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Employee Relations

Clear violation of your rules? Courts won’t second-guess disciplinary decision

03/28/2025
You have workplace rules for a reason, and you can require employees to follow them. If someone breaks your rules or violates your policies, feel free to discipline them. As long as you enforce your rules evenhandedly and impose discipline consistently, courts are unlikely to second-guess your decision to punish employees.

Demotion or termination? How to make the call

03/19/2025
If you’re faced with an employee who isn’t a good fit with his or her current job, is termination the answer or is demotion a better alternative? The answer is, of course, it depends.

Document termination decision before telling worker

02/28/2025
Always document disciplinary decisions the moment you make them—and before you tell the employee. That way, you can successfully argue that you could not have retaliated against the employee because the decision was made before you knew about their request.

Toxic positivity: How HR can foster an authentic culture

02/26/2025
Toxic positivity functions as a destructive force in workplace environments. When employees express legitimate concerns, toxic positivity responds with empty platitudes: “You’ve got this!” “Stay positive!” These responses invalidate employees’ experiences and suggest that their struggles stem from poor attitudes rather than real problems.

Embrace return-to-office as an opportunity to collaborate

02/20/2025
As the pendulum has shifted from a fully remote workforce to a more hybrid or full in-office arrangement, now is the time to evaluate how to create a workplace experience that fosters engagement and productivity.

Finding the right way to say ‘thank you’ to employees

02/12/2025
With Employee Appreciation Day approaching on March 7, now is the perfect time to plan meaningful ways to recognize your team’s hard work.

Workers more willing to stay put this year

02/03/2025
A Robert Half survey of more than 2,000 U.S. workers found that only 29% of professionals plan to look for a new job in the first six months of the year, down from 35% in July 2024.

Writing and giving job reviews: 8 do’s and don’ts

01/23/2025
Anything less than a completely honest performance appraisal will only cheat the employee out of personal development, plus it could set the stage for a discrimination lawsuit. Here are eight important do’s and don’ts.

Gallup: Employee engagement hits lowest level in 10 years

01/21/2025
Employee engagement in the United States dropped to 31% in 2024, a 10-year low, according to research by the Gallup Poll. Declines since 2020 alone mean about 8 million fewer engaged employees, including 3.2 million fewer than in 2023.

Final leadership takeaways for solving the talent shortage

01/15/2025
The storm on the horizon may be fierce, but it is navigable if you are skilled and ready. To provide stability in an unstable world, leaders must commit to action. Here is my “to-do” list for the future.