Employee Relations

How to set challenging but realistic goals for employees

11/30/2009

Goals are the heart of any pay-for-performance system. They set the standard against which employees’ progress is measured—and on which bonuses and raises are based. But goal setting can be a tightrope act. To establish goals that improve organizational performance, ask these eight questions, developed by the Harvard Business School:

Disciplinary mistake? Set it right—pronto!

11/27/2009

We all make mistakes, especially when acting in haste. Unfortunately, a mistake in the employment law world can mean a long and expensive lawsuit. On the other hand, courts are inclined to forgive employers that genuinely try to make things right. That’s why employers should fix errors and take real measures to make sure any potential negative effects of a disciplinary action have been removed.

Open books show how staff aid firm’s success

11/24/2009

Every employee of Anthony Wilder Design/Build near Washington, D.C., has an educated opinion about the small firm’s finances—because the owners hired a coach to teach them about business finance. The firm’s founders have opened the remodeling company’s books to employees so they can see the bottom-line impact of their work and their decisions.

OK to label attendance an essential function

11/24/2009

It seems logical—employees who can’t come to work won’t be able to perform the essential functions of their jobs. It may be possible to accommodate some disabled employees by letting them work from home, but that’s not true of most jobs.

Employee recognition: Have you hugged your employees today?

11/18/2009

You might think that recognition is about the rewards you give employees for long years of service or for retiring after a notable career. It’s really not. Recognition is about employee engagement. And employee engagement starts with employer engagement. How you treat people today is going to determine whether your valued employees stay with you when the financial crisis is over.

Watching the detectives: A cautionary tale on employee privacy

11/16/2009

When it comes to work-related matters, many private-sector employers think that employees’ rights to privacy are limited, if they exist at all. A recent $1.8 million jury verdict should help dispel that myth.

When promotions are on the line, follow your criteria and beware supervisor bias

11/13/2009

When promotion processes bypass qualified candidates, discrimination lawsuits are almost sure to follow. That’s because employees can easily poke holes in complex candidate-ranking systems, and supervisor bias emerges when promotions are on the line. If you have set criteria for promotions, make sure you follow your own rules.

8 ways to cut costs with strategic work/life & flex benefits

11/12/2009

Although businesses typically view flextime, compressed workweeks and part-time schedules as recruitment and retention strategies, just 6% of employers have ditched those practices, even as they cut staffs. Here are eight ways your organization can make strategic use of work/life benefits to cut costs, save jobs and pump up employee morale during the recession.

Seek employee input to blunt cost-cutting anger

11/11/2009

For countless organizations, cost reduction remains an overriding business imperative. But too many employers continue to swing the budget ax without seeking employees’ suggestions for what and where to cut. To cut costs in ways that have the least impact on retention and productivity, take the following steps that experts recommend for including employees in the decision-making:

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