Employee Relations

Counter years of good reviews by documenting legit reasons for discipline

12/22/2015

Generally, if an employer gives an employee consistently good reviews, courts will view that as evidence that the employer was satisfied with the worker’s job performance. An employee who alleges discrimination or retaliation can then use those good reviews to show that something else must have been the reason for a sudden discharge.

Do employees feel like they ‘belong’? 5 red flags

12/21/2015

When employees feel like they belong in an organization, they’ll give you their all. When they feel like outsiders, you’ll only get a half-hearted effort at best. Here are five red flags …

Mental health concerns? Focus on behavior

12/18/2015

Worried an employee may have an undisclosed mental disability that is causing problems at work? Don’t treat him with kid gloves or suggest he seek mental health care.

Sensitive job, angry worker? OK to discipline

12/17/2015

Some workers think that anytime their employer criticizes an emotional state or suggests therapy, the employer is “regarding” them as disabled. Thus, goes the argument, the employer violates the ADA when it tries to intervene.

Uh-oh! He’s uncooperative … what now?

12/16/2015

If you have an uncooperative employee, the following guidelines can help you resolve the problem.

The 5 common myths about workplace conflict

12/14/2015

Managed correctly, conflict can be a positive source of innovation and creativity. How do you harness its power?

Remind managers: It’s essential to document every disciplinary decision and punishment

12/10/2015

You never know which fired employee will sue. That’s why it’s important to make sure every disciplinary decision is based on solid business reasons. You may even want to create an internal disciplinary checklist to ensure managers and supervisors know how to document discipline.

5 ways to reduce absenteeism

12/10/2015

It may surprise you that the first item on the list of ways to get people to come to work more often is to encourage dissent.

Beware happy employees! They might be ready to bolt

12/08/2015

It sounds counterintuitive, but happy workers may not be everything you believe. The time to check in with them is now.

Two workers locking horns?

12/07/2015

It’s a common scenario in the workplace: An ongoing dispute between two employees. Left unchecked it can split your whole unit into factions. And your workers may be looking at everything you do in terms of which side you seem to favor. Here are some guidelines that can help you address employee conflicts in a positive, effective manner.