Day: July 14, 2014

HR Policies—What’s Happening in the Real World?

Please participate in our brief survey, and see how what you are doing stacks up against what other successful companies are doing. We’ll get answers to these questions and more: Who develops policies? Who has final approval of policies? How often are policies updated? Do you have a policy on social media background checks? What […]

Do your employees have the right type of motivation?

by Dan Oswald A colleague shared with me an article published recently in the New York Times Sunday Review. In addition to the fact that the article had been recommended, its title, “The Secret of Effective Motivation,” was certainly enough to get me to read it. Who in management doesn’t want to know the “secret” […]

EEOC: Pregnant Employees Entitled to Accommodation

Pregnant employees are entitled to workplace accommodations, according to new guidance issued July 14 by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Because the Pregnancy Discrimination Act requires that employers treat pregnant employees the same as other workers “not so affected but similar in their ability or inability to work” — and because the Americans with […]

10 Phrases that Should Be Banned from the Workplace Forever

Are there specific words and phrases that career-minded managers should avoid at all costs? Yes indeed! says Darlene Price, author of the book Well Said! Presentations and Conversations That Get Results. She offers 10 phrases that you should never utter. To successfully communicate, says Price (www.wellsaid.com), you have to learn to present yourself and your […]

I Need to UNdesignate Some FMLA Leave; Is That OK?

What can you do if you discover that you’ve mistakenly designated leave as FMLA-qualifying? Several cases help point the way to the policy you should follow. Employer’s Promise (Designation) Must Be Kept Some courts have held that employees are entitled to FMLA protections based on representations made by the employer, even if the employer’s representation […]

Designating FMLA— First Place Employers Fail

When the employer has enough information to determine whether the leave is being taken for a FMLA-qualifying reason (e.g., after receiving a certification), the employer must notify the employee whether the leave will be designated and will be counted as FMLA leave within 5 business days, absent extenuating circumstances. The employer is always responsible for […]

Do You Train Your Leaders to Lead Like Lincoln?

President Abraham Lincoln appointed the best and brightest to his Cabinet, individuals who were also some of his greatest political rivals. He demonstrated his leadership by pulling this group together into a unique team that represented the greatest minds of his time, according to historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. Lincoln demonstrated an ability to withstand adversity […]

2014 Performance Management Survey Results—What Are Supervisors’ Most Common PA Errors?

Supervisors’ Role in Performance Appraisals Management’s top responsibilities when it comes to performance evaluations are writing evaluations of their direct reports for 85.6% of survey participants, followed closely by setting goals for/with employees for 78.3%, conducting review meetings for 75.3%, and coaching employees for improved performance for 75.3%. Finishing out the field is reviewing evaluations […]

‘Tomato’ Keeps Employees Productive and/or Hungry

These days life can become pretty distracting, especially with all the text messages, e-mails, and social media posts that happen to cross our computers or phones in any given minute. Of course, you could always wait to “like” your friend’s status until after you’ve finished the expense report, but work can wait, right?! It’s no […]

The keyboard is mightier …

This past Friday, LeBron James announced his return to Cleveland after four years of displaying his talents at South Beach. One of the biggest clues that something was in the works was when the open letter written by Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert in 2010 to the then-departing LeBron suddenly went missing from the team’s website. In […]