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Employee Relations

Snapshot: Inconsistent sleep habits affect productivity

06/25/2019
Workers who consistently go to bed and wake up at about the same time say they are significantly more productive than those whose sleep schedules vary.

Choosing the right words: What to say when …

06/24/2019
Three tricky communication scenarios, and many solutions for them.

Head off a lawsuit with an apology?

06/19/2019
Some attorneys now advocate that an often-overlooked option of simply saying “I’m sorry” in certain situations may actually soothe feelings, and even defuse legal action.

5 ways to handle the suck-up on your team

06/11/2019
“A ‘yes-man’ who agrees with everything a manager says can be just as destructive as a disengaged employee who doesn’t say anything at all.

What should we do? Two no-show/no-call situations were treated differently

06/11/2019
Q. We have a strict rule against not calling in before a missed shift to report an absence. We require workers to make that call at least one hour before the shift is to start, unless they cannot do so due to an emergency. Otherwise we mark the absence as unexcused. Recently, an employee went to the emergency room and couldn’t make the call because she could not get cell service where she was and was undergoing triage treatment. We didn’t hold her to the rule. Now another employee, who heard from the first employee that she was excused, is complaining she’s being treated unfairly, but her situation was not the same. What do we do?

Flight attendants say JetBlue failed to investigate rape

05/23/2019
Two female JetBlue flight attendants allege they were drugged and one was raped by two JetBlue pilots during a layover in Puerto Rico. They reported the incident to JetBlue, but have now filed a lawsuit alleging the airline did not investigate their allegations.

6 common reasons bosses withhold praise

05/23/2019
Employees who are recognized for their efforts are generally contented—and contented employees rarely sue their employers. Train managers to beware these common excuses for withholding praise—and what to do instead.

Managing depressed employees: What supervisors need to know

05/22/2019
Given the American Psychiatric Association’s estimate that one in six people will experience depression at some time in his or her life, chances are significant that you’ll deal with the issue among your staff. Yet despite its prevalence, don’t expect team members to readily come forward.

Is it possible to discipline for body odor?

05/16/2019
Q. We have several employees who apparently don’t use deodorant and have very offensive body odor. What can we do to get them to clean up their act? Can we discipline them? Our dress code does specify that all employees shall practice good hygiene.

Healthy culture pays off in financial and people terms

04/30/2019
Cultural factors such as collaboration, employee engagement, employee retention and customer satisfaction have a clear relationship with revenue growth, researchers have found.