Civility

May 1, 2009
May 1, 2009
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Reducing Personnel Costs

If the recession doesn’t kill you, the recovery will is an expression that has made an impression on a number of companies. Personnel have been cut to the bone and companies are realizing that former employees walked away with institutional intelligence. Robert Olson, Winnebago Industries’ CEO uses furloughs and moved to a four-day work week to remain poised for the market’s turn around. Olson said, “You can’t cut your way to prosperity.” Furloughs (temporary lay-offs) are growing in popularity. Furloughs can reduce overhead expenses and retain employees. Until recently, furloughs were thought to reduce morale and productivity. However in these […]
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August 1, 2008
August 1, 2008
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Managing Nice

“That’s just Sally. Don’t take it personally.” Is the previous statement an accepted response in your business? Managers are more reluctant to correct behavior than performance; yet they have the authority and responsibility to correct and improve both. Managers can require employees to behave in a positive, respectful, and helpful manner. If your culture tolerates less, you may need to consider change.
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July 1, 2008
July 1, 2008
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The Rumor Mill

Loose lips tighten with age, as baby boomers who now keep quiet and respect authority have learned. Younger people have grown up in an era of readily accessible information that is shared immediately. Since younger, less experienced people do not recognize the need to safeguard company and personal information; employers must clarify their expectations of confidentiality. Strategic information leaks can destroy a business. Protecting confidential information is vital, yet few businesses explain this to their employees. Every company has an in the know person who uses information to start the rumors flying. The person may be at any level in […]
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June 1, 2008
June 1, 2008
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Civil Rights in the 21st Century

President Bush signed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) into law last week. This law prohibits discrimination of applicants and employees based on genetic information. Senator Ted Kennedy who worked on this legislation for over ten years, referred to it as the first major new civil rights bill of the new century. It passed in the House 414-1 and in the Senate 95-0. Genetic information is defined as an individual’s own tests; the genetic tests of family members; and the manifestation of a disease or disorder in family members. Family member is defined as the spouse; a dependent […]
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