Employee Relations

Can we discipline for bad behavior at party?

10/15/2015

Q. At our company holiday party, which was not at the workplace or during work hours, an employee told some inappropriate jokes and put an arm around a co-worker who did not appreciate it and complained. The company is aware that the employee took a leave of absence for treatment of chemical dependency and is concerned that the employee might have been drinking at the party. Can the company discipline the employee? The company would like the employee to get additional help for chemical dependency.

5 listening tips to improve communication

10/14/2015

Listening well is a critical HR skill. It helps to address problems, resolve conflict and reduce miscommunication. It makes you more efficient and effective. Here’s how to become a better listener.

The employee, not the job, is what makes telecommuting work

10/14/2015

What should the rules of telecommuting be—and who is it really working for?

No money changed hands? Legal settlement still stands

10/13/2015

Have you ever considered settling an employment dispute by having an employee promise to quit or retire, without any monetary payment? Don’t worry that such an agreement will later fall apart.

Should you swap performance reviews for a feedback app?

10/09/2015

Some companies, including General Electric, have begun replacing traditional performance reviews with web- and mobile-based apps that let employees provide real-time, 360-degree feedback of one another.

Mentorship: Take the time to pay it forward

10/08/2015

Tania Basheer of Blue Sky Coaching recommends a number of actions you can take to help a new employee grow in his or her career.

Rise and shine with standing desks

10/07/2015

The jury’s still out on standing workstations. If you’re leaning in that direction, here are the benefits you may be overlooking.

NLRB: You can’t gag talk about investigations

10/05/2015

For years, attorneys have urged employers conducting workplace investigations to make the employees they interview swear to keep the conversation confidential. But that conventional wisdom is in danger.

Is it time to require arbitration of employee claims?

10/02/2015

Increasingly, mandatory arbitration clauses are surfacing in employment contracts and employee handbooks. What are the pros and cons?

Telework takes off in last 10 years

10/01/2015

Telecommuting has tripled since 2004, as more than one-fifth of employers now report that at least 10% of their employees work remotely.