Employee Relations

Managing pre- and post-election angst: 7 tips for HR

10/15/2020

Political discussions will happen among co-workers, just as they happen among families and friends. Thus, instead of trying to stop them, employers should be promoting ground rules that hold employees accountable for their behavior, focused around one key theme … civility.

Document performance problems to justify RIF list

09/24/2020

Use objective criteria when deciding who will keep or lose their job during a reduction in force. Then be sure to document your specific, business-related reasons for handing out pink slips. That will help you prevail in court if an employee sues, alleging a RIF was based on discrimination.

Suspect bullying? Intervene fast

09/23/2020

Take all claims seriously. Bullying can lead to physical violence, long-term psychological damage—and the harassment lawsuits that accompany them. Here are several tactics to use when following up on your suspicions.

Survey: Coronavirus could trigger retention problems

09/15/2020

An overwhelming majority of executives surveyed by staffing firm Robert Half—88%—say they have grown concerned about retention since the pandemic began, and 47% say they are very worried.

After layoffs, address employees’ survivor’s guilt

09/01/2020

U.S. employers announced nearly 1.6 million permanent job cuts in the first half of 2020, according to tracking by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. It’s a staggering number, and those who are left working almost certainly feel the strain of survivor’s guilt.

Don’t forget the overnighters

08/28/2020

Shift work is the norm in some industries, and if you’re responsible for employees on the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift, or something similar, you need to manage them with extra care. Keep this advice in mind.

How to manage grieving staff: Compassion, not silence

08/27/2020

It’s tempting for supervisors to take a hands-off approach to an employee’s grief. However, silently waiting for the employee’s emotional recovery and viewing grief as a “problem to be solved” isn’t the right strategy.

Get staff to own your plan

08/26/2020

You’ve probably found yourself in this predicament: You have what you think is a good plan to achieve a goal or solve a problem. How can you cross the ownership gap between “the boss’s idea” and “our plan”?

Work competition heats up even as teams are dispersed

08/18/2020

While many teams may be dispersed right now, a sense of workplace competition is alive and well, new research from global staffing firm Robert Half shows.

Discipline looming? Expect complaints to be filed

08/13/2020

Employees sometimes try to head off a suspected firing by filing internal complaints. They hope their employers will be so afraid of a retaliation claim that they put the termination on hold. It doesn’t always work.