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Employee Relations

15 Questions to Ask Employees in Their First 60 Days

07/21/2008
A good employee who seemed happy quit after just three months. His supervisor never saw it coming. What happened? That unexpected turnover might have been avoided if the boss had checked in to uncover any potential problems. Here are 15 questions supervisors or HR should ask all new employees in their first 60 days on the job.

Hold onto those notes! Even accidental destruction can mean trouble

07/21/2008
You know it’s crucial to document all disciplinary actions. No doubt, you’ve told managers and supervisors to keep all notes, memos and other paperwork. Those records could be invaluable later if you ever need to show that all your disciplinary decisions were based on good business judgment, performance and other legitimate and relevant reasons …

Don’t play doctor with employee ailments

07/21/2008
Electrician David Justice worked at a canning plant when he suffered a stroke. It affected his balance, so when he returned to work, his doctor said he could no longer work on catwalks or ladders …

Should we limit political talk at work?

07/18/2008

Q. With the upcoming presidential election, our employees have spent more time talking politics and debating candidates and their positions. Do we have an obligation to limit or prevent such conversations in the workplace? …

Lend an ear to help solve employee issues

07/16/2008
Issue: Don’t always rush in to solve employee problems; sometimes, just listening is the best course. Benefit: Effective listening casts you in the role of coach.

Simplify Employee Self-Reviews: A 3-Question Template

07/15/2008

An important—but often overlooked—step in performance appraisals is to ask employees to grade themselves. But don’t just give them the same appraisal form used by supervisors. Instead, use a separate form that allows them to recap their achievements, identify shortcomings and initiate discussions regarding their development.  A good self-evaluation form asks these three core questions … 

The 7 Best Ways to Motivate and Inspire

07/15/2008
Only one in 10 employees looks forward to work, and many say the lack of leadership is why. This doesn’t have to happen. According to the author of Fire Them Up!, here are the seven best ways to get across your vision, values and mission to employees …

Investigate even when employee complains belatedly

07/14/2008

When it comes to reporting sexual harassment, employees have an obligation to use their employer’s complaint process, even if doing so may be uncomfortable. If they don’t, they may lose the right to sue for a hostile work environment. But what happens if an employee has tolerated mild harassment for years without complaining? …

Be ready to justify different punishment for like offenses

07/14/2008
The cardinal HR rule is that employees who break the same rule should receive similar punishments. That doesn’t mean, however, that you have no flexibility if the circumstances warrant it. You just have to make sure you can justify why you disciplined one employee differently than another …

Don’t sweat innocent mistakes when deciding on disciplining

07/14/2008
Good news: You don’t have to be perfect when disciplining employees. As long as you can show you acted in good faith, you don’t have to worry that a court will second-guess your disciplinary decisions …