Employee Relations

Burnout! Four main causes of employee stress, and what you can do about it

08/24/2018

You’ve put in the long hours to build a relationship with your team, and to better understand their strengths, weaknesses, motivators and goals for the future. While these are all key components to a successful relationship with your staff, it’s for naught if you can’t proactively prevent employee burnout.

7 steps for effective, stress-free performance reviews

08/24/2018

Performance review meetings can bring anxiety to both sides of the desk. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With the right planning by supervisors, the meeting can be a productive, morale-boosting exchange. Here are seven steps for running productive and stress-free performance review meetings.

Disciplining employee with spotless record? Document precisely what went wrong

08/23/2018

It’s crucial to document the problem if you suddenly have to discipline a long-term employee who has never been in trouble before. That’s especially true if he or she has also recently complained about some form of discrimination.

Productivity growth hits 3-year high

08/21/2018

Worker productivity grew at its fastest pace in three years during the second quarter of 2018.

When a previously good performer starts to slide, carefully document decline

08/06/2018

When an employer fires a worker for poor performance and the worker sues alleging some sort of discrimination, the employer must be ready to explain any apparent decline in its performance appraisals. That’s especially true if the worker previously received excellent reviews.

Include all relevant details in discipline reports

07/26/2018

When you document disciplinary action, make sure you provide enough detail in your report to put the decision in context. You may need them later to show a judge exactly what you were thinking when you made your decision.

Yes, You Need a Crisis Plan! Here’s What it Should Say

07/20/2018

It’s every company’s worst fear: A horrible employee decision leads to front page news and a PR crisis. In many cases, HR is on the front lines of such responses. Having a crisis plan ahead of time can literally save the company—and your career. Some recent examples: Starbucks faced protests and lots of negative press […]

Skipping disciplinary step? Document why

07/19/2018

If you have a progressive discipline system that gives poor performers or rule breakers a chance to reform, be sure your policy includes an escape hatch that lets you skip steps when necessary.

Prepare to turn over disciplinary records if employee files a discrimination lawsuit

07/18/2018

When an employee sues for alleged discrimination, he or she is generally entitled to access all relevant employer documents. If you disciplined the employee, chances are you will have to turn over disciplinary records concerning other staff. Don’t expect to keep those records confidential.

When punishing harassment, you may discipline different perpetrators differently

07/14/2018

Employers investigating workplace harassment accusations may wonder if all the alleged perpetrators must be disciplined equally harshly. You do have some discretion in how you mete out punishment. Just make sure you can later justify why one party was less culpable or deserved a lesser punishment than others.