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AUGUST 2025
234

​QUICK HR ALERTS TO KEEP YOU UPDATED

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isolved Direct Deposit MFA

isolved has rolled out a new enhanced security feature for all Direct Deposit Updates completed within the isolved system using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

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The reason for this change is to protect employees’ sensitive information and ensure a more secure user experience. To help prevent fraudulent changes to banking details, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is now required for all Direct Deposit Updates in Administration (Classic View).

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This applies to all user types, including Service Bureau, Partner, Client, and Employee Self-Service (ESS) users.

This additional layer of security ensures that only authorized individuals can make updates to direct deposit information in Classic View, safeguarding employee financial data from unauthorized access.

What You Need to Know:

Automatic MFA Prompt:

MFA will automatically prompt users to verify their identity when attempting to save direct deposit changes. No setup is required; users will need to enter the emailed MFA code on the screen to authenticate.

Streamlined Session Experience:

Once authenticated, users can make multiple updates during the same session without needing to re-authenticate for each change.

This update is designed to provide a smoother, safer experience while maintaining the highest standards of security.

Following the Direct Deposit Update, users will also receive an email confirming the update and prompting the user to contact an HR or Payroll representative if they did not make or authorize the change:

Client Security MFA Settings

isolved has released a new security feature allowing employers to control which Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) methods users can use when logging in.

 

Effective 7/25/2025, Vida HR has applied the default setting of Medium Security across all clients. This means users will no longer be able to use email as an MFA method.

 

We implemented this change in response to a recent increase in fraudulent activity involving compromised login credentials and unauthorized direct deposit changes. Information on this issue was also included in our July 3rd email and the 2025 July Newsletter | Vida HR.

 

To help you understand the available MFA options, we have included a screenshot below outlining the differences between Low, Medium, and High Security settings.

 

If you would like to adjust your company’s MFA setting from Medium Security, please reach out to your Payroll Specialist or HR Business Partner:

 

  • High Security: Passkey or Authenticator App only (recommended)

  • Medium Security: Passkey, Authenticator App, or SMS/Text

  • Low Security: Passkey, Authenticator App, SMS/Text, or Email (not recommended)

 

Thank you for your continued partnership and attention to account security.

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QUESTION:

​I have an employee who is a single parent. They have a parent-teacher conference they need to attend this week, but it’s during their shift. Normally, I let them use PTO, but I don’t have anyone to cover their shift this time. What are my obligations as an employer when it comes to time off for school activities?

Are employers required to give time off for school activities?

Answer:

Federally, there is no obligation on employers to allow leave for school-related activities, but there are a few states that have requirements.

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Long Answer:

Looking at this from a broad perspective, time off to attend school-related activities is not something the law generally covers. From a federal perspective, there is no legal obligation for the employer to allow such leave. Of course, that means we have to zoom in and take a look at state law.

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It may be surprising that we don’t find much here, either. Very few states offer such protections, and the way they are offered vary drastically between states.

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For example, Maine requires Earned Paid Leave to employers with 11 or more employees; and has no qualifying reasons for leave – meaning employees can take it for any reason, including school-related reasons.

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Meanwhile, California offers two different leaves: both a School Disciplinary Leave and a School and Childcare Activities Leave. The former requires an employer not to discharge or discriminate against an employee taking time off to appear at a school due to a request made for reasons specified under the California Education Code. The latter allows up to 40 hours of unpaid leave for specific activities relating to schooling or childcare.

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Eligibility for these leaves also vary; in California, it is not just the parent who is eligible, rather a “parent, guardian, stepparent, foster parent, grandparent, or a person who stands in the place of a parent (in loco parentis) to a child”. However in other states, leave may be limited to parents or guardians of the child.

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Most state leaves only provide for unpaid leave; paid school-related leaves are generally a result of it being a qualifying reason to take leave under a larger paid leave policy, or a result of using accrued time off, such as PTO.

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While an employee’s options for such leaves are limited; it is possible that will change in the future. Once multiple states start enacting the same type of leave; it is usually only a matter of time before other states follow suit. Employers should keep an eye out for upcoming legislation regarding school-related activities.

The Negative Effects of
Digital Clutter 

By:

Regina Dyerly, SHRBP, PHR

Partner / (COO)

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Ever sit down to finish one simple task, then find yourself answering a Teams message, checking your email, Googling something unrelated, and forgetting what you were doing in the first place?

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You are not alone. Our digital environments have become so noisy that uninterrupted focus feels almost impossible.

The culprit? Digital clutter, the silent productivity killer that follows us everywhere.

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This is not about deleting your apps or going off the grid. This is about creating space to think clearly, work intentionally, and feel less overwhelmed by your digital life.

Why It Matters

Let’s start with what we know:

  • According to RescueTime, the average worker checks email or messaging platforms every 6 minutes.

  • Researchers at UC Irvine found it takes 23 minutes and 15 seconds to return to a task after an interruption.

  • Most professionals toggle between tabs or tasks more than 300 times a day.

  • In Deloitte’s Connected Consumer Survey, 32% of workers reported feeling mentally drained by the number of digital tools they’re expected to use daily.

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In short, our brains are on overload, and our digital environments are not helping.

What Digital Clutter Really Looks Like

It is not just about too many emails or too many apps. It is:

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  • The 17 tabs open “just in case.”

  • The unread badge that never dips below 100.

  • The constant hum of background Slack messages or Teams chats.

  • Files saved to your desktop “for now” that never move.

  • Endless toggling between platforms for a single task.

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This digital noise eats away at your attention, even when you are not actively engaging with it.

Three Digital Declutter Tactics That Actually Work

1. Batch Your Notifications

Telling people to “turn off all notifications” sounds good in theory but is not practical for many roles. Instead, batch them:

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  • Set notification permissions to “deliver quietly” or group them to appear only at scheduled times.

  • Designate two or three times per day to check communication platforms rather than reacting in real-time.

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You are not being unresponsive. You are being more intentional.

​2. Give Your Workspace a Reset Button

Every Friday (or whatever day works for you), build in 15 minutes to:

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  • Close every tab.

  • Move stray desktop files to a designated folder.

  • Unsubscribe from 1–2 emails you never read.

  • Reorder bookmarks or quick links by relevance to your current work.

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This small act creates visual calm, and mental clarity to start the next week.

3. Use Fewer Tools, Better

If your workflow involves bouncing between 5 platforms for a simple task, the problem is not you, it is the stack. Have a team conversation:

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  • Which tools do we really need?

  • Where are we duplicating effort?

  • Can we consolidate platforms or agree on shared norms (like “Don’t Teams and email me about the same thing”)?

 

Digital decluttering is not always a solo project. Sometimes it is a cultural reset.

The Science of Less

Studies in neuroscience suggest that cognitive load, the mental effort required to process information, is significantly higher when people are forced to switch between multiple digital inputs. The more cluttered the digital space, the more stressed and fatigued the brain becomes.

 

A 2020 study in the journal Nature Communications found that digital overload can disrupt the brain’s ability to consolidate information, leading to weaker memory recall and more error-prone decision-making, especially under multitasking conditions.

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And it is not just active use,

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a 2017 study published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research found that simply having a smartphone visible (even when not in use) significantly reduced cognitive capacity, as the brain works to resist the urge to check it.

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In short, the mental fatigue you feel after a “low-effort” day online is very real.

A Final Thought

You do not need to delete every app or plan a digital detox retreat (unless you want to).  You just need a simple plan.

A little less noise. A little more breathing room. That is the real goal of digital decluttering.

Get specific instructions on how to manage your notifications settings in the full article on the Vida HR Blog!​
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