What made HR news in January? People were talking about weather, the future, and women in business, with (of course) Millennials rounding out the list.

Working in a Winter Wonderland

You may not know it in the Northeast, but Winter is upon us as those buried by Jonas will attest. With all that white stuff come some big questions for HR.

Do you have your business continuity plans in place?

Do you know how FMLA and FLSA play into snow days? FLSA is a bit tricky, but SHRM and ERE show that FMLA is pretty straight forward.

Seeing the Future of HR

The HR world is all aflutter with predictions for 2016.

Josh Bersin made big waves with some big prognostications, from the rise of the Employee Experience Officer to massive technology-led changes at every level of HR.

At the same time, ERE is calling for the rise of the HR Business Partner: "The new level of HR must understand the industry and the business world as a whole what is happening, what are the causes, and how can I help my organization buffet the headwinds?"

Whatever path you're on, HR's evolution will be largely pointed at solving one thing: the global skills shortage. And forward-thinking leaders are expanding their focus beyond Millennials to look to their Gen Z future employees.

Do Your Employees Like Working There?

Community, culture, and even fun (Yes, fun. Did you miss National Fun at Work Day?) are becoming priorities beyond the Silicon Valley Millennials' start-ups.

Employers like Cisco, Accenture, and even Bright Horizons are showing that it's not only possible to create a connected community within a globally dispersed workforce, but it's imperative to being a great place to work.

Since building a great global culture often means hiring for cultural fit, Workforce offers some sound advice for guiding hiring managers in doing so responsibly.

How feedback is given and received can be a major test of your culture.  The good news? From reacting to surprises in the 360 to learning hard lessons in your first 360 feedback as a manager, there are opportunities for helping to foster a supportive and positive workplace culture.

Focus on Millennials

Our newly crowned largest demographic continues to be the focus of endless amounts of attention and fascination.

Student debt is a huge drag on Millennials and beyond. Some skilled and educated potential employees are moving to Europe to dodge their debt. Considering helping them out? Here are some points to consider before you dive in to easing the student loan debt burden for your employees. Extra bonus: such solutions will help more than just Millennials.

Continued education continues to be a Millennial priority. Are your HR and L&D teams helping Millennials develop the leadership skills they seek?

Working Women

Perhaps it was the Davos gathering, but this month brought a lot of focus on women in the workplace.

What did we learn? Women are far more likely than men to experience overwhelming financial stress, but are also more likely to turn to their employers' financial wellness benefits for help.

After "being overlooked for potential leadership positions, a survey from Deloitte says Millennial women have one foot out the door.

Nearly 90% of babies born in 2015 were born to Millennials, pointing to a major and growing need for employer-sponsored programs to support Millennial working parents.

Gap Inc. (a Bright Horizons client) has been announced as the 2016 Catalyst Award winner in honor of their "Women and Opportunity" initiative which features four key elements including Work-Life and Flexibility.

Finally, these five charts narrow down what women want from their employers: work/life balance, family-friendliness, gender diversity and equity, all loom large.