Employee Relations

Calling supervisor to complain about alleged racial slur is protected activity

09/09/2013

Employees are protected from retaliation for complaining about alleged discrimination. The complaint is considered protected activity. Something as simple as calling a supervisor to complain about a co-worker’s racial slur is protected.

Software firm’s redesign boxes out open-space office trend

09/03/2013

Turning back the clock on the trend toward more open spaces in office buildings, software publisher IssueTrak has replaced most employee cubicles with offices in response to staff requests. The company transformed storage space and open, common areas to private offices so every employee could have one.

Business flexes schedule for employee in med school

09/02/2013

A coder for National Medical Billing Services just finished his medical degree, which he earned as a part-time student while working full time as a coder for the St. Louis-based organization. The company worked out a flexible schedule with him and also allowed him to work remotely so he could move out of state to attend classes.

There’s no excuse for workplace abuse! Even disabled employees can be disciplined

09/01/2013

Employers don’t have to put up with angry and abusive employees who try to make life miserable for others. That’s true even if the employee is disabled and has taken FMLA and other leave to deal with mental problems or medical conditions that may be contributing to poor behavior.

NLRB, EEOC confidentiality stance muddles investigations

08/26/2013

The NLRB and EEOC are actively enforcing the position that a blanket policy requiring confidentiality during investigations violates federal labor and employment law. That means employers must proceed carefully and thoughtfully when making confidentiality requests during investigations.

Craft strategy to retain your best employees

08/23/2013

It’s getting a lot easier for your most valued employees to find jobs at other companies. And if your retention efforts aren’t better than your competitors’ recruiting, you stand a good chance of losing your star employees.

Swearing at work: Is it ever appropriate?

08/21/2013

Does swearing energize employees and demonstrate passion? Or does it cast you as out-of-control and unprofessional? Generally, the answer is the latter.

Dimension Data employees have multiple choices for development

08/20/2013

Employees of Dimension Data Americas have half a dozen ways to develop their skills and further their careers with the Virginia-based tech company. For example, its Dimension Data University is an e-learning platform that allows employees to log on when they have time to take skills-development classes.

Don’t overlook oral warnings in progressive discipline process

08/19/2013

Progressive discipline often focuses on the end of the process—the written warnings that, if unheeded, can lead to firing. But the oral warnings that come at the beginning are just as important.

The distasteful ‘sandwich’: How to rethink your feedback strategy

08/14/2013

Many managers and HR professionals have been taught to “sandwich” constructive criticism between two positive statements. But I think this is a distasteful way of delivering feedback. Here’s why: