Employee Relations

Poor employee engagement is lowering productivity

04/26/2022

Over three-quarters of employers report they are struggling to engage their employees, and 34% are seeing an actual cost to business in the form of low productivity, according to a survey conducted in March by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Focus on well-being to improve engagement

04/26/2022

Well-being is the watchword these days for employers committed to increasing employee engagement. The drive to support employees’ physical, mental and emotional health in a holistic way—both at work and in the rest of their lives—has been fueled by our collective coronavirus experience.

Don’t suggest retirement in lieu of discipline

04/14/2022

Take care when disciplining older workers. You could be falsely accused of age discrimination if you end up firing the employee. Even a well-intentioned suggestion that the employee may want to retire rather than face termination can be a huge mistake.

Employees are burning out. Are alternative work arrangements the answer?

04/12/2022

Alternative work arrangements may ease employees’ return to the physical workplace. Consider your options carefully.

OK to penalize fighting, even if provoked

03/31/2022

Will Smith’s Oscar night slap upside Chris Rock’s head may have only bruised celebrity egos, but it shined a spotlight on the importance of preventing physical conflict in professional settings. For employers, that usually means enforcing a strict policy that prohibits all physical violence.

Half would quit if forced to return to work full time

03/29/2022

There’s a disconnect between managers’ expectations about on-site work and employees’ willingness to come back, and it foreshadows a worsening retention problem for employers.

5 questions to spark deep conversations with new colleagues

03/22/2022

The next time you meet a new professional contact, ask these questions to get beyond dreaded small talk.

Polls offer cues on how to retain employees

03/22/2022

These days, keeping your employees happy may be key to actually keeping your employees. Fortunately, a new Gallup poll offers insight into what it takes to prevent employees from taking that initial step of sending out their résumés.

Jury finds discrimination, but awards no damages

03/17/2022

It always pays to document poor performance in detail and contemporaneously. If you ultimately need to terminate the employee, you will have the backup you need to justify your decision, even if the employee claims that you somehow discriminated against him.

Making the case for a 4-day workweek

03/15/2022

Recent studies show that both morale and productivity increase in organizations where employees work four 10-hour days per week. Is Thursday the new Friday?