Memos to Managers

Don’t take it personally! How managers can avoid liability in employee lawsuits

05/26/2021

Understanding all the legal do’s and don’ts of managing employees can be difficult. And If employees (or ex-employees) decide to file a lawsuit, they can sometimes sue their managers directly in addition to suing the company. To reduce the possibility of personal liability, here are five important actions.

Here, there, everywhere: Foster harmony and productivity with a hybrid workforce

04/22/2021

Flexible, hybrid arrangements allow for better safety precautions and relieve some of the chaos experienced by working parents with children e-learning at home. For managers, however, the set-up can prove a major headache. How can leaders improve the harmony of a hybrid workforce and perhaps save their own sanity?

What managers need to know about the FMLA

03/25/2021

The law allows qualified employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year for the birth or adoption of a child, to care for their own “serious” health condition or to care for an immediate family member who has a serious condition.

What managers need to know about age discrimination

11/01/2020

At first glance, the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) appears pretty straightforward: It protects people age 40 and older from employment discrimination based on their age. But the law isn’t as simple as it appears; it affects managers in everything from questions asked in job interviews to assigning job duties. Here’s a description […]

Lean on your team for decision-making

09/25/2020

Making decisions is a natural part of being a manager, but you don’t have to go it alone. In fact, learning how to collaborate with your team for decision-making can improve group dynamics, reduce stress and uncertainty and make your staff feel like their voice truly matters.

How to manage grieving staff: Compassion, not silence

08/27/2020

It’s tempting for supervisors to take a hands-off approach to an employee’s grief. However, silently waiting for the employee’s emotional recovery and viewing grief as a “problem to be solved” isn’t the right strategy.

The critical role all managers play in workplace diversity

06/23/2020

Managers play a critical role in ensuring that a high-level corporate concept of workplace diversity comes to life in a way that all employees can feel, sense and embrace in their professional lives.

6 tips to take care of yourself and your staff

06/07/2020

Employees, managers and companies of all sizes are navigating unprecedented times, and trying to pivot to a “new normal” in personal and professional life. Here are tips all managers can use to reduce the amount of stress you and your teams experience during this time of extreme uncertainty.

Maintain productivity by helping managers address employee fears

05/05/2020

Many people who have kept their jobs during the coronavirus turmoil are grateful just to still be employed. But don’t for a moment think health, safety, financial security and other COVID-19 concerns aren’t on their minds—and affecting their performance.

Here’s how to review remote staff performance

04/21/2020

Performance reviews—often difficult and stressful, always important—pose special challenges when not conducted face-to-face. When it’s time to have those critical performance conversations, these simple tips can help you make the most of virtual meetings.