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Employee Relations

Prison time for contractor who didn’t report shakedown

06/01/2010
Michael T. Murray, owner of Three R Construction Co. in Cincinnati, has pleaded guilty to bribery and failing to report that a U.S. Postal Service official was demanding payment in return for awarding construction contracts. Murray faces up to three years in prison plus $250,000 in fines.

Keep careful records so you can show why you punished similar behavior differently

06/01/2010

Employers sometimes think that if they have a broad workplace rule in place, they have to punish everyone who breaks that rule exactly the same way. That’s not necessarily true. The key is to make sure you can document why one employee deserved a more severe punishment than another. Two cases illustrate how to go about individualizing punishment:

10 warning signs of low morale … and 7 ways to boost it

06/01/2010

Low morale can easily creep into a department without supervisors realizing it. But once it’s there, it’s hard to root out. Check every day to make sure people stay in tune. Here are 10 sour notes to listen for, according to the new book, Leadership When the Heat’s On:

The absent-minded employee: How to get absenteeism under control … legally

05/28/2010
The costs of employee absenteeism—reflected in lost production, overtime and temporary replacements for the absent worker—can add up quickly. The best way to combat the problem is with a clear policy, careful documentation, consistent application of the policy and progressive discipline.

Back-to-basics manager: Good for the bottom line

05/26/2010

If you want your organization’s employees to work more productively, pay more attention to them. During the economic crisis of 2009, the most effective business strategy turned out to be increased supervision and management of employees. Research by RainmakerThinking shows that organizations that combined three effective strategies during the recession had better financial results than others:

How to write effective and legal job descriptions

05/25/2010
Job descriptions are the cornerstone of communication between managers and their employees. After all, it’s hard for supervisors to measure job effectiveness during performance reviews unless they and the employee both know what’s expected. Here’s how to do job descriptions right.

Adding up what works–and doesn’t–in a recession

05/24/2010

It seems the recession has taught the nation’s bean counters a few things about what works when it comes to employee retention and satisfaction. In a new survey by Robert Half Management Resources, chief financial officers admit their biggest take-away from the recession is that they need to take better care of their workers.

Go beyond ‘benefits brain dump’: Educate year-round

05/21/2010

For too many employers, “benefits education” consists of dropping an annual benefits statement in front of the workers and saying, “See you next year.” However, a new Hewitt Associates survey says U.S. workers’ biggest complaint about their employee benefits isn’t cost or access—it’s that employees don’t understand the benefits they already have. Here are inexpensive ways HR can educate employees year-round:

Volunteerism can benefit your bottom line

05/19/2010

Don’t be surprised if the new college grads who interview for jobs with your organization this summer tell you they’re looking for an employer that gives back to the community. Employee volunteer programs are morphing from a “nice-to-have” benefit to an expectation among employees and recruits—and it’s happening quickly. Here are five tips for starting a volunteer program:

Checklist: 15 questions to ask employees in their first 60 days

05/18/2010
How’s that new hire fitting in? To find out, have managers meet with their new employees within the first 60 days. The goal: Discover what new hires like and dislike about the job and environment, see if the job meets their expectations and nip potential problems in the bud. These 15 questions can steer the conversation.