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Employee Relations

9 steps to negotiating any workplace conflict

06/04/2008
Conflict happens in all corners of the workplace. But if issues aren’t settled, bad things can happen: Good people quit, morale can plummet and, sometimes, violence can erupt. But you don’t need to become a certified mediator to settle disputes. Here are nine tips for understanding human behavior and resolving conflicts with co-workers, employees and even customers.

Want to guarantee a lawsuit? Just fail to investigate

06/04/2008
It is pure foolishness to ignore an employee complaint. Employers are almost always better off investigating the claim—even if the matter seems frivolous—than letting the perceived problem fester. Ignoring the request may be all it takes to spur a lawsuit …

Just asking for help doesn’t trigger accommodation process

06/04/2008
If employees’ disabilities aren’t obvious, the ADA doesn’t protect them if they don’t make it clear they have a disability. Only after an employee reveals he has a disability are you obligated to pursue reasonable accommodations. Vague requests such as asking for “more help” aren’t enough to trigger the ADA …

Settlement can include clause that bans reapplying

06/03/2008
Not all discrimination claims are crystal clear. Sometimes, employees are treated unfairly, and those situations deserve to be fixed. In such cases, employers may be tempted to settle, offering a small payment along with an agreement that the employee who complained will get additional training or a fair shot at a promotion. But consider the possible aftermath …

Noose incident leads to citation at Frontier Airlines

06/03/2008
Denver-based Frontier Airlines says it disciplined two employees who harassed a black co-worker with a noose at Denver International Airport. Juan Sequeira, with help from a fellow employee, allegedly made the noose and showed it to the co-worker in the break room …

Tell supervisors: No stereotyping based on national origin

06/03/2008
It’s important to remind all supervisors to judge employees on their individual merits—and not to indulge stereotypes. As the following case shows, using stereotypes in any critique of job performance may be enough evidence of national origin discrimination to merit a possible jury trial …

Fire away … but be prepared to defend terminations

06/03/2008
Employment terminations fall into several categories. Whether the situation involves new hires who didn’t work out, firings for cause or performance issues, or voluntary resignations, terminations often lead to litigation. For each type of termination, there are some common ways employers can make sure they can defend themselves if challenged …

Keep employees by defanging a bully

06/01/2008

The turnover rate is high at your company. You’re even conducting exit interviews with every departing employee to find out what’s going on, but nobody talks. Chances are you’ve got some bad bosses. Maybe even some bullies. Only recently have scientists started looking at why cruel bosses thrive.

Do Men and Women Speak Different Languages at Work?

05/28/2008
Women have 11% more neurons in their brains for emotion, feelings and communication. So when it comes to communicating at work, women prefer to build rapport and tell a story. Men prefer the headline and to report. How to bridge the gap?

Back up discipline with details from your investigation

05/28/2008
Like any responsible employer, your organization probably has a comprehensive employee handbook that details your internal policies and how you handle disciplinary decisions. But no handbook can cover every possible situation. So it’s not enough for supervisors and managers to simply cite a particular rule violation as the reason for firing or suspending an employee …