Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Monday, December 21, 2015
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Monday, September 14, 2015
How Well is that New Progressive Discipline Program Doing?
Now that the year is well underway and passing by, we are contemplating a lot of HR things/issues within the Company. We are thinking about how the new policies, procedures or programs are panning out. It is important when implementing new policies, procedures, etc., to monitor the results. One way to do so is to survey staff. You can also appoint one person in each department, if it is a firm-wide implementation, to monitor the results in their own department and report to you. Monitoring results will let you know if you need to improve or scale back changes in new policies or programs. When implementing a new program or policy, it can have a detrimental effect on staff if it is not yielding positive results and management does not see the negative effects and thus does not react or rectify the negative results. It is even more important to take note of the positive impact a new policy or program is yielding within the organization.
For instance -- how is that new progressive discipline program going? I know, I know, I know the year-end is quickly approaching but how is that program working out? Did the program yield the results you were expecting? Have you been consistently monitoring the new progressive discipline policies and results? We all know one of the most difficult things that HR professionals face is dealing with difficult situations such as bullying in the workplace; bad attitudes, lack of engaged employees, etc. While contemplating in the back of your mind what the current year has been like so far AND what new year is going to bring, let's get a handle on it NOW! It’s not too late!
REMEMBER:
- Do not shy away from the new changes you are implementing in your progressive discipline process or any new program or policy you have put in place.
- Be consistent -- Stay Consistent!
- Remember to note ALL disciplinary actions. Even verbal warnings should be noted in employee files.
- Be sure to note the reason for each and every disciplinary purpose, i.e., tardy, insubordination, etc.
- Note the disciplinary action: warning, suspension (with or without pay), referral to employee assistance program, transfer or reassignment or termination.
Some other tips to keep in mind if you are implementing new progressive discipline changes:
- Check state laws to see if employees are “at will” employees. If they are, terminations may be less subject to challenge
- Ensure discipline is in-line with any collective bargaining agreements
- Don’t discipline a legally-protected “whistleblower.”
- Keep in mind that your policies, employee handbook, etc., may well be implied contracts. Stick to them.
- Document performance issues.
- Document feedback, counseling, and training
- Use progressive discipline for most offenses.
Email us to receive a free Progressive Discipline Evaluation kit! all4hrbiz@gmail.com
Thank you from All-4-HR & Business Solutions ! Have a Great HR Day!
April D. Halliburton, MBA, BS
Founder/CEO/HR Problem Solver/Visionary
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Seven HR Ways to Engage Your Start-up Company for SUCCESS!
When starting an organization, the most important aspect of your company, other than your product or service, is your team… The team that you will be building a company foundation! There are some very simple steps you can take that will save you a ton of trouble later on down the line.
1. Clear and Concise Job Descriptions It is important to develop clear and
position. concise job descriptions that correctly define each and every position. Remember, job descriptions are not etched in stone however, they are position guidelines to follow as your company grows in size and customer base for alleviating things and customers falling through the cracks. Job descriptions protect the employer and the employee, making sure the potential employee is able to perform the exact duties that are required for the position. Job descriptions also assure that new employees (by reviewing the job description) exactly what the employer expects from the employee.
2. Hiring the Right Staff. We know how hectic and busy life can be for a new business owner, especially in the startup phase. Do not be too haste in hiring new employees. Recruiting can be darn right aggravating, especially in the midst of everything else. Employees have to be the right fit for your organization otherwise they can end up sabotaging your plans for a successful company.
3. Not understanding basic Employment Laws. This area right here can literally break a small company. Laws that are critical to a company and its employees:
· Discrimination
· Overtime and wage requirements
· Leave Laws: FMLA, military, pregnancy, sick, etc.
· Age and gender discrimination
· FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act)
· ADA (Americans with Disability Act)
· Sexual Harassment
As a company owner you must know how to protect your company and your employees, to alleviate violating any employment or other laws.
4. Not Establishing Progressive Discipline Policy. When starting a company, an employer must establish the
organizational culture and environment from the beginning. Company culture shows your start-up staff and future employees the organization's values, integrity and fairness. Ruth Mayhew, Demand Media discuss some important advantages to having progressive discipline policies in place. The Advantages of a Progressive Discipline System http://bit.ly/1HaXV6n. Progressive Discipline policies build organizational structure; alleviate managers and supervisors from the guesswork of correctly handling disciplinary issues; and establishing the groundwork for employee performance and behavior in the workplace.
5. Showing Employee Appreciation. I cannot express how important it is to REMEMBER to appreciate those employees who have been dedicated to the
building of your organization. When recruiting remember to keep a keen eye for those employees who are going to go above and beyond with you on your journey. 25 Low-Cost Ways to Reward Employees http://onforb.es/1HKNb3vA A simple thank you to let your employees know the struggle is real and you appreciate all of their hard work and dedication goes a very long way.
6. Mis-classifying Employees. Stop cringing…! Its true. This can indeed be a very, very, very, did I mention very, costly mistake. Especially in lieu of the recent Overtime and wage law changes, it is imperative that you are aware of the changes and be assured that you are not in violation of the laws Employee Misclassification http://bit.ly/1S61AIV. Remember when classifying workers as independent contractors, be sure they are follow the criteria of an independent contractor and not an employee. If an employee is under your control, they are an employee, not an independent contractor. Also, employers do not generally withhold taxes from independent contractors.
7. Proper Onboarding Policies. Employment laws are always changing. An onboarding policy ensures when new employees come on board, hiring practices are critical to retaining employees long-term. Employers have to be sure they are conducting hiring practices correctly regarding background checks. Violation of background checks laws is costly. Onboarding practices assure paperwork and forms are consistently completed by the employer and employee; that new hires have the right tools to conduct tasks and duties; and new hires feel welcome and appreciated with starting their new journey with your company.
Until Next Time!!!!
April D. Halliburton, Founder/CEO
All-4-HR & Business Solutions
Virtual HR Management At Its Best!
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Happy JULY 5TH is Coming!
Believe
it or not there is a holiday that signifies Workaholics. July 5th is
National Workaholics Day! While some
employers may believe workaholics are good for the company, researchers
disagree. We all know someone who is the
first IN and last one OUT. While
co-workers, families and yes bosses are unplugged and enjoying the holiday(s)
or much deserved time off, there is always that one or two at the office, at
home sitting at the dining room table, locked in their home office, working!
There
was a time when working long hours/ more hours was encouraged well – because it
emphasized bigger paychecks along with big promotions. Think about it
though! It’s Talk-About-It Thursday at
All-4-HR & Business Solutions! Are Workaholics truly happier because of higher
paychecks and promotions? I’d like to
hear from some workaholics “anonymously” of course!
Signs You are a
Workaholic are below?
The
Workaholics Anonymous website http://bit.ly/1KskG9m
has a 20-question self-assessment that includes these queries:
·
Do
you take work with you to bed, on weekends or on vacation?
·
Is
work the activity you do best and talk about the most?
·
Do
you think it’s OK to work long hours if you love what you do?
·
Do
you get impatient with people who have priorities outside of work?
·
Do
you do things energetically and competitively, including play?
·
Have
long hours hurt your relationships?
·
Do
you work or read during meals?
·
Do
you think about work while driving or falling asleep or when others are
talking?
It
is my personal belief that longer
hours and lack of down time with family, friends and alone yield less than
desirous results. Wikipedia defines
Workaholic as a person who works compulsively. While the term generally implies
that the person enjoys their work, it can also imply that they simply feel
compelled to do it. There is no generally accepted medical definition of such a
condition, although some forms of stress, impulse control disorder,
obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder
can be work-related.
Workaholism is often confused with
working hard, but it is not the same!
Researchers
found that people work hard for four reasons:
1. Because they want the financial
rewards of hard work. Douglas and Morris call these people "material goal
seekers."
2. Because they find little enjoyment
from leisure activities. They can be called "low leisure" hard
workers.
3. Because they love the perks they get
at work, such as friendships, an easy commute, great working conditions, a good
health plan, etc. They are "perkaholics" rather than workaholics.
4. Because they want to work just for
work’s sake. These people are the true workaholics. The Truth About Workaholics
http://bit.ly/1FQ3meM.
Employers
should not encourage workaholism! There has to be work/life balance encouraged
throughout the organization at all times. Workaholism must be discouraged as it
negatively impacts the workaholic, along with the morale of other
employees. Researchers further say employers
send mixed messages as workaholics are rewarded with bigger paychecks and
promotions. On the other hand employers
are pushing work/life balance by saying employees must take their vacation time
and staying home to recuperate, by NO MEANS coming to work and getting other
co-workers sick. But wait again, workaholics are rewarded with fatter paychecks
and big promotions. Mixed messages indeed!
Workaholics
can and will have a negative impact on co-workers making them feel guilty and
compelled to work longer hours and underachieving or causing competition. These attitudes can cause workplace fatigue
and stress.
It
is important that managers keep an eye for these situations as they can cause
health problems for workaholics resulting in burnouts, workplace accidents and
injuries. Workaholism can also cause strife
and animosity among co-workers. Managers should be aware of such situations
where employees may be overworked or stressed.
Not
to make light of July 5th, let me say workaholism is a very serious
matter. Workaholisn can very easily take on a serious connotation as we have
all known of and/or heard of workplace violence, which can be a result of being
overworked. Workaholism not only affects
the workplace, it has a lasting impact on family and home life for a lot of
families.
As
employers and employees, on this July 5th, let’s remember the
importance of work/life balance and the importance of happy and healthy
employees!
Until
next time.
April D. Halliburton, BSBA, MBA
HR Strategist/Problemsolver/Visionary
April D. Halliburton
Founder/CEO, All-4-HR & Business Solutions
p:313-355-3061 | e:all4hrbiz@gmail.com | w:http://www.all4hr.net | a:26310 Norfolk Street, Inkster, MI 48141
|
Thursday, May 21, 2015
DID YOU KNOW: Paid time off can be substituted for unpaid FMLA leave?
Kyle
was looking forward to his summer trip to the Galapagos Islands. He had saved
up three weeks' worth of paid time off for the trip. His plans were finally
coming together. What he hadn't planned for was contracting pneumonia. As
Murphy's Law would have it, the pneumonia sidelined his trip. Instead of the
tropical beauty of an exotic island, Kyle was looking at the walls of his
apartment and FMLA forms. He learned that the FMLA provided for unpaid leave,
but he still had bills to pay, so he wondered how he could go about continuing
his pay during the leave.
As the
weather warms up, employees are undoubtedly thinking about taking some time
off. If one of those employees with accrued paid time off were to need FMLA
leave, he might want some income during his leave. When it comes to FMLA leave
and accrued paid time off, employers have some considerations, including the
"substitution" provisions.
Generally, an
employee is entitled to "substitute" accrued paid time off for unpaid
FMLA leave. Accrued paid time off could include vacation, sick leave, or simple
paid time off (PTO). For simplification, we'll use the term PTO for all of
these types of paid time off. Of course, if an employee has no accrued PTO, he
would not be entitled to such a substitution.
The term
"substitute" can be a bit confusing. The employee does not use PTO in
lieu of FMLA leave; they actually run concurrently. While an employee is
"burning" FMLA leave, he or she is also burning PTO. Often, employers
will require employees to use any PTO before applying the FMLA protections. If,
however, the employee is eligible and the reason for the leave qualifies, all
of it would be FMLA leave, regardless of whether the PTO is being used or not.
Failing to provide the FMLA's protections during a qualifying leave period
could risk an interference claim.
If an
employee exhausts his or her PTO during a leave, the remainder of the leave
would be unpaid, but still protected by the FMLA.
If an
employee does not wish to use PTO during FMLA leave, you may require him or her
to do so. Such a requirement, however, should be included in a related policy
to avoid inconsistent application.
Your policies
regarding the use of the PTO would also apply. When an employee chooses to use
PTO (or your require it), you must inform the employee that he must satisfy any
procedural requirements of the paid leave policy only in connection with the
receipt of such payment. If an employee fails to satisfy the requirements for
paid leave, he is still entitled to unpaid FMLA leave.
If the
employee does not use PTO during FMLA leave, he would have it available at the
end of the FMLA leave.
Until Tomorrow!
April D. Halliburton, BSBA, MBA
Founder, CEO, HR Strategist, Problem Solver/Visionary
April D. Halliburton
Founder/CEO, All-4-HR & Business Solutions
p:313-355-3061 | e:all4hrbiz@gmail.com | w:http://www.all4hr.net |a:26310 Norfolk Street, Inkster, MI 48141
|
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Assess Where Your Employee Morale Stand?
The
worst you want to do is wait until your
employees’ morale is in the toilet! You
want to catch employees’ morale and bring it to a HALT before it is too
late. Trust me on this! It is relatively easy to tell when employee
morale is high or low. When reviewing
employee morale over time, however, you have to measure it. Although it’s not an
easy task, it is task worth completing.
What’s
some signs employee morale is low?
- Unmotivated employees are a sure sign of low employee morale. Employees sometimes go through the motions, taking an inactive role within the organization. It is important to foster an environment wherein employee are challenged, creative and being problem solvers.
- Signs of unhappy employees will show. Be cognizant of red flags such as increased negativity, excessive absenteeism and reduced cooperation or commitment.
- Decreased performance resulting in missed deadlines and increased mistakes and service level declines. If you workforce seem overworked, considering taking on temporary employees to ease the workload.
What
are some signs of high employee morale?
- Better production. Face it when employees feel positive and work environment, their production is higher normally.
- Reduced absenteeism. Motivated employees miss less work and far more engaged.
- High/positive morale yields increased collaboration among workers.
- Motivated employees fix problems without being asked.
Of
course the latter is what all employers strive!
Some
ways to discover exactly WHERE your employee morale is?
- Record the number of improvement suggesting given by employees. According to the BSC Designer, the number of suggestions per employee reflects engagement and morale.
- When implementing new company initiatives, pay close attention to feedback from employees, rather negative or positive. In other actually survey employees and their response to initiative(s).
- Conduct a personal assessment of individual employee morale during performance reviews.
Once
you have surveyed employees -- where do you go? and what do you do?
Click
here if you would like us to email you an Assessing Morale Survey, you can use
TODAY. Put Assessing Morale Survey in the subject line
Until
tomorrow.
April D. Halliburton, BSBA, MBA
Founder/CEO, HR Strategist, Problem Solver/Visionary
April D. Halliburton
Founder/CEO, All-4-HR & Business Solutions
p:313-355-3061 | e:all4hrbiz@gmail.com | w:http://www.all4hr.net | a:26310 Norfolk Street, Inkster, MI 48141
|
Monday, May 18, 2015
How’s Your Employee Morale Doing!
Employee
morale will make the difference between the success and/or failure of your organization. We’ve talked about employee engagement that goes hand-in-hand
with the level of your employees’ morale and organizational culture.
Sometimes,
there are decisions made in an organization that may be intended for good; but
may have the opposite effect on employee morale. For example: An employer may
implement or have in place a rule that prohibit personal items in the workplace
to maintain a professional workplace.
Such a rule, however limits employees’ ability to create a workplace
where they feel comfortable. Even worse, such a rule can create a sterile, institutional
environment.
Improving
employee morale involves motivating employees by creating an encouraging work
environment, providing support and feedback, and implementing effective
management and leadership techniques. Providing support and feedback lets
employees know that the company values their efforts and are glad to have their
contributions to the team(s). Keep in
mind not all motivation techniques apply to all employees. Unfortunately, there
are no one-size-fits-all techniques that apply to all employees. While some employees prefer to work and keep
to themselves -- focusing on work; others require interpersonal support and
positive reinforcement and feedback. Consider what motivates each type of employee
and strive to provide that motivation. Motivating employees means both managing and
leading.
As
an employer who is focused on employee morale, you want to be sure that you are
not allowing toxic employees or environments to surface and/or spread. We’ve had that discussion on the damage toxic
employees can cause, including toxic managers.
That is another discussion right?
Some
Things to keep in mind for motivating your employees are:
·
Show
employees that they are trusted to handle responsibility;
·
Give
trusted employees flexibility in completing tasks.
· Empower
rather than manage employees. Empowering employees grants them freedom. Be sure
there are managers or supervisor available if employees need assistance. Giving employees freedom does not mean
isolating them. You were make sure
assistance is available if needed.
Motivation Do’s and Don’ts
Situations
or actions that can damage employee morale and motivation include:
·
Poorly
communicating expectations,
·
Excessive
rules and restrictions,
·
Activities
that are “removed” from production (excessive meetings),
·
Internal
competition that leads to “in-fighting,” and
·
Giving
criticism without positive feedback or suggestions for corrections.
Situations
or actions that can enhance and increase/maintain motivation include:
·
Providing
variety and rotation to break up “routine” work,
·
Defining
and clearly communicating goals,
·
Showing
support and giving constructive criticism for mistakes,
·
Allowing
flexibility in how the work is done, and
·
Trusting
employees to handle responsibilities.
You get from
your employees what you put into your employees!
Until
Tomorrow!
April D. Halliburton
Founder/CEO, All-4-HR & Business Solutions
p:313-355-3061 | e:all4hrbiz@gmail.com | w:http://www.all4hr.net | a:26310 Norfolk Street, Inkster, MI 48141
|
April D. Halliburton
Founder/CEO/HR Strategist/Visionary
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