Employee Relations

Keep workers’ stress under control

08/05/2016

Often managers feel caught between a rock and a hard place. Challenged to meet organizational goals in a tough economic climate, they push teams to do more and watch the stress levels rise.

Are disciplinary records clear and complete? Documentation only works if it’s accurate

08/01/2016

We say it over and over again: Document, document, document! But perhaps a little more clarity is in order: Document accurately, so there can be no doubt that you clearly recorded the details of violations that led to discipline.

Are they ready for the next level?

08/01/2016

When is an employee ready for more responsibility?

Write a better employee survey

07/26/2016

Use these tips to draft an employee survey that provides you with information you can use.

Variable pay strategy: Teach workers to ‘manage the boss’

07/20/2016

The biggest trend in employee compensation is pay-for-performance. In many organizations, less employee pay is fixed; more is contingent on performance. In reality, too few managers do what’s necessary to make pay-for-performance work. Solution: Teach the employees to “manage the boss.”

Note all details that went into your decision to discipline an employee

07/18/2016

Always record the details of your disciplinary decisions at the time you make them. Document as if you are assuming that litigation will result from every disciplinary act.

Government employees don’t check their Constitutional rights at the workplace door

07/15/2016

Public employees don’t lose their First Amendment free speech rights when they take a government job. Their employer can’t punish them for speaking out on matters of public importance.

5 tips to handle tough conversations

07/15/2016

Conducting tough conversations with employees and co-workers is inevitable. However, if you follow these guidelines, you can prevent arguments—and get the results you want.

Document performance problems even if they are not serious enough to warrant discipline

07/13/2016

Sometimes, an employee’s performance problems may not seem serious enough to warrant a formal performance improvement plan. However, you should be sure to document the problems anyway. Those records will be useful if you later have to terminate someone for economic reasons.

Workplace politics fueled by gossip and rumors