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Employee Relations

Employers crack down on social media abuse

06/03/2014
While the initial explosion in social media usage took em­­ployers (and their attorneys) off guard, more organizations now have clear employment policies—and they’re not shy about flexing them.

How to help employees who are grieving

06/02/2014
When an employee suffers a death in the family, most employers offer some sort of bereavement leave, but it’s often informal. How employers respond during this time of need says a lot about how much they value their workers—and how much they recognize that employees’ aren’t just cogs in the workplace machine.

Women’s Economic Security Act adds major protections

05/26/2014
Minnesota employers will have some new rules to follow after the state Legislature passed a bill aimed at re­­duc­­ing the gender pay gap and providing more protections to female employees.

Simple rules to post in your break room

05/22/2014
In most workplaces, the break room is nothing more than a shared kitchen. That doesn’t mean it has to be gross. Tack these five simple rules on the break room bulletin board.

MTA shocker! Could cronyism, nepotism have led to ouster?

05/19/2014
Charges of cronyism and nepotism followed a Metropolitan Transit Authority security chief out the door following a meeting with the head of the MTA, which runs public transportation in the New York City area.

Former superstars aren’t immune from scrutiny

05/19/2014
The best approach to dealing with declining performance is careful and meticulous record-keeping showing expectations and how the employee isn’t meeting them. Objective facts trump the employee’s feelings that she is being discriminated against for some reason.

Choose words carefully when criticizing

05/16/2014
If you have good but temperamental people working for you, you know the problem: Your constructive criticism is often taken as a personal attack. Here’s how to offer suggestions to keep your workplace running smoothly.

Worker acting strangely? Request evaluation

05/15/2014
If you think a worker could benefit from psychological help and fear that he may pose a danger to himself or others, you can require an evaluation.

How to keep trouble-makers from ruining your meetings

05/15/2014
You’ve prepared the meeting agenda and presentation materials and secured all the necessary participants. But how do you keep the meeting on track when a few bad apples threaten to derail the gathering? Here is how to swiftly and professionally handle disruptive meeting attendees.

Your best bet for preventing lawsuits: Prompt action, unimpeachable fairness

05/12/2014
Prompt, fair resolution of harassment complaints is the best way to prevent litigation—and defend yourself if a lawsuit happens anyway.