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Productivity / Performance

Salaries up slightly in ’09, with more pay for performance

09/05/2008

Despite the economic gloom dominating the headlines, three new national salary surveys predict that U.S. employers will generally hold salary increases steady in 2009. The surveys show employers plan to award average pay increases at or near 3.8% next year, nearly identical to raises given in 2008 and 2007. But smart employers aren’t handing out 3.8% across the board …

Survive the ‘perfect storm’ by matching pay to performance

09/05/2008

If your organization has plenty of employees but not enough of the ones with the skills you need to survive the economic downturn, you’re going to have to change the way you pay them. Make three changes to weather the tempest …

Document deficiencies, don’t fret over false accusations

09/03/2008

Some employees—confronted with their own shortcomings—insist on deflecting blame. Perhaps they try to argue that so-and-so—who doesn’t belong to the same protected class—always gets away with the same poor work and conduct that they’re being criticized for. If you truly believe there is no merit to such an employee’s allegations, you probably don’t need to sweat it …

8 strategies: Make flex plans work for you

09/02/2008
Your organization wouldn’t offer flexible work arrangements such as flextime and compressed workweeks if management didn’t believe the benefits outweighed the costs. Yet surveys show that few organizations have formal and consistent policies in place to manage their flex programs.

Don’t let disability assumptions lead you to believe employee can’t work at all

09/02/2008

Employers that wrongly regard injured employees as disabled by refusing to consider them for any open positions may be setting themselves up for “regarded as disabled” litigation. The ADA makes it illegal to discriminate against employees by assuming they are disabled when they are not …

Handle with care if older employee’s performance slips

09/02/2008
When some employees approach retirement, they begin to coast. They may think that there’s no way their employer will let them go at their age, assuming management will be afraid of an Age Discrimination in Employment case. The truth is, that worker isn’t untouchable. Here’s how to handle the situation when you discover the employee is still coming to work but has mentally retired …

What to do when an employee threatens violence

09/02/2008
Q. I work in the HR area at my company and just learned that an employee who is experiencing some personal problems is now having performance problems at work. I also learned the employee has made threats about hurting his boss and a certain co-worker. What should I do? …

Motivating Long-Term Employees: 10 Tips for Managers

09/01/2008

When a long-term employee seems to be stuck in a rut or is simply coasting, a few moves by the supervisor can help shake out the cobwebs and rekindle the employee’s fire. Here are 10 simple tips for managers …

Salaries for ’09: Flat raises, more performance pay

08/28/2008
Despite the economic gloom dominating the headlines, three new national salary surveys predict that U.S. employers will generally hold salary increases steady in 2009. The surveys predict that employers will award average pay increases at or near 3.8% next year, nearly identical to raises given during 2008 and 2007. But smart employers aren’t handing out 3.8% across the board …

The Star Profile: 13 steps to becoming a better boss

08/28/2008
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