce expansion and int’l labor laws, and foster a high-performing distributed culture.
Attend the live webinar »

Sept 10, In-Person (Portland, OR) - Ballard Spahr
Labor & Employment Seminar 2025
Get up to speed on recent developments that impact businesses.
Register »

Sept 18, In-Person (East Norriton, PA) - SEPA SHRM
2025 HR Legal Summit
Insights into the latest trends and advice on handling legal challenges in the workplace.
Sign up »

HR TECH WATCH

📊 A Review of A Review of (HiBob): Your Smooth HR Sidekick

Why we selected it: A modern HR platform praised for top user experience, core HR strength, and strong vendor satisfaction—making waves across mid-market and SMBs globally.

Key features:

  1. Core HR Suite – Integrates onboarding, time & attendance, payroll, compensation, performance, and more into one agile platform. 

  2. People Analytics & Workforce Planning – Offers intelligent dashboards and forecasting tools for strategic talent decisions. 

  3. Your Voice & Culture Tools – Built-in anonymous feedback, social feeds, shoutouts, and talent recognition to boost engagement and belonging. 

  4. Highly Acclaimed UX – Earned #1 spot in user experience, vendor satisfaction, and HR service delivery across global HR tech rankings.

Pros:

  • Accessibility - Streamlines HR operations in a single platform

  • Ease of use - Excellent usability and user satisfaction

  • Scalability - Scales beautifully for growing mid-market and SMB firms

  • Advanced analytics - Rich analytics support data-driven strategy

  • Extra features - Culture and engagement features build connection, even remotely

Cons:

  • Integration - Setup may be complex for smaller HR teams

  • Cost - Pricing not transparent, PEPM model varies by modules and size

HRAddict rating: ★★★★☆ 4.6
Bob (HiBob) blends powerful HR automation, culture-first tools, and analytics all in one award-winning, mid-market friendly package.

This is an independent review using aggregated insights and publicly available data.

BREAKROOM

SMART READS

đŸ’” Financial Wellness Programs for Employees

🏱 The Complete Guide to Company Culture

đŸŽ„ Video Training for Corporate Learning

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