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Employee Relations

4 questions to ask before you issue a write-up

08/21/2016
They’re potential lightning rods for employee anger and potential legal landmines. Before you discipline an employee in writing, ask yourself these questions.

Spot warning signs of chronic absenteeism

08/21/2016
Chronic absenteeism is a chronic drain on the bottom line. Typically, the direct and indirect costs associated with absenteeism eat up 5% to 17% of an organization’s total payroll. Top brass is probably looking at HR for solutions.

Build a foundation of trust

08/19/2016
Building trust is a lot like building a house of cards: It takes a long time to create, but doesn’t take long for it to come tumbling down. A broken promise or betrayed confidence can erode trust very quickly.

Pokémon Go away! Get gamers back to work

08/16/2016
If you don’t have a policy that governs workplace gaming, now is a good time to establish one.

Rosy reviews: 99% of bureaucrats are good at their jobs!

08/12/2016
A new U.S. Government Accountability Office study of performance reviews found that 99% of federal government employees were rated as being good at their jobs, and almost two-thirds do “outstanding” work.

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.

Keep workers’ stress under control

08/05/2016
Often managers feel caught between a rock and a hard place. Challenged to meet organizational goals in a tough economic climate, they push teams to do more and watch the stress levels rise.