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Productivity / Performance

Calling a time-out on the real March Madness

03/06/2018

Working professionals surveyed for a recent OfficeTeam poll said they spend an average of 25.5 minutes per day on sports-related activities in the office during the college basketball playoffs.

Annual reviews: Most popular, least effective

02/22/2018

The most common frequency for performance reviews continues to be annually.  However, HR professionals say that reviews offer a more accurate appraisal of an employees’ performance when those reviews are conducted more frequently.

Ultimate lawsuit preventive: Proof of poor performance

02/21/2018

Employers that track poor performance and can clearly justify reasons for discharge rarely lose lawsuits. That’s because, unless there is solid proof of bias, poor performance will always trump spurious arguments about alleged discrimination.

Good records get lawsuits dismissed fast

02/14/2018

Employers that have well-documented business reasons for every discharge typically win lawsuits that allege discrimination. Good records force employees to prove that an allegedly legitimate reason for firing was a pretext for covering up discrimination.

‘Body cams’ for managers & employees: Is it time?

01/25/2018

Body cams are now common among police, but some employers see them as a way to monitor performance and sort out he-said/she-said arguments.

Meet the new boss, who is entitled to set new expectations regardless of past measures

01/05/2018

Sometimes, a long-term and apparently successful employee may not adjust well to a new supervisor—especially if that supervisor brings new or different performance expectations about the employee’s job.

Your good disciplinary records will almost always beat employee’s retaliation claim

01/02/2018

If you are certain you can justify your action, don’t be afraid to discipline a worker who has filed a discrimination charge or otherwise opposed alleged discriminatory actions. Generally, courts give employers leeway to discipline as long as they believe they acted in good faith.

Factor disciplinary history into punishment

12/28/2017

An employee with a prior disciplinary history may deserve more severe punishment for rule-breaking than a co-worker with a clean record. However, you must document that history and the role it played in your decision-making.

… Workers resist new responsibilities

12/01/2017
Change in the workplace is inevitable. So is the bickering and resistance when the change means new and different duties for employees. Here is how to handle the team’s resistance to more or different work.

It’s an epidemic! More workers fake being sick

11/28/2017

Just don’t feel like going into work today? You’re not alone, but be careful what you tell the boss. They’ve heard all the excuses.