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, […]
Get rid of your “use it or lose it” vacation policy
Even though a “use it or lose it” vacation policy has been illegal in California for years, having such a policy made the California Chamber of Commerce’s top ten list of things employers do to get sued (released on July 19). This implies that some employers still have such policies in place and are being […]
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 […]
How Domestic Violence Affects the Workplace
Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was indicted in March by a grand jury for assaulting his fiancé (now wife). San Francisco 49er defensive end Ray McDonald was arrested on August 31 for felony domestic abuse. Evidently, domestic violence has become a problem in the NFL. Unfortunately, it’s not just a problem there. The Alliance […]
Giving Employees a Second Chance
In his article “Hire Slow, Fire Fast” on www.forbes.com, Patrick Hull tells readers that, “If a person that you hire is not working out, don’t hesitate to move on quickly…I know many businesses that took time to try and change someone. I haven’t seen it be successful. People don’t change.” I disagree. As an HR consultant, […]
Employer Postings Lead to Lawsuits
If you’re an employer or manager who is being sued by some of your employees, don’t go posting derogatory comments about them on your company website or Facebook page unless you want to get an additional lawsuit. That’s what happened to Coyote Ugly founder and franchise president Liliana Lovell who, in addition to being sued […]
