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An estimated 400,000 additional workers will now qualify for family leave in New Jersey under the new law. The amendments to the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA) expand who qualifies for protected leave and how long employers may be required to hold a position open for an employee. Requirement Before July 17, 2026 Starting July 17, 2026 Employer Size 30+ employees worldwide 15+ employees worldwide Employee Tenure 12 months of employment 3 months of employment Hours Worked

HR leaders have long measured employees' experience by engagement, retention, and performance. Now comes a new metric which is gaining attention for its profound impact on all three: the Civility Index. Civility is more than simply being polite. It is upheld through three foundational principles: Empathy, Respect, and Trust. These guiding values enable organizations to create respectful environments that foster engagement, innovation, collaboration, and reduced turnover. When

A Unitarian Universalist woman, employed at a "large tech-entertainment company that she described as progressive", recently received a religious accommodation allowing her to opt out of using AI after arguing that its environmental and ethical implications conflicted with her sincerely held religious beliefs as a Unitarian Universalist. Rather than relying on AI-assisted coding, she wishes to write and review her code manually. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employ

In a significant development for employers that rely on global talent, a federal judge has struck down the controversial $100,000 fee imposed on certain H-1B visa petitions, ruling that the fee constituted an unlawful tax that exceeded presidential authority. While the recent decision offers temporary relief for affected employers, the legal battle is far from over. The ruling has already been appealed, and businesses should continue monitoring developments closely. The June

Summer hiring season is underway, and many businesses are preparing to bring on teens and college students to support seasonal operations, supplement staffing needs, and build early-stage talent pipelines. Whether an employer is hiring a high school student for a first job or onboarding a college intern for professional experience, it is important to understand the legal and operational requirements that govern young workers. Empire HR composed a guide that covers best practi

As a fractional HR I witness most conversations about AI centered around technology: Leadership is questioning which in tools to buy, which platforms to implement, and how quickly organizations can automate processes. But a growing body of research suggests that technology isn't necessarily the biggest obstacle to AI success. People are. A recent IBM study of 2,000 executives across 33 countries found that 59% of CEOs expect the influence of the Chief Human Resources Officer

Whether you have 20 employees or 200, the challenges you face when evaluating HR technology are unique and too often overlooked by software vendors and industry analysts alike. The Small Business Technology Gap Most HR technology conversations are built around the needs of large organizations. Features, implementation strategies, and support models are often designed for companies with specialized teams handling payroll, benefits, recruiting, performance management, and syste

When the original "The Devil Wears Prada" was released back in 2006, audiences were fascinated by Miranda Priestly’s leadership style. She was emotionally distant, and impossible to satisfy, yet somehow admired. Back in early 2000s workplace culture celebrated leaders who were brilliant but brutal and success justified hostile behavior. That is probably the reason that 20 years ago when I worked as a junior print buyer, stepping foot in the legendary Conde Nast cafeteria and

Leave of Absence policies feel like one of the simpler parts of HR, until someone actually needs to take leave. That is usually the moment managers are improvising, payroll is unclear, and nobody is fully confident about what the company is legally required to do. The handbook may contain well-written, legally compliant policies, but internally, managers and leadership teams are handling situations differently every time. That inconsistency creates significant legal and opera

I recently found a list I made as a young mother in preparation for my first job interview coming back from maternity leave back in early 2000s. Almost half a century later I stand by everything I wrote down and now, as an HR executive, I make sure to share these reasons with leaders looking to grow their teams. Federal and state laws prohibit discrimination in hiring based on gender or family status. Yet despite legal protections, as an HR executive I still meet leaders hol

If your current approach to HR consists of a few templates found online and a payroll system running in the background, you’re not alone. Most businesses start this way. HR is frequently the overlooked function. Leadership prioritizes sales, product, and operations but often undervalue HR. Leadership view HR as a "nice to have" function". and utilize DIY HR. This practice works, until it doesn’t. At some stage, what once felt efficient begins to create friction and ultimatel

International assignments are among the most significant investments an organization can make in its people. They are designed to expand market presence, transfer knowledge, and strengthen global leadership pipelines. Yet despite their strategic value, often these assignments fail due to culture gap. Too often, organizations select candidates based solely on performance, assuming that success in one environment will translate seamlessly into another. In reality, even moves be

According to recent reports, Mark Zuckerberg is building an AI clone of himself "so employees will feel like they're interacting with him directly". Accessibility or Over-Reliance, What Problem Are We Really Solving? I would like to ignore the hype, PR and endless jokes and focus on the intent: Accessibility. In general it is very welcoming when leaders want to be more available, more responsive, more “present.” Empire HR encourage leaders to be more accessible. However, I

I recently worked with an executive who was struggling with something many leaders face but rarely admit, the ability to delegate. She was highly capable, detail-oriented, and deeply committed to her team’s success. But over time, she found herself overloaded, working late nights, and constantly feeling like “it’s just easier if I do it myself.” The result wasn’t better performance, it was burnout, bottlenecks, and a team that was becoming increasingly dependent on her for ev

I recently participated in a Phase 1 interview process for an Assistant Principal vacancy at a local New York City High School. What stood out was the structured and efficient process (I admit, I underestimated the DOE). A group of school-based stakeholders collaborated to develop a consistent set of valid interview questions, each candidate was evaluated using the same rubric, and decisions were made efficiently and objectively, on the spot. No back-and-forth, no ambiguity,

For many small businesses, compliance is what gets pushed aside. It’s not flashy, it doesn’t feel strategic, and it’s easy to delay. But it’s also the area with the highest risk. Form I-9 compliance is treated as routine onboarding paperwork: important, but never a real cause to delay employees' start date. However, recent updates from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, combined with increased worksite enforcement, have significantly changed the risk landscape. What

Compliance, lawsuits, audits, and employee claims are a fair concern and can derail even the most promising companies. But what surprises most leaders is that a great HR partner doesn’t just protect your business, it actively fuels its growth. The challenge is that HR is at its best when nothing goes wrong. And “nothing going wrong” is invisible. No one thank you for the lawsuit that never happened. No one congratulate a successful onboarding and no one celebrate a low turn

Every March Madness alumni who haven’t stepped foot on campus in years rally behind their college teams. They wear the colors, attend watch parties, donate and proudly associate themselves with their Alma Mater. This isn’t just about basketball. It’s about belonging. And for HR leaders, March Madness is a masterclass in engagement and brand loyalty. Employer Branding - Loyalty That Lasts Decades Alumni are not being graded, paid, or incentivized. Yet their emotional connectio

Meta, among other Big Tech leaders, framed its recent decision for a massive layoffs as a "cost efficiency" but not everyone is convinced these cuts are what they claim to be. Critics have suggested some of the layoff activity is "AI Washing", where companies use AI as cover for over‑hiring during previous years. When employees can’t tell whether AI is truly transforming the workforce or just being used as a convenient justification, it becomes an immediate HR issue. What’s

One of the most common hiring mistakes leaders make happens before the first candidate even applies. A role gets posted quickly because the team needs help. The job description is pulled from an old template, expectations aren’t fully defined, and the team haven’t aligned on what success actually looks like. By the time interviews begin, the process is already confusing and creates mixed signals. The most effective hiring processes don’t start with posting a job. They start