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Employee Relations

Be ready to intervene if supervisor who shows bias needs an attitude adjustment

07/06/2009

In a perfect world, no one would ever utter a slur or make a derogatory comment. But this isn’t a perfect world, and employees come to work with emotional and cultural baggage. It’s up HR to make sure that baggage doesn’t turn into a discrimination lawsuit. 

An easy way to head off retaliation claims: Keep past performance reviews

07/06/2009

Before you decide to throw out old evaluations and files, consider this: An employee may sue and refer back to those evaluations from memory. If she remembers nothing but positive performance reviews until a recent poor appraisal (engineered, she believes, to get her fired), you’ll need to be able to show her employment history wasn’t as rosy as she remembers.

Beware issuing completely negative performance reviews

07/06/2009

Supervisors often come down hard on underperforming employees during regular performance reviews. But sometimes, completely negative appraisals can come back to haunt you if the employee later sues. Juries are more likely to believe that you terminated the employee fairly if you include some positive feedback.

Even in Silicon Valley, tech firm retains staff

07/06/2009

Twenty percent of West Valley Staffing Group’s employees worked there for a while, left for other jobs, and then came back to claim their former positions. And many of the technology temp agency’s 60 employees have worked there for a decade or longer, even though most Silicon Valley firms suffer from high turnover. Perhaps it’s the perks …

Problem Solved: Real People … Real HR Solutions, July ’09

06/26/2009

This month’s collection of real-world quick tips from American business leaders, brought to you by members of The Alternative Board.

Office grapevine riper than ever? Aim for transparency

06/26/2009

More than half of HR professionals report that gossip and rumors have increased at their workplaces since the recession began, according to a SHRM study. And 23% say they’ve had to address more frequent “eavesdropping incidents.” The solution? The times call for stepped-up communication, says Steve Williams, director of research for SHRM. His suggestions:

Improve training via simpler PowerPoint slides

06/26/2009

Complicated visuals cause listeners to ignore your voice while trying to decipher the slide. Here are three rules for better PowerPoints:

Know the limits of employee free speech—no need to tolerate out-of-line protests

06/26/2009

Employees have the right to voice concerns and complaints about perceived workplace discrimination. But employers have rights, too. Employees don’t have the right to communicate their concerns in ways that are disruptive, insubordinate or that otherwise violate reasonable company policies. You can punish employees who don’t play by the rules.

Are you ill prepared? 13 steps to stay ahead of the H1N1 virus

06/26/2009

In the wake of April’s worldwide H1N1 virus pandemic scare, now is the time to make sure your organization has an effective pandemic plan in place. Although this spring’s immediate threat seems to have abated, public health officials warn that the virus could re-emerge in the fall. There are 13 steps you can take to deal with H1N1:

Host meetings that engage, inspire: 11 tips

06/26/2009

“A meeting is an event where minutes are taken and hours are wasted.” This old saying may be true in many cases, but it doesn’t have to be that way. A bit of preparation, discipline and solid follow-up can help you conduct more productive and focused meetings. Here are 11 guidelines.