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Productivity / Performance

Court: If employees hold the job, they’re ‘Qualified’

11/01/2007

Employers are finding it harder to get age discrimination cases dismissed early. They also are learning that beating age discrimination suits requires rock-solid evidence of fair and equal treatment—and a genuine, legitimate reason for discharging the employee that has nothing to do with age …

Recognize any of these 6 supervisor profiles?

10/23/2007

The hard-driving, ruthless boss may fit the stereotype of today’s most successful corporate executive. But the most effective workplace leaders are honest, caring  and flexible. Six profiles show the full spectrum of supervisory skill—as rated by employees.

Light a Fire Under Slow-to-Discipline Supervisors

10/09/2007
When it comes to disciplining problem employees, managers often find every excuse to procrastinate. But as an outsider from HR, you can provide the kind of focused intervention that gets results.

Help managers set employee deadlines: 4 do’s and don’ts

10/02/2007

Without deadlines, employees flounder. They can’t set priorities—and can’t kick it into high gear—unless their supervisors tell them. Pass along these four tips to help supervisors set realistic deadlines for their employees.

You can pro-Rate bonuses based on FMLA leave time

10/01/2007

Does your organization offer a bonus plan that rewards workers for their productivity? If so, be sure to avoid a surprisingly common mistake that’s tripped up many Indiana employers: incorrectly structuring the bonus plan—or making deductions from bonuses—in a way that violates the FMLA. A new Indiana court ruling shows how an organization can legally pro-rate an employee’s bonus …

Pay raises to stay flat in ’08 while bonus plans take off

10/01/2007

If you’re holding the line on pay raises, you’re in good company. Three new surveys agree that most employers will raise salaries between 3.8% and 3.9% for the second year in a row in 2008, halting a steady upward trend in pay raises that began in 2004 …

Unintended consequences: Co-Pays up, productivity down

10/01/2007

If your employees have to shell out for co-pays that they believe are too high, they might opt not to buy their medicine or even seek treatment, even for major health ailments. That can be a problem for your organization because sick employees are not productive …

Fed HR reps don’t like the government’s pay system

10/01/2007

One-third of the federal government’s chief human capital officers say their employer should replace its general schedule pay system with pay for performance …

Fair discipline process is key to avoiding lawsuits

10/01/2007

Do you have an employee who grates on everyone’s nerves and makes unreasonable demands on subordinates? Are you afraid to discipline the employee because he or she belongs to a protected class (e.g., race, age, sex)? Fear no more! As long as you use a fair process to correct the employee’s shortcomings, chances are he or she won’t win a lawsuit …

Accommodation process limited to current, open positions

10/01/2007

The ADA requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for disabled workers. That can mean modifying the employee’s existing job so he or she can perform the essential functions. But disabilities can change over time, and an accommodation that’s worked for years may stop working. If that’s the case, the disabled employee and his employer are both obligated to engage in another interactive accommodations process. However, if the discussions reveal that no amount of accommodation will allow the employee to do the job satisfactorily, it’s time to look for other solutions …