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Employee Relations

Can we discipline an employee for his girlfriend’s actions?

04/18/2014

Q. We have an employee whose girlfriend has come in and wandered through the production floor without permission. We have escorted her out of the building twice in the last month. What are our options if she comes in again? Should we call the police? Is there any way we can discipline the employee because his girlfriend keeps calling in several times a day wanting to talk with him?

Is team leadership actually important to team success?

04/14/2014
Po Bronson—The New York Times best-selling author of Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing—is a big fan of using small teams to tackle big projects. But surely the smaller the team, the more critical the role of the team leader, right? Wrong.

Retain staff by publicizing internal mobility efforts

04/11/2014
A new survey of LinkedIn members found that 85% of employees may be either passively or actively seeking a new job—and that most workers who changed jobs recently did so because they thought jumping ship was their best shot at career advancement.

Michigan firm constantly reconsiders benefits

04/10/2014
Managers at Michigan-based Red Level Networks routinely analyze employee benefits in an effort to retain employees. The philosophy of David King, founder and president of the technology company, is that satisfied employees provide outstanding customer service to the firm’s clients.

Can we compel a former employee to update LinkedIn to show she no longer works here?

04/09/2014
Q. It’s come to our attention that a former employee of ours has not updated her LinkedIn profile after her termination 10 months ago for insubordination. Would we have a cause of action against her?

No need to tolerate personal woes that spill over to workplace arguments

04/09/2014
When bad romance spills over to the workplace, you don’t have to put up with the aftermath. Set strict rules about behavior and don’t tolerate loud arguments, threats or other disruptions.

Randleman, N.C. police officer indicted for larceny

04/09/2014
Before the Randleman Police Department moved to new facilities last Novem­­ber, Chief Steve Leonard ordered an inventory of the evidence room. The tally found that $7,800 in cash was missing.

Make it easy for courts to side with you: After complaint, document all discipline

04/09/2014
Generally, employees who complain are sensitive to possible retaliation—to the point that some sus­­pect retaliation even when it hasn’t occurred. Protect your organization by making sure that you document all subsequent discipline, showing that it was imposed fairly in a way that’s consistent with company policy and your past disciplinary practices.

Treat every workday like it’s a Tuesday!

04/07/2014

We reported last year that 39%  of HR managers think their organization’s employees are most productive on Tuesdays. How can you get workers up to speed the other four days of the workweek? Pass along these tips.

Medication affecting performance: What to do?

04/04/2014
Q. A long-term employee has been working part time for a year due to double knee replacement surgery. She takes painkillers, but not during work hours. Recently, she’s displayed poor judgment, doesn’t concentrate well and sometimes shakes all over. We’re concerned she may be addicted to the painkillers. We reassigned her to a job that carries less risk. What can we legally do to address this?