After undergrad, Andrew Schaffel got his start in the HR industry working in recruiting, with a focus on front-office financial services for a New York City-based organization. Not long after, he segued into law, practiced for 12 years, and joined Segal McCambridge, where he has spent the past 7 years as a shareholder. After some time, he sought an opportunity that would combine his legal and people experience. Fortunately, his firm saw a need for the very thing he sought and promoted him to director of recruitment and development. Andrew Schaffel In his newly established role, Schaffel spearh ..read more

The lifeline of any company is attracting and retaining top-notch talent. High-performing employees serve as the building blocks for setting the foundation for organizational success. In a competitive workforce with a limited talent pool, recruitment and retention strategies have become more essential than ever.   Following the Great Resignation (2021-2022), where an average of 4.5 million employees per month voluntarily left their jobs, the workforce has experienced a significant shift in talent and competition. In a changing employment landscape, 97% of employers value “soft skills” ju ..read more

Even if you are in the right when you file a lawsuit against a former employee who admittedly took your trade secrets, sometimes the reward is simply not worth the expense. Here, an employer had a former manager dead to rights in misappropriating trade secrets but still couldn’t get a jury to award a dime. Who was the prevailing party? Employee Takes the ‘Good Stuff’ Applied Medical Distribution Corporation sells and distributes medical devices produced by its parent company, Applied Medical Resources. Stephen Jarrells began working for Applied as a director of academic medical centers in Jan ..read more

The current circumstances around healthcare are forcing hospitals to take a hard look at consolidation, maybe more than ever before. Matt Heywood, CEO of Aspirus Health, is aware of that as much as anyone as the leader of a health system that just closed its own merger. Earlier this month, the Wausau, Wisconsin-based operator combined with Duluth, Minnesota-based St. Luke’s to create a 19-hospital organization that serves the systems’ two home states, as well as parts of Michigan. The motivation behind a merger will differ depending on the health system, but Heywood believ ..read more

Compensation is not the only factor that nurses consider when choosing a health system. Benefits packages, workplace culture, safety, and flexibility all play a role in the decision-making process. CNOs should take a look at their health system’s offerings to make sure they are attractive to new nurses and that they are staying competitive in the industry. During the HealthLeaders’ Nurse Labor and Compensation NOW Summit, Robin Steaban, Chief Nursing Officer at Vanderbilt University Hospital, spoke about  innovative perks to attract and keep nurses, and how workplace culture an ..read more

As a proud South Carolinian, I was delighted to watch the undefeated Gamecocks women’s basketball team take home another NCAA Championship this year. Being the parent of a budding female athlete (when my daughter isn’t busy finishing fourth grade) and basketball fan made the Gamecocks’ headline-grabbing journey to the NCAA finals all the more exciting. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) However, my family and I could not help but also catch some Caitlin Clark fever after watching her sink a game-winning, buzzer beating three-point shot against Michigan State. Dawn Staley, Hall of F ..read more

Throughout 2023, U.S. labor unions achieved gains and made headlines. This past summer, members of the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ unions, went on strike for over four months, leading to new agreements for both unions with studios and producers for increased residuals, increased compensation, and protections against exploitive use of their creative output in artificial intelligence. In August, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters negotiated a pay increase for UPS workers, and, in October, after a six-week strike, the United Auto Workers secu ..read more

Countless veterans fighting PTSD and adapting to life with disabilities are currently on waiting lists for a service dog who could change – and quite possibly save – their lives. The lack of volunteers willing and able to take a puppy everywhere with them for 18 months has stretched wait times up to two years. Potential volunteers may consider their personal lives too full for a puppy, especially with the regular demands of a 9-to-5 job. Businesses and HR leaders have an opportunity to be part of the solution, however, by allowing employees to bring these dogs to work with them. In addition t ..read more

Following Estrada v. Royalty Carpet Mills, Inc., the California Supreme Court’s employee-friendly Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ruling earlier this year, employers must remain more diligent than ever to prevent and mitigate costly wage and hour litigation. Estrada eliminated one of employers’ central tools to curb sprawling PAGA claims: requesting dismissal based on the court’s inherent authority to strike unmanageable claims. This article explains existing procedures that remain available to employers to reduce wage and hour risks and limit PAGA actions. Estrada’s Key Holdings Since P ..read more

The staffing shortage affects not only the bedside nurse, but also the nurse leader. A new report from AMN Healthcare found that 31% of nurse leaders said they plan to be in a different role a year from now. Group of young adults, photographed from above, on various painted tarmac surface, at sunrise. AMN Healthcare’s 2024 Survey of Nurse Leaders also says that 17% of nurse leaders will look for a new place to work, 9% will leave nursing, 3% will stay in a non-administrative position in nursing, and 1% will retire. The survey consisted of several different kinds of nurse le ..read more