Employee Relations

Beware inflated performance reviews! They can come back to haunt you

09/26/2016

It can be uncomfortable to criticize a subordinate’s performance. As a result, some supervisors resort to writing generic, positive performance reviews. But that can come back to haunt the employer later.

Patience key to lawsuit-proof firing decisions

09/26/2016

When a fired employee sues you, winning often depends on careful documentation that demonstrates how her performance did not meet your standards.

Manage your ‘unofficial’ bulletin board, too

09/22/2016

You need two bulletin boards: One for official wage-and-hour posters and notices of employee rights, and another for employees to use as the organization’s “community” center.

Train managers to build resilient teams that can respond to change

09/20/2016

The team members all understand what’s expected of them. But the group isn’t home free yet. There’s one more piece of the puzzle left: responding to change.

Compare planned discipline with previous incidents

09/16/2016

When it comes to discipline, the key is equitable enforcement. Otherwise, someone might sue.

When you can’t give a bonus

09/09/2016

Your star employee just learned that she won’t be getting a bonus this year, and she is furious. Here’s what to do and say to mitigate the damage.

Keep a civil workplace: 7 tips

09/08/2016

When managers treat employees professionally and with courtesy, bullying will never become an issue. Here are seven do’s and don’ts.

For employees to get ahead, learning beats burning the midnight oil

09/05/2016

Are those employees who come in early, stay late and work superhuman hours charting the quickest path to an illustrious career?

Can a manager ask, ‘Is everything OK at home?’

09/02/2016

Q. If an employee makes four mistakes in a short period of time, can the employer ask, ‘Is everything OK at home?’ This person does office work, not factory, so it’s not a safety issue.

3 online tools for grabbing instant feedback

08/29/2016

Don’t just guess at which benefits your employees want or where they’d like to hold the holiday party this year. Several free web-based survey tools let HR instantly take the pulse of their employees.