Dissension between HR and company leaders can put employees in an awkward position and undercut HR's credibility within the organization, writes Liz Kislik, president of Liz Kislik Associates. Kislik recommends holding an open discussion about disagreements and offers ways all stakeholders can help nurture a productive conversation.

Attract and keep more freelance and temporary employees by offering a menu of optional benefits such as virtual health care, paid leave and savings plans, writes Sean Mehra, chief strategy officer for HealthTap. "Helping to find and implement solutions that extend affordable health care options to an external workforce is not solely good for the bottom line, it's good for an organization's overall morale and the greater community," Mehra writes.

A survey by the National Business Group on Health found that in 2020, for the third year in a row, fewer companies will offer high-deductible health plans as the only option for employees. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation report showed 58% of covered employees worked for companies that had at least one HDHP for 2019, while 76% were at companies that offered a PPO plan.

Employees say their organizations lag when it comes to adopting new technologies and they want integration to happen at a faster pace, according to a recent Zensar survey of 1,000 workers. The data shows that 43.8% of workers attribute the slow adoption to company concerns over incremental expenses and 31.4% attribute it their company's "wait-and-see approach to new technology."

To build team morale, seek top leaders' support for recognizing and engaging employees and provide a platform for sharing recognition, writes Miriam Wallace, vice president of HR at Presbyterian Homes. "A simple expression of 'thanks' still goes a long way," she writes.