August is National Breastfeeding Month.

To kick-off the month, August 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week. Since breastfeeding (including pumping at work) can be a sensitive subject, it’s best for employers to approach it with a “just the facts” attitude. This includes offering insight and education to workers on their rights and the laws surrounding breastfeeding.

Lactation laws exist, which includes having a private room for female employees to express milk.

Here’s a look at what employers need to know to best support breastfeeding moms this month and all year long:

Want to help new dads in your office adjust parenthood?

Give them time off to spend with their other half and newborn.

More states are adopting laws that requires employers to offer paid time off for new parents. The Oregon legislature recently passed a Paid Family and Medical Leave Law that requires employers to allow workers to take up to 12 weeks of paid time off, including after the birth of a child.

It’s good business, too, as it benefits employees in big ways.

Studies show new moms recover more quickly from delivery and transition easier into motherhood when the father is on leave, too. Additionally, a new dad’s well-being and the couple’s relationship improves as a result of the early bonding time together.

Interested in setting up a solid parental leave policy, especially for fathers?

Here’s a look at how and why to let employees take advantage of this benefit that helpsthe entire family.

Have you been thinking about scheduling a biometric health screening for your workplace?

If so, it’s probably less time intensive than you think. While there are some downfalls you can’t control — how many people will participate?! — there are a lot of positives to getting the overall data on the health of your employees.

Here we dive into the details — including pros and cons — of biometric health screenings.

There’s no denying the workforce is changing.

Hiring remote employees is becoming more commonplace as technology advances and lifestyle demands require more remote availability.

In fact, 16% of global companies are fully remote, according to the most recent Global State of Remote Work report. That means no headquarters, no offices. Internationally, 40% of global companies use a hybrid model.

With the new trend comes challenges, of course.

While most remote employees would not return to an office job, many express feelings of disconnect from their team due to working outside the office. As an employer managing a virtual team, it’s important to address these issues head on to keep employees engaged.

This post will explore how to keep remote employees engaged with their teammates while also increasing satisfaction and productivity.

Every 2 seconds someone in America needs blood.

Unfortunately, only 37% of our country’s population is healthy enough to donate blood. Less than 10% who are eligible to donate do so on a regular basis.

If you want to sponsor a company event that benefits your community, hosting an on-site blood drive is one huge way to give back as a team.

It might surprise you how easy it is to get the Big Red Bus to the front door of your business. Or, you can even set-up a private space within your workplace for a temporary donation room.

From newborn babies to the sick elderly, blood donations are essential and much-needed to help some of the most frail humans survive.

Ready to roll-up your sleeves and help out? 

Read on to learn how to plan a successful on-site company blood drive.

Sometimes workplaces need a reboot in the energy department.

If the general vibe of your office is blah, it’s likely that so-so work products are the result. An unmotivated team won't produce their best work. When leadership is proactive to foster relationships and encourage creativity, it keeps teams working at their peak.

It’s not hard to learn how to motivate a team at the workplace. It’s not expensive, either.

Below, we uncover how to give teams renewed energy and spirit boosts through compliments, conferences, and more.

Read on to learn how to boost your team’s energy starting today:

Summer can be slower for many businesses, which makes it a perfect time to review and revamp your company’s wellness programs.

Wellness programs aren’t “set it and forget it” kind of initiatives.

To be successful, your program should be evaluated and improved regularly. This starts with having a clear understanding of objectives and goals. Looking at participation, program satisfaction, behavioral changes, and cultural changes can help you settle on the best way to update your wellness programs.

Unsure how to start the evaluation process?

Here’s a look at the employee-facing metrics that can quickly improve lackluster programs:

As the saying goes, money really doesn’t buy happiness.

So, how does one come by happiness?

By learning how to improve mental wellness on a consistent basis through positive thoughts and behaviors.

According to Mayo Clinic, thoughts and behaviors — along with personality — can be attributed to how “happy” a person is on any given day. Luckily, even if our genes say otherwise, learning to create self-happiness is possible.

Whether you prefer to see the glass half full, practice meditation, or learn to be present, there are a few ways to feel more in control of your personal happiness.

Ready to cultivate your happiness and improve your mental wellness? Read on.

Asthma can worsen in the summer — thanks to heat and humidity levels rising — among other irritants.

As summer pollen counts also rise due to thunderstorms stirring up all types of allergens, asthmatics may notice an increase in their symptoms. In fact, thunderstorms are often the cause for increases in asthma-related ER visits.

When planning company picnics and outdoor summer events, it’s important to keep in mind how it may impact those dealing with severe asthma.

This post will share tips on what triggers to watch out for throughout the summer months so employers can be on the alert during company outdoor events to best protect employees. Asthmatics may also find it as a helpful reminder to let trusted coworkers know what to do in the event they have an asthma attack.

Here’s a look at seasonal asthma triggers to be on the lookout for:

Are you tired of seeing employees eating at their desks or alone during lunch hour?

It may be time to start offering lunch and learn trainings.  

Lunch and learns are customizable, informal, short training sessions held during typical lunch times. Utilize lunch and learns to offer short training sessions throughout the year — as often as once a week or once a month — to bring your team together.

Regularly scheduled lunch and learns can help boost morale and develop employee skills when done in a relaxed atmosphere instead of an uptight “meeting” setting. It’s also a perfect time for wellness committees to distribute valuable information to a captive audience in an informal setting.

Ready to get started? Here’s how: