Kenco, a third-party logistics company based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, did “very well” during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Rebecca Wilson, group VP of HR.

Spurred by supply-chain challenges and demand for items such as toilet paper, Kenco’s business grew, as did the size of its workforce, which increased over 19% from March 2020 to December 2021. But this business boom also brought to light the chasm between working arrangements afforded to corporate and hourly employees. While salaried Kenco employees were able to work from home, Wilson and her team realized the company’s hourly workers desired flexibility, as well.

“For those with hourly shift workers, I’m sure you know how hard it is to give flexibility in that space,” Wilson said, while presenting at a panel at the Best Place for Working Parents national summit in Nashville on May 10. These employees make up the majority of Kenco’s 7,000-person workforce, with about 5,500 working hourly shifts.

To afford hourly workers more flexibility, Kenco invested in technology that allows them to swap shifts with colleagues, as well as log their absences more easily, Wilson said. She described how the technologies have allowed shift workers to take time off during work days to spend time with their families.

Keep reading here.—CV

Ever get really excited about a great software developer candidate, but then they just don’t complete their technical assessment? Well, it’s probably because your assessment just wasn’t connecting with your candidate.

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Welcome to HR 101. Class is now in session. Today’s discussion is about paid volunteer time-off (VTO).

The history. Wells Fargo claims to be the first big bank to offer its employees paid VTO, introducing the initiative in 1976. It was a relatively novel idea at the time, but one the organization felt would not only benefit the community it served, but its employees.

Since then, other employers have slowly adopted their own VTO policies. In 2002, 19% of employers offered paid VTO, according to SHRM data shared with HR Brew via PR rep Anne Sparaco. By 2023, that number had reached 28%.

Fast-forward. Some employers that currently offer paid VTO include toy company Hasbro, which provides its employees with four hours of paid VTO each month. Apparel retailer Timberland and private-company data provider Crunchbase offer their employees 40 and 32 hours of paid VTO annually, respectively.

Keep reading here.—AS

Health outcomes and access to care in the US can vary widely—even for workers employed by the same company and offered the same insurance plans.

These disparities are partly driven by social determinants of health (SDOH), or factors such as geographic location, financial security, and access to food and housing that contribute to health outcomes. With these trends in mind, many employers have started working with their health plans to address health inequities and gaps in care within their employee populations.

For multinational employers, this might look like establishing a global minimum standard so workers receive similar benefits, no matter the country in which they’re based. If companies have employees based across the US, they can dig into data from their insurance partners to better understand how specific populations are utilizing their benefits, experts told Healthcare Brew.

Keep reading on Healthcare Brew.—CV

AI has heart. Get this: 62% of candidates believe AI will make the recruitment process more human. The people believe in AI, and Aptitude Research has the deets. They surveyed 350+ HR and talent leaders on the impact of AI on the candidate experience, and the results are huge. Take a look.

Ready to take your HR game to the next level? Discover how innovative tools like AI-driven learning platforms and gamified training sessions can transform your workplace. Learn from industry experts who have successfully navigated the integration of these technologies and get actionable insights to implement in your own organization. Join us this week and see how technology can be your greatest ally in building a dynamic, engaged workforce. Register now.