Happy Hump Day! It's hard to believe we're already nearing the end of the year. Many of the organizations we work with are navigating challenging times—they’re operating with lean teams, are resource-constrained while they fundraise, and are forced to do more with less.  

I suggest to companies that are weathering the storm 🌨 to reflect on how far your organization has come and to set the vision for your future. Here are a few tips for communicating a vision of strength in difficult times:

1. Be transparent about your current reality – Clearly explain your org’s current challenges, such as limited resources or the absence of year-end bonuses, and why these constraints exist. Setting the context helps build trust and alignment.

2. Share a compelling vision – Paint a vivid picture of what you're working towards as an organization or department. Help your team see the "light at the end of the tunnel" and understand the purpose driving your efforts.

3. Outline the path forward – Break down the specific steps your team will take to move from today’s challenges to achieving your vision. Clearly define priorities, initiatives, and contributions that will get your org there.

We had our last All Hands of the year this week. I took the time to reflect on the past and set the stage for our future. Two years ago, I spent my time actively consulting alongside two full-time colleagues in a barely breakeven business. Now, we have seven full-time and six part-time employees in a successfully growing business. We’re focused on delivering value to our clients and building our brand on social media, through our newsletter and valuable partnerships. Being able to tell that story at the end of the year and frame 2025 was incredibly impactful (and fun to reminisce!) 

End-of-year All Hands or first All Hands of the year meetings are the perfect time to tell and frame your story. If you want some advice on how to navigate those communications, I would be happy to chat! Feel free to respond directly to this email.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! ☃️🥂

Emma

PFunc PSA

Client Corner

We’re excited to have added so many new clients to our roster that span across many industries and stages. Below are a few of our latest clients:

1. IMC - IMC creates engaging and tailored events that turn ordinary brand interactions into unforgettable experiences. With a focus on collaboration and creativity, they ensure every event meets strategic goals and sparks joy!

2. Prime, Tuvel, & Miceli - Prime, Tuvel, & Miceli is a full-service law firm specializing in land use and real estate development across New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. 

3. Rho - Rho transforms how businesses manage their finances by providing a platform that combines checking accounts, corporate credit cards, expense management, and treasury services— designed to simplify cash flow and enhance control.

We’re thrilled to be working with their teams!

In Case You Missed It…

Below are a few of the latest HR regulatory and compliance updates published within the last few months:

• Paid Family & Medical Leave Updates Coming in 2025: 2025 is bringing significant updates to Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) laws across several U.S. states and cities. 

  • California (effective 1/1/25): Paid family leave benefits will increase to 70% of average weekly earnings or 90% for employees earning under a certain income level

  • Connecticut (effective 1/1/25): The paid sick leave law will expand its employer coverage and broaden the definitions of eligibility, accrual rates, and documentation requirements.

  • Delaware (effective 1/1/25): Employers must begin withholding employee contributions for the new Healthy Delaware Families Act (HDFA) via payroll deduction.

  • Maine (effective 1/1/25): Employers must make quarterly payroll contributions to fund PFML benefits, which will be available beginning May 1, 2026.

  • New York (effective 1/1/25): The paid sick leave law will include prenatal leave in addition to the existing sick leave entitlement.

  • Michigan (effective 2/21/25): Michigan’s Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA) will replace the Paid Medical Leave Act (PMLA).

  • Chicago, Illinois (effective 7/1/25): Employers with 51-100 employees in Chicago must pay out all unused, accrued paid leave at the employee’s final pay rate upon separation or transfer outside of the city.

  • Maryland (effective 7/1/25): Maryland’s PFML program will launch. Employers and employees should prepare for contributions and benefit disbursements. 

  • Minnesota (effective 11/1/25): PFML law will require employers to post workplace notices and provide written information to employees.

  • Oklahoma (effective 1/1/25): Employers who provide paid leave for employees to volunteer as poll workers will be eligible for an income tax credit.

  • Oregon (effective 1/1/25): Paid Leave Oregon (PLO) will allow employees to take leave for the legal process for foster child placement or adoption.

  • Washington (effective. 1/1/25): The state will expand the qualifying reasons for leave and the definition of family members.

On the PFunc Market

Talent Spotlight

Below are a few fantastic, vetted folks who are actively on the market looking for new roles and consulting opportunities. Please reach out directly to the candidates or reply to this email if you’d like to learn more!

• Lauren Catenacci, PhD, Culture Advisor. Lauren is an organizational psychologist and fractional Culture advisor who helps companies build exceptional cultures, drive engagement, and develop leadership capability. She leverages her psychology, coaching, and team dynamics expertise to design research-backed leadership programs to move the needle on employee engagement. Lauren is open to part-time roles. 

• Ummer Pena, HR Manager. Ummer is a dedicated HR professional and a proud new mom. With a background in recruiting and HR management, she brings a compassionate and people-focused approach to her work. Ummer is open to full-time or temp-to-perm HRBP or HR Generalist roles. 

• Anonymous Candidate, Sr. HRBP. This candidate has 10+ years of experience in HRBP and people operations roles at high-growth organizations. Currently a People Partner at a global tech company, they are looking for a new role where they can drive org effectiveness, improve employee relations, and implement strategic people programs. They are open to full-time HRBP or Senior HR Leadership roles. (Reply to this email for an introduction!)

If you’re on the market for a new role in HR/People Operations, Business Operations, or Leadership & Executive and Executive support roles, and you’d like to be featured in our “Talent Spotlight” section, please submit your information here.

Open Roles with our Clients

As we approach the new year, we’re noticing a surge in roles across our clients—and the broader market—focused on people operations, total rewards, and benefits. Take a look at the opportunities at our current & former clients below:

• Alma: Manager, Benefits - this role will oversee all aspects of Alma’s benefits programs, ensuring that they are comprehensive, competitive, and responsive to the needs of their exempt and non-exempt populations. This role combines strategic planning and hands-on admin to ensure that benefits offerings are meaningful, accessible, and aligned with organizational goals.

• Notion: Global Head of Total Rewards, People Operations, and Analytics - this role will design and implement global compensation and benefits strategies, overseeing the HR technology stack and leading the People Operations function.

• Sneak Peek: We have a client who will be hiring for two key roles on their team over the next few weeks:

  • Vice President of Total Rewards - this role will redefine designing, leading, and continuously optimizing the Total Rewards strategy to foster a high-performance culture, adapt to a changing workforce, and drive employee engagement.

  • Senior Benefits Specialist - this role will serve as the primary point of contact for employees, delivering outstanding employee engagement in all matters related to benefits, health and wellness, enrollments, retirement, and voluntary benefits programs.

If you have an open role at your company that you’d like to highlight in our next newsletter, please reply to this email!

PFunc News & Resources

Team Member Spotlight

Kara Patrovic is one of the newest members of our Compensation Strategy team! After studying business and social entrepreneurship at UNC-Chapel Hill, they began their career in healthcare, transitioned to analytics, and discovered their passion for HR through that work. They now work at UNC Health and PFunc, focusing on implementing compensation policies, with a strong interest in pay equity and aligning strategies with organizational values.

PFunc Highlights

• Building & Leading Teams @ Notion - Last month, our founder, Emma Leeds, led an interactive workshop on Building & Leading Teams for a group of engineering managers at Notion HQ in SF. The session was focused on teaching managers about the cyclical nature of teams and how to optimize for high performance through Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development. Managers walked away with practical skills, tools, techniques, and interventions to enhance their leadership and team-building capabilities. Could your team benefit from this interactive workshop session? Reply to this email to learn more about our trainings and customizable learning module offerings.

• PFunc @ AfroTech 2024 – Our very own Jalia Hines, HR & People Consultant, attended the AfroTech Conference a few weeks ago on behalf of PFunc, connecting with tech founders, entrepreneurs, professionals, and industry leaders from various companies worldwide. It was an impactful 4 days filled with learnings that we’re excited to apply to our work internally and with our clients!

PFunc Recommended Resources

• Justworks - our partners at Justworks are running two promotions for new and existing Justworks customers! Check out the details below and reply to this email if you’re interested in learning more: 

  • International PEO Offer! 6 months of free EOR administration fees. Eligible for existing Justworks PEO customers or new customers who sign up for both PEO and EOR. This promo is not applicable to Global-First-only (EOR-only) customers and cannot be combined with other discounts. This promo ends on December 31, 2024.

  • Payroll Offer! 3 Months of free payroll services. Eligible for companies new to Justworks that sign up by December 31, 2024, with services activated and starting by January 31, 2025. 

• Hoola Hoop - PFunc recommends Hoola Hoop for exec coaching and leadership development, especially for C-suite leaders looking to elevate their impact. They assist with everything from strategic business planning and mergers and acquisitions preparation to managing stakeholder relationships. Their coaches — seasoned former CEOs and C-level executives — bring invaluable real-world expertise to help leaders overcome challenges and drive success.

Ask the Experts

If you have HR-related questions that you’d like to see featured in our “Ask the Experts” section, please submit them here. You may see your question in our next newsletter!

Question:

“I’ve been assigned to lead our company’s return to office initiative in 2025. Our team has been working remotely since 2020… what guidance, best practices, or learnings do you have to manage this change best?“

Answer:

Leading a return-to-office (RTO) initiative after four years of remote work requires thoughtful planning, clear communication, and a people-first approach to avoid an uprising. Here’s how to navigate this transition effectively, with actionable examples to support employees at every step:

• Define and Communicate the “Why”: Articulate the reasons behind returning to the office and how it aligns with the organization’s goals. Transparency and consistency are key.

  • Host town halls for senior leadership to explain the vision and goals of RTO and answer questions.

  • Send regular email updates about the change, including FAQs, timelines, and success stories from other companies managing the RTO process.

• Acknowledge the Challenges and Offer Support: Transitioning back to in-person work will be difficult for some employees. Show empathy and provide resources to ease this adjustment.

  • Create flexible “transition periods,” allowing employees to work 2-3 days in the office for the first few months.

  • Partner with mental health providers to offer on-site support or expanded Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).

  • Managers host regular check-ins with direct reports to understand individual challenges and offer personalized solutions.

• Incentivize the Return: Motivate employees by addressing their concerns and offering meaningful benefits.

  • Introduce stay bonuses, merit increases, or equity refreshes.

  • Provide commuter benefits stipends or subsidized parking passes.

  • Offer childcare or eldercare reimbursement programs to alleviate family-related challenges.

  • Highlight in-person professional development opportunities, mentorship programs, and on-site training sessions.

• Create a Compelling In-Office Experience: Ensure the office is more than just a workspace—it should be a welcoming, productive environment employees look forward to.

  • Upgrade the office environment with ergonomic furniture, standing desks, collaborative spaces, dedicated quiet zones, phone booths, and well-equipped conference rooms for diverse work needs.

  • Organize in-office perks, such as catered breakfast lunches, social hours, or snack and coffee bars. 

  • Hold team-building events, like game nights or volunteer days, to foster camaraderie.

  • Designate a “welcome back” day or series of events with fun activities, company swag, and guest speakers.

• Secure Leadership Buy-In: Leaders must model the behavior they want to see and show that everyone is held to the same standards and expectations. 

  • Ensure all senior leaders and managers commit to working in the office regularly and in shared spaces instead of isolated offices.

  • Have leaders communicate directly with their teams about the importance of returning to the office and their personal commitment to the transition. 

  • Encourage leaders to schedule team lunches, one-on-one meetings, or brainstorming sessions in person to reinforce the benefits of collaboration.

• Normalize Turnover and Embrace Change: Not everyone will embrace the shift. Accept this as an opportunity to bring new talent into the organization while maintaining morale and professionalism.

  • Prioritize conducting thoughtful exit interviews to understand why employees are leaving and identify any common concerns.

  • Reassess team structures, align roles with business needs, and recruit talent with the skills needed for long-term success.

  • Highlight internal mobility opportunities for employees who want to take on new challenges post-RTO.

Leading with empathy, adaptability, and clear communication is the key to a successful return-to-office transition. By genuinely listening to employees’ needs, embracing flexibility, and fostering an inclusive environment, you can build a workplace where talent thrives and engagement soars. The office can become a hub of connection, creativity, and shared success with the right approach.

Stay in Touch!

Are you interested in fractional HR support for your team? Reply to this email or click contact us to learn more about our offerings, pricing, and how we can support your growing company.

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