HR Insights - July 2025

When you’re running a business, HR is rarely front and center. It lives somewhere between "I'll get to it later" and "Wait, is that due today?" Until, of course, something explodes - a vacation clash that derails a project, a burnt-out employee who resigns out of nowhere, or a compliance check that sends you digging through folders like you're on a scavenger hunt.

But here’s the good news: these headaches? They’re solvable. Often with a few practical shifts that don’t require a full-blown HR department or a six-month rollout plan. Let’s dig into what that looks like.

Managing people is hard enough without spending hours each week sorting through digital clutter and post-it notes to decode who actually requested time off first.

Helping small business owners escape the spreadsheet-and-email vortex of managing time away from work is one of my superpowers. Here’s what that’s looked like lately:

• A retail client was losing two hours a week just trying to find the right employee documents. Now? It takes seconds. Those hours are going toward revenue-driving work instead of admin.

• A service provider kept getting pulled into "I swear I submitted that time-off request first" debates. Their new HR system flags vacation overlaps automatically, saving them both awkward conversations and last-minute staffing scrambles.

• A construction company had three different spreadsheets and a pile of manual timesheets just to prep payroll. We streamlined it all into one app. Payroll now takes minutes instead of hours, and employees love being able to clock in from their phones.

HR systems today are flexible, surprisingly affordable, and far easier to implement than most folks expect. I even created a guide to help you figure out what might work best for your business.

Want a copy? Reach out here and I’ll send it your way.

Gallup reports over a quarter of U.S. employees are experiencing burnout - but most won’t bring it up until they’re already looking for another job.

What can you do? It starts with a simple check-in:

"How's your workload this week—too much, too little, or about right?"

Not only does this invite open conversation, but it can also flag issues early. I’ve seen managers help employees reprioritize work in five minutes flat - preventing weeks of frustration (and quiet quitting).

Minimum wage increases in over 20 states have created a new challenge: compression.

That’s when your experienced employees are making just a little more than your new hires - and they’re starting to notice. Morale drops. Turnover rises. And pretty soon, you're spending more on backfilling than if you'd addressed the issue upfront.

Not sure where your pay structure stands? This is exactly the kind of thing we can map out in an HR SOS Session. One hour, one problem, one plan.

Flexible schedules are great - until no one knows when they're actually off. I've worked with teams where "just a quick message" at 9 p.m. has become the norm.

Fixing this doesn’t require a policy overhaul. It takes clear expectations and managers who model what boundaries look like. "After 6, I’m offline. We’ll pick this up in the morning." That simple.

You’re not imagining it: your team is still feeling the cost-of-living squeeze. And you might be, too.

But I’ve seen businesses take smart, budget-conscious steps that really matter to their people:

• An accountancy firm adjusted work hours so employees could avoid peak travel costs. Absenteeism dropped.

• A tech company swapped unused snack budgets for grocery vouchers. Team morale went up.

• A construction business brought in their local credit union for a lunch-and-learn. Three employees discovered they qualified for hardship support.

These small efforts send a big message: We see you. We care. And that kind of loyalty? It can’t be bought.

Q: What if an employee shows up smelling like alcohol?

Handle it privately, calmly, and with a focus on safety. If they’re in a safety-critical role, they need to step away. Offer support, not shame. Your substance misuse policy should guide the next steps.

Q: Do we have to give annual raises?

Not legally. But with inflation, no raise can feel like a pay cut. If cash is tight, consider other ways to show appreciation like flexibility, extra PTO, or recognition.

Q: Can we ask a candidate why they left their last job?

Absolutely. Just ask it with curiosity, not suspicion. Their answer tells you a lot about how they handle tough situations.

If any of this feels familiar - whether it's a comp issue, a burnout red flag, or an admin system that makes you want to scream—I can help.

Two ways to work with me:

👉 Need answers fast? Book an HR SOS Session. It’s a focused 60-minute working session to tackle your biggest HR headache, with a written action plan and recording.

👉 Want to chat through your HR needs first? Book a free 30-minute consultation. No pressure, just a practical conversation to figure out your next steps.

You didn’t sign up to be an HR expert - but luckily, I did.

Let’s make the people stuff easier.