Author: Gus Anderson

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Creating a Better Onboarding Process for Hourly Staff

Painting of an Astronaut Husky sitting at a computer

Summary:

  • Employee onboarding significantly impacts productivity and retention. Given the nuances of hourly workforce operations, this process is more complex.
  • Technology can help streamline onboarding, but communication and human touch are crucial to successful onboarding. 
  • Onboarding processes and materials should be regularly assessed to ensure they remain aligned with and relevant to what happens on the frontlines.

If recruitment is about attracting employees, onboarding is about keeping them. The goal for any new hire is to make them productive members of the team as soon as possible—the onboarding process is key here. And no, we’re not just talking about giving them the company handbook and calling it a day. 

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to an effective onboarding process. It greatly varies by industry, role, and whether you are managing an hourly workforce. If you are, this guide is for you. 

If you are just looking for the basics, check out our free onboarding checklist template below:

Free onboarding checklist

If you want more insight into onboarding best practices, read on. But before we dive into how to optimize employee onboarding for hourly staff, let’s take a look at the reasons why you should prioritize this stage of the employee lifecycle. 

Why a well-structured employee onboarding process matters 

Onboarding sets the tone for the rest of a new hire’s employment. Getting it right can massively impact a number of things, including:

Productivity

Focus on detailed onboarding protocols if you want a new team member to hit the ground running as soon as possible. New hires get productive quickly when they have a clear roadmap to follow. When employees are provided with all the necessary information and tools, they learn the ropes faster. However, note that crucial information goes beyond the handbook and training materials. Some details are best understood when they have an assigned mentor or partner while on the job. 

Bottom line

Poor onboarding can hurt your organization financially. The average cost of hiring a new employee is $4700, according to SHRM – and this only covers posting job ads, doing background checks, and interviewing. Training cost is another story altogether. It ranges from $481 to $1240 per trainee, spending on company size and industry, one study shows. 

So, how do you prevent all that money from going down the drain? Improve the employee onboarding experience. The costs associated with onboarding and training will all be for nothing if new hires decide to leave shortly after their first day. 

Employee Retention

According to the 2023 Training Industry Report, excellent onboarding can improve retention by 82%. New hires will most likely stick around when engaged from day one. Good onboarding ensures they are not just stuck in the back room in front of the computer, glossing over training and being overloaded with information that they wouldn’t likely remember by the end of the week. It’s about having a curated program that covers all the necessary training yet still allows room for hands-on learning and peer-to-peer interactions.

How to Improve Onboarding for Hourly Employees

The nature of onboarding for hourly employees differs greatly from onboarding in a corporate environment. “It’s more challenging to nail down for hourly-based industries or those employing shift-based workers because of all the nuances around it,” says Laura Timbrook, a national board-certified health and wellness coach, international speaker, and well-being strategist for manufacturing and other shift-working industries. 

Standardizing onboarding is a good place to start, but there are many considerations for integrating new hires into an hourly workforce. Here are some ways to work around challenges and improve how you integrate new hires into your team:

1. Determine how long onboarding is going to take

Typically, an onboarding program takes at least three months. However, it might not always be the case for hourly employees. 

First, consider whether the position is a seasonal role or a more permanent one. If it’s the former, you wouldn’t have three months to onboard them because the season may be over in three months’ time. How, then, can you ensure that onboarding is still effective within this timeframe?

It’s all about clarity. Having a list of tasks can help, but there’s still a learning curve. This is where having them work alongside a more experienced employee is essential. “If we can buddy seasonal workers with somebody who can show them the ropes quickly, that would be key. Our systems can often provide a checklist, but it can be too much if they also need to learn the system,” says Laura. 

Streamlining the process is crucial, especially during a short onboarding period. It should involve having the right systems so seasonal employees can quickly understand workflows and having somebody working with them who can easily address questions they may have along the way.

Meanwhile, you’d have more room to work with if you’re onboarding a new hire for a permanent position. Even so, the whole process must be curated to cover the administrative, compliance, and practical aspects of the role. Prioritization is key here, which brings us to the next tip.

2. Set priorities and milestones. 

One thing to avoid when onboarding new hires is to overwhelm them with information and admin work. 

“A lot of times, we get these employees in and get the legal paperwork out of the way, and then we just throw them on the floor. It’s a sink-or-swim scenario. As an employee, that won’t make you feel good about your job. It’s not going to make you feel good about yourself. And it won’t make you feel good about the organization,” shares Laura. 

It’s crucial that you set priorities and determine what a new employee must accomplish and by when. Space out tasks so that onboarding is more dynamic instead of spending a lot of their early weeks on paperwork. 

In some roles, mandatory compliance training must be completed before an employee can perform the job. If an employee needs to go through lengthy training material, check in with them. Otherwise, you can streamline the process by dividing a new hire’s hours between theoretical training and practical learning on the floor. 

“We really need to look at what they need by day one. Are we going through compliance training because, say, there’s a cardboard crusher they need to know from OSHA how to operate safely, yet they’re working the cash register? So do they really need that training on day one?” says Laura. 

The goal of onboarding is to complete the most important tasks that are prerequisites for new hires to get up and running. So, look into the training needed, see if you can space it out, and optimize the onboarding process around it. 

A good place to start is to outline what you expect to happen before an employee’s first day, first week, first 30 days, and so on. Having a schedule keeps things organized and expectations clear. 

Here’s an example of an onboarding timeline that lasts for 3 months and what typically happens in each period: 

Before the first day or preboarding

  • Documentation and paperwork – Send job offer letters and lodge paperwork contracts, tax forms, and IDs into your HR system.
  • System profiles—Once their information is entered for payroll, copy all of it into any operations systems new hires might need to use daily. This could mean setting them up in your scheduling and time clock system, project management tool, POS platform, and much more. 
  • Workspace and materials – Set up workstations or prepare work materials such as uniforms, IDs, lockers, and access to company systems.
  • Answering FAQs – It’s normal for new employees to feel anxious during preboarding because stepping into a new role involves many firsts. Sending them a message that covers vital information can help them with the first-day jitters. Doing a quick call to address any initial questions they may have can also help.
  • Prepare a welcome email or note for the new hire. It’s advisable that this note not be system-generated but personalized by the team they will be joining. 

The first day

  • New hire welcome – Greet the first hire upon their arrival. Introduce them to other team members and give them a quick workplace tour. This is also the time to hand them a welcome token or a note from their manager or teammates.
  • Employee orientation—Limit the first-day orientation to the essentials. A brief discussion about the organization and its policies should suffice. This information is also in the employee handbook, which your staff should have access to anytime.
  • Getting settled: Show the new hire their work area or station. On the first day, provide access to learning resources and e-learning platforms. You can also set some time for the new team member to get acquainted with other staff. An all-hands meeting or going on a team lunch are great ideas.

The first week

  • Training
    • Job-specific training: During the first week, it’s time to start discussing what happens day-to-day on the job. Start with the basics and gradually ease into the more complicated parts of the role.
    • Mentorship: Assigning a mentor to a new hire helps with coaching and makes feedback more fluid. Mentors aren’t necessarily managers or team leaders; they could simply be more experienced coworkers. 

“A buddy system can take the load off managers who are already dealing with a lot. Having an onboarding buddy could answer nuanced questions that seem minute to everybody else but big for the new employee,” says Laura. For instance, this could be questions around seemingly simple things like filing leaves, how to operate the time clocks, or when the next pay run will be.  

Sometimes, the buddy doesn’t even have to be tenured. They can be someone who was onboarded maybe two or three months prior, depending on their performance. It helps because they just went through the same process and probably had the same questions any new hire would have.  

  • Goal-setting: Lay the groundwork during the first week. Discuss how the rest of the onboarding process will go and what is expected of them. The last thing any new hire wants to feel is lost, so set the tone, provide direction, and discuss metrics at this stage. New hires will likely perform better if it’s clear what they need to accomplish. In addition, include regular check-ins in your onboarding schedule.

The first month

  • More Training: This is fairly obvious, but the training doesn’t just cease after the first week. After new hires learn the basics of their job function, it is important to evaluate their improvement over several weeks and make adjustments accordingly. 
  • Performance check-in: Discuss with the new hire how they are faring with goals and expectations. This is also a good time to ask their feedback about the onboarding process and the job so far. If they cite anything that needs improvement, look into it and make changes as necessary. 

The first 90 days

Within the first three months, there should be 30, 60, and 90-day check-ins or performance reviews where you discuss progress, achievements, and areas for improvement. 

At this point, you can also start probing into long-term career goals since the new hire will most likely have a grasp of the work and culture, and you, as their manager, will have figured out the type of development you see for them. Discuss their aspirations and see how their performance and current role will tie into that.  

A feedback loop should also be established at this point. It’s important to note that feedback should not be limited to formal check-ins or sit-down meetings. Try to implement feedback into daily routines, such as right after a shift. 

3. Streamline onboarding with technology.

While everyone loves to theorize about strategy and engagement, realistically, the biggest lift of employee onboarding is on the administrative side of things. However, this shouldn’t be the case. The right technology should reduce the time you spend on admin work, giving you more time to focus on engagement and training.  

Effective employee onboarding software should let you do the following:

  • Capture new hire details and send them straight to HRIS, scheduling, and payroll. Ideally, onboarding should be the same system you use for applicant tracking and hiring; this way, you won’t need to waste time manually re-entering applicant information once you hire them. 
  • Complete new hire paperwork forms such as I-9 and W4, collect e-signatures, and get acknowledgment of company policies. A good onboarding platform allows you to go paperless. 
  • Track onboarding progress and send follow-up reminders to new employees to accomplish specific tasks.  
  • Let staff update their details. Adding a new bank account or changing an address should not require lengthy paperwork or email exchanges. An efficient onboarding tech allows employees to update their personal information through a self-service portal. It’s best if they can do so via a mobile app.  
  • Allow staff easy online access to resources like employee handbooks, HR policies, and training guides. Sometimes, new hires grapple for information not because it’s unavailable but simply because they can’t find it. 

“HR spends a ton of time and money writing these safety protocols and putting this all together. They need to know where that is because half of the questions a new employee might have asked or need to ask are in the employee handbook. They just don’t know where it is,” shares Laura.  

Aside from the employee handbook, staff must have a single place to find training materials and other details crucial to their day-to-day work, such as their shifts, leave balances, payslips, and timesheets.  

Keep in mind that onboarding is not a siloed process and should integrate well with other areas of workforce management. Ensure your onboarding syncs with time and attendance, scheduling, payroll, and HRIS.

“Technology is about 60% of onboarding. It has an amazing power to streamline things,” says Laura. However, as much as technology plays an important role, the human touch is still crucial. Your onboarding platform may have all the bells and whistles, but that will be for nothing if the employers fail to engage and communicate well with new staff. The key is to automate and simplify what you can with technology so that you can focus on the overall employee experience.  

Also read: A guide to writing employee performance reviews

4. Review and update your onboarding process.

Onboarding templates, materials, and processes should keep pace with operational changes. Every company policy change should also be reflected in onboarding. However, this is easier said than done. 

Managers and HR must be transparent about these things. A common pain point is that onboarding processes sometimes don’t align with what’s happening on the floor. 

“Often, the people that design the onboarding are in the corporate office. Hourly wage employees, whether they’re in plant production, retail, or transportation, have a much different experience on the ground. We’re often not making those connections,” shares Laura.

So, the key to bridging that gap is ensuring that frontline managers and HR collaborate to design onboarding plans. Managers can provide more context about what actually happens during operations, and HR can help adapt the program according to that insight. That way, the process is much easier to implement and makes the most sense for new hires. 

Another key area is revisiting the review and feedback process during onboarding. Take, for instance, the 30-—to 60-—to 90-day reviews. Typically, these sync-ups are conducted by the direct manager. However, some organizations mix it up and allow the new hire to talk to different people within the company during these check-ins. 

“I saw an organization where for the first 30 days, new hires deal with the direct managers. And then at 90 days, a general manager or a director comes in,” shares Laura. Such practice provides an opportunity for more open communication across different levels. Also, it can be especially helpful if the new hire staff has concerns with their direct manager. 

Webinar: Best Practices for Onboarding Hourly Staff

5. Understand the role of everyone involved in onboarding.

New hires will have different touch points within the organization, which can influence their decision to stay or leave.

At first glance, it seems like HR is the only team that interacts with new hires during recruitment and onboarding. But they’re not the only key players here. Managers also have a significant role in training, so it is crucial to ensure communication is aligned across the board between HR and management.

Part of designing an onboarding process is understanding the role of everyone involved. Aside from HR and hiring managers, identify if you need to involve other staff in the process, such as onboarding buddies or mentors. Set expectations and provide coaching on how they can balance their tasks while guiding new staff. 

Simplify employee onboarding with Workforce.com

While all of the tips we’ve given are a good start, the secret to better onboarding really comes down to connecting it with your Applicant Tracking System. 

Too many HR departments struggle with needless manual reentry. Ideally, all of an applicant’s information should transfer seamlessly to the rest of your software systems. 

Luckily, you can do this with Workforce.com. 

As an all-in-one platform for hourly teams, Workforce.com automates admin work throughout the employee lifecycle. Staff have one profile with one login starting from when they apply for the first time. All of their data flows from onboarding to scheduling, HRIS, and payroll without data re-entry. 

Learn more about better applicant tracking and onboarding by booking a call today. 

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The PWFA: What Employers Must Know

oil painting of pregnant lady

Summary:

  • The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) mandates employers to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant and qualified employees. At the very least, reasonable accommodations could mean time off, including scheduling changes and temporary reassignments.
  • The EEOC’s final regulation for the law will go into effect on June 18, 2024.
  • An efficient workforce management solution can help with compliance and managing accommodations. 

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued the final regulation to carry out the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PFWA) that will go into effect on June 18, 2024. Designed to protect the rights of pregnant employees, the PWFA mandates that businesses provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant workers, similar to those provided under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Understanding and implementing the PWFA not only helps you stay compliant with federal law but also promotes a supportive and inclusive work environment. 

Here’s a quick rundown of the PWFA and how you can best comply.  

What is the PWFA?

The PFWA law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees. It took effect in June 2023, but the EEOC recently issued the final regulation to implement it. 

It protects employees who have known limitations. Under the law, these refer to physical and mental conditions related to, affected by, or arising from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. 

The law applies to public and private sector employers with more than 15 employees. 

What does reasonable accommodation exactly mean?

Basically, these are adjustments or changes in the work environment that would help qualified employees. The most obvious accommodation would be providing time off for treatments, doctor’s appointments, and childbirth, but it could be other things. Some examples include: 

  • Flexible break times for drinking water or using the restroom
  • Changes in work schedule
  • Temporary reassignment
  • Providing equipment or modifying a workstation
  • Assigning light duty
  • Offloading some essential functions of the job

Employers are required to provide such accommodations as long as it would not cause any undue hardship to the organization. Under the law, undue hardship means “a significant difficulty or expense.”

The law also has provisions that provide safeguards that ensure qualified employees will get the adjustments that are right for their condition. For instance, employers can’t force employees to take reasonable accommodations aside from what both parties previously agreed on.  

While providing time off for qualified reasons is acceptable, employers can’t force employees to take leave when they can implement adjustments to keep them working their shifts. For instance, if a pregnant employee works a cash register and can’t stand for long hours, it would be non-compliance for employers if they forced the employee to take time off when they could provide a stool to keep the employee comfortable while working.

Under the PWFA, employers are also not allowed to deny an opportunity and punish employees for requesting reasonable accommodations. Coercing employees who are exercising their rights and people who help them do so is also prohibited under the law. 

Who are qualified employees under PWFA?

Qualified employees under the PWFA are those employees who can perform their duties and fundamental tasks with or without reasonable accommodation. Most employees would meet this requirement because they would most likely be able to perform their essential functions when they’re provided adjustments at work. 

But what if core work functions or duties need to be adjusted, such as when an employee can’t perform a task? Employees can still be qualified, provided that their inability is temporary and that they can return to their essential functions in the near future. For instance, if the job requires an employee to operate heavy equipment, employers may modify their task to only involve light work. 

Tips for complying with the PWFA

Complying with the PWFA is not just a legal obligation. It’s also about promoting a more inclusive work environment and improving retention. Here are some practical tips for implementing it in your organization.

Establish a process for PWFA

It’s all about communication and transparency. Employees must be aware of the law and how they can qualify and practice their rights under it. A process with a clear set of guidelines is essential. 

Obviously, it all starts with employees letting management know of their condition. Employees should know who to inform to get the ball rolling. Aside from their immediate supervisors, who else do they need to notify? 

The guidelines should also include the type of information qualified employees need to provide. However, it’s important to note that it’s not mandatory under the law to present medical records to request for reasonable accommodation, especially when the condition is very apparent. For instance, there is a need for schedule modifications because of morning sickness or the need for bigger uniforms down the line. 

However, employers may request medical documentation to confirm that the level of reasonable accommodation requested is appropriate. This pertains to work changes that warrant a suspension of one or more essential functions, such as if the employee must avoid exposure to certain chemicals or has a temporary inability to operate heavy equipment. In addition, employers should keep medical records confidential.

Train your managers

Much of the work around complying with PWFA is between the managers and frontline staff. Ensure your managers and supervisors are equipped to implement the law and identify qualified employees. Access to materials about the law and their role in implementing it can help them navigate it better. It also helps to familiarize them with other related laws, such as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). 

Stay on top of compliance with a workforce management platform

Navigating the PWFA will be less challenging when you have a system that helps you stay on top of it. 

On paper, it sounds simple to provide accommodations to pregnant and qualified employees under the law. However, it’s a more complex situation on the ground. Workforce.com can help run your team efficiently in compliance with PWFA, or any labor law for that matter. Here’s how: 

  • Accurate scheduling – When an employee is qualified under PWFA and needs scheduling changes, you can set qualifications so that you will be notified if you accidentally schedule them for shifts or stations that are inappropriate for their current condition.
  • Accessible handbook and training guides – Workforce.com’s HRIS makes it easy for your frontline teams to access the employee handbook and other materials they need, such as your policy on PWFA. This can come in handy should your employees need to clarify any points in your policies or rules.
  • Easy way to stay on top of last-minute shift changes – In case qualified employees face an emergency that compels them to miss a shift, managers can quickly offer the vacant shift to available staff through Workforce.com’s shift bidding functionality.
  • A feedback platform for improving operations – Workforce.com has a shift feedback that prompts employees to rate their shifts. Use this to see if reasonable accommodations are still appropriate and to gauge how the rest of the team feels about the current setup.


The PWFA is a significant step to ensuring that pregnant workers can get the support they need in the workplace. Compliance can be challenging, but the right platform can simplify the process for you. With Workforce.com, you can reduce administrative burden, track accommodations, manage documentation, and ensure that all employees are treated fairly. Discover how Workforce.com can help you stay on top of every stage of the employee life cycle, from hiring to payroll. Book a call today. 

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SHRM 2024: What You Can Miss in Chicago

Oil Painting of The Bean

With the SHRM Annual Conference almost upon us, HR professionals everywhere are filling up their itineraries for their visit to the Windy City. But if you aren’t a local, how are you supposed to know what is worth your time and what is truly a waste?

Tourist traps are expected in every large city. As locals, we here at Workforce.com feel like it is our duty to ensure you DON’T spend your time and money at some of these admittedly alluring locations.

Check out this list of tourist traps to skip while in town:

1. The WNDR Museum

The WNDR Museum in Chicago is often considered a tourist trap, as it focuses more on providing Instagrammable moments than meaningful art experiences for middle and high schoolers. Given the limited depth and originality of the installations, the hefty admission fee is hard to justify, making it a disappointing visit for those expecting a genuine museum experience.

2. 360 Chicago Tilt

The 360 Tilt in Chicago is frequented by out-of-towners but offers a brief, overpriced experience with minimal payoff. Located at the top of the John Hancock Center, the attraction tilts visitors outward for a few seconds to provide a unique but fleeting view of the city. Many find the $20+ ticket price does not match the short duration and long lines, especially when compared to the free or more reasonably priced observation points in the city that offer equally stunning views without the gimmick. 

3. Museum of Ice Cream

Another Instagram trap with a ticket price of $50+ per person. The steep ticket prices gain visitors access to a series of brightly colored, themed rooms that are more about photo opportunities than immersive or informative experiences. The limited sampling of actual ice cream is underwhelming compared to the cost. Go to Jeni’s Ice Cream for ice cream that’s actually worthwhile.

4. Giordano’s Pizza

Giordano’s Pizza in Chicago is often seen as a tourist trap because it capitalizes on its reputation without delivering the authentic deep-dish experience that we locals prefer. While heavily marketed to those coming from out of town, its pizza tends to be overly doughy and lacking in a flavorful sauce and the ideal crust that defines authentic Chicago-style pizza. You can get Giordano’s in the frozen foods section of almost any grocery store in the nation. Instead, I would strongly recommend Pequod’s or Lou Malnatis.

4. The Starbucks Reserve on Michigan Ave

As they have a great espresso martini, the Starbucks Reserve’s crowds aren’t worth their prices. While the building is an elaborate, multi-story setup with unique menu items and brewing methods, the experience is usually accompanied by long lines and a busy atmosphere. Many find the prices hard to justify, especially when the quality of the coffee isn’t significantly better than what is available at standard Starbucks locations. I’d check out a local coffee roaster rather than your run-of-the-mill Venti coffee from Starbucks.

5. Navy Pier Ferris Wheel

Navy Pier should be walked through for its historical significance to the city, but no need to partake in any of its tourist attractions, such as the Ferris Wheel. Despite its iconic status, the ride provides a short and relatively unremarkable view of the city, which many visitors find disappointing given the high ticket cost. The surrounding area is typically crowded and heavily commercialized, detracting from the overall enjoyment.

6. The Bean

I hate to break it to you, but our beloved bean is under construction until mid-August. Regardless, the site is typically swamped with tourists, making it difficult to appreciate or capture it without crowds fully. Compared to the many culturally and historically rich attractions in Chicago, the Bean tends to be a superficial stop that doesn’t offer much beyond a photo opportunity, making it feel a bit overrated. I still highly recommend strolling through Millenium Park but be warned that you might not get the view of the Bean that you’re hoping for.

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SHRM 2024: Guide to Events & Happenings in Chicago

Painting of Chicago Theater Sign at Night

HR professionals everywhere rejoice – the SHRM Annual Conference is almost upon us. From June 23rd to the 26th, people from across the country will convene in Chicago to network, share stories, and discuss bold new strategies in the field of human resources. 

But what happens during the downtime—that strange limbo between speaker sessions, exhibition events, and gastronomic endeavors out on the town?

Lucky for you, our team here at Workforce.com calls the Windy City home. As such, we see it as our duty to not only attend the conference but also keep you informed about the best things to do during your downtime.

Here is an extensive list of all Chicago has to offer during the conference week. From concerts to comedy shows to sporting events to musicals, there’s always something worth checking out, no matter the day of the week.

Special Events from June 22nd – 26th

  1. Saturday, June 22nd

    1. Concerts
      1. Brother Osborne at the iconic Salt Shed
      2. Justin Timberlake at the United Center
      3. Boots at the Metro
      4. Sofar Sounds in Bronzeville
      5. Sofar Sounds in West Loop
    2. Comedy Shows
      1. Second City – Multiple Shows
      2. The Annoyance Theatre – Multiple Shows
      3. Zanies Comedy Club – Kevin James
      4. The Comedy Bar – Gus Constanellis
      5. The Laugh Factory – Multiple Shows
      6. Chicago Improv Comedy Club – Dustin Ybarra
    3. Arts & Culture
      1. Magnificent Mile Art Festival on North Michigan Ave.
      2. Walking Tour of Gold Coast
      3. Live on the Lake at Navy Pier Beer Garden
    4. Sports Events
      1. New York Mets vs Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field

  2. Sunday, June 23rd

    1. Concerts
      1. Russ at the United Center
      2. Middle Kids at Thalia Hall
      3. Tchaikovsky Pathetique & Trifonov at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
      4. Soul Message at The Green Mill
    2. Comedy Shows
      1. Second City – Multiple Shows
      2. The Annoyance Theatre – Multiple Shows
      3. Zanies Comedy Club – Simon Fraser
      4. The Comedy Bar – Erica Nicole Clark
      5. The Laugh Factory – Multiple Shows
      6. Chicago Improv Comedy Club – Dustin Ybarra
    3. Arts & Culture
      1. Magnificent Mile Art Festival on North Michigan Ave.
      2. Walking Tour of Gold Coast
      3. Live on the Lake at Navy Pier Beer Garden
    4. Sports Events
      1. New York Mets vs Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field

  3. Monday, June 24th

    1. Concerts
      1. Robby Krieger at City Winery
    2. Comedy Shows
      1. Second City – Best of the Second City
      2. The Annoyance Theatre – One Star
      3. Zanies Comedy Club – Gary Meikle
    3. Arts & Culture
      1. Paint Your Own Pottery at Color Cocktail Factory
      2. Happy Hour at KOVAL Tasting Room
      3. Game Night at KOVAL Distillery
    4. Sports Events
      1. Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field

  4. Tuesday, June 25th

    1. Concerts
      1. Bella Nostalgia at House of Blues
      2. The Kid Laroi at Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
      3. Cedric Burnside at Schubas
      4. Jean Deaux at Lincoln Hall
    2. Comedy Shows
      1. Second City – Ten Dollar Comedy
      2. The Annoyance Theatre – Tuesday Musical Improv
      3. Zanies Comedy Club – Super 6 Showcase
      4. The Comedy Bar – Anthony Bonazzo
    3. Arts & Culture
      1. Paint Your Own Pottery at Color Cocktail Factory
      2. Happy Hour at KOVAL Tasting Room
      3. Game Night at KOVAL Distillery
    4. Sports Events
      1. Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field

  5. Wednesday, June 26th

    1. Concerts
      1. Pallbearer at Thalia Hall
      2. Cedric Burnside at Schubas
      3. Humboldt Park Orchestra at Old Town School of Folk Music
    2. Comedy Shows
      1. Second City – 112th Revue
      2. The Annoyance Theatre – Flex
      3. Zanies Comedy Club – Mary Santora
      4. The Comedy Bar – John El Tenney
      5. The Lincoln Lodge – Dylan Adler
    3. Arts & Culture
      1. Paint Your Own Pottery at Color Cocktail Factory
      2. Happy Hour at KOVAL Tasting Room
      3. Game Night at KOVAL Distillery
    4. Sports Events
      1. Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field

Everyday Happenings

  1. Musicals/Performance Art
    1. Six The Musical
    2. The Blue Man Group
  2. Sightseeing
    1. Chicago Architecture Tour
    2. Chicago Walking Tours
    3. Bus Tours
    4. Art on the Mart
    5. Fireworks at Navy Pier
  3. Museums
    1. Shedd Aquarium
    2. Skydeck Chicago
    3. Adler Planetarium
    4. Art Institute of Chicago
    5. The Field Museum
    6. Museum of Science and Industry
  4. Free Things to Do
    1. Art on the Mart
    2. Fireworks at Navy Pier (only Wednesdays & Saturdays)
    3. Chicago Riverwalk
    4. The Lakefront Trail
    5. The Chicago Cultural Center
    6. Garfield Park Conservatory
    7. Lincoln Park Zoo
    8. Millennium Park (the Bean)
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SHRM 2024: A Guide to Chicago Restaurants & Bars

oil painting of chicago's skyline

With the 2024 SHRM Annual Conference & Expo right around the corner, HR folks everywhere are understandably beefing up their itineraries for a four-day stay in Chicago, the host city.

As fate would have it, our team at Workforce.com is headquartered in the Windy City. As locals, we feel obligated to share our insider information on the best restaurants to hit while visiting the city. Of course, as any true local would know, we can’t share the closest guarded spots with you. But this is still a pretty thorough guide, so don’t worry.

Here is our list of must-tries categorized by neighborhoods from several local, self-proclaimed foodies in our office:

LEGEND:

C = Casual

B = Breakfast

L/D = Lunch/Dinner

D = Dessert

Restaurants

  1. Lakeview

    1. C B Ann Sathers – Iconic breakfast spot that serves some of the best cinnamon rolls you’ve ever had. Get the eggs benedict and some rolls to go.
    2. C L/D Will’s Northwoods Inn – Lively casual sports bar with neighborhood vibes. Don’t miss the chicken ceasar chicken wraps, cheese curds, and onion rings.
    3. L/D Dear Margaret – A very cozy, classic french restaurant, perfect for smaller groups and couples. Start off with the charcuterie, a glass of wine, and the duck bolognese for an entree.

  2. Lincoln Park

    1. C L/D Old Pueblo Cantina – Mexican joint with great tacos and even better margaritas.
    2. C L/D Pequod’s Pizza – Iconic pizza that serves what’s arguably the best Chicago deep-dish style pizza in town.
    3. D Annette’s Italian Ice – Window-service ice cream and frozen yogurt shop that specializes in their Italian ice. Known for their fruit flavors like lemon, blood orange, and passion fruit, don’t forget to bring cash!

  3. Logan Square

    1. L/D Cellar Door Provisions – A chill, laid back wine bar whose menu landed it a spot on the Michelin Guide. Please for the love of God, don’t miss out on the burger. One of my favorites in the city.
    2. B D Sugar Moon – A bakery adored with an overwhelming amount of goods, each one of them more delicious and creative than the next. Don’t skip out on their jalapeno-cheddar scones or their tahini chocolate chip cookie.
    3. B L/D Lula Cafe – New american food served in a very old school manner. For breakfast, get the french toast, the breakfast burrito, and/or the tofu and vegetable scramble. For dinner, the pasta Yiayia, fried mushrooms, and sweet and sour onion focaccia are standouts.

  4. Palmer Square / Bucktown

    1. C B Allez Cafe – If you’re looking for one of the best breakfast sandwiches in Chicago, look no further than Allez Cafe. My suggestion: one breakfast sandwich with a cream top coffee. Thank me later.
    2. D Margie’s Candies – Over 100 years old, this ice cream shop is something to behold. I could drink the hot fudge from their infamous sundaes with a straw…
    3. L/D Giant – This is the place you bring someone to when you’re really trying to impress them. Their ever changing menu makes it hard to recommend specific menu items, however you truly can’t go wrong.

  5. West Town

    1. C L/D Mott St – Asian fusion with a great outdoor space and an even better burger (only served prior to 7 pm!)
    2. L/D Kai Zan – Amazing, fresh, quality sushi served at a reasonable price. If you’re feeling up for it, their 10+ course omakase menu for $90 has yet to be beat.
    3. L/D Lao Peng You – Featured in The Bear, this chinese spot has some of the best dumplings and noodles in the city. With no reservations, I’d recommend going for lunch if possible.

  6. Old Town

    1. C L/D Ranalli’s – Sports bar that caters to huge groups, great outdoor space, and even better food. You cannot leave without having the hot honey soppressata pizza. Also, a special shout out to their chicken fingers… best I’ve ever had.
    2. L/D Topo Gigio Ristorante – When you think of an old school Italian spot, this is it. The perfect order: an espresso martini, the calamari, Conchiglie Alla Sarda pasta, and tiramisu to finish. You might not sleep but it’ll be worth it, I promise.
    3. C B Nookies on Wells – An adorable breakfast spot notable for their french toast, crepes (sweet or savory), and eggs benedict.

  7. Gold Coast

    1. L/D Gibson’s – A classic white table-cloth all-American steakhouse. Known for their surf & turf and their absolutely massive desserts – the carrot cake slice is something to behold.
    2. L/D 3 Arts Club Cafe at RH Chicago – One of the most beautiful restaurants is in the historic landmark where Restoration Hardware resides. Their lobster roll is a 10 out of 10.
    3. C B The Original Pancake House – A breakfast chain that has a place near and dear to my heart. I’ve been getting their 49er pancakes with a side of extra crispy bacon for the past 20 years and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

  8. River North

    1. C B Doma Cafe – Small, european-influenced breakfast spot known for their hash browns, cevapi, olive oil cake, and burek.
    2. L/D Lil’ Ba-Ba-Reeba! – Spanish tapas perfect for big groups. Must-haves: the dates, the brussel sprout salad, and the patatas bravas.
    3. L/D Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf – My favorite restaurant in the city, hands down. Albeit, a more pricey option, but offers immaculate vibes, top-notch service, a french dip that will knock your socks off, a wedge salad worth crying over, and an ice cream sundae that I dream about. Can’t get a reservation, try their sister restaurant just next door: Gilt Bar.

  9. West Loop

    1. C L/D Green Street Smoked Meats – Open concept BBQ hidden in an alleyway offering some of the best BBQ Chicago (& beyond) has to offer.
    2. L/D Duck Duck Goat – From Top-Chef and Chicago icon, Stephanie Izard’s take on Chinese fusion is done beautifully here. Please get the goat slap noodles, xiao long bao, braised short ribs, and the duck fried rice. Oh and save room for the seasonal soft serve ice cream.
    3. L/D Au Cheval – All I have to say is they are known for their burger for good reason. Be sure to get it with their bacon.

  10. Greektown

    1. C L/D Greek Islands – Arguably the best Greek restaurant in Greektown, this place lives up to its name. Keep it classic with some saganaki, moussaka, and grape leaves.
    2. D B Lou Mitchell’s – Opened in 1923, this old school diner is perfect for the classics: silver dollar pancakes, waffles, a Denver omelet (hobo style), and a side of raisin toast.
    3. L/D Monteverde – One of Chicago’s most popular Italian restaurants. Hard to get a reservation with their handmade pasta and amazing appetizers. If you are able to snag a spot, start with the Burrata E Ham, any of their pastas for your main will most definitely suffice, and end with the butterscotch dessert or the tiramisu.

  11. The Loop

    1. L/D Cindy’s Rooftop – This rooftop restaurant and bar has incredible views of the lake and Grant Park. I recommend going for happy hour and grabbing a drink or two with a couple starters.
    2. C B L/D Revival Food Hall – This place caters to everyone and anyone. A huge food hall that truly has the best of the best. From their on-site cafe for your coffee, to artisan sandwiches at Danke, fresh poke from Aloha Poke, health-focused bowls from Fare, and so much more. Definitely worth just checking out if you’re in the area.
    3. C B L/D The Exchange – This place is pretty unassuming on the outside, but once you’re sat inside their atrium, you’ll understand why I strongly recommend this place. I encourage going for lunch and grabbing their turkey club sandwich with a side of fries.

  12. South Loop

    1. C L/D Nepal House – Authentic Nepalese Indian food can be found here. Keep it simple with their garlic naan, chicken makhani, and Momo’s.
    2. L/D Bistro Monadnock – This french bistro is located in the historic Monadnock building. I strongly suggest grabbing a french onion soup to start as well as their croque madame for an early lunch.
    3. C B Eleven City Diner – Another iconic Chicago diner serving up some old-school Jewish favorites. Think matzo ball soup, pastrami on rye, and a brisket sandwich on brioche-like Challah. Beyond good.

  13. Bridgeport

    1. D Runaway Cow – Newly opened vegan ice cream spot that serves oat-based soft-serve. I swear non-vegans won’t be able to tell the difference. It’s that delicious. Get a snowstorm; their take on a Dairy Queen Blizzard.
    2. C L/D Kimski – This casual korean-polish fusion sounds like it might not work, but I promise it does. Don’t believe me? Get their Maria’s Standard and report back to me.
    3. C L/D The Duck Inn – Worth it simply for their outdoor space. I’d sit outside and order the duck for two, prawns, and the mushrooms and polenta.

  14. Chinatown

    1. C L/D QXY Dumplings – This place is worth the wait. Put your name down, walk around Chinatown, and be prepared to feast on some unreal soup dumplings. Specifically the pork and cabbage, beef and onion, and the lamb and coriander. I also recommend getting a side of kimchi, wood ear mushrooms, and cucumber salad.
    2. C L/D Go 4 Food – This casual Chinese seafood spot has been awarded a Michelin star for good reason. Be sure to get the bao taco, the walnut shrimp, and of course, the dungeness crab.
    3. D Chiu Quon Bakery – A classic Chinese bakery that almost always has a line. Known for their pork buns, Portuguese egg tarts, sesame balls, and so, so much more. Be sure to bring cash with you!

  15. Bronzeville

    1. D Shawn Michelle’s Ice Cream Shop – One of our claims-to-fame when it comes to ice cream. The honey cinnamon ice cream and the banana pudding are incredible. But truly… you can’t go wrong with any of their flavors.
    2. C L/D Cleo’s Southern Cuisine – This creole spot is known for having some of the best chicken wings Chicago has to offer. Order the sauced six with the mac & cheese. You won’t regret it.
    3. L/D Bronzeville Winery – Whether or not you’re partaking in their wine list or cocktails, be sure to get the sweet potato ribbons, brussel sprouts, and watermelon steak (I know, just trust me).

Bars

There’s nothing better than a productive day at the SHRM conference; connecting with others in HR, checking out the latest in tech, and learning from some knowledgeable speakers. But the best part? Rounding it all out with a drink at a beautiful cocktail lounge, beer garden, or a rooftop bar. Here is a list of great spots to grab a drink near the McCormick Center for your next team happy hour or solo nightcap:

  1. Moody Tongue Brewery
  2. M Lounge
  3. Best Bar
  4. 16th Street Bar & Coffee Lounge
  5. Skylark
  6. Mitchell’s Tap
  7. Turtle’s Bar & Grill
  8. VU Rooftop Bar
  9. Reggies Chicago
  10. Spoke and Bird
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Guide to the 42nd Annual Payroll Congress Convention & Expo

Payroll Congress Tips Thumbnail

The following is a Q&A with Yolanda Ramirez, the CEM Manager and Exhibits Lead at PayrollOrg – the organization responsible for hosting this year’s Annual Payroll Congress in Nashville. Yolanda gives us the inside scoop on what attendees should expect for this year, how to get the most out of the conference, and what first-timers should know going into it.

To watch the full webinar, check out the video below:

Meredith (Workforce.com): First and foremost, I would love for you to tell me about some of the work that you do with PayrollOrg, also known as the host for the Annual Payroll Congress Conference.

Yolanda: I’ve been with PayrollOrg for just over 25 years, and I’ve been managing the expo conference for PayrollOrg pretty much that whole entire time. I work in our vendor relations department. I’m one of two other ladies, Susan Garcia, who is our director of vendor relations, and Diane Enriquez, who is our operations manager. So the three of us work on selling exhibit space, selling sponsorships, and just generally partnering with our exhibitors for either campaigns that they do with us for the year or things throughout as they come up, whether it be a webinar or paycheck advertising in our paycheck magazine or websites. So any of us can assist with that.

Meredith: How long have you been managing the conference and helping fill spots?

Yolanda: I would say pretty much the entire tenure that I’ve been with PayrollOrg. Wow. So, for the full 25 years, I’ve had my hands in the expo for that entire time.

Meredith: Amazing. So you’re the perfect person to talk to when it comes to tips, tricks, and little hidden secrets here and there. So, in terms of exhibitors like Workforce.com, how many exhibitors are we expecting this year? How filled out is the conference going to actually be?

Yolanda: We currently have around 75 to 80 exhibiting companies at the moment, and that is where we’re expecting to be hitting.

Meredith: So regarding previous experience on your end, Yolanda, what can one expect from the Payroll Conference this year?

Yolanda: I would say for an exhibiting company, they can expect great opportunities to network with our audience, and there will be opportunities for them to network one-on-one kind of not only inside the expo, but also there are networking opportunities that they can participate in. As for an attendee, obviously, we want them to talk to our exhibitors, whether they’re a current client of theirs or if they’re looking at possibly adding on a new service or product. There will be ample exhibitors for them to talk to. And, of course, let’s just say they’re working with the company, and they want to see what other companies are doing. Obviously that would be their opportunity as well, because I know there is a lot of exhibitor networking like exhibitor to exhibitor as well as attendee to exhibitor that happens on the show floor.

Meredith: In terms of any changes from this year in 2024 compared to previous years, is there anything to note that you’re excited about or anything that we should look forward to?

Yolanda: There hasn’t been a lot of change as far as the programming has gone. We’ve made some changes as far as our global networking. That reception previously was on the third day of the expo is now going to be on the second day of the expo. So that’s just one of the changes there. Other than that, there really hasn’t been a whole lot of changes to the program.

Meredith: For me, I’m personally looking forward to the costume contest!

Yolanda: Yes. And some of them get really, really into it. I’d love to watch them because our audience is super creative, and they can do some really fun costumes. And we have our categories this year as well.

Meredith: The categories are truly amazing. In terms of key themes, topics, and so forth, is there any overview that you can provide for key topics that will be covered during the conference itself?

Yolanda: Yes. So we do have educational tracks, and all of this information can be found on the conference microsite. We have our payroll thought leadership sessions and the OAR sessions that some of our exhibiting companies have will be teaching. And then we also have our leadership and excellence series, and then we’ll have some legislative and regulatory issues as well that will provide some updates. There’s payroll management operations that they can participate in as well. These workshops are going to be on the critical and effective operations of the payroll process. We also have our benefits and compensations track, obviously that’s going to talk about the compliance with benefits and compensation. And then we have our global payroll tracks, which is a ride spectrum of the payroll functions, risks and things like that, related issues for your global perspective. Then we’ll have a technology track and that is obviously focusing on the technology, covering the latest on artificial intelligence, blockchain, those types of topics. Then we have a professional development track and then we have PAYO tools. So that’s giving you how you can get involved with PayrollOrg, how to gain knowledge about our tools and our resources as an organization. So those are the topics that topics or education tracks that they can participate in.

Meredith: For first-timers, what sort of advice would you have to give for those who are attending the 42nd Annual Payroll Conference for the very first time?

Yolanda: I would definitely encourage them to possibly partake in our virtual orientation that is going to be held on May 3rd. If they’re already registered for the conference, they’ll obviously get the invitation to attend for that orientation day. That is a really great opportunity for them to get a bit more into detail about what they can expect. There’s also some really good articles that have been printed in Paychex. Actually, there’s one article that really helps them about how to prepare for getting the most out of their experience at payroll Congress. And there’s another article about what this person, this veteran, actually does to ensure her success while she’s there. So it’s very interesting.

Meredith: Great. I’ll have to check those out personally. So with the conference obviously approaching on May 7th, what are some key steps that you recommended attendees take beforehand to ensure that they get the most out of their experience at the conference itself?

Yolanda: We actually send out a lot of communication prior to Payroll Congress, so they should be receiving those communications already. If they are just starting to, if they’ve just registered, they should be receiving all of that communication as well. So that’s going to be a really great first step for them. Obviously taking advantage of reviewing our microsite, which is the payrollcongress.com, that has a ton of information on there for them as well. And then definitely try and make a Congress buddy that is really important. We’ll also have a conference app as well that they can utilize while being on site.

Meredith: Are there any materials or resources available for those who are registered, or even for those who have not registered yet and maybe planning on it, that they should check out beforehand?

Yolanda: Yes. So our microsite for the conference would be a great starting place and if they haven’t already registered, we actually have a letter that they can provide to their boss, just a letter that they can tweak to request attending our conference. I think that would be a great opportunity for them.

Meredith: Nice. We touched on the networking aspect of these conferences, obviously it’s just a big part of conferences in general, how do you recommend an attendee prepare for the networking opportunities to come?

Yolanda: That is a good question, especially if this is their first time. We do have onsite, besides the orientation, that will be done virtually onsite. We have a meet and greet that is held on Monday. Definitely think that would be a great place for them to begin their networking with their peers and things like that. That should be Tuesday morning, and I believe there’s going to be coffee provided there and maybe some light refreshments. I think that would be a great place for them to try and find someone that has similar interests as them.

Meredith: In terms of the speaker sessions, I know that there’s a good amount of people lined up, which is super exciting to see. Are there any specific sessions you recommend checking out? Are there any that you’re excited about?

Yolanda: I’m not too heavily involved because I am more on the exhibit side, but I do know we have a lot of great sessions. Our workshop selection has more information on that website as well. When they go to the education tab, they can select the workshops and things like that there, and it’ll give them a little bit more information about each of them.

Meredith: To close out, if you had to narrow it down to one or two top tips, actions or takeaways that our audience can leave with to better prepare for the payroll congress conference, what would those be?

Yolanda: Definitely take advantage of reading those articles and things that way. Go to the blog, our Congress today blog page that is also linked from our microsite as well. I think just really delving into that. If they know anyone that has been to Congress in the past, talk to them and see what their response is. But I know, I believe it was Gretchen who wrote how she prepares for Congress, so that’s interesting. She will be presenting as well.

Meredith: Yolanda, thank you so much for coming on. This has been super, super helpful.

Yolanda: All right, thank you!

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Payroll Congress 2024: The Ultimate Nashville Guide

 

The 42nd Annual Payroll Congress is coming up! Here at Workforce.com, we’re as excited to learn from the keynote speakers as the next guy… but what better way to prepare for a conference than checking out a local’s guide to navigating Nashville – a city known for its food scene, bars, history, and of course, live music? We’re looking forward to helping transform your payroll management over a beer at Urban Cowboy.

 

East Nashville [closest area to the conference venue]

Bars:

  • Rosemary: Awesome cocktails, indoor and outdoor space. Overall such a fun place.
  • Attaboy: Speakeasy with amazing cocktails, but difficult to go with a ton of people
  • Red Door
  • Urban Cowboy: Great for group outdoor seating. Awesome pizza.
  • Noble’s: Fun sports bar with cheap beer
  • Lakeside Lounge: dive bar with $3 frosty’s, pool table, and darts

Casual/Cheaper Eats:

  • Mas Tacos Por Favor: Taco stand loved by the community
  • Redheaded Stranger: tacos, crunch-wrap, burger)
  • Greko: Good for lunch
  • East Side Bahn Mi: Excellent Vietnamese
  • Mitchell Deli: Great sandwiches
  • Joyland: Sean Brock’s fast food restaurant is open until 2 am Friday and Saturday
  • Five Points Pizza: New York style by the slice

Nicer Restaurants:

  • Lou: Amazing, but not ideal for a bigger group
  • Butcher & Bee: Awesome for a big group. Mediterranean shared plates
  • Audrey: Sean Brock’s latest fine-dining restaurant
  • Two Ten Jack: One of my favorites. Japanese shared plates/sushi and ramen

Downtown

Bars:

  • Popular, big-time honky-tonks with fun rooftops:
    1. Kid Rock’s
    2. Luke’s
    3. Aldean’s
    4. Ole Red
    5. Acme
  • Smaller, classic honky-tonks: 
    1. Robert’s Western World: Get the Depression Special at Robert’s: Fried Bologna Sandwich + a beer for $5
    2. The Stage
    3. Tootsie’s
  • Wild Beaver: Great for karaoke 
  • Alley Taps: Iconic Printer’s Alley bar

Restaurants:

  • Husk: Sean Brock’s first Nashville restaurant
  • Jack’s BBQ: Nashville staple for food on Broadway
  • 5th and Broadway: Food hall where there’s something for everybody
  • Twelve Thirty Club: The bottom floor is a Honky Tonk with good food. The top floor has great cocktails
  • Blanco: Fantastic Mexican food
  • Acme: Bar that also has great food too. Different types of cuisine on each level
  • Pinewood Social: bar/restaurant and really fun to do bowling for a group. Also has great cocktails.

Midtown/Vanderbilt Area

  • SATCO: Low-key Mexican joint
  • The Graduate Hotel: Has awesome coffee in their lobby
  • Hillsboro Village:
    1. The BEST shopping
    2. Pancake Pantry
    3. DoubleDogs Sports Bar
  • Dose: Good breakfast sandwiches and coffee
  • Barcelona: A great restaurant for bigger groups, it’s not unique to Nashville but a good option

The Gulch

Activities:

  • Station Inn: The most amazing live music venue. Buy tickets in cash at the door. They sell beer/popcorn
  • 6th and Peabody: Big sports bar with a huge outdoor area, moonshine distillery, and Yeehaw beer
  • Pins Mechanical: Fun games place and bar
  • Nice Hotel Rooftop Bars:
    1. LA Jackson
    2. L27
    3. W hotel

Restaurants:

  • Adele’s: Worth going if for brunch. Huge buffet that’s a 10/10
  • Mockingbird: Great for a large group
  • Superica: They don’t take reservations, but you can join the online waitlist
  • Marsh House: We love their brunch
  • Peg Leg Porker: Awesome BBQ
  • Otaku Ramen: Really good, but sadly doesn’t take reservations

12 South

Really cute strip of awesome boutiques for shopping.

Restaurants:

  • Buttermilk Ranch: A fan-favorite brunch spot with fun pastries, but it doesn’t take reservations
  • Five Daughter’s Bakery: Famous/delicious donuts
  • Frothy Monkey: Great for breakfast or coffee, but this location usually has a long line on weekends
  • Edley’s: BBQ
  • Epice: Fantastic Lebanese restaurant

Wedgewood Houston

  • Nvr Nvr: Great dive bar
  • Dozen Bakery: Another fan-favorite place. Best avocado toast ever, awesome coffee/pastries/food

Germantown

Restaurants:

  • Rolf and Daughters: Many think this is the best in Nash, make a reservation ASAP if you want to go
  • Oku: Best sushi
  • Geist: Craft cocktail bar with good food
  • Henrietta Red: My personal favorite restaurant in Nashville
  • The Optimist: Really good seafood, cool bar upstairs with yummy oysters
  • Big Al’s: Greasy awesome soul food breakfast, sit-on-a-plastic chair vibe, I love Al so much
  • Monell’s: Southern family-style experience

Bars:

  • Monday Night Brewing Co.: Great chill brewery with good beer and tons of indoor/outdoor seating)
  • Mother’s Ruin: So much fun late night, awesome cocktails
  • Von Elrod’s: Beer garden, next to Sounds Stadium
  • Jonathan’s: Low-key sports bar, could go to if in the area for 2 for 1 beers after 10pm
  • Neighbor’s: Another sports bar, multiple locations

 

 

Other Notes:

  • I like Prince’s for authentic Hot Chicken, but Hattie B’s is great too
  • People are torn on Martin’s vs. Edley’s for BBQ, but I prefer Martins
  • There are awesome coffee shops everywhere, my favorites are Crema and Barista Parlor (many locations)
  • Loveless Cafe is outside of Nashville but historic and so awesome for southern comfort food.
  • Richland Park Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings 9-12 is great and has food trucks/vendors too
  • The Listening Room is a famous Nashville writers-round style show you buy tickets for and sit at a table and order food/drinks. It’s really fun, intimate, chill, and I love going. Never know if you’ll see someone famous!
  • A fun morning activity is to rent bikes and ride the trails around Shelby Park https://bikethegreenway.net/
  • Pedal taverns are also super fun for a daytime activity
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Free Employee Change of Address Form [Template]

oil painting of someone carrying moving boxes

Summary:

  • Federal and state laws govern how employee records are kept and for how long. These rules can differ by location and industry.

  • Managing employee records is a tall order, but HR software keeps thing simple, allowing staff to update their own info digitally.

  • Download and modify this employee change of address form template for free.

With a small staff count, organizing, tracking, and updating employee records is relatively straightforward for any HR department. But if you have a rapidly scaling business, staying on top of personnel information might be a little more challenging. 

To keep things organized in all of this chaos, you need to keep accurate records. When an employee’s mailing address needs to be updated, you’ll need to rely on more than just word of mouth to get this information processed. 

Many HR departments use a change of address request form. Download ours here – feel free to copy, save, and modify it. 

Using a simple form like this is only the first step in accurate record-keeping. It is 2024; let’s be honest, people don’t use printers anymore. Or at least they shouldn’t be. 

Well, that might be a tad extreme. But you know where I am going with this. 

All kinds of records, such as employee names and emergency contact details, will change over time. Add leave request forms, benefits enrollment, and other templates into the mix, and you’ll realize how quickly recordkeeping can become an administrative burden. 

Paper forms < Going paperless; Here’s why. 

Luckily, you can avoid repeatedly downloading 15+ paper forms to manage your workforce records by using HR software. 

Here are three ways where HR software can help you get a better grip on employee record-keeping:

1. United employee records in one place.

You can collect all of your employee information in one system without storing random paper forms in dusty, beige filing cabinets scattered around your office. Typically, organizations keep some form of the following employee details: 

Time and Attendance

This information is essential to staying on top of your day-to-day operations. This includes records on the clock ins and outs, time off, employee schedules, tardiness, absences, and hours worked. 

Benefits

Insurance enrollments, health coverage, and other company benefits all fall under this category. It can also include records involving the Americans Disabilities Act (ADA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Staying on top of these records will help you comply with federal laws like the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

Payroll

Details that have something to do with a person’s pay computation go under payroll information. Details like wages, hourly rates, withholdings, tax forms, timesheets, direct deposits, and W2 and W4 forms all fall under one umbrella. 

Personnel information

These are basic details that typically go under an employee’s file. This includes name, home address, phone number, employment history, emergency contact information, and other new employee paperwork. Over time, this file will consist of documentation around performance reviews, awards, disciplinary records, training, termination, and further employment-related details. 

Medical records

Medical records include doctor’s notes, drug tests, medical exams, and medical expense reimbursement requests.

Separation of employment records

These records are related to an employee’s departure from the organization, including resignation letters, unemployment documents, reasons for separation, whether voluntary or involuntary, and exit interviews.  

2. Compliance with employee record-keeping rules

There are federal rules and state-based rules that govern the type of information you can retain and for how long. Here’s a brief overview of some of these regulations:

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

Federal and state-based rules govern the type of information you can retain and for how long. Here’s a brief overview of some of these regulations:

        • Employee’s full name and social security number
        • Address, including zip code
        • Birth date, if younger than 19
        • Sex and occupation
        • Time and day of week when employee’s workweek begins, hours worked each day, and total hours worked each workweek
        • Basis on which employee’s wages are paid
        • Regular hourly pay rate
        • Total daily or weekly straight-time earnings
        • Total overtime earnings for the workweek
        • All additions to or deductions from the employee’s wages
        • Total wages paid each pay period
        • Date of payment and the pay period covered by the payment

Department of Labor (DOL) rules also state that payroll records and collective bargaining agreements must be kept for three years and timesheets for two years. 

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEOC)

This regulation states that employers retain employee records for a year. Should a staff member get terminated, their personnel records should be kept for one year after their departure from the company. 

Internal Revenue System (IRS)

Under IRS rules, employment tax records should be kept four years after filing the 4th quarter of the year. Some of these records include employer identification numbers, fair market value of in-kind wages paid, and copies of employees’ and recipients’ income tax withholding certificates. 

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) and Americans with Disabilities (ACT)

Both acts mandate that medical information be kept separate from general personnel files. This includes doctor’s notes, disability benefits claim forms, drug or alcohol tests, FMLA requests, ADA requests and documentation, workers’ compensation records, medical exams, health insurance forms, employee assistance program information, and medical expense reimbursement requests. 

3. Saving time with self-service

The most efficient way to update records is to have staff do it themselves. HR software typically offers employee self-service functionality that allows employees to handle their own recordkeeping, often through a mobile device. With this, they can take ownership of updating their details without having to submit support tickets to HR.

Workforce.com makes employee recordkeeping easy.Screenshot of an employee profile in Workforce.com

Workforce.com is a cloud-based HR system specialized for hourly workforces. It offers complete visibility over employee information, documents, contracts, forms, and other data vital to running your workforce. It’s also built with an employee self-service feature that allows staff to update their details without bothering HR. Likewise, HR managers can configure notifications so they never have to dig to find information on form acknowledgments, onboarding reminders, PTO requests, attendance issues, etc.

Book a call today to get started on ditching paper forms. 

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Time Off Requests: 5 Tips + Free Template (2023)

Oil Painting of an Astronaut handing you a piece of paper

Summary:

  • Time off management is difficult when no company policy for leave requests and approvals exists. Confusion can result in overlooked requests, no-shows, and short staffing.

  • Use and customize this employee time off request template to track employee leave requests. It should serve as a formal request that outlines the number of days an employee will be away and the type of leave they will use.

  • Improve leave management with a time-off tracking app.

Managing leave requests can get complicated, especially when your business starts to scale. That’s probably why you are here, right?

Without structure or centralization, leave management can quickly become an administrative nightmare. Managing a flurry of different leave requests from emails, chats, SMS, or in-passing conversations is challenging. With no clear process or paper trail, you could end up with a disgruntled team and understaffed shifts.

Start documenting things better with the template below:

Employee Time Off Request Form

Keep in mind that using a paper template will only get you so far. Efficient time-off management is all about creating structure and sticking to it. Here are some tips to help you do this:

1. Have an HR policy in place

While federal law may not require you to offer time off, in most states, you are required to do so. Even if this is not the case for you, it is best practice to offer time off anyway – you’ll have a hard time hiring without this kind of benefit. 

Have your HR team create a written policy that is easy to follow. Without a policy guiding your business, things can quickly get tricky when multiple employees apply for time off on the same dates, for long periods, or during peak seasons.

A time off policy should include the following key areas:

  • A designated lead time/deadline for applying for leave credits or filing for leave of absence
  • Rules around unforeseen employee’s absence in case of emergencies
  • Clear steps on how employees can submit leave requests
  • Policies around high peak seasons or periods
  • Rules around various types of time off benefits such as sick leave benefits, vacation days, unpaid time off, and floating holidays. 
  • Policy around FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) and whether they will be accrued other paid time off.

Leave policies vary across organizations. Businesses in retail, hospitality, and healthcare typically have the most stringent policies in order to staff properly during periods of peak demand. That’s not to say that leave requests are less likely to be approved in these organizations; managers just need to have a more efficient system for facilitating them. 

The key here is looking at your data, such as labor forecasts, historical sales, and demand information. See the peaks and valleys in the demand-to-labor ratio so you can plan for employee schedules accordingly and allow employees to take time off.

2. Use software to streamline things.

Managing time off should be simple – using software is the best way to simplify things. The right leave tracking software should allow you to:

  • Let employees submit time off requests in a single place.
  • View and approve leave requests and ensure that all requests go through a single channel. 
  • Customize your own accrual rates and policies.
  • Review available versus current hours.
  • See projected PTO balances on future dates.
  • View leave requests filed in a specific period.
  • Sync leave management with employee scheduling and labor forecasting, ensuring you’re never over or understaffed.
  • Let staff update their availability or unavailability
  • Set blocked periods where employees are discouraged from taking leaves.
  • Access the leave management portal via mobile or desktop. 

Leave management software makes the most sense as it eliminates paperwork and missed leave requests. While having a time off request form helps, it should only be used temporarily to manage employee leave.

3. Allow for shift swapping and/or bidding. 

Unforeseen absences are inevitable. Emergencies happen all of the time, and there may be instances where staff may be unable to make it into their shift at the last minute. Shift swaps and bids are beneficial during such situations.

Workforce.com has a shift-swapping system that lets employees pick their replacement or offer their shift in a bidding process to all available team members. As a result, managers no longer need to scramble to find coverage. Everything occurs over a single mobile app, so nothing slips through the cracks.

4. Consider implementing a rotating time off schedule. 

A rotating time off schedule works by assigning a particular period when employees can take time off. Doing this helps you prevent overlapping leave requests. Remember that you’ll need to exercise discretion here in case of unavoidable, last-minute leave requests. Determine when it is okay for overlapping leave to occur, follow FMLA rules, and figure out how you will find replacements.

5. Incentivize employees not to take time off. 

Only do this during busy times of the year for your business. Rewards for working during peak demand can be higher pay rates, fixed bonuses, or additional PTO. Incentivizing your staff this way will increase the likelihood of leave being taken during slower periods, ensuring your shifts are fully staffed when facing high demand. 

Simplify leave management with Workforce.com

Workforce.com is an all-in-one solution for managing shift workers. While it covers everything from onboarding to payroll, leave management is one of its specialties. Its mobile PTO tracking app lets staff check their balances, view upcoming time off, and submit leave requests.

Requesting time off on the Workforce.com app

Best of all, every leave request is tied directly to Workforce.com’s employee scheduling system – meaning every approved request is automatically reflected on the schedule. 

Book a call today to learn more about Workforce.com’s leave management system.

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Performance Improvement Plan: Guide + Template (2024)

oil painting of rocket taking off

Summary:

  • A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) is a road map for employees to improve on performance issues. Its primary goal is to help underperformers do better.

  • Use this free template to get started with drafting a PIP. 

  • Performance management software can help you quickly build and execute PIPs. 

Performance Improvement Plans (PIP) often elicit mixed reactions in the workforce. Some view them as a precedent to termination, while others perceive them as an opportunity to improve and grow. This guide will shed light on the truth about PIP, what it’s for, its significance, and how to navigate it effectively for workforce development and success. 

What is a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)?

A performance improvement plan (PIP) is a part of performance management that involves a formal document to track employee performance in specific areas where they are underperforming. It’s not disciplinary action per se, but a way for employers to assist employees in improving their performance and overcoming performance deficiencies.

Get a free PIP template by clicking the link below:

Performance Improvement Plan [Template]

While often viewed as a precursor to terminating an employee, implementing a PIP is actually done for retention. It provides an action plan with clear direction on what an employee should do to perform better in their role. 

A PIP also provides documentation in case an employee fails to meet the metrics in the performance plan, which can be used as grounds for dismissal. But again, the primary goal of a PIP is to help employees succeed and prevent turnover in the first place. 

What should a PIP include? 

To be effective, a PIP should be able to provide clear expectations and structure. It should outline relevant goals and give timelines for when these goals should be completed. 

An employee performance plan should include the following: 

  • Itemized areas that need improvement
  • Goals that employees need to meet. These should be SMART — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. 
  • Specific action items that employees must take to improve their performance
  • Metrics to measure progress
  • A timeline and clear expectations for when goals should be accomplished
  • Support that the employee can expect in terms of training, coaching, and additional tools that can help them with attaining the goals 

Who’s responsible for enacting a PIP? 

Human resources typically oversees the filing and management of performance improvement plans, while an employee’s manager usually determines the need for a plan and carries out the execution. Because PIPs are usually received negatively, it’s crucial to determine if this is the appropriate course of action. The HR team also has an essential role in spotting potential biases guiding managers and employees as an intermediary party. If the need for a PIP is substantiated, the manager will draft the plan, and HR will review it accordingly. 

Meanwhile, other organizational stakeholders may also be involved in reviewing the PIP. It’s best if they are not directly involved in the situation so that they can review the plan with fresh eyes, ensure objectivity, clarify potential vague areas, and ensure there’s no potential risk of unintentional discrimination. 

When must a PIP be implemented? 

In some organizations, PIPs are used as proactive training measures for every employee, especially when there is potential for upward mobility. In this case, PIPs can be implemented on a regular basis, typically at the beginning of a new quarter. 

However, if you are reactively using PIPs as a response to poor performance, you’ll want to hold off on implementing them until patterns in underperformance emerge. PIPs are usually not the first course of action for performance issues – they typically come later in the evaluation process after notices and verbal warnings have been issued. 

At the first sign of a performance issue, managers typically confer with the concerned employee to notify them and provide initial coaching. If the issue persists, it can escalate to the verbal and written warning stages. The implementation of PIP usually comes at the written warning stage, where action steps and progress need to be documented. 

What are the steps to implementing a PIP? 

Executing a PIP is not a simple task. It involves careful investigation and clear communication. To get you started, here’s a quick rundown of the steps involved in the process: 

Identify the root cause 

First, you need to understand what’s causing poor work performance in order to set relevant goals. 

If the performance lapse is around their tasks, identify if there’s a lack of training. Did the employee receive enough coaching? Is there adequate onboarding? Do they have access to training tools and materials?

Meanwhile, if the issue concerns attendance, you can look at your time and attendance system to spot patterns and other indicators in their timesheets and leave records. For instance, if the employee tends to be late or absent on a particular shift or schedule, try to determine why. Sometimes, it’s not necessarily the lack of training, but it could be something personal that the employee is going through.

Inform Human Resources

If an employee requires a PIP, you need to inform HR about it. Present the facts and why you came to that recommendation. If they deem a PIP necessary, you can begin by telling the employee and proceeding with a draft. 

Get the employee involved

No employee wants to hear they need to improve their performance, so you must be clear, calm, and helpful when delivering the news. 

Focus on the facts. Explain why a PIP is necessary and be clear about your intent to help them succeed. Reiterate that while termination may be an outcome if the plan doesn’t yield results, implementing a PIP actually presents an opportunity to not only fix performance but to go above and beyond expectations. A PIP could be the first step towards eventual promotion.

It’s also vital to involve them when devising the plan. Doing so allows you to see things from their perspective, which helps design challenging yet attainable goals. It also gives you insight into how they execute tasks and see areas where you can provide support. Ultimately, involving them sends the message that the plan is made for them and not against them.  

Create the plan

A PIP should provide clarity and structure around goals, timelines, scheduled check-ins, and training. 

An effective PIP begins with SMART goals — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For instance, simply saying, “David must improve performance,” is insufficient. Instead, involve a time frame and a quantitative goal, like: “David should not commit more than three kitchen-related errors in 30 days.” 

Furthermore, you must include a schedule for regular check-ins to track progress. This will open up the floor for communication and feedback. Use this time to see if they need additional support or if they have clarifications. In addition, consider conducting temperature checks. In some cases, employees may accept the PIP, but in reality, they use this to buy time before they jump ship to another organization. So check-ins are an excellent time to gauge whether an employee is still in it to stay or just doing it to delay their departure from the company. 

An effective PIP must include goals and schedules as well as the type of training and support the employee can expect from the company. While the goal is for the employee to carry out the PIP, the manager is responsible for providing assistance, support, and training. 

Sometimes, training can be as simple as shadowing another team member excelling in a similar role. The PIP documentation should include whatever training and support is agreed to. 

Let other people review the plan

Aside from asking for feedback from HR, consider sharing the plan with other managers not directly involved in the situation. This will help strengthen it in terms of objectivity and attainability. In addition, it also doesn’t hurt to ask your legal team to review it. 

While this additional step takes time, it’s important to somehow “stress test” the PIP as this can help it be more effective and avoid any vagueness or potential liability down the line.

Track and evaluate progress

Evaluate the employee’s progress through regular check-ins and performance reviews. This will help you gauge whether the PIP process is working. 

If the employee could meet performance goals ahead of the set completion date, it would be advisable to continue the planned plan instead of ending it prematurely. While it’s good that the employee could bridge the gap fast, keeping the PIP going until the set end date is optimal to ensure that the employee can remain consistent. 

On the other hand, if the employee seems to be progressing but not at the expected pace, look at what’s causing the delay. Evaluate whether extending the timeframe makes sense or if additional training is needed. 

Improve your improvement plans

Executing a PIP is not an appealing prospect for managers because it’s a tedious process. It could also be an emotional ordeal, especially since it can result in termination. The good news is that some tools can help make some areas of implementing a PIP more manageable.

Graphic of a PIP in the Workforce.com platform

Workforce.com is an all-in-one system for the entire employee lifecycle, from onboarding to payroll. Alongside an extensive performance management module, Workforce.com includes time and attendance, employee scheduling, demand-based labor forecasting, payroll, and a full HRIS suite. 

Schedule performance reviews and execute action plans in an easy-to-use system tied to your scheduling and attendance data. This means you can quickly review information such as timesheets, punctuality and attendance issues, leave data, and even shift feedback all within the same system. Anchoring your performance management to operational data like this will always give you the complete picture. 

Streamline your performance improvement planning by booking a call with us today.