Verna Boyd, a post-surgical and cardiac nurse for over 25 years, was devastated when she learned she had breast cancer in March 2021. Due to the aggressive nature of the treatment, she had to take time away from her career. By March 2023, Boyd was told that she was free from cancer, and she was ready to return to work. That was easier said than done.

Boyd said prospective employers would ask about the gap in her résumé, and after she explained it was for cancer treatment, Boyd felt she had to explain that she was still capable of doing the job and had kept up with her certifications. After three failed interviews, Boyd felt she needed assistance, so she sought out resources designed to help those who have been out of the workforce for an extended period of time due to a sickness or disability. In May 2023, she landed a nursing position at an East Carolina University medical center.

Those who have been out of the workforce for an extended period due to cancer often face challenges returning. Concerns such as those expressed by Boyd, as well as “fear of the unknown,” often prevent hiring managers from tapping this talent, said Diane Winiarski, director at Allsup Employment Services, a government authorized employment network that assists with social security disability insurance benefits.

As HR pros contend with skills shortages, they may want to consider how they can recruit and retain cancer survivors, who, Winiarski said, are often “stronger” and “more committed” workers.

Keep reading here.—AS

Compliance can be a complicated process when you’re struggling to keep up with complex, constantly changing regulations.

Paylocity wants to take the complex out of compliance—and they wanna show you exactly how they make it nice and easy for your org to stay compliant with a self-paced, interactive tour of their Compliance Dashboard.

Paylocity’s got three key digital employee touchpoints and tools to help your org stay compliant:

• Onboarding helps ensure new hires start ready for work.
• Advanced Scheduling minimizes compliance risk with role-based scheduling.
• Learning offers courses on topics like workplace safety and cybersecurity.

With the Paylocity Compliance Dashboard, you can see all your important employee compliance info in one place.

Take a tour today.

LinkedIn this month showcased its AI-powered features for users, like AI-generated writing assistance, and a bot assistant for its premium users to navigate the site, spruce up their profiles, and find the perfect next job.

But the professional networking site also announced new features to improve the experience for recruiters using its LinkedIn Recruiter platform, and how they can improve the recruiting experience.

New AI features will address the drudgery of recruiting to allow TA pros to spend more time doing what they do best: networking and building relationships with potential employers. Early adopters are already reaping the benefits, according to the company. LinkedIn’s new AI-assisted messages, for instance, offer TA pros a hand when crafting InMail messages to potential candidates. The AI helps tailor the message to each candidate based on their profile.

Zoom out. LinkedIn’s CPO Tomer Cohen told TechCrunch last week that the company has been building out its AI features since 2007. LinkedIn has been actively rolling out new AI-enabled features since October 2023.

Keep reading here.—AD

Some employees are so eager for a four-day workweek that they would accept a pay cut in exchange. No, really, you read that correctly. One in five of the 1,250 full-time workers surveyed by Resume Builder in April said they’d take a pay cut if it meant only working four days a week.

People’s relationships with their careers have changed, Julia Toothacre, résumé and career strategist at Resume Builder, told HR Brew, and many want to work for organizations that understand they have lives outside of their jobs. Employers that offer employees flexibility are more likely to engender loyalty in their workforces.

“When you start throwing around a four-day workweek, that screams, ‘I’m an advocate for you in your life,’” Toothacre said. “It shows employees and job-seekers that we care about your work-life balance and we want to try to make that work.”

Zoom out. Only 9% of US employers offer a four-day workweek, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. However, some of the organizations that have adopted this schedule say it has improved recruitment and retention efforts.

Keep reading here.—AS

The compounding toll of grief. Bereavement can have a profound impact on mental health and well-being—which is why accommodating bereavement leave is a critical aspect of supporting employees and mitigating burnout. Empathy’s State of Bereavement Leave guide identifies the mental health implications of these policies and offers care-driven improvements to consider. Get the guide.

Imagine your favorite tech gadget supercharging your team’s growth. HR tech might not have the hype of the latest smartphone, but it’s becoming just as essential in today’s workplace. With evolving expectations, quiet quitting, and fluctuating employee engagement, modern HR strategies must adapt. Join our virtual event as we chat with experts who share tips on leveraging new technology to boost team growth and development. Technology isn’t taking your job—it’s here to help. Register now.