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Communication

Good news for less-Than-Perfect workplaces: No need to sweat the small stuff

07/11/2008
Employees sometimes unreasonably expect they will happily toil forever in a perfect workplace, full of harmony. But that simply isn’t going to happen. As long as squabbles and personality conflicts don’t turn into discrimination based on age, race, religion or another protected category, they simply don’t matter …

Discrimination-Free environment required, perfection a bonus

07/09/2008
The workplace has never been nor will it ever be utopia. Managers and supervisors won’t always see eye to eye with employees. Conflict is almost inevitable. Thus, courts don’t expect employers to provide perfect workplaces free of all strife. Judges expect employers to obey discrimination laws, but they also realize that not every slight or inconvenience is evidence of discrimination …

Is there a Minnesota equivalent of the federal WARN Act?

07/08/2008
Q. We are closing one of our offices in Minnesota. The number of employees affected is not sufficient to trigger any notice obligations under the federal WARN Act. Does Minnesota have a state statute that would require us to give the employees advance notice of the restructuring? …

Union-Free and eager to stay that way

07/07/2008
Q. Our company has operated union-free for many years. How can we best protect ourselves against future union-organizing activities? …

Remind employees often and clearly about handbook

07/02/2008
Smart HR pros set up tickler files to remind themselves to make sure everyone has the current version of the employee handbook—and any arbitration agreements you ask employees to sign. That file makes it easier to ensure every employee has an up-to-date copy and gets revisions every time policies change …

Conducting ‘Stay’ interviews: 7 questions to ask

07/01/2008
Don’t wait for employees to exit before you get their input on what your organization is doing right or wrong, says Greg Smith, author of the book 401 Proven Ways to Retain Your Best Employees. Conduct periodic “stay” interviews …

The No. 1 Low-Tech, High-Touch Retention Solution

07/01/2008
Companies spend millions on complex employee-retention strategies, but the best retention strategy is totally free, said Patrick Lencioni, author of The Three Signs of a Miserable Job. “The first requirement for a manager is to take a genuine interest in his employees” as people, said Lencioni. “Everyone has a fundamental need to be known in their work …"

How to master the art of effective delegating

07/01/2008
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Create wall calendars to remind staff of key HR dates

07/01/2008
Here’s a way for HR to stay top-of-mind with employees all year: Give each employee a calendar that highlights important dates during the year, such as open enrollment or when certain forms must be completed …

Google it! 7 hiring and retention tips from Silicon Valley’s best

06/24/2008
When you google “best places to work,” you’re sure to find a link to Google itself. The search engine giant—91 million lookups per day—is a perpetual contender for the No. 1 spot on lists that rank great employers. Google’s VP for "people operations" tells how the company stays on top with innovative hiring, retention and collaboration strategies.