Firing staff members is stressful – which is why so many HR pros sometimes hurry the process along to get it over with. But that’s a big mistake. If you don’t cross your t’s and dot your i’s before, during and after a termination, you’re setting yourself up for major problems down the line […]
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More than 70% of bosses and managers will take part in some type of March Madness pool this season, but many of these same managers have some serious reservations about allowing or encouraging their direct reports to do the same. In fact, more than 50% of the managers who participate in March Madness are […]
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There are three phrases you and your managers must be careful NOT to say to employees who walk off the job complaining about pay or scheduling. They are: “You’re fired.” “You’re terminated.” “You’re discharged.” And you can’t use those phrases even if the employees are at-will. It’s the law This is something a […]
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Almost everyone knows how difficult the loss of a beloved pet can be. But is it upsetting enough to qualify for FMLA leave? One employee, who was having a particularly hard time coping with the loss of his dog, thought so. Backstory Joseph Buck worked as a machinist for Mercury Marine in Wisconsin. […]
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The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals—which covers Connecticut, New York, and Vermont—recently reversed course and held that discrimination based on sexual orientation amounts to discrimination based on sex in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In June 2017, we reported that a panel of the 2nd Circuit had […]
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Here’s a tricky scenario for any business owner: You have reason to believe that an employee, who has suddenly started showing increasingly erratic behavior, is struggling to do her job and negatively impacting her co-workers. What can you do? Can you require that worker to undergo an independent medical exam before returning to work? […]
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It’s a hard thing to admit … that your work culture may be toxic. But identifying the symptoms and finding the antidotes for them can quickly improve morale, engagement, retention and productivity. Let’s get started. Are your employees tired? Discouraged? Burnt out? If the answer is yes, you may have a toxic culture […]
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The Department of Labor released its final rule in May 2016 regarding changes to overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which go into effect December 1, 2016. While overtime regulations for hourly workers will remain the same (any hours beyond 40 must be paid at a rate of time and a half), […]
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Going above and beyond client or customer expectations and providing the highest quality work possible can be beneficial for company branding. It can help you retain and expand business demand. To get your team to give more than the bare minimum, you need to get them to see why it’s necessary and beneficial. Have your […]
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The key to employee motivation and increased productivity is often simple, inexpensive and yet commonly overlooked: appreciation. Employees who feel appreciated by their employers are more engaged and personally driven to perform for the company. Unfortunately, just 22 percent of U.S. workers reported being engaged in the workplace, according to Gallup’s 2013 State of the […]
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