Employee Relations

Motivation: 3 questions to get a good worker out of a rut

05/05/2025

When good workers seem to be simply going through the motions, it may be because they’re riding on the career merry-go-round—wanting to try something new, but unable to get away from what they’re already doing. Here are some questions to ask them.

Be better! Anti-harassment training, half-hearted investigations aren’t enough

05/02/2025

Why aren’t anti-harassment policies more effective at preventing harassment? The answer may lie in ineffective training and the failure of employers to follow their own policies.

Discipline consistently to avoid reverse-discrimination lawsuits

04/25/2025

There’s a simple way to avoid many kinds of reverse-discrimination lawsuits: Treat everyone alike. That means making sure supervisors apply work rules impartially and without exception unless there is an objective reason discipline should differ.

8 steps to becoming the manager your employees need

04/23/2025

In an effort to “empower” their staffs, too many managers take a completely hands-off approach, leaving employees alone unless they really need help. But this can create a rudderless ship, says management expert Bruce Tulgan. That’s not leadership! Here’s how effective managers provide genuine support to their employees.

7 situations you should document every time

04/11/2025

Thorough and accurate HR documentation is what wins lawsuits.

Demote a staffer? Make it work

04/09/2025

If you decide that demotion is a viable alternative to terminating a particular employee, knowing how to execute the demotion properly is essential to making it work.

How to bridge the gap between listening and action

04/02/2025

The numbers tell a troubling story: While 95% of organizations maintained or increased their employee listening efforts last year, HR leaders’ confidence in these programs has plummeted from 43% to just 27%. This stark decline signals a critical challenge facing HR departments today—not in collecting employee feedback but translating it into meaningful action.

Invest in 4 key drivers to improve retention

03/31/2025

Recent analysis from The Conference Board, the nonprofit economic and business think tank, reveals that prioritizing talent retention delivers substantial cost savings compared to constant recruitment efforts. The board’s report urges HR leaders looking to boost retention to focus on four key drivers.

Clear violation of your rules? Courts won’t second-guess disciplinary decision

03/28/2025

You have workplace rules for a reason, and you can require employees to follow them. If someone breaks your rules or violates your policies, feel free to discipline them. As long as you enforce your rules evenhandedly and impose discipline consistently, courts are unlikely to second-guess your decision to punish employees.

Managing people with limited professional experience