Productivity / Performance

Poor performer? Give examples during review

04/02/2012

Not every new hire works out—including applicants who looked promising or at least competent during the interview process. You’ll want to give the employee a chance to improve, but you’ll also want to protect the company in the event of a lawsuit. Providing a detailed and thorough performance review that includes specific examples and suggestions will help.

Citibank settles age discrimination complaint for $500,000

03/30/2012

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FIRA) has ruled Citibank violated state anti-discrimination laws when it fired Edward Laurence Bowne in 2008—and ordered the bank to pay Bowne $500,000 in compensation.

Don’t let complaint derail improvement plan

03/30/2012

Some employees seem to believe they can stop disciplinary action just by complaining about alleged discrimination. That isn’t true. A supervisor who has begun a push for improvement can and should continue with the effort despite the complaint. There’s no reason to worry that legitimate management amounts to retaliation.

Foreign-born worker sues? Know difference between national origin and immigration status

03/29/2012

While it is illegal to discriminate against an individual based on his or her national origin, that doesn’t mean that discrimination against someone based on her immigration status is forbidden. That’s because immigration status isn’t tied to a particular national origin.

When merger looms, focus on evaluations

03/19/2012

HR professionals are often among the first to know that big organizational changes are on the way. If you learn about an upcoming merger, don’t spill the beans, but do diplomatically prod managers to complete all pending performance evaluations.

Track what happens to everyone on a PIP

03/19/2012

Here’s a tip if you use performance improvement plans (PIP) before termination. Track what happens to everyone who’s on a PIP. Note those who quit instead of facing discharge.

8 tips to gain CFO’s wellness program buy-in

03/14/2012

If you want the C-suite to support employee wellness programs, show your chief financial officer the money. Here are eight suggestions that can help you convince your organization’s top brass that programs promoting health and wellness are good for your business’s bottom line:

How often do you review and revise job descriptions?

03/06/2012

The need to hire someone new is the major impetus to revise job descriptions.

Details, details: 5 online tools to help employees focus

03/05/2012

Increased workloads … tighter deadlines … fewer resources. All of these have conspired to put a premium on employees’ ability to remain focused on the details of their jobs. Here are five free or low-cost sources designed to measure and improve attention to detail.

Incompetence can’t turn manager into hourly

03/02/2012

Sometimes an employee promoted to management just isn’t ready for new responsibilities. Maybe she’s having a hard time thinking like an exempt employee, longing for the days when she was entitled to breaks and overtime. Fortunately, if you discipline such employees for neglecting their duties, they can’t later claim they actually were hourly employees entitled to overtime.