Aron joined the Unemployment Services Trust in mid-April as a UST Account Specialist and is excited to be working directly with a vast variety of nonprofit organizations. Fittingly, one of his favorite quotes is "Be the change you want to see in the world" which makes him a great addition to the UST team.

Outside of the workplace, Aron enjoys working out and Python coding, a general purpose programming language created in the late 1980’s that is used by thousands of people to do things from testing microchips to building video games. He also does his own shopping and cooking which is fitting since food came up a lot during our Q&A.  His favorite holiday is Thanksgiving and not coincidently, his favorite childhood memory involves food – he shared, “it was the first time I was given a whole torta all to myself.”

When asked what TV show his life emulates, he said General Hospital, explaining “Everyone has heard of it and knows about it but no one really knows who’s in it or what it’s about.” An exciting adventure in his life story would be a visit to the Nurburgring Race Track in Germany where high performance cars are tested for speed but open to the public for those with an adventurous side – a place Aron has wanted to visit for some time.

Help us in welcoming Aron to the team via Twitter @USTTrust or Facebook @ChooseUST with the hashtag #MeetUSTMondays!

Have you ever critiqued a coworker because of their overbearing tendencies or their abrasive personality? Don’t worr y; you’re not alone in your frustrations. However, learning to dissect and identify your own and others’ personality traits can actually increase work ethic and strengthen internal relationships—paving the way for a stronger organization overall.

For nonprofits, employees’ collaborative efforts are often the key element to mission advancement.  But clashing personalities working toward the same goal can lead to resentment and impatience in the work place.

Learning to recognize and understand others’ personality strengths and weaknesses can help you appreciate the diverse environment you work in.  Specifically, nonprofits can take advantage of their diversity when it comes to improving their employment procedures and ensuring ongoing structural soundness.

Basic working styles can often be separated into 4 broad categories:

• Learning—Learners are the researchers.  Unable to quench their thirst for knowledge, learners are constantly looking for the root of current and potential problems.  For instance, with regard to your organization’s employment practices, learners can help analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your workforce, analyze how better documentation and standardized hiring practices can lead to a stronger, more long-term labor force.
• Loving—These individuals are known for their relationship building abilities. They tend to show empathy and kindness towards others and understand how to approach difficult situations with grace. Spreading optimism throughout the office can help your nonprofit maintain a “glass-half-full” outlook on everyday work problems. Internal positivity and support alleviates stress during unanticipated budget or employee loss—providing you with a sense of security and consistency.
• Doing—Doers are known to execute and accomplish set goals. They thrive on lists, deadlines, and projects. For example, by utilizing this focus and attention to detail, nonprofits can analyze and restructure their training and continued education opportunities—leading to greater time efficiency and overall HR effectiveness.
• Leading—Leaders create and persuade by providing your employees with the tools to succeed.  Able to paint a picture of their visions, using innovation and passion, leaders are able to easily rally support behind their ideas. Great leaders inspire employees to constantly push themselves and take calculated chances to further your nonprofits’ mission. With each leader setting the bar even higher for the next, your nonprofit will be on track for upward mobility and constant procedural refinement.

Whichever working style team members possess doesn’t really matter by itself.  What most affects a nonprofit’s success is the compilation of strengths your team brings to the table and your team’s ability to successfully work together as a cohesive unit. As long as you understand and utilize everyone’s unique abilities, pertinent to your team’s progress, your nonprofit will continue to flourish.

Working to inform, promote, connect and strengthen individual groups and the nonprofit sector as a whole, MCN joins nonprofits together to work on issues of common concern. Since its inception, they have served thousands of member organizations, formed numerous chapters, sponsored countless annual conferences and sees a myriad number of unique website visitors per week.

Some of the tools available through the MCN Resource Library include:

• Fundraising planning
• Nonprofit Marketing
• Education and professional development for nonprofit managers and leaders
• Leadership and Governance
• Public policy education and civic engagement
• Cost saving product partnerships
• Research on nonprofit sector trends and tax budget issues
• Advocacy at local, state and federal levels
• And much more…

MCN continuously aims at strengthening nonprofits’ inclusion and engagement practices while increasing the sector’s effectiveness in serving new and underrepresented populations. Dedicated to ensuring that nonprofit organizations from across all interests accomplish their missions for a healthy, cooperative and just society, MCN has grown from a grand idea to a solid foundation with 22 state allies and numerous national affiliations. For more information on the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits visit http://www.minnesotanonprofits.org/.

Whether you’re on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or any other public forums, social media is an incredibly effective way to strengthen your n onprofit ’s voice. Ranging from sector news to teambuilding pictures to campaign promotions, social media is a fast, cost-effective method in broadening your audience and developing your brand.

Here are 7 quick tips that will help your organization strengthen its impact throughout the nonprofit sector via social media:

1. Avoid being a passive presence—Why limit yourself to merely posting information? Social media is meant to be interactive. Support other local organizations and your nonprofit peers to build a greater sense of community.
2. Use social media all year round—Don’t just post announcements and blogs when a specific event or promotion nears. Incorporate news and articles that are relevant to your targeted audience on a consistent basis throughout the year.
3. You’re a human, so act like one—People are more likely to empathize with you and support your nonprofit if the articles and posts they see appear to come from a relatable individual (rather than just an automated robot). When using social media, you must show your personality in order to grab people’s attention.
4. Share, share, share—Your nonprofit’s not the only organization promoting a noteworthy cause. Be sure to share other people’s ideas that you support or that would be of interest to your social media followers.
5. Create trust amongst your community— Whether you’re replying to comments on your blog or soliciting feedback for new content, your followers will be appreciative of your thoughtful communication efforts. Providing people with the information they actually want will make them view you as a one-stop shop for nonprofit news and tips.
6. Tell your nonprofit’s story—How did your nonprofit get its start? How have you grown over the years and who specifically have you impacted? It’s important to tell your audience not only what you do but why you do it in order to cultivate respect and support for your nonprofit.
7. Discuss real-life successes—In order for your audience to get a better sense of how your nonprofit impacts the community, share before and after stories of specific individuals your nonprofit has helped over the years. This way, people can readily put themselves in others’ shoes and determine if your nonprofit is a good fit for them as well.

While many nonprofits are limited by a smaller budget and staff size, social media is a great way to grow one’s network, attract potential donors and supporters, and cultivate a reputable voice that can influence people nationwide.

Once you’ve processed the emotional aspects of losing a star employee, you’re then faced with the challenge of making sure things run smoothly through the transition. The following steps can help you effectively manage your staff during an unexpected staff departure:

1. Accept and reflect - Don’t take it personally, oftentimes employees resign for growth opportunities and if their reasons are related to your management style, they usually won’t say so. How you act now is pivotal in maintaining a good standing with them and sparing the company from any backlash once the employee is officially gone.
2. Show your support – A good manager will support and wish its employee well. Don’t hesitate to offer a recommendation if the employee deserves it.
3. Confer with your Human Resources department – It’s important to understand company procedure as related to resignations so you are prepared on how to handle any specific questions that may arise.
4. Explore the merits of a counter-offer – You should be selective about who to give a counter-offer to and who to let go. Whether or not to make a counter offer comes down to how critical this person is to you and how much of a disruption their absence will cause.
5. Develop a transition plan – Deciding how to divvy up responsibilities while you are short-handed can be difficult. Start by determining which tasks just can’t go unattended and if any can be put on hold. Discuss those priorities with your staff to divide among existing employees and ascertain if additional interim help will be required.
6. Communicate – You can’t control how others will react to the news, but you can control how it gets communicated. Be positive and show respect by acknowledging the work the departing employee has done. Being honest about the impact on the team and offering a temporary plan of action will go a long way in easing the minds of your remaining staff.
7. Transfer knowledge – Once you have figured out who will take on what, it’s a good idea to arrange time for training during the notice period before the departing employee leaves. Capturing unique knowledge the employee has developed over the years isn’t always as easy to capture but having an extensive shadowing mechanism can help in obtaining that information.
8. Review the current job description and revise if necessary – Transitions are a good time to review a job description. You want to ensure company needs are being met and possibly add new responsibilities. Asking employees for input on what skills, experience and qualities they would like to find in the new hire can help ensure any gaps are covered.
9. Post the job opening ASAP – Coordinate with HR to formally post a job listing in an effort to show your staff this transition period is temporary.
10. Throw a Going Away Party – This small gesture should never be overlooked. It’s important to gather your team and say “thanks” to the person leaving. Failure to acknowledge an employee’s departure and his or her contributions sends a bad message to the rest of your team.

When an employee resigns it creates uncertainty which creates stress. While losing some of your best people is inevitable, it doesn’t have to wreak havoc on the entire infrastructure. Managers set the tone for what happens next and with clear communication and mindful delegation; you can ensure an unexpected departure doesn’t turn your business structure upside down.

Question: Is having different parental leave programs for women and men discriminatory?

Answer: Yes. Parental leave must be provided to similarly situated men and women on the same terms. For example, if an employer extends leave to new mothers beyond the period of disability from childbirth (for instance, to provide the mothers time to bond with and/or care for the baby), the employer cannot lawfully fail to provide an equivalent amount of leave to new fathers for the same purpose.

According to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, an employer may not discriminate against an employee on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; and women affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions must be treated the same as other persons not so affected but similar in their ability or inability to work. It is important to note that for purposes of determining these Title VII requirements, employers should carefully distinguish between leave related to any physical limitations imposed by pregnancy or childbirth and leave for purposes of bonding with a child and/or providing care for a child (parental leave). Leave related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions can be limited to women affected by those conditions.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) provides the following examples of nondiscriminatory versus discriminatory leave policies as applied to men and women:

• An employer offers pregnant employees up to 10 weeks of paid pregnancy-related medical leave for pregnancy and childbirth as part of its short-term disability insurance. The employer also offers new parents, whether male or female, six weeks of parental leave. A male employee alleges that this policy is discriminatory as it gives up to 16 weeks of leave to women and only six weeks of leave to men. In this example, the employer’s policy does not violate Title VII. Women and men both receive six weeks of parental leave, and women who give birth receive up to an additional 10 weeks of leave for recovery from pregnancy and childbirth under the short-term disability plan.
• In addition to providing medical leave for women with pregnancy-related conditions and for new mothers to recover from childbirth, an employer provides six additional months of paid leave for new mothers to bond with and care for their new babies. The employer does not provide any paid parental leave for fathers. In this example, the employer’s policy violates Title VII because it does not provide paid parental leave on equal terms to women and men.

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.

There is not one nonprofit organization that wants to cut programs it believes furthers its mission. But too often, nonprofits keep programs long after they’ve stopped being effective and worth the cost. Sometimes it is necessary to scale back or even eliminate programs so that funds can be better spent launching new initiatives that help the organization meet its core mission.

Communities are constantly changing and your nonprofit must be prepared to change with them. Do your homework and research what is working and what is not – never assume the effectiveness of your programs.

• Survey participants, members, donors, employees, volunteers and other stakeholders about which of your programs are the most—and the least—effective and why.
• Review your community’s demographic data for changes relevant to your program offerings.
• Ask the community what they know of unmet needs or new trends that should affect your programming decisions.

While you don’t want to eliminate anyone’s opinions, you do want to be careful about how the feedback is used to rid your organization of obsolete programs and create new ones. If one of your programs is clearly ineffective and another is wildly successful, the decision to redeploy funds to the successful program is obvious. And keep in mind that new programs can be variations of old ones, just re-vamped to better serve your nonprofits core mission, values and goals.

Undoubtedly, you already have goals in place that measure each of your programs progress. If you don’t, now is the time to set them up. Being able to easily identify what is working and what is not, is pivotal to your nonprofit’s success.

Before deciding whether to cut a program or start a new one, be strategic and realistic about your expectations. Being able to recognize when it’s time for a change and how to best use what funding is available will help ensure successful programs.

PT Barnum’s quote, “There is no such thing as bad publicity” is not the case when an employee comes forward with a claim of harassment or hostile work environment and, to make matters worse, discusses the company’s handling of the situation on social media or in the press.

If you’re a company like Uber, you can hire the former Attorney General to manage the issue. But if you’re not, what can you do to get things under control? And how could your company have avoided the issue to begin with?

Presented by ThinkHR, this on-demand webinar highlights the latest best practices and tools to prevent harassment and discrimination claims.

You’ll learn the key components of respectful workplace cultures for prevention as well as practical ideas for conducting investigations into claims of improper conduct to help resolve issues when they arise.

Watch the webinar recording today!

This webinar offers 1 HRCI and SHRM-approved credit. Want access to more HR-certified webinar opportunities and a live HR hotline? Visit www.chooseust.org/thinkhr/ to sign up for a FREE 30-day trial of the UST HR Workplace, powered by ThinkHR.

“The Alliance is the voice of nonprofits in Connecticut. Our mission is to advocate excellence in community-based nonprofits through advocacy and capacity building,” said Josh Lipshitz, Director of Membership and Business Development at CT Community Nonprofit Alliance. “One example is our partnership with UST, which helped 38 of our member organizations to save over $957,000 in unemployment costs in 2016 alone.”

The Alliance currently offers the following programs and services:

• The Nonprofit Center – Serves as home to 26 nonprofit organizations and more than 200 employees
• Preferred Purchasing Program – Promotes employment opportunities for people with disabilities
• Public Policy and Advocating – Champion nonprofit causes and represent their interests at the Legislature level
• The Center for Professional Development – Workshops, conferences, resources and tools
• Networking and Information – Cultivates communication and cooperation among its member nonprofits

Dedicated to representing nonprofit organizations for more than 35 years, The Alliance has successfully promoted the health and well-being of the 169 communities that compromise the State of Connecticut—focusing their energy on the people and communities they serve. With a plethora of programs and services to offer and a long history of involvement in the nonprofit communities of Connecticut, we’re proud of our long-time partnership with The Alliance.

CT Community Nonprofit Alliance is the collective voice of community providers and nonprofits in Connecticut that strengthen and sustain healthy communities by advocating for community-based, nonprofit organizations. For more information on The Alliance visit www.ctnonprofitalliance.org.

It’s June once again, and for many of you that means the year-end closing of the books on June 30th—which means the AUDITORS will soon be coming!

Presented by Jay Azar, Lindquist, LLP Director of Not-for-Profit Practice Services, this on-demand webinar reveals how your organization can better prepare for the year-end audit and make the process more beneficial for you.

Jay provides expert TIPS on:

• Administrative planning for the audit
• Internal control and systems documentation reviews
• Preliminary trial balance and general ledger reviews
• Drafting financial statements
• Supporting schedules for accounts on the Statement of Financial Position
• Communications before, during and after the audit
• Handling audit findings during the process
• Keeping the process moving after audit fieldwork
• Audit reports and responses to findings

Watch the webinar recording today and learn how you can get the most out of your upcoming audit.

This webinar series is part of UST’s efforts to educate the nonprofit sector. For more learning opportunities, tips and legal updates just for nonprofits, sign up for our monthly e-News today!

Often times, these other employers, already have a strategy for handling this very type of situation and are likely prepared to counteroffer in an effort to change their employee’s decision to leave.  And nowadays, employers are far more sophisticated about counteroffers than in days gone by. They used to be based mostly on compensation, but companies are now addressing these issues in a more global way, by looking at everything from different work assignments to title changes.

Understanding a candidate’s motivations for a career move is vital to fending off the threat of a potential counteroffer. If someone is leaving their current employer for money, they are likely to stay for it, too. If you want to avoid losing a new hire to a counteroffer, consider the following:

• Discuss the possibility of a counteroffer with the candidate during the interview process
• Find out more about any other opportunities a candidate is exploring
• Maintain regular contact with the candidate through their notice time
• Send links to articles or share a recently published annual report
• Share company updates and department developments
• Arrange a lunch with their new boss or colleagues
• Schedule “meet-the-team” meetings immediately

For you it might just be another hire, but for the candidate it is a life-changing event – a new route to work, new coworkers, new places and new routines. With this comes some degree of uncertainty, fear, and apprehension. Conveying a genuine interest in the candidate and making them feel like they are already a part of the team, even before their start date, can reduce the temptation to follow up with other recruiters or go on any remaining interviews.

When people communicate effectively, in a way that makes all parties feel heard, even conflict and criticism can be constructive and lead to positive results. In business, a lack of effective communication can be detrimental. People are hired for jobs that they are knowledgeable about and have the skills to perform - but if they can’t interact with those around them in a productive manner, the whole team suffers and so does the bottom line.

Communication isn’t just about the words we say. It also includes the way we say it and the physical signals we use. Being able to read people’s nonverbal communication, such as body language and facial expressions, can give a much deeper understanding of the message being transmitted. Often times, conflict arises when written text is taken out of context because there are no visual signs that come along with it. Say the wrong thing, and the infrastructure of a team can quickly fall apart - effective communication can actually help build trust and employee engagement.

Tips on how to increase positive communication:

1. Listen carefully – pay attention and ask clarifying questions
2. Speak clearly – be concise and show confidence
3. Watch your body language – make frequent eye contact
4. Be respectful– put away the distractions
5. Up your empathy – verbal or non-verbal feedback

People communicate differently depending on their personal and professional backgrounds. Some may need more mentoring than others on best practices. It all comes down to getting to know the people you’re communicating with and being able to adjust your communication style accordingly. Developing good communication skills is a must and good managers know that communication is a key factor in success and a vital part of teamwork.

Here at UST we've put together our Top 10 guides for 2017 Nonprofit Human Resource management. And for a limited time we're giving them away for FREE.

You can use these tools to make sure your nonprofit is in compliance all year long. Plus, you'll learn the top trends in nonprofit job satisfaction so you can retain your mission's best assets: your staff. Click below to download the full toolkit, courtesy of UST and ThinkHR:

1. Quick 2017 HR Practices Checklist
2. Federal HR Compliance Chart
3. Federal Recordkeeping Requirements Checklist
4. Small Employer ACA Checklist
5. Large Employer ACA Checklist
6. Workers' Compensation Audit Checklist
7. 2017 State and Federal Minimum Wages
8. 6 Reasons Nonprofit Employees QUIT eBook
9. Webinar Recording: Updating Your Employee Handbook
10. Unemployment Cost Analysis Form

Still have questions? Don't forget we're here for any of your unemployment cost questions or to set you up with a free 30-day trial of our HR Workplace, where nonprofits can get HR questions answered in just 24 hours, and explore our step-by-step Employee Classification, Handbook, and Salary Tools.

Is your business a franchise operation? Do you have employees who also work for another company where joint employer liability could be triggered? Are you concerned about the risks you may not even know you have with the employment rules as a joint employer, franchisee or franchisor? Or do you think you have it all figured out now and are concerned with how the Trump administration may change the employment law landscape relating to your business?

Presented by Gary Wheeler, Partner at Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete LLP, this on-demand webinar addresses the key topics and situations you will face in 2017, including:

• Employment rules
• Wage and hour issues
• Employee leave and accommodation issues

This presentation will break down these challenging concepts into plain English and give you information you can use to minimize the risk of costly lawsuits. This is a must-attend event for franchisees and franchisors as well as joint employer groups.

Watch the webinar recording today!

This webinar offers 1 HRCI and 1 SHRM general credit. Want access to more HR-certified webinar opportunities and a live HR hotline? Visit www.chooseust.org/thinkhr/ to sign up for a FREE 30-day trial of the UST HR Workplace, powered by ThinkHR.

With $30 million in potential unemployment liability mitigated last year for over 2,100 nonprofits, it's likely that your nonprofit could be overpaying.

Nonprofit Executives, Directors, and HR staff with 10 or more employees should register to learn about:

• Reducing unemployment tax liability as a 501(c)(3)
• Benchmarking unemployment costs
• Protecting funding from claims and liability
• Efficiently managing unemployment claims, protests, and hearings
• Avoiding costly HR mistakes
• Enhancing goodwill by utilizing outplacement services

The webinar will also explore UST's holistic program, created by and for nonprofits, which can help further lower your unemployment and HR liability. You can also get your questions answered live by an expert HR advisor at UST.

Register for your preferred webinar date at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/3707595373010251522

Even if you can't attend live, when you register we'll send you the recording as well as any handouts you'll need to make sure your nonprofit is in compliance.

Marilyn Stemper, National Director of CareerArc, reveals how nonprofits who are utilizing outplacement services can more effectively reduce unemployment claims costs while establishing goodwill among former employees. (With CareerArc, you can help your displaced staff members find work up to 73% faster!)

CareerArc can help your former employees find new jobs quickly, with:

•   Online & on-demand professional career coaching
•   Interactive, flexible resume building and job search tools
•   Networking guides and automated social media searches
•   Interview tips and practice tools

As a nonprofit, every dollar that you're not paying in unemployment benefits is a dollar in support of your mission.

Watch the webinar recording today and learn how you can generate great savings and goodwill.

This webinar series is part of UST’s efforts to educate the nonprofit sector. For more learning opportunities, tips and legal updates just for nonprofits, sign up for our monthly e-News today!

According to the recent Gallup Report, State of the American Workplace, “51% of U.S. employees say they are actively looking for a new job or watching for openings.” That means that more than half of your employees could have one foot out the door already. And with hiring on the rise, employees have good reason to feel confident about finding work elsewhere.

The key take away in this report is that “to win customers – and a bigger share of the marketplace – companies much first win the hearts and minds of their employees.” When you have disengaged employees, not only do you have a higher turnover rate but you’re also more likely to have higher incidents of workplace accidents and absences caused by stress which can ultimately greatly impact your bottom line.

In Gallup’s research, they found that the vast majority of workers in the U.S. (70%) are not reaching their full potential – a problem with significant implications for American companies.  Are your people getting the support and coaching they need to do their best? Happy and content employees that feel respected in the workplace create better quality work, greater contributions and commitment to their jobs.

Despite our best efforts, employee engagement is still a major hurdle for most companies. In this age of talent shortages and high turnover, it’s imperative that employers understand what truly drives their staff’s satisfaction levels and which factors influence their departures. Few things are as costly and disruptive as good people walking out the door. Losing an employee means bearing the costs of recruiting, hiring, training and lost productivity all of which can wreak havoc on your day-to-day business operations.

Your approach to employee engagement should be tying into the most common reasons for employee resignations. If you want your best people to stay, you need to think carefully not just about how you develop them but about how you keep them wanting to stay. It’s been proven time and time again that engaged employees have lower turnover, lower absenteeism, higher productivity and higher profitability. It’s time to step up your employee engagement plan.

Question: Can we include language in our handbook that limits and/or prohibits employees from discussing their pay and other incentives with each other?

Answer: While employers expect their employees to be professionals and not discuss their pay or other perquisites with others, it is not a best practice to add a policy or language to your employee handbook prohibiting or limiting employee discussion about pay or incentives. For instance, the federal National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), enforced by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), specifically provides that employees cannot be prohibited from discussing compensation and other working conditions because such discussions are protected concerted activity under the law.

Further, the federal Department of Labor released a fact sheet detailing how pay secrecy increases an employer’s risks for liability in equal pay claims. Finally, it is important that you research local or state laws to ensure compliance with this delicate legal issue.

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.