human resources

December 1, 2009

Categories

Performance

The Road To Recovery

Labor costs are falling and productivity is increasing. Employers are finding new ways to boost profits, including technological changes to increase machine output. Companies are reaching their limits of how much can be produced with the current workforce; even with consistent overtime. How much is too much to ask of employees? According to Watson Wyatt and World at Work, employers’ cost cutting has contributed to a sharp decline in morale and commitment. Forty-one percent of top performers surveyed believe pay and benefit changes have had a negative effect on quality and service; 29% have lost confidence in management’s ability to […]

November 1, 2009

Categories

Compliance

Preparing for the Pandemic

Now that many companies have reduced staff to bare bones, the world is bracing itself for the H1N1 virus. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) projects that employers should plan for between 30% and 50% absenteeism, for up to six weeks. Determining what measures employers can take is wound around a number of conflicting regulations. The General Duty Clause of Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) requires that employers’ workplaces are “free from recognized hazards” that may cause serious injury or death. This regulation may apply if the H1N1 virus is present in the workplace and would require […]

October 1, 2009

Categories

Civility

Civility

Many people think being civil is the same as having good manners. Civility includes getting along, sometimes to the extent of making sacrifices for the good of the whole group. Civility also includes a sense of reciprocity. Workplaces have a set of unspoken rules for verbal and non-verbal behaviors which reflect the level of respect and civility that exists. Such rules are established by example of all levels of management.

September 1, 2009

Categories

Compliance

Choose Your Lawsuit

Employers may feel they are in a no-win situation when faced with an allegation of discrimination. If the employer terminates the alleged perpetrator, it may face a wrongful termination lawsuit. If the employer determines the alleged perpetrator is innocent, the accuser may claim harassment, discrimination , and/or retaliation. All employers need to have policies and procedures related to unlawful conduct in place. There needs to be a consistent standard of conduct applied to everyone. And a complaint procedure needs to be written, easily accessible and understood. A procedure to conduct an internal investigation will provide structure to assure a certain […]