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Employee Relations

Co-workers are complaining: How should we deal with employee’s body odor?

08/17/2015
Q. We have an employee with a strong and unpleasant personal odor. We have gotten several complaints from other employees regarding this issue. What can we do about this, and how do we address it with the employee?

Use Deflategate’s lessons to get a grip on investigations

08/13/2015
The issues raised by this NFL controversy provide great lessons for those tasked with conducting an investigation in the workplace.

Progressive discipline can help win bias suits

08/13/2015

Discharged employees often sue, counting on their protected status—based on race, sex, national origin and so on—to create the impression that they were fired for discriminatory reasons. That’s why it’s important to use a progressive discipline system. It lets you counter discrimination allegations with solid, documented performance or behavior problems that warranted discharge.

Suspended ‘pending investigation:’ What information do we owe the employee?

08/11/2015
Q. If an employer suspends an employee “pending investigation,” what information must be provided to the employee?

Manage a suddenly unhappy staffer

08/11/2015
Before an employee’s performance slips or he or she quits altogether, take these steps to correct the situation.

VA offices cited for cutting corners & falsifying records

08/05/2015
The Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General has issued a blistering report on departmental practices.

Whistle-blower slipping: Punish or let it slide?

08/03/2015
Jack has become a minor celebrity with co-workers ever since he filed an OSHA complaint about a supposedly hazardous condition at the plant. He spends so much time talking about safety that his job performance is declining. Jack needs to be disciplined. What would you do?

How employers respond to the big productivity killers

07/30/2015
Technology keeps finding ways to distract, making employers find ways to get people back on task. Here’s a snapshot of those distractions and the workarounds some are attempting.

‘Kinetic’ furniture: A long walk to nowhere?

07/30/2015
It’s showing up in more workplaces, but are the benefits just an illusion?

7 conversations that keep employees engaged

07/27/2015
According to Dan Prosser, entrepreneur and author of Thirteeners: Why Only 13% of Companies Successfully Execute Their Strategy, here are “connecting conversations” that supervisors should be having regularly with their employees.