Productivity / Performance

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.

Snapshot: Formal appraisals are still the top performance tool

11/28/2017

Most organizations continue to use formal performance appraisals to assess how employees are doing and determine how much to pay them.

Document all performance review details: Who, why, how much and, especially, when

11/27/2017

It’s not unusual for a disappointed employee to immediately allege some form of discrimination or bring up past discrimination complaints and claim the poor review was retaliation. Smart employers know how to protect against this sort of lawsuit.

Workflex in the 21st Century Act may modernize ERISA

11/22/2017

New legislation would allow employers to create an ERISA plan, known as a qualified flexible workplace arrangement plan, as a way to offer employees a combination of guaranteed paid leave and increased work flexibility options.

Finding purpose: How to help employees connect with meaning in their jobs

11/21/2017

Managers who understand what employees value have an opportunity to inspire them to find a purpose for their work that they can embrace, and connect to a deeper meaning and increased engagement in their work.

4 ways to inject more oversight into flexible work arrangements

11/21/2017

Employers may perceive flex schedules as a key retention tool, but they’re no longer shy about insisting that day-to-day productivity can’t suffer because of an employee’s altered schedule.

Disability doesn’t provide immunity from discipline or termination

11/08/2017

Some workers wrongly believe a disability immunizes them. If they are disciplined or terminated, they often sue. Those lawsuits will be dismissed early in the legal process if the employer takes the litigation seriously and explains exactly why the worker was disciplined or fired.