Civility at Work
“All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten,” proclaimed Robert Fulghum over two decades ago in his hugely popular book of the same name. Basic principles that Fulghum learned in kindergarten include playing fair, not taking things that aren’t yours, and saying you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. While this behavior is often […]
Cell Phones and Work
Ninety-three percent of the US population owns or uses a cell phone, according to CTIA, the International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry. While cell phones have many benefits, they also present many drawbacks for employers. Productivity. Cell phones can positively impact productivity because of their many capabilities including keeping employees connected at work. However, […]
Employers’ Response to Complaints is Critical
To paraphrase a popular saying, “stuff happens.” As the following court case demonstrates, when stuff happens in the employment world, an employer’s inept response to complaints about it can make life stuffier for said employer. According to court documents at www.ca5.uscourts.gov, Tonia Royal was employed as an apartment complex leasing manager by CCC&R Tres Arboles, LLC, […]
Acting Professionally
Almost 50 years ago, local music legend Buck Owens recorded the song, “Act Naturally.” Written by Johnny Russell and Voni Morrison, the #1 Billboard Country Single tells the story of a man who is staring in a film “about a man that’s sad and lonely, and all I have to do is act naturally.” It […]
There’s More to Motivating than Money
“Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort,” said Franklin D. Roosevelt. Easy for him to say – he was filthy rich. However, according to lots of research on the subject, he was right. That’s good news for employers who want […]
Difficult Conversations
Owners, managers, supervisors, and HR practitioners are often required to have difficult conversations with others, such as disciplining employees or having to talk to them about personal issues such as body odor. These conversations can be less stressful for everyone involved if those who initiate the conversations remember a few key things: Why we communicate. […]
Alcohol and Work are a Deadly Combination
The recent legalization of marijuana in Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Alaska has inspired much discussion about its impact on employers in those states and potentially others. However, there is a drug that has been legal for years that employers should really be concerned about, and that is alcohol. According to the federal Substance Abuse and […]
Employers – Define What Professionalism Means to You
Each year, York College of Pennsylvania’s Center for Professional Excellence conducts a national survey of professionalism in the workplace. Its findings are used “to track changes in the state and definitions of professionalism,” and to help create the content of professionalism seminars that the Center provides for the college’s students, faculty, and administrators. According to […]
Ensure Terminations are not Related to Romance
I give a quiz in my harassment prevention workshop that consists of questions like this: An employer is generally held liable when a supervisor fires a subordinate for refusing to have a romantic relationship, regardless of whether the employer knew the reason for the termination or not – true or false? The answer is “true.” […]
Business lessons from a Christmas story
Just before Christmas when I was eight years old, my dad brought home a big cardboard box that he painted to look like a fireplace. Our house was small, so the big box in the living room was a bit of an inconvenience. My three brothers and I grumbled amongst ourselves as we put the […]
