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Employee Relations

Keep it Legal: Tread carefully when monitoring employees

03/10/2023
With rapid advances in technology, monitoring the workplace has become easier and cheaper. It’s no longer just cameras in common areas. Now it’s possible to examine productivity measures like keystrokes taken during a shift and out-of-office activity through vehicle location or company-issued cell phones and laptops. But there are definite areas managers should be aware of—and legal implications to keep in mind.

Medical marijuana and positive drug tests: Employer rights

03/06/2023
As more states legalize medicinal and recreational use of marijuana, employers have to grapple with confusing and seemingly contradictory rules.

It’s about time … to consider switching to 4-day workweek

03/06/2023
A recent experiment sought to test whether a four-day workweek at full pay would be popular with employees and their employers. The results are in.

Should that Zoom call really have been an email?

03/02/2023
With all the options, existing workplace etiquette and conflicting preferences, it can be surprisingly difficult to decide the best way for an admin to get in touch with their executive and colleagues. These tips will let you know the best communication method for each workplace situation to help admins save time.

Are your employees happy?

03/02/2023
Tomorrow is Employee Appreciation Day! So it’s a good time to assess whether employees are happy. Not skipping down a rainbow happy, but happy at work and with their work. Maybe happy-ish would be a better description. If you want to know whether employees are happy, ask them.

Emotional rescue: How to help angry employees vent

02/23/2023
Say one of your employees walks into your office all red-faced and angry. How should you respond? Follow these do’s and don’ts to help em­­ployees vent about stressful work problems and think about solutions:

Want to annoy your staff? Use these words

02/17/2023
Let’s face it. As a manager, you are going to annoy some of your employees at least some of the time. A recent survey performed by Preply helps you annoy them a little less. They surveyed a thousand people to learn the most annoying buzzwords. Try to keep these from popping up during your next meeting or one-on-one conversation.

Decided to terminate? Don’t wait to act

02/13/2023
Once you have made the decision to fire a worker, try to carry out the firing promptly. Delaying can backfire. If you must wait, write a memo memorializing when and why you made the discharge decision. That documentation can help you later if the terminated worker files a lawsuit.

How HR can equip managers to drive high employee performance in 2023

02/08/2023
It’s no secret that employee engagement and performance are at all-time lows, posing significant challenges for managers and HR departments. Dubbed the “quiet quitting” epidemic by the mainstream media, employees across the country are disengaged, only putting forth the minimum effort not to get fired.

Plants at work could help reduce errors

01/31/2023
Participants in an experiment made 43% fewer errors when performing stress-inducing cognitive tasks in rooms outfitted with “air-purifying green walls” covered with plants.