Employee Relations

Document carefully to justify discipline

06/05/2013

Here’s some good news for those worried about absolute fairness in discipline: You have more latitude than you may think. Courts will use another employee’s lighter discipline as discrimination evidence only if the two employees being compared committed offenses of “comparable seriousness,” which generally means their wrongdoing was “nearly identical.”

Understand the Millennials working in your midst

06/05/2013

Researchers who studied PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Millennial employees found that several factors are key to retaining today’s youngest workers and helping them succeed.

Hand out health exchange model notices by Oct. 1

05/23/2013

The U.S. Department of Labor has released model notices employers can use or adapt to tell employees about their options for buying health insurance through government-run state exchanges.

3 cheap summer outings

05/22/2013

Looking for a summer staff activity that’s a break from the usual barbecue? Try these inexpensive options:

10 ways to increase use of your employee assistance plan

05/21/2013

Is your organization reaping the full financial benefits of having an employee assistance program? If your employees aren’t using it, probably not.

Get details if several workers break same rule

05/17/2013

You have no doubt heard that employees who break the same rule should receive the same punishment. That’s true in most circumstances. However, nothing prevents employers from treating similarly situated employees differently if the facts warrant it. In those cases, however, details matter.

Strive for harmony, plan for a lawsuit: Document every complaint

05/16/2013

Of course you have an anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policy. You make sure employees know about it. You even make it easy for employees to use the policy. But all that can be for naught if you’re unable to track those complaints.

Boss’s letters fill book for Kaiser Permanente staff

05/14/2013

Kaiser Permanente Chairman and CEO George Halvorson has written enough letters to his staff to fill a book. His compilation of 101 letters has been published as KP Inside: 101 Letters to Us at Kaiser Permanente.

Fix racial harassment before hostile environment starts affecting employee performance

05/10/2013

Employees who have to work in a hostile work environment may have a hard time doing their jobs well. When resulting poor performance leads management to fire someone, expect trouble. Your best bet is to address any hint at a hostile work environment right away.

Collaborative owner keeps staff happy at N.J. Volvo dealer