• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Employee Relations

Is your employee discipline fair? A 5-question self-test

07/11/2025
Whether it’s deserved or not, the perception that management is “against” employees, once earned, is difficult to shake. That’s why it’s vital for supervisors to make sure they treat everyone fairly and consistently, especially when disciplining employees.

Documenting performance? Better date-stamp and retain

07/07/2025
Whether deleted by accident or because the employer lacks clear rules about what to toss and what to keep, having to admit to a judge that you don’t have a document may mean big fines and penalties, up to and including having the lawsuit become an automatic win for a fired worker.

‘Impossible’ PIP sinks employer’s discharge appeal

07/07/2025
Performance-improvement plans should be challenging enough to let supervisors know the employee is up to performing their essential job functions at an acceptable level. Set reasonable, objective goals that can be achieved with sufficient effort in the time allotted in the PIP.

Refocus on manager engagement to boost team-wide performance

06/30/2025
If your management teams seem more drained lately, the data supports the concern. This isn’t just a leadership issue, but an organizational one. When managers struggle, so do their teams—and it shows in performance.

Strategies to attract and keep talent from Gen Z to boomers

06/23/2025
It’s not enough to call your workplace “inclusive” when large swaths of your candidate pool feel invisible before they’ve even hit Submit.

Discover work mistakes during FMLA? Here’s what to do

06/23/2025
Employees who take FMLA leave are protected from retaliation for doing so. That’s led to the mistaken belief among some employees that they can’t be disciplined or fired while on leave. That’s not the case.

6 communication gaffes even smart people make

06/02/2025
Here are six common communication mistakes that can undercut HR professionals’ credibility in the workplace, according to communications consultant Colette Carlson (colettecarlson.com).

5 tips to counter the summertime slack-off

06/02/2025
The summer months, when most people take vacations, can be trying times for managers. A number of problems seem to get worse during the summer—absenteeism, tardiness, inattention, horseplay. Smart managers avoid the summertime blues by planning ahead. Offer your organization’s managers these tips to keep employees on schedule, involved and motivated.

10 ways to overcome ‘negative vibes’ among your staff

05/23/2025
Every manager must deal with a certain amount of pessimistic, hostile or uncooperative behavior at times. But a hard-core negative attitude that starts with just one employee can infect an entire department (or a whole company) if the manager doesn’t rein it in quickly.

9 surefire morale deflators–and how to avoid them

05/09/2025
With everything on your radar during the workday, it’s easy to forget about employee morale. But keeping the team engaged isn’t something that can be ignored or postponed. To keep morale on your radar, be aware of some of the common management mistakes that undermine it. Here are nine main deflators of employee morale, plus tips on avoiding them: