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Many organizations are realizing that HR executives’ mandate extends beyond figuring out the firm’s health insurance and writing the employee handbook. They are key to creating a positive work culture and attracting (and keeping) talented employees—all essential to the success of any enterprise. In the world of human resources, Mike Feiner and Bill Conaty are known as the progenitors of two of the world’s greatest coaching trees.

Organizations that want to develop or retain a competitive advantage should create a diverse and inclusive environment where all can thrive. This means addressing both the company-wide structural and behavioral issues that may be preventing people from achieving their full potential. It also means taking on an approach involving six choices and seeing how they can be applied effectively by underrepresented employees.

Whether an employee leaves for another job or because the employer decided it was time for the employee to go, employers typically need to figure out how to replace a departing worker. Sometimes, the break is clean. Other times, it can be complicated. Regardless of the reason or circumstance, now-former employees may have post-employment obligations to the business or organization that employers should immediately consider and, if necessary, act upon.

The trend of states legalizing both medical and recreational marijuana use continues to gain momentum. Unfortunately for employers, this also means having to wade through an ever-growing patchwork of marijuana laws across the country. The latest development addresses one discrete but important distinction for recreationally legalized marijuana. Employers would be wise to consider their reasons for having zero-tolerance policies and whether those policies can be tailored to avoid confusion on the ‘lawful product’ interpretation.

On the day that New York State honored the U.S. women’s soccer team for their World Cup victory—a team whose members have publicly demanded pay equity with the U.S. men’s soccer team—Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation amending the state’s pay equity law. Employers everywhere should pay attention to developments on the state and local wage front, as issues of pay and pay equity continue to occupy center stage.

Employers of all sizes inadvertently put themselves at risk by not having a policy establishing how long to continue benefits during a leave of absence (LOA). So, before the important questions arise, employers should establish an LOA Policy that considers employee needs, carrier contractual provisions, federal and state benefit regulations, and the employer’s company culture. Having a policy in place and regularly updated will minimize costly risks, as well as create an easier path to communication when employees will need it most.

With the implementation of California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) set to go into effect January 1, 2020, anyone doing businesses with California residents should not only be preparing their digital strategies to comply with the new law, they should also be assessing their risk and reviewing their cyber insurance and adequacy of limits. Why? Now, at $100 minimum per individual incident, a small data breach of 5,000 people equates to $500,000 in damages. Given the minimum statutory damage provision, expect a significant uptick in class action lawsuits following data breaches.

Posting fabulous vacation moments on Facebook—from a boat in Belize, to the top of a mountain in Chamonix—might be a fun way to share experiences with your friends, but it’s also a great way to let bad actors know your home is empty and ripe for a break-in. Similarly, broadcasting details of a college semester abroad on Instagram increases the risk of a kidnapping for ransom. With some commonsense ways, families can strengthen their digital security and help their children get smart about their social media usage.