Employee Benefits Blog

How To Create a Supportive Lactation Space

Admin — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:08:15 GMT

For many working mothers, returning to work after having a baby is an intensely emotional experience. It’s a relief to get into a routine and out of the house, but it’s hard to be separated from the baby. Add to that the stress of juggling day-to-day duties, meetings and pumping on a schedule, and you can see how a supportive work environment can go a long way.

As an employer, you have a legal duty to provide pumping breaks and a space for nursing employees to express breast milk. But supporting breastfeeding employees goes beyond meeting your legal obligations. Here are some tips for creating a lactation space that will show your employees you care.

Find a quiet, private space that is not a restroom
The space should be large enough for a chair and have a flat surface for pumping equipment. For that reason, many employers designate a permanent lactation room. But if that’s not an option, you can offer a flexible space such as a manager’s office or supply room. You can even provide a mobile space like a pop-up tent if necessary.

The important thing is to ensure that it’s functional, private, shielded from view and available when the employee needs it. (Remember, under the Affordable Care Act, the space cannot be a restroom.)

The Department of Health & Human Services Office of Women’s Health shares common lactation spaces used in various industries:

Do You Need a Policy to Address Employee Side Hustles?

Rebecca Wilson — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:15:13 GMT

In some circles, side hustles have taken on mythic proportions. They may be a way to demonstrate personal passions and hidden talents, save for a dream vacation or test out a business venture.

On the other hand, side hustles can also be born of stress and financial necessity. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reports that 50% of people with side jobs said they needed the extra money to make ends meet.

Regardless of the reasoning, many of your employees are likely engaged with outside work. Forty percent of workers have a side hustle, according to a 2022 survey by The Harris Poll. And that number is likely to grow as younger employees enter the workforce. HR Morning reports that millennials and Generation Z employees are most likely to have a side gig.

This growing prevalence is why many employers have chosen not to limit side projects as long as job performance stays strong. By not restricting them outright, you show trust in your employees’ work ethic and judgment.

But given the growth of side hustles and the potential for workplace conflict, a written policy can provide valuable guidance and expectations.

Before deciding on your policy, it helps to understand side hustles and their potential pros and cons.

Is It Time to Address Sick Days for Your Remote Employees?

Rebecca Wilson — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:06:00 GMT

Over the past few years, the rise in remote work has become crystal clear. But an issue that remains hazy is the role of sick days for remote employees.

Two-thirds of remote workers are hesitant to use sick time, and 70% of respondents said they had worked through an illness, according to a 2020 survey by the medication company ColdCalm.

It may sound like a positive for remote employees to continue to work instead of missing time, especially since infecting coworkers at the office is not a concern. But research indicates that working while sick:

Mastering Form I-9 Completion and Avoiding Discrimination Claims

Admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:04:34 GMT

Employers must complete a Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) for every employee hired after Nov. 6, 1986. Form I-9 serves as proof that the employer has verified the employee’s identity and authorization to work legally in the U.S.

Addressing Pregnancy Loss in Your Leave Policies

Admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:50:18 GMT

Pregnancy loss can be physically challenging and emotionally devastating.

While employees who work immediately following a miscarriage are at risk of worsening physical and mental health outcomes, that scenario has been the norm for most employees experiencing pregnancy loss. More than 90% of women who have had a miscarriage or stillbirth did not take a single day of leave, according to a survey by the company ratings platform InHerSight.

The following sections will help you examine current laws related to pregnancy loss, the growing movement of employer efforts and recommendations for creating a policy in your organization.

Few legal protections, but a growing emphasis

Conducting a Workplace Investigation?

Carol Bartlett — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:03:10 GMT

Conducting a workplace investigation can be necessary when an employee is accused of inappropriate behavior, such as making inappropriate comments or groping a coworker. It can also be necessary when someone complains that an employee is siphoning the company’s inventory or when a supervisor is allegedly speaking to their team members in an offensive, demeaning, and bullying tone.

While each case is different, it’s important to follow the same framework to ensure that all investigations are fair, thorough, and legally compliant. When you successfully address the root cause of the issue and take appropriate corrective action, you minimize the risk of harm to the affected individuals and the business at large.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to conduct an effective workplace investigation, from complaint to closure:

Step 1: Determine if an investigation is necessary

Whenever an informal or formal complaint is raised, or the employer learns of conduct that raises a red flag, an investigation is generally in order. Not investigating could expose the organization to liability if it knew or should have known about the situation but failed to address it.

Step 2: Determine if immediate removal is necessary

Are there times when the immediate removal of an employee from the workplace would be justified without an investigation? Maybe. Let’s say an employee lunges at someone with a knife. In that case, immediate removal from the workplace under a zero-tolerance workplace violence policy could be considered justified.

However, in most cases, it’s best to suspend the employee with pay while you investigate the incident. Always consult with counsel as needed.

Step 3: Do not promise confidentiality

While you should try to maintain confidentiality, don’t promise the complainant or anyone else involved in the investigation that everything they share will be kept confidential. That’s because the information they provide may need to be shared with the accused or witnesses to elicit relevant information during the investigation.

If someone asks whether the information, they’re sharing will be kept confidential, let them know it may be shared with others on a need-to-know basis, but reassure them that the process will be conducted with discretion.

Step 4: Separate the accuser from the accused, if necessary

If the allegation involves harassment or a hostile work environment, you may need to immediately separate the accuser from the accused. This could mean a schedule change or a transfer but be careful not to do anything that could be construed as a penalty against either employee at this point.

For example, a complaint about workplace harassment is considered a legally protected activity. If the accuser is subjected to an adverse employment action, such as an involuntary transfer, due to the accusation, they could have grounds for a retaliation claim. This is true even if the underlying harassment claim proves to be unfounded.

Step 5: Select an investigator

The investigator will dictate the tone, scope, and quality of the investigation. Select someone who is experienced, knowledgeable about applicable labor and employment laws, detail-oriented, neutral when interviewing the accuser, accused, and potential witnesses, and can maintain decorum and confidentiality as needed. Consider an HR professional or in-house attorney or hire a third-party investigator if there is a risk of actual or perceived bias.

Step 6: Develop a game plan

Create a detailed plan for the investigation, including what the issue or complaint is, who will be interviewed initially, what questions will be asked, what documentation may be available as supporting evidence, and the process for taking and retaining information disclosed during the investigation. Be prepared to give yourself time as the length of the investigation can vary depending on how many people need to be interviewed and evaluating everyone’s credibility.

Step 7: Conduct the investigation

Follow a consistent framework for conducting the investigation, such as interviewing the accuser, identifying who to interview next based on their statement, assessing the credibility of all parties who have been interviewed, and producing an appropriate action to be taken based on the findings.

Write an investigation report summarizing what the investigator did and why, the timeline of the investigation, how the complaint came about, the interviews conducted, any other evidence considered, the findings, action taken to remedy the situation, and any employment policies or procedures factored into the investigation.

Step 8: Credibility determinations, interviews, and investigation notes

Assess the credibility of witnesses by considering several factors, such as whether their statement corroborates what others have said, whether they fully observed what happened, their reputation for being truthful or dishonest, their recollection of what happened, whether they have a motive to lie, and their demeanor during the interview.

Take detailed investigation notes and keep interviews uniform and impartial to avoid inconsistency in the way interviews are conducted, making your workplace investigations effective.

A workplace investigation could easily come under scrutiny by a government agency, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a judge or a jury. Be sure you have meticulously followed all the steps in the process and that the final report is sufficient to defend the organization against any subsequent claims. If you look back on a workplace investigation and see missteps that could spark future liability, focus on correcting them for future investigations.

Remember that any documentation, including notes and emails, may later be discoverable if a lawsuit results; talk to counsel if you have questions about discoverability issues.

Step 9: Take corrective action

If evidence of discrimination is present, intervene immediately, correct any discriminatory effects, and prevent the discrimination from happening again. Document the results of the investigation and any corrective action taken.

To ensure that your workplace investigation policies and practices are effective, be sure investigators are well-trained, keep an up-to-date list of qualified outside investigators to call on, regularly review and update organizational policies, and conduct an organizational assessment to see if you can spot patterns or practices that may have an adverse effect on the workplace culture.

If you ever feel in over your head or the investigation reveals systemic patterns of discriminatory or otherwise unlawful conduct, consider getting an attorney involved as soon as possible. An attorney who is adept at workplace investigations can help you navigate any challenges while preserving privilege, where it applies, if the allegations also spark a lawsuit.

Effective Workplace Investigation Example

Here is an example of a workplace investigation cited by the EEOC:

An employee complains that their supervisor disciplined them more harshly than their colleagues because of their race. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race. And the organization has a written policy stating that employees must be treated fairly, which means they cannot be singled out because of their race or any other protected trait when being subjected to an adverse employment action.

How should the organization respond? According to the EEOC, it is critical to take the complaint seriously and investigate it so the alleged misconduct does not continue to happen. Start by:

Asking the employee to explain why they believe they were treated differently and to identify the employees they think were treated more favorably
Asking their manager to explain the disciplinary actions taken against them, as well as the disciplinary actions taken against other employees who committed similar infractions, the reason for the actions and the reason any employees may have been treated more favorably than others
Determining whether the disciplinary policy has been consistently applied (This will need to consider whether the complainant and the alleged comparators are first-time or repeat offenders of the same or similar infractions, since the level of discipline may be different depending on the number and type of offenses.)
Considering whether there is some other reason the employee was treated differently

If evidence of discrimination is present, the EEOC says to intervene immediately, correct any discriminatory effects and prevent the discrimination from happening again.

In this example, the disciplinary action to which the employee has been subjected should be amended. And if they would have received any pay, seniority or other benefits had they not been disciplined, those should be awarded, too.

The organization would then need to decide whether the manager who administered the disparate discipline should be disciplined and if so, how. From there, the organization should inform them about the investigation, the results, and the basis for the action.

In addition, the EEOC says to document the results of the investigation and any corrective action taken.

Extra tips for an airtight workplace investigation

Now is a good time to review your workplace investigation policies and practices to ensure you are effectively handling employee complaints from intake to closure.

Ogletree Deakins notes that internal investigations often reveal “ongoing, large-scale, institutional” issues, which, if left unremedied, could open the organization up to increased legal risks and lower employee morale. Here are four proactive steps they recommend ensuring you are well prepared for an internal investigation:

Be sure investigators are well trained to:
- Interpret new vernacular being used in employee complaints
- Draft investigatory reports
- Handle nuanced and complex matters
Keep an up-to-date list of qualified outside investigators to call on.
Regularly review and update organizational policies, paying special attention to your code of conduct, procedures for handling complaints and whistleblower protections.
Conduct an organizational assessment to see if you can spot patterns or practices that may have an adverse effect on the workplace culture.

Conducting an effective workplace investigation and following a consistent framework is crucial to ensure fairness, thoroughness, and legal compliance, while minimizing harm to the individuals involved and the organization.

Blue Ridge Risk Partners is a top 75 independent insurance agency in the United States. With 20+ offices throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware and West Virginia and access to hundreds of carriers, we are able to meet your unique insurance needs.

Providing Health Coverage To Employees: Tax Break?

Rebecca Wilson — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:55:00 GMT

Key Takeaways

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Tips for Documenting Manager-Employee Conversations

Rebecca Wilson — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:49:17 GMT

When in doubt, document. That’s the expert advice you should give your managers when discussing important job-related matters with employees.

What's the Difference: Self Funded, Fully Insured & Level Funded Plans

Rebecca Wilson — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:44:29 GMT

Self- Funded Insurance: Refers to a type of health insurance arrangement where the employer assumes the financial risk for providing healthcare benefits to employees, typically by paying claims directly rather than purchasing a traditional insurance policy.

HSA vs. FSA: What's the Difference? | Blue Ridge Risk Partners

Rebecca Wilson — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:49:25 GMT

Both a health savings account (HSA) and a flexible spending account (FSA) are tax-advantaged savings accounts that help you save money on qualified medical expenses. Though they may have some similar features, they are distinct from one another.