Workplace trends are tricky to predict, as you never know what the future will hold. Unfortunately, 2014 is showing no signs of improvement and with the Affordable Care Act next year, there are going to be some major changes. Also, baby boomers are beginning to retire, and the entire concept of “work” is slowly changing. Hiring processes will most likely shift as recruiters tend to search the Internet and rely on word-of-mouth reputation. Our team at Exact Staff has gathered a list of top workplace trends for 2014 that may affect you directly.

• Healthcare will impact the workplace, significantly. According to CNN Money, 9 out of 14 economists say that businesses are delaying hiring due to the health care reform next year. The health care reform forces companies with 50 or more workers to provide healthcare starting in 2015. Some economists even feel that companies will be laying off more of their full-time staff and replacing them with contingent workers in order to avoid the penalty.
• The popularity of freelancing will increase. Currently, 17 million Americans are freelancers, contractors, or consultants, and in six years there will be more of them than full-time employees. Employers benefit greatly from freelancers because they are saving money by not having to pay benefits, and they get experts specific fields for specialized projects. Plus, freelancers often work from home instead of the office, saving companies money.
• The gender pay gap will finally s tart to close. If you breakdown pay by generation, there isn’t much discrepancy between Generation Y. For example, there is only a 2 to 3 percent difference between male and female pay across all generations, and the gap is smallest for Millennials. The gap will continue to shrink as more women are being educated, and more men are leaving the workforce. Millennials are all about equality, which also will help to close the gap.
• Employers continue to find new ways of filtering out candidates. Applying to jobs is highly competitive and the reason is simple: fewer jobs and more candidates. Companies are now filtering out candidates immediately by using automated processes to screen out qualities they dislike. For examples, companies may screen out candidates who do not have a college degree.
• More companies will offer wellness programs. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), health and wellness at work will become a huge topic of conversation. The ACA gives employers rewards to encourage healthier behaviors. A healthy workforce is more beneficial to both an organization and its employees.

These are just some of many trends that are predicted for 2014. For more information on any of the above, or details on how they may affect you directly call your staffing team at Exact Staff.