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Employee Relations

Discussing politics at work: Cast a vote for civility

08/05/2016
A recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management reported a sharp uptick in political volatility in their workplaces this year.

Warn supervisors: No emotional outbursts

08/05/2016
Supervisors whose personal animosity against a subordinate spills over in the workplace can be held personally liable for the resulting emotional distress in Pennsylvania.

Remind bosses: Genuine constructive criticism doesn’t create a hostile work environment

08/05/2016
Some employees are difficult to manage. Maybe they have talent, but they’re not amendable to constructive criticism. Tell managers and supervisors that shouldn’t make them shy away from offering suggestions on how employee performance might improve.

Your best practice: progressive discipline

08/05/2016
In general, using a sensible progressive discipline program and documenting all disciplinary actions will help you justify a discharge—even in the face of apparent prejudice or bias on the part of individual managers.

10 common phrases that turn employees against you

08/03/2016
Managers are human. You’re bound to make some unfortunate word choices now and then. But employees will give you a pass on those annoying expressions for only so long. Spew these 10 phrases at your peril.

Are disciplinary records clear and complete? Documentation only works if it’s accurate

08/01/2016
We say it over and over again: Document, document, document! But perhaps a little more clarity is in order: Document accurately, so there can be no doubt that you clearly recorded the details of violations that led to discipline.

Are they ready for the next level?

08/01/2016
When is an employee ready for more responsibility?

Variable pay strategy: Teach workers to ‘manage the boss’

07/20/2016
The biggest trend in employee compensation is pay-for-performance. In many organizations, less employee pay is fixed; more is contingent on performance. In reality, too few managers do what’s necessary to make pay-for-performance work. Solution: Teach the employees to “manage the boss.”

Note all details that went into your decision to discipline an employee

07/18/2016
Always record the details of your disciplinary decisions at the time you make them. Document as if you are assuming that litigation will result from every disciplinary act.

Government employees don’t check their Constitutional rights at the workplace door

07/15/2016
Public employees don’t lose their First Amendment free speech rights when they take a government job. Their employer can’t punish them for speaking out on matters of public importance.