Employee Relations

HR pros gain broad Title VII protection

06/17/2021

A recent federal appeals court decision may be good news for HR pros and bad news for employers that think they can get away with retaliation if they try to quash discrimination investigations.

Help hard-working staff recharge this summer

06/15/2021

Last summer there was nowhere to go and no one to go with. Thanks to vaccinations, things are looking up this summer. Make it easy for your employees to disconnect, whether that’s to take a much-needed real vacation or just leave work on Friday afternoon so they can enjoy the weekend with friends and family.

Survey: Employers struggling to fill jobs, retain workers

06/08/2021

80% of organizations hiring mostly industry and manual-services workers report difficulty finding qualified workers, with 25% reporting it is very difficult. That compares to 74% before the pandemic, with 4% reporting it was very difficult.

Track, date all steps in disciplinary process

06/08/2021

When employees figure out they are about to get in trouble at work, expect a flurry of complaints and requests for job-protected leave. These desperate measures are based on the belief that employers can’t fire anyone who has a pending discrimination or harassment case, or who is out on some form of medical leave. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t impose discipline for actions unrelated to an employee’s protected status.

Humdrum job? Show the value

05/28/2021

Face it: Not every job is exciting. Most tasks can be repetitive and lull your employees into complacency. Here are a few suggestions for keeping spirits high in what a worker may call a monotonous job.

Use judicious threats to propel talks

05/27/2021

When you’re working out a problem with employees, vendors, or customers, making threats can be risky. People resent them, and you may decrease the likelihood of cooperation and even risk inciting revenge. Yet, as negotiation experts Adam D. Galinsky and Katie A. Liljenquist point out, threats can be effective—if you follow these three principles.

Beware ‘no-poach’ pacts with competitors

05/20/2021

Recruiting new employees is difficult these days, making it more important than ever to retain the staff you already have. Just make sure your retention efforts don’t cross the line into collusion with other employers.

Get back to normal, minus the telework stigma

05/18/2021

Telework saved countless organizations during the pandemic. Remote work shed its occasional stigma as a privilege or a grudging accommodation of special-case employees. But as the covid crisis winds down, backlash against telework has begun to surface again.

Steady the ship when employees lose their balance: 3 tips

05/12/2021

Employee disengagement or burnout isn’t always apparent, and some employers may be in for a surprise if and when the COVID-19 pandemic winds down. Leaders need to learn how to recognize when the people around them—peers, colleagues, but especially subordinates—are out of balance or are heading in the wrong direction.

Keep antsy employees from jumping ship

05/06/2021

Some of the employees who loyally stuck with your company throughout the pandemic may be getting ready to bolt. It’s not too late to stop them!