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Employee Relations

How to write performance goals: 10 sample phrases

09/02/2015
Well-written performance goals help energize employees and point them in right direction. But some managers and HR pros have trouble finding the right words. Here are 10 phrases to adapt, from 2600 Phrases for Setting Effective Performance Goals by Paul Falcone.

Back to school: 4 teacher tactics to use with your staff

08/28/2015

Teachers are some of the first “managers” that people ever encounter. Teachers organize each day to get maximum results from their charges, and they must deal with a wide variety of skills levels, motivation levels and communication challenges along the way. Here are four ideas worth borrowing from teachers to bring to the workplace.

You can tell your employees where they’re headed–can’t you?

08/26/2015
A recent survey revealed many people would be more engaged in their work if only their bosses could paint a picture of their future.

Disability isn’t ‘get out of jail free’ card–it must be revealed before discipline

08/24/2015

Some workers who learn they’re about to be disciplined or even fired for poor behavior may try to use an alleged disability as an excuse. But if they never revealed before that they have a disability, it’s too late to try that tactic on the eve of being punushed.

Anticipate lawsuit by offering second chance, fresh supervisor to struggling employee

08/24/2015
If a marginal employee is having a hard time getting along with his boss, think about giving him a second chance with a new supervisor. It may help—and it won’t hurt if you still end up firing the employee.

Disciplinary cases require detailed records

08/24/2015

You know the mantra: To win lawsuits, you must document, document, document! When it comes to employees who sue you for discrimination after they have been disciplined, documentation means making careful, contemporaneous notes about alleged rule-breaking or other wrongdoing. It means and saving records for every disciplinary action. You can’t just zealously document misdeeds by the employee you think will sue. You have to do it for everyone.

How to share really urgent information

08/22/2015
When you have extremely urgent information to share, ensure that your listeners understand your message and can respond accordingly. Use these tips to convey a clear message when it matters most.

Co-workers are complaining: How should we deal with employee’s body odor?

08/17/2015
Q. We have an employee with a strong and unpleasant personal odor. We have gotten several complaints from other employees regarding this issue. What can we do about this, and how do we address it with the employee?

Use Deflategate’s lessons to get a grip on investigations

08/13/2015
The issues raised by this NFL controversy provide great lessons for those tasked with conducting an investigation in the workplace.

Progressive discipline can help win bias suits

08/13/2015

Discharged employees often sue, counting on their protected status—based on race, sex, national origin and so on—to create the impression that they were fired for discriminatory reasons. That’s why it’s important to use a progressive discipline system. It lets you counter discrimination allegations with solid, documented performance or behavior problems that warranted discharge.