Employee Relations Questions of the Week

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5 Key Points To Use Assessments in the Employee Life Cycle

Employee completing an assessment on their work computer.

What is so significant about the term experience? Experience is how we remember life. An experience awakens the senses and, for better or worse, leaves a lasting impression. Often, those impressions are shared with others, especially with the ease of the Internet and social media. Driven by this, organizations today strive to leave a positive impression on the experience of customers, clients, and employees. For our purposes, we’re going to focus on how employers can significantly impact the employee experience.

We often hear, “Timing is everything.” So, when should you focus on the employee experience? Successful organizations are thinking about the employee experience along every phase of the employee life cycle. The good news is there are many new tools and technologies to help organizations build a unique and impactful employee experience, and one that remains tried and true is the use of assessments across the employee life cycle.

Below are five key points in the employee life cycle where the use of assessments can make a lasting impression on your employees and play an important role in your organization’s ability to attract, develop, and retain employees.

1. Enhancing Hiring Decisions

Let’s start at the beginning of the employee life cycle – recruitment. Assessments used in this stage, such as pre-screen questionnaires, can significantly enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of the hiring process.

Try using assessments in two ways – internally and externally. Before you begin sourcing or searching for candidates, consider using assessments to help internally benchmark what you’re looking for in the role, including the competencies required. Are there skills or traits your current team is missing, or are there different perspectives that could help create diversity of thought? Once you identify these measurable competencies, you can highlight them in your job ad.

When the external search begins, assessments can provide additional insights that screening and interviewing may not be able to. Plus, assessments can provide unbiased and data-driven results that traditional screening methods can’t.

Whether it’s cognitive, personality, or behavioral assessments, you can glean valuable insights into a variety of different competencies. This can help your organization minimize bias, reduce turnover, and hire candidates who are more likely to succeed.

2. Identifying and Developing Potential

After a successful hire, your focus should shift to engagement and retention. From our research findings of generational preferences in the workplace, we know that growth and development opportunities are among the top three reasons employees choose to join an organization. This presents a great opportunity to use assessments to help identify and develop an employee’s potential within your organization.

Don’t believe us? Consider Estée Lauder’s example as they embedded the CliftonStrengths assessment into their culture, processes, and key metrics. When employees understand their strengths and how to leverage them for themselves, their team, and the organization as a whole, it can be a powerful realization for employees and a winning combination for employers. For Estée Lauder, by identifying and cultivating individual strengths, employees felt valued, empowered, and motivated to do their best work, thereby leading the company to award-winning heights.

Today’s expected employee tenure is already short – a median of just over four years, according to the BLS. However, when organizations leverage assessments and subsequent reports to support the employee’s career path within the company, it allows the employee to pursue roles that are more aligned with their interests and career goals. These growth and learning opportunities help to increase that tenure (and potentially turn employees into ambassadors for your organization).

3. Designing Training and Development Programs

On an organization-wide scale, assessments can empower HR to offer training and development programs that meet targeted and personalized needs. Depending on the kind of assessment (technical, cognitive, behavioral, skill, leadership, etc.), the appropriate training programs or providers can be brought in to support a team’s growth and learning in areas that are aligned with the desired organizational outcomes.

Assessments aren’t just for your human talent, however, they can and should be used to evaluate the effectiveness of training programs as well. Pre- and post-training assessments can measure the impact of training, enabling organizations to assess knowledge gain, skills application, and overall program success.

4. Strengthening Career and Performance Management

Assessments can do much more than identify strengths and potential. By providing data-based assessments, employees and employers can work together to identify areas for improvement without the interference of human opinion, limiting the impact of ego and emotion in early performance conversations. Employees can understand where they scored, employers can understand where to support their team members, and both parties can agree on goals together.

By building in regular performance assessments, employees can also find motivation as they see their skills and competencies improve along the way. This can also empower them to reach for new heights within the organization, especially if those roles are benchmarked in similar fashions.

5. Building Effective Teams

Finally, don’t forget about the importance of building strong and competent teams. While this happens at all stages of the employee life cycle, assessments can play an integral role here. With assessment data and well-designed training, HR and management can build diverse, balanced teams across the organization, and even call attention to potential issues or challenges ahead of time to minimize interruptions and conflict.

For example, we have found the Everything DiSC® assessment to be a highly effective tool in helping people to work better together. The DiSC assessment, coupled with training and follow-up resources, helps employees to understand their own personalities, how they are similar or different from their co-workers, and how to improve communication and collaboration across different work styles. This has been a valuable tool to help people better understand themselves and those around them leading to decreased conflict and stronger, more productive workplaces.

When choosing team assessments, you’ll want to look for tools that align with your organizational goals, encourage self-awareness, and foster a culture of mutual understanding and respect. By understanding individual strengths and limitations, team members are better equipped to complement each other’s skills.

Assessments for the Win!

Building out a thoughtful employee experience along every phase of the employee life cycle is critical to support retention, productivity, and employee morale. When considering the employee life cycle, we highly recommend exploring opportunities to add assessments into the process that support your organization’s goals and help you to build a strong employee experience in a consistent and sustainable way.

 

Special thanks to Julie A. Johnson, PHR, SHRM-CP, Sr. HR Business Strategist, Melinda Canino, MS, Sr. HR Communications Advisor, and Samantha Kelly, Sr. Sales & Marketing Strategist for contributing to this Emerging Issues in HR.

Do you need help identifying or implementing the right assessments for your employees and your organization? Don’t worry. The HR experts at Strategic HR can help you find the best employee assessment tools for you. We’re also an Authorized Partner for Everything DiSC®, so we’re happy to be your go-to resource for the DiSC assessment and training too. Contact us to get started!

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Can I Fire Someone During Their Introductory Period?

A sheet of paper with "notice of employee termination" at top

HR Question:

Can I fire someone during their introductory period? Are there ways to reduce our risk?

HR Answer:

The short answer can be yes. As long as an employer has a properly written (and implemented) introductory period, there should be little concern over terminating someone during their new hire period. In fact, sometimes it is actually easier to terminate someone during this period of employment. A key component is to ensure that your introductory period policy and practices apply the employment-at-will status, as allowed by your state or locality. In that case, you should be able to rest easy with your decision, although we recommend consulting your attorney if you have any doubts.

On the other hand, if you don’t have a well-designed introductory period, your organization is at higher risk. If you’re unsure about your policy or implementation, read on to learn why introductory periods are important, what to consider in their design, and ways to reduce termination risks.

Why is a new hire introductory period important?

Introductory periods are an important phase of employment as they allow the new hire and employer to evaluate their fit with each other. These programs typically range from the first thirty days of employment up to six months and can be extended, if necessary.

Keep in mind that appropriate design and implementation are critical. According to the Society for Human Resources Management, some labor experts warn of the legal implications of introductory periods (including discouraging the use of the term “probationary period”). However, if implemented properly, employers can use the time to sufficiently train and evaluate the hire.

Setting appropriate expectations

During the introductory period, the employee has the opportunity to learn their role, acquire and demonstrate the skills necessary to perform the duties of the job, and understand how their role fits into the overall organization. Employers typically use this time to evaluate the employee to determine if they are a good fit for the position by reviewing their skills, knowledge, abilities, overall job performance (quantity and quality of work), work habits and behaviors, and attendance.

Although employees in this defined new hire period are essentially the same as all other employees, there are often special requirements placed on the individuals during this evaluation period. For example, some employers put in place stricter attendance requirements during the introductory period, (i.e., requiring new hires to work on-site for a defined period of time before allowing remote work situations). Other employers reduce the productivity requirements for new hires during this period as they are learning their roles.

Whether you are making the expectations more or less strict as compared to other employees, it is important to ensure that new hires are made aware of the expectations and how they will change after the completion of the introductory period.

Reduce termination risk during the new hire introductory period

Termination of employment at any time can be inherently risky. Here are some suggestions to consider that may bolster your new hire period policies and implementation:

  1. Clearly define the introductory period, including the length of time, and state that it can be extended, if necessary.
  2. Clearly express employment-at-will, if allowed in your jurisdiction and it applies to your situation. This statement indicates that the employment relationship is terminable at any time, including during the new hire period, and completion of the introductory period does not change that status.
  3. Provide a clear explanation to the new hire of how they will be evaluated, including specific expectations during the period and if/how these expectations are going to change once the new hire period is successfully completed.
  4. Evaluate your new hire regularly. Provide frequent and immediate feedback including written evaluations.
  5. If the new hire is failing to meet expectations, discuss what must be done to achieve acceptable performance as well as the next steps if there is no improvement.

Following these guidelines will help to ensure the new hire is treated fairly during the process. We also recommend that you consult your attorney to be sure that your introductory policies and procedures are optimally designed to mitigate your organization’s risk.

Special thanks to Patti Dunham, MBA, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, for contributing to this edition of our HR Question of the Week. 

Terminations are one of the most difficult aspects of Human Resources. Strategic HR can walk you through a termination, assist with the investigation, and provide a third-party objective look at each case. Visit our Employee Relations page to see how we can help you navigate through challenging situations while also building a positive relationship with your employees.

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What is Juneteenth & How Can We Celebrate It In The Workplace?

Colorful sign for Juneteenth

HR Question:

I know Juneteenth is an official federal holiday, but I don’t know much about it. What is its significance and how can we reflect that in the workplace?

HR Answer:

This is a great question, and an important one at that! Here at Strategic HR, we want to recognize the importance and deep meaning behind the history and celebrations of Juneteenth. There is no better way to do so, in our opinion, than to lift and highlight the voices of those who have ties to the joy and the sorrows behind this day. Narcissa Murphy, one of our Cincinnati-based HR Business Advisors, shared what Juneteenth means to her and her thoughts on how workplaces can embrace the celebration.

Narcissa’s Experience

Juneteenth commemorates June 19th, 1865, a day once observed as African American Emancipation Day. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was passed two years prior and the 13th amendment six months prior, enslaved people in Galveston, Texas would not be notified about their freedom until Union troops arrived to share the word. In 2021, Juneteenth was signed in as a federal holiday by President Joe Biden.

As a child, I grew up celebrating Juneteenth alongside my family by attending festivals, parades, and cookouts. We would watch documentaries together to better understand our history – to understand the significance of this celebration and to remind us of the sheer magnitude of suffering our ancestors had endured. This day gave us the opportunity to honor them.

To me, this day reminds me to stay humble, to honor myself and my family, and to pay tribute to what my ancestors went through to get me to where I am today. I’m reminded of a frequent phrase, “You stand on the shoulders of your ancestors.” My ancestors came here unwillingly, made something out of nothing, and survived in spite of the horrors inflicted upon them. And while this day commemorates the losses that we as a people have endured – the loss of life, culture, names, and traditions – we have made it our own celebration and find ways to thrive today.

Celebrating Juneteenth in the Workplace

Supporting and showing recognition for this time in history can be accomplished in various ways. The first step, and potentially the most important step, is understanding the history and its importance. Take the opportunity to educate your team members on Juneteenth’s timeline, important facts about the day, and provide additional resources for those wanting to learn more.

Allow opportunities for your team to volunteer or support local festivals and parades. Encourage respectful attendance and participation, or if schedules don’t allow, find ways to raise money or gather donations for any participating charities.

Bring the celebration into the office! Create an annual company/office celebration, or include this day as an official company holiday to align with the public federal holiday schedule.

Let’s Celebrate!

Not sure where to find a celebration near you? Check out these local and neighboring festivals and celebrations in the Tristate area:

  1. Cincinnati’s 36th Annual Juneteenth Festival
  2. Cincinnati’s Official Juneteenth Parade
  3. Florence Ky 1st Annual Juneteenth “Discovering Your Roots”
  4. 3rd Annual Hamilton Juneteenth Celebration
  5. Juneteenth Panel Discussion & Tasting Event
  6. Springboro 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament Celebrating Juneteenth 2023
  7. Brown Sugar Fashion Gala: Chocolate City – A Juneteenth Celebration
  8. Springboro Juneteenth Jubilee
  9. City of Woodlawn – Juneteenth Fireworks Festival

You can learn more and find additional ways to celebrate at Juneteenth.com.

Juneteenth has been a cornerstone celebration in my childhood, my adult life, and my professional life. Everything that I am today is because of the people who have come before me. They looked beyond their situation and thought of me today; they found ways to fight for freedom so that I could be what I am– a successful professional in corporate America, learning and growing and making my own life.

A special thank you to Narcissa Murphy, HRM, HR Business Advisor for her thoughtful contribution to this week’s HR Question of the Week.

Having an inclusive organizational culture that contributes to your organization’s overall success doesn’t happen by accident. It needs to be nurtured. Learn how we can help you to nurture your culture through our employee relations services, or contact us today.

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Six Ways to Encourage Employees to Set Work/Life Boundaries

Woman working from home while her daughters do homework

HR Question:

Our entire team would love to find a better balance with work/life boundaries, but it’s tough to find a place to start. What are some ways to encourage employees to set work/life boundaries?

HR Answer:

Most everyone knows what the “hustle” is. It’s been a part of work culture since the early 19th century, when the word was first used to mean “gumption” or “hard work.” Depending on the context, hustle may be a virtue, the antithesis of laziness, or a necessity, the extra effort one must perform to overcome bad luck, oppression, or structural barriers.

In this line of thinking, if you can’t get ahead, it’s your own fault, and you just need to work harder. You can be or do anything you want, as long as you’re willing to put in the effort. It’s what we tell our kids so they can achieve the “American Dream”—you’ve got to work hard to get good grades to get into an elite school to get a lucrative job. In the workplace, hustle means showing how dedicated you are to the organization by being the hardest worker. You’re the first one in the office and the last one to leave. You take calls and check email while on vacation. Even when you’re sick, you’re reachable.

Sometimes all that hard work pays off. Some go-getters get promotions and raises. But success stories notwithstanding, burning the midnight oil doesn’t actually increase productivity. In 2019, CNBC shared a Stanford survey showing that “productivity per hour decline(s) sharply when a person works more than 50 hours a week.”

But hustle can hasten burnout. A 2018 Deloitte survey showed that 77% of employees have experienced burnout in the workplace and nearly 70% of them feel like their employer isn’t doing enough to prevent it. Among the leading causes cited were working long hours or over weekends and having to meet unrealistic expectations.

How to Establish Work/Life Boundaries

If you’ve conducted job interviews recently, you probably know that many job seekers today have little love for hustle culture. Instead, they want the freedom at work to set boundaries so getting their jobs done doesn’t encroach on their lives outside of work. This makes good business sense too. According to Harvard Business Review, when employers support work-life balance, they promote productivity, reduce turnover, improve employee health, and boost diversity.

If you want to encourage better work and home boundaries for your employees but are wondering how to go about it, we have some tips to get you started:

Start at the top.

Encourage your managers to come and go at reasonable times and take days off. Discourage making calls or sending emails after regular working hours. Ensure that leaders are taking breaks throughout the day and are encouraging their employees to do so as well.

Focus on outcomes.

If possible, set substantive goals with your employees rather than focusing on the number of hours they’re working. Train managers how to evaluate performance based on objective measurements of productivity and efficiency. It’s the good work that matters, not the time spent at a workstation, the number of keystrokes logged, or the appearance of busyness. Added bonus: your managers will be better able to manage their time and set healthy boundaries around their work if they don’t feel compelled to monitor their direct reports’ every working moment.

Ensure proper staffing and workload.

Set expectations around the amount of work each employee should be able to complete in a standard workday. Share those expectations with the team and get their input on what a reasonable workload should look like and whether they’re feeling underworked or overworked. If you’re understaffed, you may need to assign extra work to employees, but make sure no one’s plate gets so full they’re at risk of burnout. Reward the extra effort and watch for signs of low morale.

Be flexible.

As you are able, give employees the ability to flex their schedule to take care of personal business during the workday without jumping through a lot of hoops. Use a shared calendar so everyone knows who is available and when. If your workplace has a variety of shifts, consider offering employees the ability to work hours across different shifts to find flexibility.

Revisit paid time off (PTO) options.

Review what you currently offer and dig into why you have the PTO plans you do. Make sure you’re offering at least as much as your competitors (if at all possible). In addition to paid time off for vacation and illness, consider offering paid time off for specific activities like volunteering.

Talk with your employees. Ask them how they feel about their workload, whether they currently have healthy work/life boundaries, and what would help them better attend to their personal obligations. Survey them about what’s causing them the most stress at work and what work-related matters may be keeping them up at night. Keep an open discussion going.

You can learn more about good management practices, preventing burnout, PTO, and other topics discussed here on the platform.

Special thanks to our HR Support Center for providing this edition of our HR Question of the Week.

If your organization is struggling with burnout and low morale, Strategic HR can help you to understand what’s going wrong and identify the necessary steps to increase employee engagement and retention. Contact us to help re-engage and re-energize your team!

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What Questions Should I Ask During An Exit Interview?

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HR Question:

We’ve decided to start conducting exit interviews but aren’t sure of the right questions to ask. What are some key questions to ask during an exit interview?

HR Answer:

Exit interviews are an important part of the employee life cycle. These interviews, conducted after an employee has formally turned in their resignation and is in their last few days of employment with your organization, allow you to get feedback to examine and potentially improve processes, expectations, and experiences within the company. While typically conducted with an employee who is leaving on their own terms for another opportunity, you can also conduct exit interviews with those employees who are relocating, retiring, or leaving for personal reasons.

Take the time to discuss topics such as pay and benefits, team culture and expectations, and reasons why someone may have felt prompted to search for opportunities elsewhere. The answers to these questions can help you develop strategies for your HR processes. Plus, this feedback is critical to reducing turnover and creating an environment your employees want to work for. You can’t fix what you don’t know, and you won’t know unless you ask. Preparing ahead of time can allow you to ask focused questions that will lead to the necessary answers.

How to prepare for an Exit Interview

The first step in conducting an effective exit interview is to ask yourself what you are hoping to accomplish by talking to the exiting employee. Are there areas or blind spots that they may be able to shed light on or provide additional insight into? This opportunity will allow you to gather feedback that current and remaining employees may be too hesitant to share.

You may have some suspicions as to the underlying reason(s) for employees’ departures, so this can be an opportunity to test out your hypotheses. For example, you may be concerned that your salary ranges are not up to date with your market and industry, and you are lagging behind your competitors. Or is the employee leaving because of a manager, supervisor, or co-worker? Do you want to look at your culture to see if it promotes teamwork, accountability, and appreciation?

Additionally, be prepared to see the organization through this individual’s lens. They may not have had the best experience, or perhaps they felt consistently frustrated by certain elements. As a result, be prepared to listen to their feedback (and potential negative approach) with an impartial ear and an eye looking for potential opportunities for improvement.

What questions should I ask?

After determining the why, start creating questions that will get you the information you are seeking. Of course, there are many questions that you could ask, so we recommend you identify a set of questions that can be discussed in a reasonable amount of time. Here are some suggestions:

  1. Were you looking for a job (and if so, what made you decide to start looking)?
    Because of the current job market, many employers pursue passive job seekers and provide the employee with a terrific employment opportunity. If the individual was actively applying for new roles, this might help get to the root of why they wanted to leave.
  2. What caused you to accept the position?
    This is where the interviewer can get to a key differentiator between their organization and their competition. More pay, better benefits, remote work, work culture, toxic manager, etc. may be reasons why the offer made couldn’t be refused.
  3. Did your manager meet your expectations for providing appropriate direction, support, and leadership?
    It is often said that people leave a manager, not a job. If their expectations weren’t met, ask probing questions to understand why. This can shed light on any supervision and leadership issues that may need to be addressed.
  4. How can our company improve our training and/or onboarding process?
    For those newer to your company, this question allows you to determine how the employee felt about their first few months in your organization and if they feel they received sufficient training to do their job. If the employee has been with your organization for a longer time period, be sure to clarify that their suggestions can also come from their experience or role in training and onboarding processes as well.
  5. What, if anything, would you have changed about your job?
    A good follow-up question to this one is “if that change were implemented, would you return to work here?” Again, this question can get to the root cause of the turnover, and if the departing employee feels strongly enough about the company to consider returning at a future time. Remember that boomerang employees can be an asset to your organization as they can return re-energized and more engaged, so keep that door open when it’s appropriate to do so.
  6. Would you refer a friend or family member to work here?
    This question can give you additional information about the culture of the organization. If the answer is “yes, but not in my department,” follow-up questions may again reveal issues that should be addressed.

For additional areas to probe, Glassdoor provides more exit interview questions to consider.

What to do after an Exit Interview

After the exit interview, consider how you will use the data. Are you sharing it with the managers or leadership team, or are you checking the exit interview off your list and storing the information? Look for themes, especially if there is increasing turnover in one department or position. For example, are all of your customer service representatives leaving because they didn’t feel as though they were trained appropriately? Do your departing IT professionals complain about a lack of support from their manager? Use the data from exit interviews to create action plans to address issues and concerns.

Exit interviews can be used as a great tool to target turnover and retention issues. An effective exit interview is also valuable in pinpointing management and cultural challenges in an organization if the data is used appropriately. An alternate strategy is to open lines of communication with employees before they leave by conducting employee surveys or implementing stay interviews to identify and address issues before they choose to exit.

Thank you to Sheryl Fleming, MA, SHRM-SCP, for contributing to this HR Question of the Week.

Do you know why your employees choose to leave your organization? Exit interviews, while time-consuming, can be key tools for better understanding your company’s retention opportunities. Our team at Strategic HR can help you construct and conduct stay and exit interviews to learn more about why employees stay or go. Visit our Employee Relations page or Contact Us to learn how we can lend a hand in your employee retention efforts.

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Six Ways To Engage The “Quiet Quitters” In Your Organization

Image of a bored woman working at a laptop depicting a quiet quitter

One thing is clear as we look into this new year – employee engagement must remain a top priority. As employers are still weathering the storm of The Great Resignation, which according to Forbes hit its peak in March 2022 with over 4.5 million Americans quitting their jobs, there was another storm brewing after. This new storm is a more challenging beast as it can sneak up on you – a workforce of Quiet Quitters. Employers and HR professionals must actively pursue the challenge to engage the quiet quitters head-on so as not to lose them altogether.

Made famous in a July 2022 TikTok post with #quietquitting, the term does not actually involve employees quitting. The term generally describes maintaining work-life boundaries to reduce burnout. It applies to employees who are getting the job done and only doing what is necessary for the tasks at hand. They are not insubordinate, yet they are not stepping up to take on extra projects. They are not volunteering for tasks and don’t reach out to help coworkers or others in the workplace. They offer limited extra effort resulting in decreased engagement, which according to Gallup is at its lowest level in almost a decade.

So, what can you do? We suggest the following six steps to engage the quiet quitters in your workforce.

1. Start at the top

Are your leaders engaged? Employees cannot be engaged if their managers and leaders are not. Human Resources professionals must play a significant role in collaborating and partnering with business leaders to first keep them engaged. As business leaders struggle with the disengagement of staff and record turnover, HR should work with the leaders to provide support and recognition and focus on improving the health of the business AND the health of its leaders.

2. Build rapport to open the lines of communication

Let’s face it…no one is happy at work ALL of the time, and that is not the expectation. Creating trusting relationships that allow for open and honest communication without retribution will result in open dialogue to more effectively deal with the “not-so-good” times. Fostering open lines of communication and authentic caring relationships with your staff will result in increased trust. They will feel more comfortable talking with you about their concerns and allow the chance to address issues before the employee feels their only course of action is to leave.

We have heard for years that employees quit their managers, not their jobs. In a recent GoodHire survey, Horrible Bosses: A Survey of the American Workforce, employees note their desire to have a manager that is open and honest in all areas of employment, while only 44% say their manager is open and honest.

Now is the time to create a rapport with your staff so they are comfortable talking with you. Here are a few simple steps to do that:

  • Take the time to listen to concerns and issues.
  • Show empathy and help your team members solve the problems they are experiencing.
  • Follow up and be consistent. Have meaningful conversations either as part of a regular one-on-one cadence, monthly check-in, or even through informal touch bases.

These activities will open up communication and allow for the opportunity to address work-life balance, establish work boundaries, and encourage employee health and wellness. The worst thing we can do as leaders is to be apathetic about our employee’s concerns and not provide support for potential resolution.

3. Respect employees’ time away from work

In our research assessing the preferences of a multi-generational workforce, we found the desire for work-life balance to be among the top reasons people choose to both join and stay at a company. Employees require time off to recharge, and this time away from work must be left uninterrupted and “work-free.” Here are suggestions on how to make that happen:

  • Explain your work style and assure your employees that they do not have to follow your same style. For example, if you like to work late into the evening, be sure your staff knows that a response is not necessary or expected to your late-night emails.
  • Touch base with your staff prior to time off to assure backups are in place. Discuss how emergencies should be handled and let the employee determine how/when they could be interrupted if it were deemed absolutely necessary.
  • Review your own deadlines and needs on a daily basis in advance of the end of the day to avoid reaching out after work hours with urgent requests you may have forgotten.
  • Work together with your staff to determine how urgent needs should be handled.

4. Ask first and provide realistic expectations

Employees may be willing to work some extra hours as needed, but when it is abused or happens regularly, it could lead to quiet quitting. If you have a need, let them know what the need is, how long it will last, and provide realistic expectations of the request. Ask for participation and make sure it does not happen all of the time.

If another coworker or manager is requesting work with an unreasonable deadline or something outside of their normal work hours, advocate for your employee. If appropriate, consider compensation for the extra effort. If not pay, consider some type of recognition that will reward staff for work outside of their normal job duties.

5. Assess and address talent needs (and wants).

As staffing becomes critical, the use of performance evaluations and development tools, succession plans, and cross-training measures will assure you are evaluating your employee’s interests and engaging them in the things that make them “tick.” These tools and conversations will help to drive you and the employees to activities that they are interested in while filling business needs. This can also help to engage the quiet quitters. These discussions allow for honest feedback on career progression and the skills necessary for continued promotion within the company leading to increased engagement and retention.

6. Foster a flexible and caring culture

HR and business leaders need to foster and encourage a culture open to flexibility, diverse viewpoints, and giving grace to others. In addition, the organization must create an environment where employees are comfortable to express concerns and dissatisfaction as well as have the skills to manage the potential resulting conflict. To engage the quiet quitters, you must be aware, stay aware, and take action as necessary.

It is important to realize, quiet quitting does not really start quietly. Employees’ concerns about workload, job duties, and even lack of recognition are typically mentioned to team leads, supervisors, or managers in the workplace long before they become serious concerns. These unaddressed concerns then morph into what we see as quiet quitting. Take the time to be engaged and listen to employees’ concerns and issues. This simple step and many of the actions above will work to decrease the number of employees in your workplace who are quietly quitting and drive a more engaged workplace.

Regardless if we’re talking about Quiet Quitting, the Great Resignation, the Big Quit, or the Great Reshuffle, employees want to be engaged. Sometimes disengagement results in doing the bare minimum until a new opportunity comes along inside the company, and sometimes it results in the active pursuit of another external position. Regardless of the outcome, this movement is requiring an evolution of the role of human resources and our leaders in the organization more than ever. My best advice is to support your staff and your company by focusing on employee needs, health, and well-being, and be sure you are genuinely listening.

Thank you to Patti Dunham, MBA, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Director of HR Solutions for contributing to this Emerging Issues in HR.

Chances are, your organization is experiencing quiet quitting whether you know it or not. One way to understand if your employees are engaged and what you could do to address their concerns is to ask them. Clark Schaefer Strategic HR can conduct an employee survey to assess the level of engagement of your workforce, assess your areas of strength and potential improvement, and create an action plan to address key issues. Contact us to learn more.

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Could Sabbaticals Be Your Next Retention Tool?

HR Question:

In today’s fast-paced and high-pressure market, it’s difficult to truly disconnect from work. We’ve been trying to find ways to give our team a break to avoid burnout, but sometimes a week of vacation just isn’t enough. Could sabbaticals be the newest tool in our retention toolbox?

HR Answer:

You’re not alone in considering sabbaticals as they seem to be gaining in popularity. According to a recent World at Work survey assessing US organizations ranging in size and industry, 10% of organizations offered paid sabbaticals (up from 7% in 2019), and 29% offered unpaid sabbaticals (up from 16% in 2019). Now, as we’re well into a period with many different names – the Great Reshuffle, the Great Resignation, the Great Re-Evaluation to name a few – sabbaticals may be the unsung hero that benefits both employers and employees alike when it comes to talent retention, supporting good mental health, and strengthening employee engagement and dedication to their work and your organization.

Time to Re-Charge, Re-Energize, and Reconnect

It’s no secret that the first beneficiary of a sabbatical is the employee. Unfortunately, those who do choose to take sabbaticals may often lack the opportunity to properly enjoy them. In fact, The Sabbatical Project reports that nearly two-thirds of those who do take a sabbatical are often forced into them due to traumatic circumstances out of their control – the loss of a family member, health issues, the need to navigate complex or dissolving relationships, etc. Not exactly the most relaxing setting for a rejuvenating and relaxing period of time.

Although a sabbatical can be used to address such issues, it could benefit organizations to promote them for a broader purpose. Employees should be encouraged to consider using a sabbatical as an opportunity to truly disconnect, re-energize, and re-focus if suffering from burnout or fatigue. They can also be used to discover new passions, chase hobbies, and gain the experiences that many may put off until after retirement.

Sabbaticals Benefit the Employer Too

And while a sabbatical, paid or unpaid, can seem like an intimidating amount of time away from the desk for both the employee and the employer, the benefit of a re-energized and re-engaged employee can pay back dividends. Interviews for a Charter and TIME article revealed employees who returned from a sabbatical found themselves more creative, felt greater feelings of loyalty and energy, and brought new ideas to the table.

When considering the cost of having to replace a long-term employee, along with their organizational knowledge, skills, and work relationships built over time, offering a sabbatical as an opportunity to renew and recharge may be far more cost-effective. In addition, offering sabbaticals as part of your benefits package is not only attractive to retain current employees, but can also be a valuable talent acquisition tool to attract new talent.

Your Team Will Benefit From Your Time Away

The longer nature of sabbaticals creates an opportunity for cross-training. As opposed to managing through vacations where you can push a project or a question off “just a few days” until a person returns, sabbaticals present a fantastic opportunity to engage other team members in new and different tasks, departments, and levels of the organization – providing the employer with a built-in opportunity for the career development and growth that ranks high on job seekers’ lists today.

Sabbaticals Don’t Come Without a Cost

It would be a win-win if sabbaticals came without a cost to the employer or employee, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. That’s why it’s important that employers establish their promises and expectations for sabbaticals. How often and for how long can employees be away? Do they need to serve a certain number of years to qualify? How much of their regular pay will they still receive, if any? How does a sabbatical tie into their PTO or other time off categories?

While the cost may not be a surprise, the money saved by creating an attractive workplace, providing necessary mental health benefits, and showing that you’re an organization committed to putting employees’ needs first may very well pay dividends in attracting and retaining valuable talent.

Special thanks to Sammie Kelly for contributing to this HR Question of the Week! 

Providing adequate Benefits and Compensation for your employees is key to the recruitment and retention of a well-performing workforce, and having the right policies in place can make or break a company. Clark Schaefer Strategic HR can help you structure your benefit and compensation system to meet today’s competitive market. Please visit our Benefits and Compensation page for more information today.

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Three Ways to Make Holidays More Inclusive

The office holiday party is a time-honored tradition: readers of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol may remember the Christmas party hosted by Ebenezer Scrooge’s old boss, Nigel Fezziwig. While the look and feel of these end-of-year holiday parties have changed since the 1840s, they remain a popular part of the American office culture.

While it’s less common today for companies to host “Christmas parties,” office festivities continue to bear the trappings of that holiday. Christmas trees, wreaths, gifts, and Santa Claus still make appearances in workplace decorations and celebrations.

Is this an issue? It depends. While some people view these symbols as more secular than religious, not everyone sees them that way. Moreover, not every person who follows a particular religion wants to see images and practices associated with their religion brought into the workplace. On the other hand, many employees welcome holiday celebrations at work that honor their own religion and those of their coworkers.

Given diverse religious views and declining rates of religiosity in the United States, employers who would like to be inclusive around the holidays may need to do more than name the year-end holiday party something neutral. Here are three steps to put you on the path toward making the holidays more inclusive.

1. Ask Your Employees What They Want

First and foremost, survey your employees to find out which holidays they would like to see observed and their thoughts on what observance in the workplace should look like. Observing a holiday doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll close up shop for the day, and you may want to make this clear to employees when asking for their preferences. When considering their suggestions, make sure you’re treating everyone equitably. Ending up with decorations related to some holidays but not others may be fine if that reflects everyone’s wishes, whereas allowing people of one religion but not another to take paid time off to attend a worship service could lead to claims of discrimination.

2. Celebrate Occasions Throughout the Year

Once you’ve found out how your employees want to observe and celebrate holidays, mark the company calendar. You might, for example, encourage employees to share how and why they observe certain holidays with colleagues on a general Slack channel or through a company newsletter. Allowing for time and space to talk about religious practices—both celebratory and somber—helps employees understand why a coworker may be fasting, lighting candles, praying during the workday, wearing special attire, or taking time away from work. Observing multiple holidays throughout the year also makes it less likely that an end-of-year party will feel exclusionary.

3. Keep Year-End Company Celebrations Separate from Holiday Observances

Even with ongoing observances, many of your employees may expect some sort of celebration in December. You can avoid people feeling excluded by focusing your celebration on the accomplishments of your employees and the company during the past year, rather than making it about the holidays.

Inclusion doesn’t take a break at the holidays. On the contrary, the holidays, whatever time of year, present a great opportunity to recognize, celebrate, have fun, and help make employees feel that they belong.

Special thanks to the Virtual HR Support Center for contributing to this Emerging Issues in HR. 

Looking for another way to make the holidays more inclusive? Give Flex Holidays a try!

At Clark Schaefer Hackett (Strategic HR’s parent company), employees are offered three “flex holidays” a year in lieu of holidays such as Christmas Eve. By providing these days to be used at the employee’s discretion, the organization is able to meet a diverse range of needs and schedules rather than prioritizing one holiday over another.

Creating a way for team members to celebrate the annual events important to them is just one way of building a strong Employee Relations function and recognizing your team’s diversity. Visit our DEIB Consulting Services page to learn how we can assist you with ideas for improving your DEI&B efforts and nurturing a positive organizational culture.

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What Are Employee Pulse Surveys And How Can They Increase Retention?

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HR Question:

We are exploring ways to increase our employee retention and engagement, and someone suggested doing an employee pulse survey. Can you explain what that is and how to best use it to drive engagement?

HR Answer:

It is not surprising to employers that The Great Resignation and a tight labor market have posed formidable challenges to the retention of valued employees. To add to this concern, Gallup reports that only 32% of employees are actively engaged, and an additional 17% of employees are actively disengaged. This begs the question: how can employers work proactively to retain valued employees and spur employee engagement?

One answer may be deceptively simple: ask your employees through a survey! Employee Pulse Surveys can serve as an excellent tool to garner actionable feedback from your employees regarding key issues such as leadership, total rewards, culture, and engagement. Not to be confused with a standard engagement survey, a pulse survey is distinct in a few key ways:

  • Pulse surveys are shorter. Typically only one to five questions, the shorter survey length can help to combat survey fatigue and result in a higher response rate from employees.
  • They’re more frequent. Pulse surveys can be sent out on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis. The frequency of data collection makes it easier to see trends develop in real-time and respond accordingly.
  • There’s only one focus. Pulse surveys typically focus on one specific topic. The narrow scope of pulse surveys helps you to collect feedback on critical items in between larger, more complex engagement surveys. Action plans can be developed in a timely manner to tackle any pressing concerns before the feedback becomes outdated.

Creating Pulse Surveys

To implement a pulse survey, first, decide on a topic. Consider focusing on a new initiative rollout or a topic that has been of critical interest to your employees (i.e., compensation, benefit offerings, workplace culture, etc.). Next, choose one to five questions that are tailored to this topic. The questions may primarily entail quick, structured questions (such as a Likert scale, multiple choice, or drop-down), which allow for a more quantitative, structured analysis. You may also want to include one or two open-ended questions, which can provide additional customized insight into your data.

Once the content of the survey is established, you will want to choose a survey tool by which to collect the data. Survey Methods is one of Strategic HR’s favorite tools for data collection, although many platforms serve these purposes. By leveraging a third-party survey administrator, you can ensure that your pulse surveys are administered anonymously to gather the most genuine (and valuable) feedback.

Understanding Your Results and Taking Action

The next step may arguably be the most important: creating an action plan to address the feedback that your employees have provided. Do you see common themes? Are there concerns that are identified across the board? These items should be identified, prioritized, and addressed individually. Finally, a timeline should be established to include ownership of each task and a target fulfillment date.

Don’t Forget to Follow Up!

If your employees gave their time to share their thoughts, be sure to return the favor by communicating the results of your pulse survey and the corresponding action plan(s) to your employees. This ensures that your employees know that their feedback is informing actionable changes to improve their experience.

By following these steps for thoughtful implementation of pulse surveys, you can show your employees that your organization cares about their experience and is committed to improving it. While labor market woes remain, pulse surveys can help mitigate these challenges to spur employee engagement and commitment to your organization.

Special thanks to Christine McLaughlin for contributing to this edition of our HR Question of the Week! 

Connecting with your workforce can be difficult – factor in multiple shifts, various locations, off-site employees, and a multi-generational workforce, and you quickly learn that checking in with everyone on your team isn’t easy. Clark Schaefer Strategic HR have years of experience formulating engaging and impactful engagement surveys to better understand your employees’ perspectives, needs, and preferences. Visit our Employee Relations page to learn more.

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How Can We Make DE&I Programs More Effective?

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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion programs (DE&I programs) that create a culture of inclusivity are key to attracting top talent, retaining employees, and developing an engaged and highly productive workforce.

The significance of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion within the workplace is not a new concept. However, a growing number of businesses are researching and implementing these programs in an attempt to fix a multitude of issues, many of which have become more visible and prevalent in a post-COVID world. But not all programs have been received with equal enthusiasm. In fact, some DE&I programs have lacked the necessary support, failing from the start or long before positive impacts could come about.

Research from McKinsey and Co. has shown that companies with a more diverse workforce and leadership team are overall more profitable than their peers that are not. There are many factors that lead to this growth in revenue. Applicants are looking for a strong company culture to work in that values people and how employees contribute to a company’s success. This drives top talent to companies with well-developed inclusive cultures and improves retention amongst current staff. An engaged workforce tends to be more productive, and higher productivity generally means higher profitability. So, how have these organizations created such engaging and impactful DE&I programs, and how can you achieve similar results? In this article, we will highlight a few key foundational components that are critical to the success of any DE&I program.

Don’t Say It If You Don’t Mean It

Sincerity of purpose of a DE&I program from top leadership down is imperative for positive outcomes to occur. DE&I initiatives and the meaning and integrity behind them can be considered deeply personal, especially for employees that have been impacted by discrimination or microaggressions in the past. Employees expect leadership to be leading meaningful change by cultivating a culture of inclusivity, and not just bringing up the topic as a talking point.

This requires a certain level of participation by leadership and can be manifested in many different ways including:

  • Developing, distributing, and living inclusive cultural values
  • Updating policies to be more inclusive (e.g., Juneteenth as a holiday, adding paid parental leave, updating anti-harassment policies)
  • Confronting unconscious bias
  • Holding people accountable for poor behavior
  • Creating a mentorship program specifically for underserved groups
  • Leading by example in words and action
  • Giving positive recognition when successes are achieved

Put Your Money Where Your Programs Are

No corporate program can succeed without business leaders’ and departments’ time, effort, and funding. This means consistent efforts, such as monthly speakers, regular workshops, community partnerships, and more. The most engaging DE&I initiatives with long-term positive impacts do cost time and money – time for your employees to coordinate and/or go through planned experiences; money to support training, marketing efforts, and partnerships; and time off to volunteer and make an impact in the community around your organization. With these efforts working to strengthen your organizational culture, it is time and money well spent.

Move Forward with Purpose and Measureable Outcomes

As with any strategic level project, having a well-defined implementation plan is key. To do so requires careful planning and the development of strategic goals that are clearly defined with measurable outcomes and target achievement dates. Once these goals have been agreed upon, assign specific objectives to groups within the organization. Leadership will be responsible for the overall direction of the DE&I roadmap of goals; however, everyone in the company can have a task assigned to meet specific aspects and have it tied to their performance metrics (e.g.,  Setting goals for hiring managers to interview diverse talent pools).

Also, ensure that the appropriate measurement tools are in place to track the progress to date. Many HRIS platforms allow for several important DE&I metrics to be recorded.

Leadership should communicate the goals to all employees within the organization, as well as the progress that is made every quarter. This communication and commitment to achieving the goals can increase engagement levels. In addition, having leaders advocating for diversity will assist in achieving these organization-wide goals – especially regarding recruiting and retention.

Ultimately, sincerity of purpose and strategic implementation are imperative to a successful DE&I program. Creating a culture of inclusivity takes time and consistent effort in order to have a meaningful, long-term, and sustained impact. By continuing to educate others and developing a psychologically safe space for everyone to work in, a business can feel the positive effects of higher productivity, retention, growth, and engagement.

Special thanks to Mary Mitchell, MBA, SPHR, CHRS for contributing to this edition of our Emerging Issues in HR!

Maintaining a productive, inclusive, and safe workplace is critical to the success of any organization, and incorporating effective Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs and initiatives is a necessary component.  Learn more about how we can help you with DEIB programming to nurture your organization’s culture by visiting our DEIB Consulting Services page or Contact Us for help today.

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Should We Abolish Performance Improvement Plans?

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What is a PIP?

A performance improvement plan (or PIP), as defined by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), is a tool utilized specifically to provide employees with an “opportunity to succeed,” rather than lose their job. PIPs provide two important features: first, to provide a timeline for improvement; and second, to create documentation of performance-related discussions. This means PIPs can be for anyone in the organization – strong performers, over-achievers, under-achievers, executives, or entry-level employees.

Organizations utilize PIPs in order to provide a clear path to success in partnership with an employee’s manager. Particularly in a difficult or limited candidate market, PIPs are best utilized as a retention tool to re-engage and improve an employee’s performance before the relationship between the employee and employer is beyond repair. However, that’s not always the case.

In early 2022, LinkedIn News published an article encouraging a revolution or reevaluation of performance improvement plans. Many employees identified the negative connotation that they associate with PIPs, arguing that they saw PIPs being used to “manage an employee out” of an organization, rather than being used to provide developmental opportunities to address goals or performance. In fact, some volunteered their own experiences of meeting or exceeding expectations, only to be placed on a PIP when there were internal disagreements or frustrations, encouraging the employee to look elsewhere for a job.

So should organizations abolish the use of performance improvement plans altogether? Or are there ways that we as HR professionals can improve the PIP process to utilize the process correctly and better serve our employees?

Ask Yourself “Why?”

As mentioned earlier, the goal of a PIP is to be used for developmental reasons (i.e. should there be performance goals to meet or behaviors that need to be changed for a successful and harmonious workplace).

As organizations take a closer look at how they utilize a PIP, it’s important to first ask why it may be necessary. Is the employee in question failing to meet performance goals? Or is there a behavior-related concern that’s impacting the workplace? A performance improvement plan may be appropriate here, as long as the intended result is an achievable improvement in a reasonable about of time.

If the answer to “why” is to eliminate a person from the organization, or encourage their resignation, then the PIP is being misused. Sometimes, organizations may utilize PIPs if they don’t have other ways or disciplining or managing poorly improving employees who aren’t a fit for the company. If that’s the case, the solution isn’t a performance improvement plan, but a clearly laid-out warning/discipline process instead.

Clearly Define Your Plans and Language

Some managers use the PIP because it doesn’t sound disciplinary when they’re really trying to manage someone out. As a result, the term has gained a negative connotation because it’s been used as a way to punish instead of encouraging to improve. The term “PIP” has even gained such a negative connotation that employees may immediately start looking at other roles for fear that termination is right around the corner.

To alleviate employee concerns and refocus employees on the real goal of a performance improvement plan, consider changing the language around the PIP. Maybe, instead of a “performance improvement plan”, consider calling it an “individual development plan.” After all, the goal is to refocus both the manager and the employee on the person and their individual success, rather than focusing solely on performance. This allows the tool to be used for anyone at any time – not just when there needs to be a marked performance improvement. By asking questions such as “how do you want to improve, how do you want to grow, how do you want to better yourself?”, managers can turn the implication of performance improvement plans around from “impending termination” to “invested growth.”

But, suppose the goal is truly to encourage an employee to consider another career path or to cut ties. In that case, it’s important to clearly define the language you plan to use while having an honest conversation with the employee and implementing a disciplinary form. Being sure to include an escalating path of written and verbal warnings, performance meetings, and deadlines will make terminations easier from a documentation and expectations perspective.

Timing (Implementation)

We owe it to people to coach and develop them before it’s too late. It’s uncomfortable to have frank conversations about performance, and most people prefer to look away until it’s too bad to ignore. But it shouldn’t be negative – feedback is a gift. There are so many people who don’t give feedback and expect them to read minds.

As in any coaching instance, it’s important to deliver the feedback – good or bad – as close to the instance the action happened as possible. But how you deliver it in the moment can be key. If the message comes from a place of truly caring about the person and wanting them to improve – be it their performance, approach, or level in the company – that should come across. And by being sure to use a coaching tone in the conversation rather than a disciplinary one, encourages employees to become invested in their own improvement rather than fearing being “caught doing something wrong.” In the end, it’s about assessing and respecting the difference between corrective action (which doesn’t have to be negative) and disciplinary procedures.

In this candidate-driven market, it’s difficult to find the talent that you need to continue to grow your business. Retention tools, such as performance improvement plans, can help you fully utilize and elevate your employees to greater heights (when used correctly). As you continue to assess your employee relations and development tools, consider re-evaluating how you might use performance improvement plans and disciplinary action to best support your employees and your company’s strategic goals.

Thank you to Cecilia Vocke, MS, SHRM-SCP, SPHR for contributing to this Emerging Issues in HR. 

Strategic HR understands the value of retaining your workforce through good Employee Relations. We’ve helped companies nurture their cultures by designing/updating employee handbooks, creating reward and recognition programs, providing training for safe and productive workplaces, gathering feedback through employee surveys, pulse surveys, focus groups, and more. Learn more about our Employee Relations Services, or contact us.

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What are the Essentials of a Good Employee Relations Plan?

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Three Ways Employers Can Promote Work-Life Balance

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In the midst of a pandemic and a labor “shortage,” followed by an extremely tight labor market, it has become more important than ever that employers listen to and understand the motivations of their employees in order to best attract and retain them. Over the past two years, many employees have made changes that better support family life, financial security, and their lifestyle through remote or hybrid work situations. Many are realizing that work-life balance is not a “nice to have,” but rather it is a necessity.

In fact, in our “Generations at Work: Insights from our Survey of the Generations” report, our team at Strategic HR discovered that the ability to enjoy a work-life balance closely tied as the top reason employees across all generations both join and stay at a company. When combined with the finding that at least 56% of all workers (regardless of generation) preferred a hybrid work situation, employers are trying to strike the perfect work-life balance to attract and retain desperately needed talent.

During a major cultural shift due to the pandemic, many found they were enjoying the “hallway commute,” the additional time with family, and the lessened stress that came from spending more time at home. But for some, there was no clear boundary between when “work” ended, and “life” began. With employees making themselves accessible by email, text, or phone 24/7, it was (and still is) extremely easy to lose sight of that balance. If an employer chooses to ignore the work-life balance expectations of the current workforce, employees will simply move on to a job that suits their needs better.

Three Ways to Promote Work-Life Balance

Each person has his or her own idea of work-life balance or work-life integration, which is another term that some use for the concept of the give and take, tug and pull between work and personal life. So how can employers meet the diverse needs and desires of their employees and achieve work-life balance, particularly if it means something different to each person? Here are three potential solutions:

1) Offer Hybrid or Remote Work Options

To be competitive in today’s market, consider offering hybrid and/or remote work models to employees, in addition to flexible hours. While this may be a complete shift in culture for many organizations, we have seen just how productive and successful employees (and organizations) can be while working virtually some or all of the time.

Some employers may be concerned that remote work could lead to a decrease in productivity and quality of team collaboration. When comparing the collaboration effectiveness of teams working remotely versus in-person, our Survey on the Generations revealed that well over half (55% – 60%) of all generations reported high or somewhat high collaboration effectiveness, followed by 26% – 31% reporting no change as compared to in-person work, and 12% – 19% saw remote collaboration as highly or somewhat ineffective. So what can you do for those who might struggle with remote work?

Steps to ensure success with remote work

Working remotely can present unique challenges to individual and team productivity, collaboration, and success. We recommend that employers:

  • Plan for and build internal supports for those who are working remotely to ensure they have the appropriate support (people and tools) and clear direction to optimally perform.
  • Have frequent check-ins with employees to ensure that they are on the right track to meet their objectives, have questions answered, and have the resources that they need to be successful. You might discover that there are easy solutions to ensure that everyone on your team is working optimally.
  • Ask for employee input to make sure that you are providing the right tools to help them be productive. Be sure that your employees are also properly trained to use the tools. For some, it may also be a matter of creating new, purposeful habits to collaborate in new ways.

Employers should also ensure that their policies and practices are updated to align with their efforts of supporting employee work-life balance. For example, if you offer remote work situations, you should formalize this through a Remote Work Policy that both supports the need for employees’ work-life balance and meets the demands of the business.

A new term for this balance is called “strategic flexibility,” a concept that allows employees and their employers to view the work-life balance holistically and offers insight into how employers can build trust and empowerment within their employee groups while still maintaining fair expectations of employees in remote or hybrid work environments. By offering the option of (at least) a hybrid work environment, employees can reduce the high levels of stress they’ve carried in the past around personal and family obligations and seek a better balance without long commutes.

2) Encourage Employees to Protect Their “Me Time”

Personal time is extremely important for a healthy balance. We are able to be more productive at work when we infuse our daily schedules with some downtime. However, working where we live can lead to blurred lines between work and homelife causing some to find it hard to turn off the workday knowing that there might be one more email/text/phone call that awaits their attention. Employees can start to feel that they need to be available 24/7… falling down the slippery slope that leads to burnout.

Employers can help employees to protect their “me time” by fostering a culture that supports that behavior. For example, it can help to set expectations and encourage employees to “turn off work” by a certain time each day. If an email request happens to be sent during a time when an employee should be “off duty,” instill the habit of noting when something isn’t urgent and can wait until their next workday. This can help employees to set healthy boundaries between work and personal life.

Encourage team members to set time aside each day by doing something for them, whether it’s for 10 minutes or for an hour. The goal is for this time to be set aside for something that truly calms their mind. It could be anything from exercising, meditating, reading, watching TV, etc.

Another way to encourage employees to protect their time is by maintaining a sense of structure throughout the day, whether employees are virtual, in-person, or hybrid. Be sure that you are continuing to host regular staff meetings, group meetings, and social gatherings to make time for some fun together as well.

3) Work Smarter, Not Harder

Help team members stay in the loop through weekly “huddles” or calls to keep everyone accountable and connected. Regular one-on-one meetings allow managers and employees to continue to touch base and uphold the objectives and goals set for the year.

Evaluate processes already in place. Don’t look for places to cut corners, but rather look for steps in the process that may not be necessary to complete the same high-quality work. It’s easy to get into the daily habit of following processes when there may in fact be an easier way.

Work-Life Balance Benefits for Employers

Whether you call it work-life balance, work-life integration, or strategic flexibility, employers who embrace it will not only thrive in terms of attracting, engaging, and keeping valuable employees, they will help to prevent burnout, increase productivity across the board, and ultimately become employers of choice with a reputation for supporting work-life balance. If an employer chooses to ignore the work-life balance expectations of the current workforce, they run the double risk of losing great employees who leave for opportunities that better meet their needs and the impossible task of attracting new talent into a less-than-desirable work environment.

 

Thank you to Cassie Whitehouse, M.Ed., Senior HR Business Advisor for contributing to this Emerging Issues in HR.

 

Creating an organizational culture that is supportive of the diverse needs of employees is imperative to attracting and retaining the talent you need – not to mention critical to your bottom line. Strategic HR can support your culture strategy through employee surveys, establishing remote and hybrid work policies, identifying retention solutions, developing employee recognition programs, and more. Contact us today!

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Top 3 Reasons Why New Hires Leave… And How to Turn Around Your Turnover!

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What the Generations Want at Work – Part 2: Insights for HR, Managers, & Teams

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Specific Ways HR Can Cultivate an Inclusive Workplace

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HR Question:

We’re celebrating the last full week of Black History month, and we want to keep the conversation going. How can our HR department cultivate a more inclusive environment beyond Black History Month?

HR Answer:

While the month of February inspires us to celebrate the successes and recognize the struggles of Black and African American individuals across the US, this focus and spotlight do not have to (and we’d argue should not) be limited to four weeks out of the year. In “The Diversity and Inclusion Revolution,” one of the eight truths the Deloitte Review focuses on is that to create a diverse and welcoming workplace, organizations have to “perform a culture reset, not a tick-the-box program.” Celebrating the work and contributions of Black Americans during one month is not enough to build a diverse culture – rather, it can contribute to a continuous, inclusive facet of a larger and ongoing conversation; one that includes a wide range of abilities, identities, ethnicities, races, and genders.

Studies have shown that increasing the diversity of teams and leadership leads to increased innovation. Additionally, it’s no secret that diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplaces see higher than average financial performance as well. It is easy to see why cultivating an inclusive workplace is not only the right thing to do; it is also a smart business decision. So as you look for ways for HR to continue to nurture and grow a more inclusive environment beyond February, we offer the following suggestions.

Embrace 3 Pillars of Diversity and Inclusion

After studying the most productive workplaces around the world, Gallup identified three requirements for a diverse and inclusive workplace culture:

  1. Employees are treated with respect
  2. Employees are valued for their strengths
  3. Leaders do what is right

By viewing diversity and inclusion through a broader lens as Gallup has, it opens the door for everyone to see how they can play a role. It’s naturally HR’s role to facilitate open conversations amongst employees, managers, and executives, including facilitating eye-opening and bridge-building conversations about how to understand and respect one another’s differences and the value that these differences can bring to our professional and personal lives.

In addition to having meaningful conversations that foster a respectful and inclusive environment, we recommend that you review your employee handbook to ensure that your policies and practices fully support diversity and inclusion in your organization. For example, do you have a clear path for employees to go to HR should they have concerns about the inclusivity of their workplace?

Provide Training that Meets Employees Where They are in the Journey

As your organization continues to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging for everyone, it’s important that your employees have the tools and common language to talk through related topics and issues together. When it comes to understanding diversity and how we can learn from one another, there is not a lack of potential training and development experiences. No matter where your employees are on this journey, it is important to continue to provide education and opportunities for growth.  If you don’t feel that you are best equipped to educate employees on the subject matter, you may feel inclined to bring in a reputable speaker or training facilitator to optimize the experience.

Look for Ways to Foster a Sense of Belonging

There are many ways that HR can be purposeful in cultivating an inclusive culture. You can look for opportunities throughout the year to recognize important dates or impactful cultural events and help employees to celebrate them. For example, Juneteenth was recognized as a federal holiday beginning in 2021 – does your organization have plans to celebrate, recognize, or highlight the holiday? Can your employees take time off through established or floating holidays without utilizing their PTO in order to celebrate?

With the goal of creating an inclusive environment, consider providing forums and welcoming spaces for members of various affinity communities to exchange ideas, find mentorships, encourage a sense of belonging, and network. These groups could range from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds to LGBTQIA2S+, women, young and emerging professionals, and more. For example, look to GE’s Employee Resource Groups, which exist for the purpose of welcoming “all employees to learn, connect, advocate, and foster a sense of belonging.”

Get Involved in Your Local Community

As the Deloitte Review emphasized, “match the inside and the outside.” Internal efforts to continue the conversations emphasized during Black History month or other diversity and inclusion initiatives can be more effective when matched with external efforts to make a difference in your local community. Look for outside opportunities through community action groups or nonprofit organizations. You could also consider paying employees for their time and efforts contributing to a more inclusive and welcoming society.

As we mentioned, there are countless ways that HR can cultivate an inclusive workplace, so we hope that these suggestions inspire even more ideas for how you can nurture diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in your organization.

Thank you to Mary Mitchell, MBA, SPHR, CHRS; Melinda Canino, MS; and Samantha Osborne Kelly for contributing to this edition of our HR Question of the Week.

Having an inclusive organizational culture that contributes to your organization’s overall success doesn’t happen by accident. It needs to be nurtured. Learn how we can help you to nurture your culture through our DEIB Consulting Services, or contact us today.

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How Can Managers Assess Their Impact on Retention?

HR Question:

I’ve heard the saying – “people don’t leave companies, they leave managers.” I recognize my managers can play a key role in the success of my organization, but how do we assess our manager’s impact on retention in our organization?

HR Answer:

As employers continue to wrestle with the challenges of attracting and hiring staff amid low unemployment numbers and continued COVID concerns, many organizations may feel the pressure to re-invigorate and re-evaluate their engagement and retention strategies in order to keep the talent they have on staff. To do so, companies are looking inward to assess their managers first and foremost.

In her article, 20 Employee Engagement Ideas That Work, Kiely Kuligowski explains that “today’s employees are no longer interested in just showing up, performing their tasks and going home – they want to be invested in and enthusiastic about their work, and to feel connected to and valued by their company.” Unfortunately, further research from Gallup has shown that only 36% of employees feel that sense of “engagement” at work. And to take it a step further, managers can account for up to 70% of the variance in employee engagement and can adversely or positively impact employees’ commitment to their work and the company.

You’re right…we do often hear the saying, “people don’t leave companies, they leave managers.” So, in this period of heightened focus on retention, how can companies empower their individual managers to boost employee engagement?

One simple action is to consider incorporating an Engagement Self-Assessment and Action Planning worksheet. By guiding managers through a self-assessment of high-impact engagement drivers, managers have the opportunity to reflect on their contributions to the retention of their employees, while sharing additional ideas and strategies that they may not have incorporated in their management style in the past.


Want a copy of our Manager’s Engagement Self-Assessment Worksheet?

Download it here!


Managers can consider incorporating these high-impact engagement drivers into their management approaches in order to further improve their team’s retention.

Clarify performance expectations

By identifying key performance expectations for individuals, team members can feel confident in knowing how their performance will be assessed. Further, by communicating and reaching an agreement on expectations, employees will feel empowered that they have a say in how their role is measured.

Provide fair and accurate informal feedback

Ongoing feedback, particularly in an informal setting, can help correct and reinforce the behaviors managers need from their employees, without the stress and pressure of a formal review. Keeping it fair and in line with the agreed-upon performance expectations can help remove feelings of discontent or inequity across team members.

Emphasize employee strengths in discussions and performance reviews

For many employees, hearing their individual strengths recognized and emphasized in conversation can be an uplifting and encouraging moment. By consciously identifying and communicating those strengths, it can improve morale while both correcting and reinforcing behavior.

Leverage employee “fit” and motivation

Create an environment that motivates and finds the intersection between what the business needs and the employee’s strengths and interests.

Help build problem-solving capacity and provide solutions to day-to-day challenges

Challenge and coach employees to solve problems. By empowering employees to meet future challenges, managers can help to break down barriers that could prevent success.

Amplify the good and filter the bad

Emotions and tensions are running high. Managers can help to manage the employees’ perception of the company by focusing on what is going right and the positive aspects of the culture. That doesn’t mean ignoring the “bad,” however. Honestly communicate challenges and discuss possible solutions to lean into transparency for your employees.

Connect employees with the organization and its success

Provide context and help communicate how an employee’s work connects to the company goals, and how their hard work contributes to the success of the business.

Instill a performance culture

Hold employees accountable to meet performance expectations; follow up and address any performance issues quickly and fairly.

Connect employees with talented co-workers

Help employees get exposure to other talented employees and build internal networks that help them to learn new skills and perspectives, complete projects, stay informed, and develop new ideas.

Demonstrate a “credible commitment” to employee development

Be sure to follow through on development plans intentions. Use stretch assignments to encourage growth and new skills in your team members – emphasize that growth and development occurs every day, not just through formal training.  Encourage participation in webinars and brown bag sessions.

For more support, download our Manager’s Engagement Self-Assessment Worksheet today!

Do you need more information or training on the strategies outlined in the engagement assessment? We’re happy to help! We can partner with you to bolster your Employee Relations efforts, developing an engagement and retention strategy to help you maintain your most important resource – your people.


The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. Readers of this website should contact their attorney to obtain advice about their particular situation and relevant jurisdiction. This website contains links to other third-party websites. These links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser; Strategic HR does not recommend or endorse the contents of the third-party sites.

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Why Employee Retention is More Important Now Than Ever

We’ve all been hearing the same thing: we’re in the Post-Pandemic War for Talent. Some have called it the Turnover Tsunami or the Great Resignation. No matter what it’s called, the reality remains the same: businesses are in a talent crisis. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 9.2 million job openings in May 2021 – yet there are only 1.2 available workers per job opening, according to the US Chamber of Commerce’s Worker Availability Ratio. Add to that, roughly 48% of Americans are considering a role change, with 53% contemplating changing industries altogether. And roughly 50% of employees say the pandemic has led them to question their current career goals.

All of these numbers are startling. For many employers, their best resource for talent is the talent that’s already on the team, which makes employee retention more important now than ever. But what are employers actively doing to keep them? While managers may say, “fine, let them go,” the reality is it may be extremely difficult to replace them.

The good news is there are actions that can be taken to improve employee retention. It takes some effort, but in the current climate, businesses can’t afford not to.

A first step to winning the “war for talent” is to lose the intention to return to pre-pandemic business. The workforce has drastically changed since March 2020. Organizations that automatically return to what was “status quo” may find themselves receiving pushback from employees who have enjoyed some elements of COVID work life.

The pandemic forced many businesses into a remote work environment. As the duration of the pandemic continued, employees and leaders had mixed feelings about remote work. Some loved it, while others longed to be back in the office. Many felt the biggest casualties of remote work were communication, collaboration, and relationships. Despite claims of increased productivity thanks to fewer interruptions, the impromptu chats and meetings fell off, eliminating the opportunity to communicate casually, collaborate creatively, and build relationships. So, where do employers go from here?

The Great Debate: Office vs. Remote

Employers who never offered remote work may experience struggles and pushback with deciding what the post-pandemic workplace looks like. A recent Korn Ferry survey found that nearly half of workers would turn down work if it mandated an in-person office presence. For employers, it’s important to be intentional in this decision as it can have a direct impact on employee retention and your ability to attract new talent. Just because in-person was the work norm pre-pandemic, does not mean that it’s right for post-pandemic. With the mixed feelings of employees and leaders, employers might consider a hybrid work environment, with some remote time and some in-office time. Many are finding this can serve as a compromise and still be an effective business model. Talk to your employees. What worked, and what didn’t? Employees want to know that their preferences were considered instead of being handed a mandate. Where possible, offer tangible business reasons for the decision.

Strategies to Improve Employee Engagement

Whether employers choose to be in-person, remote, or a hybrid of the two, it’s critical to maintain an engaged workforce. This can be more challenging with a remote or hybrid work arrangement, but it’s no less important.

Engagement starts with strong lines of communication. The need for communication is often overlooked or not seen to be of value, but choosing to remain silent can be to the detriment of the organization. Some key pointers to keep in mind:

  • Share key goals and KPIs with the team, and update status on them regularly. Employers can guide employees’ focus by sharing goals and the progress toward meeting them. All too often, leaders create KPIs and then put them aside until performance review season. By keeping them top of mind and visible, the message is clear: their work is critical to the organizational goals.
  • Help employees see where they fit into meeting those goals and KPIs. Engagement is achieved when employees understand how what they do impacts the organization. Every employee needs to know how their role contributes to the success of the organization. The quality of their work, the timeliness in which it is completed, even their attitudes in doing the work are all critical components to success. The best way to ensure employees care about their work is to help them see how they fit in.
  • Don’t underestimate the value of morning huddles. A morning team huddle can be brief – no more than ten or fifteen minutes – but it sets the tone and expectations for the day. A huddle can celebrate accomplishments of the day before, provide updates on open issues, and establish the focus for the day. The time spent can minimize issues later. The key is to make the most of the time and adopt a structure to keep it concise.
  • Demonstrate transparency. Focus on what is going well and the positive aspects, but don’t gloss over challenges. Honestly communicate issues and concerns and be open to discussing possible solutions. One of the best ways to build engagement is to ask the opinion of those that directly impact the end result.

On an individual basis, set clearly communicated performance expectations, and revisit those often. Managers must provide ongoing feedback to correct and reinforce behaviors. An engaged culture encourages employees to be problem solvers and to take ownership for finding solutions. Use problems and challenges as learning opportunities to demonstrate the troubleshooting thought process to employees. This encourages an environment of constant ongoing learning.

What are your individual employee’s strengths, and how can those be leveraged? This can be a great opportunity to recognize an employee and advance the goals of the business while also impacting employee retention.

Renew Your Focus on Professional Development

Another key contributor to employee engagement is professional development. A recent Bamboo HR survey found that 78% of employers working remotely felt their professional development was negatively affected by COVID, averaging a loss of $9,800 in promotional income. During COVID, many businesses found themselves in survival mode, where professional development was well down in the list of priorities. As we emerge from the pandemic, it is essential that employers return the focus to employee development. If it has lapsed, take the opportunity to restart the conversation with employees – revisit previous career goals. Are these still relevant or do they need to be revised?

Don’t forget that the pandemic work environment may have provided some unique learning opportunities. Are there ways to capitalize on these? A returned focus on professional development shows employees that you are committed to them and their success, and it can contribute to increased employee retention as well.

As the business world looks beyond the pandemic and begins to address the challenges that are being presented, wise leaders will recognize this opportunity to re-evaluate the culture, identify lessons learned, make the most of the talent they already have.

 

Special thanks to Cathleen Snyder, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, for contributing to this edition of our Emerging Issues in HR!

Would you like to find out how engaged your employees are? Strategic HR can help. We will create a custom survey to mirror your work environment and goals for the business, administer the survey as a neutral third party, and summarize the findings with recommendations for improvement. You can learn more on our employee surveys page or contact us now.

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How Do I Manage a Disrespectful Employee?

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How Can We Support Our LGBTQ+ Employees?

HR Question:

As June is Pride Month, many organizations are taking this opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to the LGBTQ+ community. But is it enough? How can we support our LGBTQ+ employees?

HR Answer:

A year ago, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that employers may not discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment. The decision was a response to three separate cases, all of which were about employment discrimination based on “sex” under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which applies to all employers with 15 or more employees.

Prior to this ruling, there had been debate for decades about the definition of sex under Title VII. Originally, many believed that it meant only that men and women could not be treated differently, based solely on their biological sex. But over the years, the Supreme Court had broadened its interpretation to include certain characteristics or expectations related to sex. During that same time, several circuit courts of appeal ruled that sex did include sexual orientation and gender identity, while others ruled that it did not. The conflict between circuit courts is the primary reason that the Supreme Court decided to hear and rule on these three cases. Many states and localities protected sexual orientation and gender identity before the Supreme Court’s ruling as well.

For a year now we’ve had a definitive answer to this question, but then only for employees of organizations with 15 or more employees. And what those protections actually entail remains somewhat an open question. The Supreme Court’s decision in June 2022 said nothing of restroom use or healthcare benefits for transgender employees, for example.

For LGBTQ employees, discrimination and exclusion persist in the workplace. Pay disparities, harassment, and abusive language are common. It is still rare to find openly LGBTQ+ people in executive leadership positions. According to a Glassdoor study, 43% of LGTBQ employees feel that they are not fully out at work, and 47% believe that being out could hurt their career. In many workplaces, these employees are compelled to spend time, energy, and productivity presenting themselves as straight or cis. Hiding their identities is additional work.

Expectations continue to evolve, however. Almost half of employed Americans say they would not apply to work at a company that does not support its LGBTQ+ employees, and many feel that their own employer could be more supportive.

When LGTBQ+ employees are free to be fully themselves in the workplace, and have the support of their employer and colleagues, they’re better able to do their best work, contribute to their team’s and organization’s success, and thrive in their careers. But when they have to edit their identity in the workplace to avoid abuse, harassment, and adverse employment decisions, their time, energy, and productivity are wasted.

Additional Resources:

If you’re looking to educate yourself and your team during Pride Month (and beyond), consider the following links:

10 Ways to Support LGBTQ Rights During Pride Month.

Pride is More Than a Month: The Role of LGBTQ+ Allies in Business

Five Ways to Create a Culture of Belonging

Special thanks to the HR Support Center for providing this edition of our HR Question of the Week. 

Creating a welcoming and positive organizational culture is imperative to attracting and retaining the talent you need – not to mention critical to your bottom line. Strategic HR can support your culture strategy through employee surveys, identifying retention solutions, developing employee recognition programs, and more. Contact us today!

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How To Conduct A Workplace Harassment Investigation

In 2020, the EEOC reported over 24,000 claims of harassment and over 11,000 claims of sexual harassment. Harassment in the workplace impacts more than just the individuals in the situation – these conflicts (and how leadership responds) can negatively impact both the culture and the reputation of the company. You must be prepared to quickly respond to harassment claims in order to protect both your employees and the company as a whole. In order to do so, you must have well-known reporting policies and easily implemented workplace harassment investigation procedures.

The first element to consider is to ensure policies and procedures are in place, clearly communicated to employees, and are consistently applied across your organization. When a situation escalates out of an employee’s control, it’s key for them to know how to react, how to report, and who to call.

It can be challenging to uncover the details, key players, and facts in a workplace harassment investigation.  It requires an experienced and savvy interviewer to avoid risk and to provide fair and just outcomes. So what steps are important when conducting internal investigations?

Separate the Employees

When HR receives a complaint of harassment, the parties involved should be immediately separated from further contact. This may cause work disruption; however, it’s prudent to prevent any further exposure to what may be harmful interaction. Additionally, it’s important to emphasize that retaliation will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

Conduct Thorough Interviews to Understand the Facts

Conducing the workplace harassment interviews may be the most difficult part of the investigation puzzle. It takes strategic planning and a conscious effort to conduct the investigation without leading the participants in any way.  Interviewers should start with basic facts such as details of the incident, when it took place, where it took place, how often the interaction occurred, with whom, how the incident made the employee feel, and the names of witnesses or any evidence such as texts, emails, photos, etc.  If the complaining employee is willing to prepare a written statement, the statement can be used to compare interview notes and to ensure nothing was omitted and miscommunicated.

How to approach interviewing the complainant:

When interviewing the complainant, interviewers should explain that every effort will be made to protect the conversations and the individual’s privacy.  However, they must also be made aware that in order to properly conduct the investigation, the alleged harasser and other members of leadership may need to be informed.  Employees, at times, report an incident, but state that they “don’t want to get anyone in trouble” or “don’t want to get anyone fired.”  If you (the employer) are made aware of a potential situation of misconduct, the employee reporting the incident must be informed that you will investigate and take appropriate action in line with organizational policy, integrity, and federal and state laws.

The last part of the interviews should include the timeline for when you plan to conclude the investigation and share outcomes.  A best practice is to investigate and return results in no more than two weeks.  Rapid closure is the goal.

How to approach interviewing the accused harasser and witnesses:

When interviewing the alleged harasser, interviewers should provide necessary facts about the complaint and ask questions in an effort to provide the employee with an opportunity to share their perspective and/or to provide witnesses and evidence in their favor.  Keep in mind, witnesses are not always cooperative.  They may wish to stay uninvolved or attempt to protect a friend.  The interviewer must gently persuade witnesses, focusing on the importance of their role in the process.  Again, the interviewer must ask questions without leading or making any assumptions until all statements and evidence are heard and collected.  Impartiality must be maintained for the entire investigation process.

Review the Evidence

Once the investigation is complete, the interviewer should thoughtfully and completely review all notes, materials, and evidence to determine if any company policies have been violated or laws broken. This step can have wide-reaching implications – a flawed investigation can lead to poor morale and discourage employees from reporting future situations.  Therefore, the investigator’s role is imperative.

Prepare a Written Report and Concluding Actions

As the investigation wraps up, the investigator should prepare a written report, outlining the facts and violations (if any), used to determine if other action is warranted. If policy or legal violations did take place, management must decide on discipline or corrective action, keeping in mind that this action will set a precedent for future violations.

The final step in the process is to meet with the employee who reported their concerns.  The manager or investigator should inform the employee that action was taken to address the problem or that the investigation could not corroborate that company policy was violated.  It’s important to note if disciplinary action was taken, the company should not share details about the action with the accusing employee.

If there are concerns with privacy, neutrality, or experienced investigators, outside resources such as HR Consultants or law firms may be engaged to conduct the investigation.

Special thanks to Angela Dunaway, SPHR-SHRM-CP, for contributing to this edition of our Emerging Issues in HR. 

Need a neutral third party to conduct internal investigations? Strategic HR can help! Visit our Workplace Investigations page to learn more. 

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How to Handle Unemployment Fraud?

HR Question:

Our company is getting unemployment notices for people that have never worked here, or in some cases, people who are still employed.  How should I handle this unemployment fraud?

HR Answer:

The increasing level of unemployment fraud has been a source of frustration for states, employers, and individual employees.  Various US congressional packages providing supplement unemployment relief have provided not only relief for the unemployed, but also an opportunity for criminals to seek ways to attempt to benefit. The US Department of Labor has reported “a surge in fraudulent unemployment claims filed by organized crime rings using stolen identities that were accessed or purchased from past data breaches.”

States that were already overwhelmed by the unexpectedly high levels of unemployment insurance (UI) claims are now having to pursue fraudulent claims to recover benefits that should not have been paid.  Employers’ unemployment rates may increase as a result, and employees find themselves dealing with identity theft concerns.

In this article, we’ll share information and resources that employers and employees can use to understand who are the most likely victims and what to do should they suspect or fall victim to unemployment fraud.

What Can Employers Do?

There are some measures that employers can take to address unemployment fraud. HR professionals should be on alert to scrutinize any notices that they receive from state unemployment administrators to ensure their accuracy. If fraud is suspected, be sure to follow your state’s reporting instructions. Note that some states require both the employee and employer to file reports.

In addition, it’s important to inform your employees about the prevalence of identity theft and unemployment fraud scams that are occurring across the United States. As a proactive measure, consider sharing the information below regarding what employees can do to understand if they might be at risk for unemployment fraud and what to do if they become a victim.

What Can Employees Do?

Employees who have had a fraudulent unemployment claim filed in their name are recommended to refer to the Unemployment Insurance Fraud Consumer Protection Guide from the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force. This guide explains:

  • Who might be more at risk of becoming a victim
  • Signs that you might have been a victim of a crime
  • Steps to take if you believe you’re an unemployment fraud victim
  • How to protect yourself from becoming a victim
  • Unemployment insurance fraud resources and links for each state

According to the UI Fraud Consumer Protection Guide, if a UI claim has been filed in your name that you did not file, you should:

  1. Report it to your state workforce agency immediately.
  2. If you’re currently working, notify your employer of the fraudulent claim as they may also need to file documentation.
  3. File a complaint using the National Center for Disaster Fraud form or by calling the Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721.

Additionally, employees are encouraged to go to annualcreditreport.com to ensure they have not been a victim of identity theft.  Employees may also want to place a free one-year freeze on their credit by contacting any one of the three nationwide credit reporting bureaus listed below.  When one bureau is notified, they must notify the other two.

Review Cybersecurity Practices

With the rise of unemployment fraud cases using information that was obtained from previous data breaches, it’s important that employers and employees implement good cybersecurity practices. This presents an opportune moment to review how your organization protects personally identifiable information (PII), such as name, address, birth date, social security number, etc. Do you encourage employees to create unique and strong passwords? Do you require two-factor authentication or alternate solutions to increase your cybersecurity? Whatever safety measures you have in place, we recommend that you continue to review them to ensure that you are covering all of the necessary areas and that your employees are following cybersecurity practices consistently.

Special thanks to Cathleen Snyder, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, and Melinda Canino for contributing to this edition of our HR Question of the Week.

Still have questions? Contact our HR experts! Give us a call at 513.697.9855 or email us at Info@strategicHRinc.com

How to Re-Energize Your Team Through Training & Development

HR Question:

I’m concerned that our employee morale and engagement are waning. How can we re-energize our team through training and development with a limited budget?

HR Answer:

We’ve seen it all around, and you’ve likely felt it yourself – COVID fatigue, Zoom fatigue, general fatigue. Let’s face it – we’re all tired in some way, and we could use a rejuvenation! Your employees are no different. Now is the time for HR professionals to grab their favorite caffeinated beverage and get back to dusting off the basics to re-invigorate employees through training, development, and engagement initiatives.

In its first several months, the pandemic required all organizations to go into crisis management mode quickly developing and implementing training to address the crisis at hand. Now that organizations have completed the critical just-in-time training of new COVID procedures and protocol, leaders can shift their focus back to key activities that may have fallen by the wayside – namely, training and development opportunities for the purpose of enrichment.

How Training and Development Can Help with Retention

Well-designed training and development activities can help employees:

  • Learn and grow in their current role to maximize their performance
  • Develop the skills necessary to prepare for the next level of their career
  • Stay engaged and invested in your company

It’s not surprising that LinkedIn’s recent Workplace Learning Report found 94% of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning and development. In order to attract and retain key talent – particularly during times like this when many are feeling tired and disengaged – savvy business leaders will continue to invest in their employees’ training and development. Reaching out and making sure that your employees know that your organization cares about and is committed to fostering their skills and career development can be a valuable retention tool.

Include Your Employees From the Start

If you haven’t already done so, we recommend that you conduct a Training Needs Analysis to identify what types of training would be beneficial for your organization as a whole, in addition to assessing development options for individual employees.

When considering new or unique training and development opportunities, you may find a greater return on investment by asking the employees who will participate in those programs to share their thoughts on what training is needed. Connecting with your team and considering their suggestions for training and development content, as well as their preferred ways to learn, can be a great way to ensure that the training will be on target for what employees want and need. Plus, it can re-engage them in their current positions and stimulate their career growth interests.

Refresh Your Training Messaging

In most cases, much of the training messaging employees have heard over the last several months has been focused on how to get their work accomplished amidst the pandemic – i.e., how to work effectively from home, how to protect yourself should you come into the office, etc. As a result, it’s possible that employees have become desensitized to the tone and messaging surrounding training information. It may feel like something they simply “have to do” rather than something they might actually want to do.

Take this opportunity to re-adjust employee expectations and priorities by shifting your training focus and communication. By placing emphasis on their own growth and development, your new training messaging can offer employees the opportunity to re-engage with your employer brand, help them re-align their goals in a COVID world, and refocus their attention on their own growth and development.

Low-Cost Training and Development Opportunities

A tight budget doesn’t have to be a barrier to ensuring that your employees get the training and development they need to grow and to feel valued. Once you understand the necessary training and development programs to offer, start your search for training resources by reviewing your internal talent. Is there an opportunity for one of your high-performing employees to train their peers on a certain task? Could you further develop an individual’s presentation and leadership skills by empowering them to train others? By tapping your own team members on the shoulder, you may discover opportunities to further both training and development without the need for external sources.

Another opportunity can be using an internal mentoring program. Mentoring is a cost-effective way to develop your workforce by pairing your more experienced employees with the newer, less experienced individuals. This can provide a meaningful learning experience for both regardless if they’re working remotely or on-site. The newer employee can learn job-related skills and strategies, while further immersing themselves in the company culture. The more experienced team member may benefit from the fresh knowledge from a recent graduate or a peer who brings experience from a different organization. Both employees have an opportunity to understand what the other’s goals and aspirations are, building stronger relationships within the team.

For additional low-cost training and development ideas, check out our previous article for suggestions that work well for both remote workers and those on-site.

Employee Rewards That Don’t Break the Bank

Particularly at a time when employee morale and engagement is down, it’s important to look for ways to help employees feel good about the work that they do and the valuable role that they play in your organization. If part of your employee engagement strategy is to offer meaningful training and development opportunities, consider linking those with rewards for those who either step up to provide training or mentoring as well as those who complete training or development milestones.

Obviously, your employee rewards can reach far beyond recognizing those who are involved with training and development. To continue to support and boost morale, explore ways to recognize your staff who go above and beyond. It’s amazing what a difference you can make in someone’s life by simply showing appreciation for their hard work and effort.

As with training, there are plenty of no-cost or low-cost reward options. For example, you could share shout-outs during virtual meetings or in company newsletters, award an extra hour or day of PTO, give gift cards to local businesses, restaurants, or delivery services – all of which can be awarded to shine a spotlight on the good that employees are doing in your organization. Even something as simple as a public “thank you” during team meetings can show an employee that their efforts are noticed, valued, and not merely expected. Better yet – ask your employees how they would like to be rewarded. You can set cost parameters on this if needed, but employees will appreciate the chance to choose rewards that are individualized for them.

Many employees could use a boost right now, and there are no better folks to lead the charge than HR. If you can help to re-energize your employees, not only will they feel better about themselves and the work they’re doing, but you will too.

 

Thank you to Jeff Rouse, MSOL and Melinda Canino, MS for contributing to this edition of our HR Question of the Week!

Is training your employees a goal for 2021? Get your Training and Development program off to the right start by asking Strategic HR to help. We have the expertise to conduct a Needs Assessment and/or to recommend training options for your staff. Visit our Training & Development page to learn how we can help you implement a successful training session.

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How Can We Support a Grieving Employee?

HR Question:

One of our team members has sadly lost a loved one recently. We want to show our love and support, but don’t want to overstep or upset this individual in this tough time. How can we support a grieving employee?

HR Answer:

Everyone experiences grief at some point in their life, and yet for being such a common experience, it’s also one that few of us are fully equipped to navigate when it comes. In part, this is because grief is such an overwhelming and horrible experience. Nothing can prepare you for it. You just have to go through it and get through it. Grief is also a unique experience for each person. Everyone has their own path through its stages, and what helped one person work through their grief may not help another.

To complicate matters, our fast-paced, always-on society isn’t set up to allow time for grief. We’re often pressured to keep our grief private and keep it short. Grief takes us away from our obligations, and our obligations may be impatient for us to return. Households need to be managed. Work needs to be done. Bills need to be paid. Life goes on.

No one can make the grief easy, but there are ways to be supportive and to give people the time and space they need to process their emotions and find healing. Below are some ways that employers and coworkers can support a grieving employee:

Document workflows

Upon hearing of a loved one’s passing, an employee may need to drop everything and leave work immediately, and, in some circumstances, the employee may not be reachable or be able to update you on the status of all their work assignments and projects. With clear, documented workflows set up ahead of time, you can quickly reassign work, and the employee doesn’t need to worry about any urgent or time-sensitive work they left behind. Having documented workflows is also (and more commonly) useful when an employee quits without giving sufficient notice or is sick or injured themselves.

Educate managers and teammates about the grieving process

Grief can take many forms and look different from day to day. Managers and coworkers of a grieving employee may not know what to say (or not to say) or how they should act. Bringing in a grief counselor to talk with employees and educate them about grief can help them support a grieving employee or team member. Grief counseling is also a good idea if employees are grieving the loss of a colleague.

Provide bereavement leave and flexibility upon return

In many cases, people who have lost a close family member have to put their grief on hold so they can make all the calls and decisions that have to be made when someone dies. They may have to make arrangements for the funeral, inform family, friends, schools, and others about the death, and give extra attention to children or other people in the home. It’s a lot. Employers can be a big help here by offering bereavement leave and flexibility when the employee returns.

In the United States, the typical bereavement leave policy is three to seven days, which is rarely enough time to hold a funeral or memorial service, let alone work through the initial pain of a loss. Some companies offer more time off to support a grieving employee. The policy at Facebook, for example, is 20 days of paid time off after the death of an immediate family member.

Of course, providing either paid or unpaid time off is a huge expense, and not every employer can make it work, however much they would like to. Our general recommendation is to offer as much time as you can and communicate with the employee about how much time they feel they need. Some employees may want to come back sooner rather than later because work helps get their minds off the pain. Others may ask for longer because they need more time to heal before they’re able to be fully productive at work.

Understand, too, that grieving employees will have bad days, and grief can come on suddenly, like a ton of bricks. Grieving employees may need extra breaks or need to take a half-day unexpectedly. Letting employees know that they have flexibility after they return can be a big relief.

Offer mental health care

It’s likely that grieving employees will need therapy to help them process the loss and work through their emotions, but regular sessions with a therapist can quickly become costly. Providing health insurance that covers mental health care can help ease this financial burden. An Employee Assistance Program may also be beneficial.


What happens if one of your employees passes away?

Download our Guide to Handling the Death of an Employee and be prepared for the unthinkable.


Reach out to offer support, but be mindful of decision fatigue

People experiencing a loss need support, but they may not know what support they need or be able to answer if asked. Decision fatigue is very common immediately after a death. Even a question like, “What can we bring over for dinner?” can be stressful to answer.

One option here is to simply let a grieving employee know that you’re there for them and that they can reach out if they need anything. Another option is to make decisions yourself about what support you give. For example, if you want to provide the employee with a gift card to a restaurant, you could select the restaurant yourself instead of asking the employee which restaurant they’d prefer (just be sure to take the possibility of food allergies into consideration). Both of these options let the employee know that you care about them without adding to the decisions they have to make and the stress they’re feeling.

Be aware of triggers and PTSD

If the death was particularly sudden, unexpected, or traumatic, the employee may at times unexpectedly reexperience the horror, panic, stress, and fear they felt at the time of the event. In some cases, the employee may be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. If any of this occurs, give the employee time and space to process their emotions.

Also, don’t be hard on yourself if something you say triggers a response. There’s no way to anticipate all of the words and images that could be triggering, and even if you know the details of the death, it’s simply not reasonable to expect that you’ll remember those details in every moment that you’re speaking. Don’t worry if you say the “wrong thing.” The important thing is to be aware that a grieving employee may feel the need to step away and to show understanding and compassion in those moments.

Special thanks to our HR Support Center for providing this edition of our HR Question of the Week. 

Do you wish you could just pick up the phone and easily get expert HR advice to help you tackle your human resources questions and challenges? You can! With our Virtual HR On-Demand Solution, you have unlimited access to HR professionals via phone/email/chat, in addition to 24/7 self-service online HR tools and resources. Check out our Virtual HR Solutions to see how we can make “going it alone” not so ALONE! 

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How to Handle Political Talk During the Work Day

HR Question:

Since it’s an election year (not to mention one during an unprecedented pandemic), the conversations between my employees are becoming increasingly political. How do I handle this political talk either in the office or with remote workers during office hours?

HR Answer:

It’s natural that conversations amongst team members can quickly turn political – with it being a presidential election year, paired with heightened communication from our local & state leaders due to the pandemic, political topics are at the forefront of many people’s minds! Whether your employees are in your physical office space or communicating during office hours while working remotely, it is likely that politics and the election will become a topic of conversation as employees interact. As these conversations can include polarizing opinions, it is smart for employers to have a strategy for handling political talk at work.

Political discussions in the workplace can have both a positive and negative impact. Political expression in the workplace can contribute to a culture that values diversity of thought and the overall well-being of employees. Friendly political talk can be a team-building skill and a morale-booster, especially when it’s done with compassion and a commitment to respecting differing viewpoints. However, if the political chatter doesn’t come from a place of mutual respect and an interest to learn from different viewpoints, or if it seems to be the only topic of conversation, it can create a negative and unwelcoming atmosphere. If left unaddressed, this could lead to lingering resentment that can affect work relationships and effectiveness. Or worse, some political discussion may lead to hostile comments surrounding gender, race or religious statements that could lead to harassment and discrimination claims.

Should I ban political discussions at work?

It’s probably not realistic to mandate that politics not be discussed at work. Particularly given all that’s going on in our country and the world, it can be hard to avoid the topic – even in a general sense. For example, it’s natural that team members may want to discuss local, state, or federal regulations surrounding social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Imagine having to stifle that conversation every time it arose.

Additionally, banning political discussions may be considered discriminatory to some. According to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), an employer may not interfere with political speech where there is a “direct nexus between employment-related concerns and the specific issues that are the subject of the advocacy.” The National Council of Nonprofits warns that not-for-profit organizations should be careful to maintain a non-partisan stance when dealing with the election or risk revocation of their tax-exemption status. However, this Business Journals article points out that “private sector employers generally retain the right to maintain a productive and non-hostile working environment.” With all of this in mind, employers can set expectations for behavior that will help to maintain a positive and respectful work environment.

Rather than trying to police every conversation, it may be more beneficial to set expectations for how to have respectful conversations – no matter what the subject. This SHRM article provides great suggestions on how to share political opinions without damaging work relationships. For example, it can be helpful to approach the conversation with an interest in learning from someone’s point of view rather than trying to change their opinion. Recognizing that everyone may not have the skills to do this effectively, consider providing training on how to discuss sensitive subjects and how to approach disagreement in civil and respectful ways.

We recommend that employers provide clear guidelines for how to discuss politics in the workplace and make the policy clear and easily accessible to the employees. This is a prime area to address in your employee handbook.

Ultimately, employers should stress the point that work comes first always. Everyone is still expected to meet their business objectives and to work together in an environment where employees can express themselves in a professional and respectful manner.

Having an employee handbook with policies and procedures that are easy to read and understand can help alleviate a lot of problems in the workplace. Not only do they set the stage for what is deemed inappropriate, but they can also provide guidelines for what is considered acceptable and expected behavior in your organization. Strategic HR can create, review, or augment your employee handbook. For more information, you can Request a Handbook Quote or visit our Employee Relations page to learn how we can help.

 

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How to Help Employees Manage Stress During COVID-19

As the coronavirus continues to dominate much of our news and impact every facet of our day to day lives, it can be difficult for employees to manage their stress and anxiety amid COVID-19. Managers and HR professionals can play an important role in helping employees cope with the added stress and uncertainties of the pandemic. In this article, we’ll help you to understand the stress that employees may be experiencing and provide stress management strategies and tools that can help all of us to get through this challenging time.

The difference between “good” and “bad” stress

Before we dive into suggestions on how to manage stress, let’s first clarify the type of stress we want to alleviate. The American Institute of Stress (AIS) points out the difference between “good stress” and “bad stress.” Good stress, or eustress, has a positive effect because it can feel exciting or fun, or it can help to drive our motivation to get something done. On the other hand, AIS notes that “bad stress” is commonly defined as “physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension” that leads to a feeling of distress.

It is the latter that we want to help employees alleviate amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This type of stress can lead to physical and mental health problems which can impact all aspects of one’s life – both personal and professional.

Stressors during COVID-19

You would be hard-pressed to find anyone not coping with some amount of stress directly related to the pandemic. Just a few of these stressors that employees could be dealing with include:

  • Uncertainty about the stability of their job and personal finances
  • Trying to adapt to new work arrangements through working remotely
  • Worry and fear about the safety of their work environment for those who are required to work on-site
  • Having to care for or homeschool children while balancing work demands
  • Adjusting to “shelter in place” routines that eliminate former options for fun and stress relief including entertainment, sports, travel, and simply gathering with friends or family.

All of these stressors are taking a toll on people, and it carries over into the workplace. Add to this list the growing health concerns for employees and their loved ones, and the worry they or someone they know will contract the virus and become ill. It’s more important than ever that people are able to acknowledge their feelings and reach out to one another to help alleviate concerns and provide support where possible.

How managers & HR professionals can help

Managers and human resources professionals can play an important role in both reducing the stress that employees feel and helping them to manage their stress levels during this time. A great place to start is with effective and frequent communication. Being transparent about what you do and don’t know, in addition to actions your company is taking to respond to the pandemic can help to lessen the scope of uncertainly and concern that your employees feel. For example, you could:

  • Express care and concern for their safety first and foremost, and encourage an open-door policy so that employees feel comfortable coming to you with questions and concerns.
  • Proactively communicate with employees and inform them of what you are doing to maintain a safe workplace.
  • Consider setting a regular schedule to send updates to staff on important issues such as impacts to the business, strategies and solutions being considered, workload, safety measures being taken, leave options, and other pertinent information.
  • Lean in! Touch base with your employees more than you might usually do whether they are physically at your workplace or working remotely. Make a point to speak to each person on your team a few times each week to see how they are doing and whether there is anything you can do to assist them.
  • If your company offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or corporate wellness program, be sure to promote those resources as much as possible.
  • If your workplace is reducing hours or laying off staff, provide employees with information up-front on applying for unemployment benefits, discount services, or other programs being offered in your area.

While none of these activities is a “magic solution” to alleviating stress – your employees will see you taking action and your genuine concern will show through. They will appreciate you being a proactive resource, particularly during a time that is difficult for all of us.

How to approach someone who may be struggling

Managers are sometimes hesitant to approach an employee they feel may be struggling with depression or anxiety for fear of singling them out or infringing on their privacy.  But if an employee is expressing feelings of fear, stress, or anxiety which is negatively impacting their performance or they’re behaving in a way that shows a decline in their health or mental well-being, it’s important that it be addressed. Working closely with an HR professional can ensure your inquiries don’t violate employee rights.  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of an employee’s disability. In addition, HIPAA prevents employers from directly obtaining health information on employees from a healthcare provider, unless the employee gives direct authorization. For more guidance, see our recent article on how to protect employee privacy during COVID-19.

Here’s a formula you can apply when addressing an employee showing signs of stress or anxiety:

  • Be Specific – Describe the incident or behavior which is problematic using objective, work-related terminology.  Avoid assumptions or making accusations.  Rather than saying, “You seem awfully tired lately and unfocused,” be more specific with something like, “You’ve been late three times this week and missed two important deadlines.”
  • Describe the Impact – Let the employee know how their actions or behavior is having a negative impact on the work, team, client, etc.
  • Problem-Solve Together – Ask for their input in addressing the situation and how to correct it. Use the opportunity to problem-solve with them and explore solutions.  If through the course of the discussion they disclose they are suffering from a medical condition or feeling the need for professional help, engage your human resources department so they can manage the issue and explore options with the employee.
  • Clarify Expectations – Remind the employee of your expectations, both in performance and conduct, and allow them the opportunity to improve.  If a pattern develops and you continue to see a decline, it may be necessary to take stronger actions.

Resources to manage stress during COVID-19

Sometimes when stress feels all-consuming, it can be hard to figure out how to move forward. Managers and HR professionals can also support employees by providing resources to help them manage and cope with stress. Recognizing that different methods work for different people, we will share several stress reduction options that you can share with employees – all of which can be woven into our professional and/or personal lives.

Three Methods for Coping with Stress

Our Coping and Stress e-book outlines three methods of coping with stress and provides several specific ways to apply them. These three methods for coping with stress are:

  1. Eliminate stressors or change your response to them. Identify the stressors, and then try to reduce or eliminate them.  If that is not possible, try to change how you respond to them. Particularly in times when the source of your stress feels out of your control, it can be empowering to leverage what you always have – your ability to control your response.
  1. Use the coping resources available to you – both personal and relationship coping resources. If you can’t control the accumulation of stressors in your life, use your coping resources to help manage the stress. Your personal coping resources include your attitude, values, spiritual beliefs, nutrition, exercise, and sleep/rest.
  1. Develop new coping resources. Identify and create additional coping resources, which will give you greater means to more effectively prevent and cope with stress. During this unprecedented time, it’s possible that you may experience much higher levels of stress than you typically do. It can help to be open to new ways of dealing with stress these days as you’re likely carrying a much heavier load.

 

Stress-Reducing Breathing Technique

We all were born with the appropriate breathing technique but quickly lose it due to day to day stress. Watch a baby – they breathe long deep breaths in through the nose and out the nose. Studies show that slowing down your breathing calms the nervous system, which in turn lowers blood pressure and heart rate, reduces stress hormone levels and increases energy levels. Therefore, the deep breathing we did when we were born is a highly effective tool against asthma, poor digestion, weight gain, sleeplessness, high blood pressure, heart disease, AND STRESS.

We suggest you try this as a way to calm your mind:

  • Sit in a chair with both feet on the floor with your shoulders back and your chin up.
  • Place your hands on your diaphragm so that you can feel the movement of your breathing.
  • Breathe in deeply through your nose filling your abdomen and chest with air from bottom to top like you are filling a balloon.
  • Exhale all the air out of your nose from top to bottom.
  • Repeat 20 times, even just 5 – 10 will help.

This is just one breathing technique of many. If this one doesn’t work for you, research other techniques until you find one that is comfortable and refreshing for you.

 

Low Impact Exercise

The main way to reduce physical stress is to release endorphins into the bloodstream which is done through exercise. Getting a 20-30 minute workout three to four days a week is critical to keep endorphins flowing and the heart pumping. The key is finding something you like to do. Many turn to Yoga and Pilates for a blend of stress relief and strength development. To optimize the effectiveness of exercise, it can be beneficial to start with deep breathing exercises (like the one provided above) first.

Some low impact exercises we like are:

Yoga Tree Pose (Benefits: focus, concentration, balance, strength, and stretching)

  • Stand straight with your hands at your sides balancing your weight evenly on both feet.
  • Begin to shift the weight over to the right foot, lifting the left foot off the floor.
  • Bend the left knee bringing the sole of the left foot high onto the inner right thigh.
  • Keep both hips squared towards the front.
  • Place your hands on your hips for balance. To advance, raise your hands up in front of you over your head.
  • Focus on something that doesn’t move to help you keep balance.
  • Hold for 30 – 60 seconds.
  • Repeat standing on the left foot.
  • For more challenge, try closing your eyes.

Yoga Plank (Benefits: endurance, core strengthening)

  • Lie on your stomach supporting yourself on your forearms
  • Lift your body parallel to the floor keeping your head/neck in line with your spine looking straight down at the floor
  • Hold this position for 30 – 60 seconds
  • For more challenge, lift yourself up on your arms so your shoulders are directly over your wrists.

Pilates Hundred (Benefits: strengthens the core)

  • Lie flat on the floor on your back.
  • Keeping your back flat on the floor, raise both your legs to a 90-degree angle and then lower back toward the floor to a challenging level without lifting your back off the floor.
  • Keeping your back flat on the floor, raise your head and shoulders off the floor.
  • Keeping arms extended, lift and lower them about two inches from the floor, breathing in on the lift and out on the lower.
  • Do this for 5 up-and-down beats. Repeat 10 times until you have done a “hundred.”

These are just a few of our favorites that can be done almost anywhere but are especially a great way to start your day or to take mental breaks throughout the day. Here are a few resources if you’d like to build your own routine:

 

At the end of the day, the health and well-being of your employees is critical to the future of your business. According to the American Institute of Stress, stress-related healthcare and missed work cost employers $300 billion. It’s easy to see that employers will benefit from supporting their employees’ good physical and mental health. We hope that the suggestions and resources provided here will help you to strengthen your organization and reduce employee stress.

 

Could you use help in meeting your employees’ needs and optimizing their work satisfaction and productivity? Contact us to see how we can help you with your employee relations.

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What Should I Consider Before Doing a Reduction in Force?

HR Question:

I may need to restructure my workforce as a result of the downturn in business activity. What should I consider from a fairness and legal standpoint?

HR Answer:

Determining the need for a Reduction in Force (RIF) is a challenging decision to make, but it is sometimes necessary to keep the business running in a positive way. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the definition of a RIF “occurs when changing priorities, budgetary constraints, or other business conditions require a company to abolish positions.”

Before moving forward with a RIF, we recommend that you thoroughly consider all of your options. Some states offer assistance to employers that may help them avert layoffs or receive early intervention to help the workforce impacted by a RIF. For example, Ohio Job and Family Services’ Office of Workforce Development offers a Rapid Response (RR) program that is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. Services may include customized workshops, training, up-skilling, retooling, certifications or skill matching.

If you determine that your organization needs to move forward with a reduction in force, you should use a carefully planned approach. You will need to be aware of and adhere to state and federal regulations to ensure compliance throughout your process. This will help to protect your organization against employment litigation. It is also important to train your management staff on what they can and cannot do in the RIF process. This is a time to go back to the basics when it comes to managing your human resources and protecting your business.

8 Recommended Steps to Follow When Considering a Reduction in Force

1. Select the Employees for the Layoff

It’s important to determine an objective criteria process for your selection process. Consider factors such as criticality of the position to the business, seniority, performance review scores and any corrective action documents that may have been issued. This is the time that accurate and timely employee documentation throughout the year is important as it will play a big part in your selection process.

You will need to remind managers of the importance of using objective criteria in the selection process and not to make decisions based on who they like or dislike. You may also consider having a “no backfill for one year” rule to ensure the RIF is truly necessary and not a way for managers to “clean house.”

Once you have an initial list of employees to be laid off, you should apply steps 2 – 5 below to ensure that you are in compliance with state and federal regulations.

2. Avoid Adverse / Disparate Impact

According to SHRM, adverse or disparate impact refers to “employment practices that appear neutral but have a discriminatory effect on a protected group. Adverse impact may occur in hiring, promotion, training and development, transfer, layoff, and even performance appraisals.” For help in understanding and navigating this, check out SHRM’s toolkit to avoid adverse impact in employment practices.

3. Review Federal and State WARN Regulations

If an organization is contemplating a RIF or a layoff, there are several factors to take into consideration such as reviewing state and federal statutes, including the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN). WARN offers protection to workers and even communities by requiring employers to provide a 60-day notice in advance of a plant closing or what they deem as a mass layoff.  This Act is only applicable to employers with 100 or more employees.

4. Review ADEA and OWBPA Regulations

You will need to comply with two federal regulations that offer protections based on age: ADEA and OWBPA.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), protects employees 40 years of age and older from discrimination on the basis of age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, or terms, conditions or privileges of employment.

The Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA) is an Act that amends the ADEA to clarify the protections given to older individuals in regard to employee benefit plans, and for other purposes.

5. Determine Severance Packages, Benefits Coverage, and Additional Services (if any)

As you develop severance packages, benefits coverage, and any other services that you will offer, you should review the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to ensure compliance. ERISA is a federal law that sets minimum standards for most voluntarily established retirement and health plans in private industry to provide protection for individuals in these plans.

6. Train Supervisors and Managers

These individuals are your first-line of defense (and many times your biggest legal threat) when it comes to employees’ perception of company policies, procedures, and decisions. Although human resources would always like to be the ones to address employee concerns, your front-line managers and supervisors are doing it on a daily basis whether they want to be or not. They should be properly trained on how to handle employee concerns.

Some suggestions for supervisor/manager training include:

  • Basic Discrimination Laws: Be sure supervisors and managers are aware of basic discrimination laws. Assist them with increased communication and employee relation skills so they are able to respectfully support company decisions and communicate with employees regarding their concerns or issues.
  • Staying Compliant and Consistent: Ensure managers and supervisors are clearly aware of what they can and cannot do from a legal perspective. Those involved in the employment process should know and document the process used when restructuring or selecting employees for layoff, and then use it – consistently. A clear legally defendable (non-discriminatory) reason when selecting those who will be let go is the most important aspect of restructuring. In addition, managers and supervisors should be guided by human resources to ensure an appropriate message is being delivered when HR isn’t delivering it.
  • How to Maintain Good Documentation:We all know that documentation is essential for a good legal defense, but also remember it can hurt as well. Train your staff on what good documentation looks like and what to avoid. Remind them that everything is subject to review in a lawsuit – employee warnings, performance evaluations, and even those simple notes we write down on a sticky note and throw in their file. Be aware of what you are putting down into writing and make sure it is objective and defendable.

7. Prepare for Reduction in Force Meetings

As you prepare for your layoff meetings, have a clear plan of what is going to be communicated, who is responsible for communicating the message, and how the message will be delivered both to those who are being directly impacted and those who will remain. It can be helpful to think through your anticipated frequently asked questions and prepare answers prior to your meetings.

8. Inform Your Workforce of the Layoffs

As you deliver the news of your reduction in force, remember that the golden rule still stands in employment – treat your employees the way you would like to be treated. Think about how you would prefer to be treated during these tough times when decisions are so difficult. Treat your employees with dignity and respect at all times. Provide notice of the layoff if it is reasonable, and provide some type of outplacement if you are able.

Be sure to listen to your employees as well. Employees are more likely to file a claim against employers when they feel like they are ignored or that their concerns are not addressed. Although your message may not always be what they want to hear – allow them to be heard and feel a part of the process.

Remember also, the RIF not only effects the person being released from his/her job, but also the remaining employees. There can be an emotional toll on those who remain, in addition to the impact it may have on their job duties as well. Be prepared to provide the resources and tools necessary to help your staff to stay engaged and do well through this difficult time of transition.

How to Handle Changes  to Job Responsibilities

Moving forward, your next consideration is to have a plan about who will absorb each exited person’s job tasks. You should determine if this situation requires a long term solution or if you foresee returning to the prior structure again when the budget allows. Job descriptions for those positions affected by the lay-off will need to be reviewed to reflect changes to the responsibilities and functions of the position. Sometimes you may find the change has actually improved the position making it more efficient.

You may also want to consider a salary review for the positions affected. Since some individuals are now performing the functions of multiple positions, is a pay increase warranted and feasible?

Remember, the job description is based upon the position itself, not the individual performing the job. Make sure to get input from all relevant parties – supervisor and employee – when determining the final role of an impacted position.

In addition, we recommend that you consider cross-training employees on job tasks to be ready for these unforeseen times and to have coverage in the absence of employees when they are out of the office for personal reasons.

To ensure your compliance with all federal and state laws and regulations in the process of a reduction in force, we encourage you to consult with your attorney to review your plans before implementation. Be prepared with a plan and look at the strengths and weaknesses of your team so you are not caught off guard!

 

If your business is considering a reduction in force, the team at Strategic HR is available to help coach you through the process and decisions that will need to be made.  We are here to help you through the tough times – just contact us.

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Work-Life Balance Has Become Work-Life Integration

Let’s begin with the understanding that some people are going to hate this idea. Work-life integration? Work seeping into all areas of your life at all hours of the day sounds awful, right? Isn’t it already happening? It is likely that most of you thought about an upcoming deadline, had a great idea on that report you needed to finish, or thought about how to approach a coworker about an issue while binge-watching Netflix, right?

Work-life integration is happening whether you like it or not, and it has become a very important work style that allows us to successfully manage our workloads and our home. The key is embracing it correctly and managing it well, resulting in increased engagement and productivity for all involved.

What is Work-Life Integration?

So what is work-life integration? In the past, we commonly referred to work-life balance and stressed to employees the need to separate the two and maintain a balanced life. The idea ties closely to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” work reference where the buzzer rings at 5 p.m. and we go home. No work. No email checking. No after-hours phone calls. This was your time for friends and family. You work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and check out for the evening.

Work-life integration on the other hand allows for an integration of work into your “life” activities and vice versa. For example, you could work from home from 6 a.m. until 8 a.m. at which time you stop and run the kids to school. You arrive at the office around 9 a.m. and work till Noon when you hit the gym for your spin class. Come back to the office around 2 p.m. and eat lunch at your desk. Pick up the kids from school at 4 p.m., run an errand, and cook dinner. Hop back on your laptop at 9 p.m. to finish up your work and check missed email. That is integration at its peak. According to UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, work-life integration is “an approach that creates more synergies between all areas that define ‘life’: work, home/family, community, personal well-being, and health.”

Today, the boundaries between work and home are incredibly blurry. It’s impossible to think that work doesn’t happen outside of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and that “life” doesn’t happen during the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To that end, integrating and blending the two worlds seems the most logical solution. But is it really doable? Not only is it doable, it is essential. In 2018, the Harvard Business Review conducted a study on workplace flexibility. In that study, 96% of employees said they need flexibility, yet only 47% reported having access to the types of flexibility they need — a gap of 53%.

Factors to Consider When Implementing Work-Life Integration

There are obviously many factors to consider in engaging in this type of culture and implementing such a program but here are some of the most important factors to consider:

  • The job. The most important factor is if the job can allow for such a privilege. Work-life integration is not an option for some positions with limited flexibility. Nursing and those on machine assembly lines for example may not be viable candidates for this type of work style.  Don’t just assume, however, that it won’t work. Be creative… even traditional 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. jobs may be able to be adapted.
  • Company culture. If your company has never supported this type of integrated work style this may be a challenge. The best approach in combating this is showing the positive impact and letting the company know this kind of flexibility is worth the trouble.  Flexibility in work is viewed as one of the top employee perks you can offer. Metlife’s Employee Benefit Trend Survey boasts that 31% of employees interested in “gig work” are interested because of the flexible schedule it offers. Offering an environment that mimics that type of schedule may meet a need for your staff. The results? Increases in productivity, retention, and the happiness factor!
  • Managing the expectations. In many instances, management sees these types of programs as a potential for huge areas of abuse. We have all seen situations where this has occurred and the employee who takes advantage of flexible schedules. They are never available, delayed in returning calls and emails, and are more away than at work. For success, management must MANAGE this! Supervisors must keep an eye on performance and actively manage an individual’s work to make this successful. It may take some time to earn the trust but if the manager is keenly aware of the requirements of the job, active performance management will keep this in check. Don’t be afraid to discipline or tighten an employee’s schedule if the program isn’t working. Be clear that it is not a refusal to allow a flexible schedule, but rather their inability to complete work tasks that is the source of the change and try to correct the course. The benefit is a privilege, remind folks of that.

Successful work-life integration allows us to focus on more of a balance and smoothly transition from one to the other. Conference calls in the car during half-time of the game are doable. A vacation away while conferencing in for a client call can be done. No one enjoys the thought of returning from vacation with 300+ emails waiting for us. Integration will allow us to blend these essential parts of our lives and enjoy work and our home life without isolation. Embrace these ideas of integration to meet your company and personal needs.

The Importance of Boundaries

As with all great ideas, there are always words of caution. With work-life integration, it will be essential to maintain boundaries. Boundaries with integration? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Sort of. Always keep in mind that it can be very easy to allow work to creep into everything. It’s important to prioritize and look realistically at expectations and maintain boundaries. Turn the notifications off on your phone during certain hours. Allow the integration, but also allow the downtime. Work already bleeds into your home life in one way or another. Technology has allowed that. Our own desire for instant gratification and responses feed that. Allow it and take advantage of it by allowing yourself some ‘me’ time as well and truly turning off once in a while. Your body and mind will thank you.

Thank you to Patti Dunham, Director, HR Solutions and Lisa Degaro, HR Consultant, both with Strategic HR, for sharing their insights on work-life integration. If you have any questions or would like to share your comments, contact us at info@strategicHRinc.com.

In order to be competitive in both attracting and retaining top talent, organizations have to understand and be responsive to the needs of employees. Clark Schaefer Strategic HR can help you to survey your employees’ needs and put programs and policies in place that promote healthy, productive work environments. To learn more, visit our Employee Relations page.  

 

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Delegation – But I Don’t Want to Give Up Control!

Question:

Help! We are having some major issues with our managers delegating. They are either not delegating at all, therefore stressed, or they are delegating the wrong things to the wrong people. What guidance can I offer them?

Answer:

Delegation can be a tricky thing.  When done right, it helps a manager to be more effective, allows employees to take on additional responsibility and expand their skill sets, and opens the door for additional opportunity for both.  Handled improperly, it can wreak havoc in too many ways to count!   A manager who is unable or unwilling to delegate may not be an effective manager, and they are denying themselves and their employees an opportunity.

Delegation is not without risks and challenges.  Often, we hear, “How do I decide what to delegate?”; “It takes too long to explain it”; “I’ll just do it myself”; or “If someone else does it, it won’t be the way I like it.”  All of these can be overcome with a little preparation.  “Not delegating is straining your brain,”  according to an article on SmallBizTrends.com. “CEOs who delegate have been shown to generate 33% more revenue than CEOs with low delegation skills.”

A key responsibility of managers is to develop their people.  Delegation is a win/win in that area.  The manager is showing a good employee that he/she is trusted with a little extra responsibility, as well as, providing a teaching opportunity for the employee.  Yes, there is a small investment of time on the manager’s part, but it can pay off in the long run.

When delegating, there are a number of factors to consider:

  • Which employee has the skill to complete, or at least the ability to understand, what needs to be done?
  • Who will be impacted by delegating the task?
  • What are the risks of delegating or not delegating?

When a manager is evaluating his/her workload, he/she should consider, “Is this the best use of my time?”  Tasks to delegate may be training a new employee, evaluating status of tasks or following a defined process.  Tasks that should not be delegated include employee coaching/discipline, tasks that have a financial impact or that may require advanced knowledge.

Lastly, some steps of successful delegation that are key include:

  • Define the task
  • Determine the training needs of the individual or team that you’ve selected
  • Explain the “Why” – why is this task important and how does it impact the company?
  • Establish the deliverable and the deadline – set expectations
  • Communicate and check in
  • Provide feedback

As a manager, you can’t do it all, and nor should you.  The ability to delegate is a key skill to have to be an effective manager.  The end result can be a highly functioning team and a more engaged workforce.  A win/win for all.

 

Does your management team have the ability to delegate effectively?  Have they ever been trained on how?  Strategic HR can help.  Contact us today to learning more about our training options

 

 

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Returning from FMLA to a Different Role

Question:

Can an employee returning from FMLA leave be placed in a different role?

Answer:

Generally not. Upon return from FMLA leave, employees must be restored to the same job or one nearly identical to it with equivalent pay, benefits, and other employment terms and conditions. To be truly equivalent, the job must involve the same or substantially similar duties and responsibilities and require substantially equivalent skill, effort, responsibility, and authority. Equivalent jobs would also have the same premium pay options and overtime opportunities. So, unless you can guarantee that the different role is equivalent to the old one in all these ways, we wouldn’t recommend placing the employee in a different role.

There is, however, a notable exception. Employees on FMLA are not protected from employment actions that would have affected them had they been actively employed with the company at the time. For example, if a substantial decrease in sales required a company to eliminate a set of roles and lay off or transfer those employees, the person on FMLA has no greater right to keep their job than anyone else. In situations like these, where a position has been eliminated while an employee is on a protected leave (of any kind), you should be sure to document your legitimate business reasons for the decision.

Thank you to the HR Pros on our HR Support Center for this question of the week.

 

Having easy to read and understand policies and procedures can help alleviate a lot of problems in the workplace. Not only do they set the stage for what is deemed inappropriate, they can also provide guidelines for what is considered acceptable, and even expected, behavior. Strategic HR receives numerous requests to review and rewrite employee handbooks on a regular basis, especially with  federal guideline changes. If you haven’t updated your handbook in the last few years, now may be a good time. For more information on how we can help you with Employee Relations and employee handbooks, please visit our Employee Relations page.

 

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Civility in the Workplace

Sexual Harassment, gender inequality and discrimination are all issues that have been wrestled with in the workplace for decades.  You would be hard pressed to find a manager or HR professional who hasn’t learned about these issues, received some sort of training about what they are, and strategies on how to help protect their organization against the damaging affects they can have.  But another issue that can be just as damaging, yet not altogether clear on how to identify and address, is workplace civility.  How do you differentiate workplace civility from harassment and discrimination? What risks does an organization have if it’s occurring in the workplace?  And most importantly – how do you address it?

In its simplest form, harassment is unwelcome conduct that is intimidating, hostile or abusive; interferes with an employee’s ability to work; or becomes a condition of continued employment.  Examples include racially derogatory jokes, comments or posters, or expressing negative stereotypes and more. Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal and physical abuse.

Discrimination occurs when there is adverse treatment of people because of a protected class, including race, religion, sex or gender, nationality, age, disability, genetics, or any other defining characteristic. Examples include paying a higher salary to white employees (because they are white) over African American or Hispanics (because they are non-white), giving preferential treatment to males (because they are males) and less ideal work assignments to females (because they are female), or making assumptions and not hiring a disabled individual because of their disability – without first exploring whether they can do the essential functions of the job (acting on bias or stereotype instead of facts).

Harassment and Discrimination are illegal; they are based upon defined, protected characteristics and those subjected to this behavior have legal recourse.  So what is workplace incivility?  According to researchers Anderson and Pearson, workplace incivility can be defined as,  ”…a low intensity deviant behavior with ambiguous intent to harm the target, in violation of workplace norms for mutual respect and courtesy.” People who engage in uncivil behavior may not necessarily have bad or harmful intent. However, the behavior may violate norms for mutual respect or demonstrate antisocial behavior.

It’s likely all of us, at some point or another, have witnessed or been subjected to uncivil behavior in both our work and personal lives. Examples of common workplace incivility include the following:

  • Rudeness
  • Ignoring someone or excluding co-workers or team members
  • Berating a subordinate or co-worker
  • Interrupting people or not allowing them to talk and provide input
  • Mocking someone or spreading gossip
  • Discourteous behavior
  • Making unfounded accusations
  • Use of demeaning language
  • Creating unnecessary and irrelevant controversy
  • Jamming a printer or copier and letting someone else deal with it
  • Taking the last cup of coffee and letting someone else make a new pot

The key issue of workplace incivility that differentiates it from other forms of mistreatment is the concept of ‘ambiguous intent’.  Perpetrators and victims aren’t always easily identifiable. For example; if a co-worker say’s, “hello” and the person they’re speaking with doesn’t reply back – it’s not clear whether the lack of response is intentional or if the person is simply distracted and/or didn’t hear the greeting.   Regardless of intent, if this type of discourteous (or considered by some to be even – rude) behavior occurs frequently, whether by a few individuals or by many – it can have damaging affects to morale, productivity and employee retention.

According to Christine Porath in a Georgetown University study in 2016, 62% of employees were treated rudely at work once a month, a tendency that has grown steadily since the study began in 1998 where the number was 49%. (2) The study showed that inside organizations, 78% of employees experiencing rude behavior report being less committed, 66% show a decline in performance, and 47% find ways to intentionally spend less time at work.  The impact also spreads outside of work, as 25% of employees report that rude behavior in the workplace causes them to take their frustrations out on others such as customers, friends and family.

It’s clear that incivility can be detrimental to any organization, and it’s contagious! Individuals tend to mimic the behaviors they’re subjected to over time. For self-preservation purposes or just by falling into bad habits surrounding them, uncivil behavior can begin to permeate a workplace and create a negative, even toxic, work environment.

But there’s no universal standard of what constitutes uncivil behavior; it’s often based on local norms and courtesies.  Incivility is defined at a local and even personal level; what may be uncivil in one environment and to one person may be completely civil in a different situation. Bearing this in mind, what can employers do to create a more courteous and civil work environment and build consensus among employees of what that looks like?

Dr. Cynthia Clark, PH.D., R.N., developed a definition of workplace civility. It provides basic instructions on how to practice civility at work. She defines it as an “authentic respect for others, requiring time, presence, a willingness to engage in genuine discourse, and an intention to seek common ground.”

Respect – Respecting your coworkers means valuing and affirming their worth as a person. You may not like them or admire them — but they are human beings with the same needs to be validated and affirmed as you. See them as equals, deserving the respect and dignity you deserve.

Time and Presence – Respect the time of your coworkers: respond to their emails and calls quickly, ask them if they have time to chat with you before you interrupt them. Be present at meetings, willing to offer your ideas and feedback. Be present at social gatherings to get to know your coworkers.

Willingness to Engage and Intention to Seek Common Ground – Engage in dialogue, not debate. Do not argue with coworkers. Instead, try to understand their points of view. Seek to understand their perspectives by saying, “Tell me more about that” or “I’d like to hear your perspective on that.” The goal of a workplace conflict or conversation is not who wins and who loses. It is seeking common ground for the improvement and good of the company.

In an article by Neal Woodson, “Ten Ways to create a more civil workplace” (2), he discusses the book written by P.M Forni, Choosing Civility, in which Forni identifies twenty-five rules that are most essential in connecting effectively and happily with others. (4) A few of the key behaviors for the workplace include:

  1. Acknowledge Others. No one should feel invisible. Make eye contact. Greet people with “good morning”, “good afternoon”, etc. Use people’s names. Make people feel welcome in your presence.
  2. Think the Best. Most people are not trying to intentionally ruin things or do harm, try to assume positive intent. Until proven wrong, give the benefit of the doubt that people are trying to do the best they can with the resources and tools available to them.
  3. Listen. Stop focusing on yourself and your needs; instead, focus on other people. Don’t assume you need to solve anything, just hear and try to understand clearly what they are saying. Respect what others think and honor their right to see things differently than you do. It doesn’t mean you have to agree, just hear them.
  4. Speak Kindly. Be respectful in word and tone, particularly when delivering critical feedback.
  5. Accept and Give Praise. It is said that one of the greatest things you can give someone else is a sense of their own worth. Praising the accomplishments of others and showing appreciation cost you nothing but deliver tremendous value. And when you are praised, a kind thank you is all that’s necessary. Gracious humility is a virtue.
  6. Be Agreeable. Be open to and look for opportunities where you can accommodate others, compromise, or simply allow someone else’s ideas to be implemented. Your way isn’t the only way.
  7. Respect Other People’s Time. Be punctual, end things on time, wait your turn to speak, show up to everything you’ve promised, and every time you fail to do so, apologize.
  8. Apologize Earnestly. Be clear about the error you’ve made and do not make excuses. Let others know that what you did was wrong and that you understand and regret the negative impact you’ve made.
  9. Accept and Give Constructive Criticism. Be clear about your intentions. If your intention is to help, then be helpful, however, if your intent is revenge or to manipulate things to your benefit, re-evaluate and walk away. When receiving criticism, assume the positive intentions of others. Be grateful, not defensive.
  10. Don’t Shift Responsibility and Blame. If you are part of the problem, own it, apologize if necessary, and help in finding a solution. Trying to place blame rather than working to find a solution makes you an obstacle. Don’t be that person.

As with anti-harassment and discrimination initiatives, promoting and maintaining a civil work environment should be a priority of business leaders and HR professionals alike.  In this fast-paced world where business demands and work pressures continue to mount, practicing civility is not always easy. By defining what civility looks like in your organization and ensuring those behaviors are modeled by leaders at every level, you’re more likely to maintain a positive work environment and reap the rewards of it long-term.

A special thanks to Terry Salo with Strategic HR for sharing her insights and findings on civility. If you have any questions or would like to share your comments, contact us at info@strategicHRinc.com.

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Why Is Workplace Monitoring Necessary?

Question: 

I just noticed that there are a number of cameras monitoring me in my workplace.  I’m not sure why I never noticed it before but as I look around, there appears to be a number of “eyes in the sky”.  Is this legal?  It really makes me feel uncomfortable and I can’t believe they stoop so low to make sure I am working.

Answer: 

The types of monitoring that employers are doing these days are numerous.  Video cameras, GPS in cars, worksite/computer monitoring, telephone monitoring, video and audio recording, and wireless communications are just a few of the types of monitoring conducted in the workplace today. As technology expands, monitoring also expands well beyond what we traditionally think of regarding surveillance.  You mention the “eyes in the sky” but have you ever considered that many employers are also reviewing social media accounts, medical / health insurance usage, and biometric screening – just to name a few.  Although the types of monitoring employers do continue to expand, it is definitely not something new.  ABC news estimates that 78% of employers do some type of monitoring in the workplace.

Regardless of the type of monitoring being done, it is important to note that most monitoring is not being done to “watch you” but rather to keep you (and their equipment, their reputation, their company) safe.  There are laws in place both on the federal and state level that limit what types of monitoring can be done.  Society for Human Resources Management provides an informational link to state laws regarding workplace (traditional surveillance) monitoring. Laws surrounding the other types of data monitoring continue to evolve.

Finally, it is important to note that most employers are very clear about monitoring in the workplace.  Review your employee handbook, union contract, staff meeting discussions/memos, or even equipment stickers (computers) for notification that monitoring is being conducted.  If the monitoring is making you feel uncomfortable, speak with your employer.  There is most likely a legitimate reason as to why the monitoring is being conducted, so just ask.  You may just learn that those devices are there to keep you safe and protect you, not for babysitting.

Having easy to read and understand policies and procedures can help alleviate a lot of problems in the workplace. Not only do they set the stage for what is deemed inappropriate, they can also provide guidelines for what is considered acceptable, and even expected, behavior. Strategic HR receives numerous requests to review and rewrite employee handbooks on a regular basis, especially with the number of recent federal guideline changes. If you haven’t updated your handbook in the last few years, now may be a good time. For more information on how we can help you with Employee Relations and employee handbooks, please visit our Employee Relations page.

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How to Address Employee Hygiene Issues in the Workplace

HR Question:

We’ve had some complaints about employee hygiene issues, including body odor.  What is the best way to handle such a sensitive topic?

HR Answer:

This can definitely be an uncomfortable situation for both the employer and the employee, but it’s important to address employee hygiene issues because they can negatively impact co-workers, clients, and customers.  Here are some important guidelines to follow when addressing this topic:

  • The company should set clear expectations, whether it’s a separate workplace hygiene and grooming policy or somehow incorporate it into your dress code policy.
  • Be aware of your employees’ rights.  For example, under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and similar state laws, employers may be required to make reasonable accommodations for employees’ religious beliefs and practices and for individuals with disabilities unless an accommodation would pose an undue hardship on business operations.  Employers should consider consulting legal counsel when making the undue hardship determination.
  • Never assume you know the cause of the hygiene problem, as it can be caused by a variety of factors, including medical issues, cultural differences, mental health issues, personal problems and poor grooming habits.
  • Meet with the employee in private and keep the conversation brief and confidential. Use this as an opportunity to also reinforce the employee’s positive attributes (hard worker, team player, etc.).
  • Give the employee an opportunity to speak. If the employee indicates the cause of the hygiene issue is a disability or mentions that a religious belief or practice conflicts with your dress and grooming policy, work with the employee to determine an effective reasonable accommodation.
  • Set appropriate expectations and document actions taken. If corrective action is the employee’s responsibility, document the potential consequences of failing to rectify the issue, and set a timeline for resolution and follow-up.

These conversations are never easy, but ignoring employee hygiene issues can be detrimental to overall morale if not addressed.

One of the stickiest aspects to human resources management is Employee Relations. Are you having difficulties in your company that stem from employee-employer related issues? Strategic HR has years of experience in employment relations. Visit our Employee Relations page to learn how we can help you resolve some of your toughest ER problems.

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Handling Bullying Complaints in the Workplace

Question:

We have received several complaints from employees and upon investigating they seem to be more bullying than harassment. There doesn’t seem to be any reference to protected status.  How do I handle bullying complaints?

Answer:

Even though bullying may not be legally actionable, it’s no less detrimental to the work environment and morale. The Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) defines bullying as “repeated harmful abusive conduct that is threatening, intimidating, humiliating, work sabotage or verbal abuse.” In WBI’s 2017 US Workplace Bullying Survey, 60.3 million US workers have been affected by bullying.

Additionally, the survey results also found:

  • 70% or workplace bullies are men; women are the targets of bullying 65% of the time (coming from both men and other women at an equal rate)
  • 61% of bullying comes from bosses; while 33% comes from coworkers
  • 25% of companies do nothing to resolve bullying
  • 40% of people said that bullying has an adverse impact on their performance at work
  • 22% of employees surveyed said they have had to take time off as a result of being bullied
  • 36% of people leave their job as a result of bullying

(Workplace Bullying Institute, 2017 US Workplace Bullying Survey)

With numbers like these, employers are being remiss if they are not treating bullying as a serious matter. Besides the impact on the employee who is bullied, there are also impacts on those who witness the bullying and others in the work environment. The negativity that often results can create fear, increased stress, low morale and a drop in productivity. Current best practices recommend investigating all complaints, whether bullying or harassment, and addressing bullying in Workplace Harassment training. Bullying should be treated as a performance issue, with potential disciplinary action based upon the serious of nature of the findings. Avoiding workplace harassment and bullying issues, and proactively addressing those that do come up is a significant step towards creating a positive environment, increased engagement, and high employee morale.

Avoiding workplace harassment and bullying is critical to building a culture of engagement and inclusion.

Do difficult situations with employees keep you awake at night? Strategic HR understands how conflicts with employees can make or break your day (or a good night’s sleep). Call us when you encounter a difficult situation – we can help coach your managers, suggest solutions or advise you on a specific problem. Learn more about our Employee Relations services by visiting our Employee Relations page.

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Setting Guidelines for Celebrating Halloween in the Workplace

Multiple pumpkins with silly faces painted on them to celebrate Halloween in the workplace.

HR Question:

With Halloween right around the corner, we’d like to allow our employees to wear costumes to celebrate Halloween in the workplace but we are worried it could get out of hand. What kind of guidelines should we set?

HR Answer:

While celebrating Halloween in the workplace may sound festive and fun, it’s important to remember that not everyone may feel that way. For some, Halloween represents the celebration of Satan. To others, Halloween is merely a light-hearted holiday where we dress up and “trick or treat.”  The real meaning behind Halloween was to wear costumes to ward off ghosts and over time became All Hallows Eve or the day before All Saints Day in honor of the saints. So, it’s important to know how your employees feel about the holiday and if/how they’d like to celebrate. If you’re not sure, just ask them.

All that said, the festivities of Halloween can be a fun team and morale-boosting event in your office – dressing up, decorating your workstation, or sharing treats.  While it still may only be one day, ensuring you set some guidelines for your employees to know what is okay to wear in the workplace on Halloween can help minimize problems.

Things to consider when celebrating Halloween at work

Make it voluntary: Not everyone may be comfortable in participating in the festivities and some may even find the holiday offensive.  You won’t want to make participation mandatory as it could actually create morale issues. Keep it fun and voluntary.

Company culture: The culture of your organization will also impact how you handle the festivities.  How will your customers, clients, vendors, or any other workplace visitors respond to costumes when interacting with you in the day?

Families: Is this a holiday that would allow you to include your employees’ families? Perhaps it is a chance for the kids to come to work and trick or treat among the different workstations or departments. Or maybe you have an evening bonfire with hayrides through a pumpkin patch.

Harassment: Be sure your guidelines to dress up for Halloween at the office include reminding employees of the company harassment policy.  All costumes need to be G-rated to minimize hostile or harassment perceptions. Consider sharing with employees what they shouldn’t do (See 5 Rules for Celebrating Halloween at Work). Just because it is a holiday does not excuse employees from doing anything in violation of the company harassment policy.

Tips for celebrating Halloween in the workplace:

  • Communicate costume guidelines in advance including what not to wear
  • Be sensitive to subtleties and employees’ feelings and perceptions
  • Reflect on previous Halloween celebrations and feedback the company received from employees and customers/clients/visitors
  • Consider alternative ways to celebrate besides wearing costumes
  • Be prepared to discipline if necessary
  • Consider hosting a Fall Harvest Party instead

Low and no-cost ways to celebrate

There are many no-cost/low-cost ideas to celebrate Halloween or Fall in the workplace including:

  1. Office Space Decorating – Employees can bring in their unused decorations from home to keep the cost down. Make it a team event by having everyone help decorate the office and then decorate their individual workspaces.
  2. Costume Theme – Creating a costume theme for everyone to follow may help minimize the inappropriateness (i.e., The Wonderful World of Disney). Consider having employees donate $5 for the ability to wear a costume and donate the money to a local charity.
  3. Potluck lunch – Create a “boo-ffet” for lunch. Make a sign-up sheet for employees to bring the main course, side dishes, dessert, cups, paper products, and/or utensils, and you’ve got yourself a ready-made party.
  4. Pumpkin Carving Contest – This can be a spirited competition between departments and teams. Have a prize for the winner like a gift card to their favorite restaurant.
  5. Collect Halloween candy and donate by sending care packages to the troops.

Did you know that allowing your employees to wear costumes for Halloween may even increase your employee engagement? According to an OC Tanner survey:

  • 73% of those who can dress up at work are highly motivated to contribute to the success of the organization they work for, compared to 58% of those who can’t come to work in costume.
  • 68% of those who can dress up are proud to tell others they work for their organization, compared to 58% of those who can’t.
  • 65% of those who can dress up would recommend their organization to a friend as a good place to work versus 49% of those who can’t.
  • 73% of those who can dress up fully support the values for which their organization stands, versus 58% of those who can’t.

Halloween can be a great excuse to have some fun with co-workers. To make it a success, be sure to set some boundaries and be clear on expectations so that folks understand what crosses the line of appropriateness. And, of course, have a spooktacular time!

At Strategic HR, we offer a variety of team building and team development programs targeted to help get teams back on track for success. Each program is customized to meet the team’s dynamics and needs. Learn more about our Team Building and Development Solutions, or contact us.

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How Do I Pay Employees After a Natural Disaster?

Question:

What is the standard for paying an employee after a natural disaster (i.e. inclement weather)?

Answer:

When the company closes due to a natural disaster (inclement weather), non-exempt employees (those who are entitled to overtime) need to be paid only for actual hours worked. For non-exempt employees, the company may:

1. Pay the employee for the time, even though they did not work;
2. Require they take the day off unpaid;
3. Require they use any available vacation time or PTO; or
4. Allow employees to choose between taking an unpaid day or using vacation or PTO.

All four options have their merits. We generally recommend option 4, allowing employees the choice of using vacation time or PTO.

When the company closes due to a natural disaster (inclement weather), exempt employees (those ineligible for overtime and generally paid on a salary basis) must be paid their regular salary.

This holds true whether the office closure is for full or partial days. You may, however, require exempt employees to use accrued vacation or PTO during a closure if you have a policy that indicates you will do so or if doing so has been your practice in the past. If your office has closed due to a natural disaster (inclement weather) in the past and you have not required exempt employees to use vacation or PTO, it would be risky to take up that practice now.

When it comes to accrued vacation or PTO, it is safest to give employees advanced notice if there are situations where you will use their accrued hours whether they like it or not. If this is the first time the office has been closed due to weather and you have no policy in place, now is the time to decide how you want to handle these kinds of situations in the future.

For exempt employees who do not have sufficient vacation or PTO to cover the closure, you are still required to provide them with their full regular salary. For example, if your business is closed for two or three days, but an exempt salaried employee worked at another time during the workweek, the full salary must be paid. The only scenario where you will not be required to pay an exempt employee their full salary is if the office is closed for an entire workweek (or if the employee is unable to come in for an entire workweek) and they do no work at all from home.

THANK YOU to the HR Support Center for providing the content for this Question of the Week. The Virtual HR Support Center is a do-it-yourself, always ready, at your fingertips resource for everything Human Resources. This cloud-based product provides 24/7 access to exclusive, industry-leading HR tools and resources. From employee handbooks, job descriptions and other commonly used HR documents, to up-to-the-minute law alerts, state and federal law libraries, and unique training videos, the Virtual HR Support Center will help you effectively manage your HR compliance and employee relations needs. Contact Us to learn how the Virtual HR Support Center can put all the DIY HR tools you need at your fingertips.

 

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Benefits of Using Employee Engagement Surveys

Question:

What is an employee engagement survey and why would our company need one?

Answer:

Employee engagement surveys are a great tool to have to help businesses get their employees involved and actively engaged in operations. Basically, it’s a survey that gives employees the opportunity to share their opinions on the business-related issues of their company to help improve business functionality. Surveys are often administered anonymously and cover topics such as operations, benefits, culture and satisfaction to name a few of the more common ones.

  1. The first step in conducting an employee survey is be sure the company is committed to taking action based on the input of the employees and to define what that action will be. Action may include telling employees their recommendations cannot be implemented because of certain factors (i.e. cost, time, resources). Responses will need to be sincere and honest and might include ways for employees to overcome any obstacles presented.
  2. The next step is to plan and construct the survey. There are many online tools and resources to help you create and administer an employee survey. Decide if you will want to have recipients answer questions anonymously. You’ll likely get a larger number of responses and higher quality input by allowing respondents to provide anonymous responses. Using a third party administrator or a highly trusted staff member can be critical to “selling” the anonymity of the survey. If promising secrecy, but sure the survey is conducted with the utmost of confidentiality and explain that in detail to participants.
  3. Finally determine a plan of action for your line of questioning. What are some trouble-spots in your company that you would like to explore and learn more about? Are you having high turnover? An increase in safety problems? Is productivity down or customer complaints up? Or are you trying to get a read on the pulse of your company and it’s culture? Pick the areas you can tackle and target questions that will help you get the information you need to move forward. Don’t tackle too much in one survey or you will lose employee interest and patience. Your questions can be canned or customized to your situation, long or short, choice-based or open-ended. If this is your first survey, we find even the basic questions can be helpful
    • What do you like most about our organization?
    • Why do you come to work every day here rather than for another company?
    • What would you like to see improved at our organization?
    • Would you recommend our organization to a friend as a good place to work? Why or why not?

Once the survey document is complete it’s time to administer the questionnaire. Some great online solutions include SurveyMethods and SurveyMonkey. Both offer various service levels of membership from free to paid access depending on the features you need for your survey. Both allow you to trial these tools to determine what level you need and to see the reporting features provided.

The survey results should help you make improvements and focus on strengths in your organization. You’ll find the feedback from employees will help with developing communications, recruiting techniques, benefits, and more. Employees who operate in the day-to-day of the business tend to have practical suggestions that may not be “huge” or “costly” to implement but can make a big impact. Overall outcomes can include increased safety, productivity, quality, profitability, lower turnover, and higher levels of customer satisfaction. Not to mention that by simply asking employees for their opinions it can heighten their engagement and give them a sense of satisfaction and worth. You’ll see even more value as you repeat the employee survey year after year to assess the improvements.

 

Has your organization become stagnant? Are you experiencing unusual turnover or employee discontent? Often the simple answer is to simply ASK your employees “what’s going on?” Strategic HR has worked with many organizations, of all sizes and in various industries, to help diagnosis engagement problems and determine the appropriate course of action. Whether it’s an employee survey, focus group, or face-to-face interviews, Strategic HR is your neutral third party solution for finding answers to your questions. Contact us today to find out how we can help you with your particular situation.

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Attendance Point System Policy

Question:

We have an attendance point system policy for our nonexempt employees that gives points for each occurrence of absence.  It feels like people have learned to “play” the system, either by missing multiple days in a row (which count as one occurrence) or always missing Mondays or Fridays.  Do you have a suggestion on how to modify our policy so employees can’t take advantage of the system?

Answer:

Sounds like your attendance point system policy is in need of a few updates.  Below are some suggestions that could be implemented to keep your attendance point system policy from being abused.

Evaluate Your PolicyWe all want regular attendance from all employees because it has a direct impact on the productivity and success of a business.  Sometimes what we create initially doesn’t always play out when implemented.  Start by re-evaluating your policy and asking:

  1. What is the purpose of the policy, and
  2. What is the end result that it should accomplish? 
  3. How specific is your policy?
  4. Does it cover the most common infractions (i.e. tardiness, early leave, excused absences, unexcused absences, no call/no show)?

In some cases a vague policy can give you flexibility, but it also can leave you in a lurch if someone takes advantage of it.  Making a specific policy will help you manage expectations in the long-run.  But, don’t get so specific you don’t have any wiggle room for the unexpected exception or even reprimand.

Require a Doctor’s Note: If an employee misses multiple days, require them to bring in a doctor’s excuse if they want the days to count as only one occurrence.  If they do not provide a doctor’s slip (for themselves or a family member), the absence counts as an occurrence for each day missed.  One caveat for these types of circumstances…don’t forget about FMLA (if applicable).

Add Specific Disciplinary Language: Review the verbiage of your policy and add or modify the verbiage to include some leniency for disciplinary action for attendance issues outside of the point system.  Language such as: When an employee exhibits a pattern of absences (consistently missing a specific day of the week or the day before or after holidays or scheduled vacations) the performance is unacceptable.  The Company can, at its sole discretion, address these absences outside of the point policy as performance discipline.  Adding language similar to this may be able to help those individuals taking advantage of the program.

The Bottom Line: An attendance policy should be strict enough to allow the employer to discipline those employees whose absences cause problems, yet flexible enough that the employer does not have to terminate good employees who are absent infrequently.

 

Having easy to read and understand policies and procedures can help alleviate a lot of problems in the workplace. Not only do they set the stage for what is deemed inappropriate, they can also provide guidelines for what is considered acceptable, and even expected, behavior. Strategic HR receives numerous requests to review and rewrite employee handbooks on a regular basis, especially with the number of recent federal guideline changes. If you haven’t updated your handbook in the last few years, now may be a good time. For more information on how we can help you with your employee handbook, please visit our Employee Relations page.

 

 

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Employee Engagement Ideas To Fit Any Budget

HR Question:

What are some fun and interesting ways to encourage employee engagement with my team that do not take tons of time or money?

HR Answer:

We spend so much of our time with our co-workers every week, and it is important to keep things exciting and to maintain open communication among the teams. Creating an engaging workforce isn’t just copying what other organizations do. We’d all love to be Disney or Southwest, but what they do fits their culture. Creating employee engagement with your employees will even vary from employee to employee.

A few ideas that don’t take a lot of time or money include:

  • Promoting a collaborative work environment where each employee on the team takes the time to compliment each other on their accomplishments.
  • “Shout Outs” in an employee newsletter to congratulate or thank another employee.
  • Recognizing an employee that embodied a company value each week.
  • Creating a kudos board in your break room.
  • Taking team photos at random and display them on a wall in the office.
  • Celebrating special milestones as they pass for each employee, showing them special recognition.
  • Ensuring all employees have all of the resources they need to do their job. Providing the proper tools means more time for them to do great work.  
  • Getting out of the office and be social from time to time. Whether it is going out for happy hour or playing a game of soccer on a sunny day, it can really improve morale and strengthen the team.
  • Doing volunteer work together. This is a great team building activity.
  • Doing a team art project that requires the team work together to create one large piece of art to display in the office, that embodies the values of your organization.
  • Allowing your employees time to work on personal projects and to collaborate during the day. This can lead to new innovations and establish a space for creativity and exchange.
  • Quantum Workplace also gives 10 Low-Cost Employee Engagement Ideas that will fit just about any organization or budget.

The list could go on and on. The key is getting to know your employees even by asking simple questions like “What do you like most about working here; or What could we do different to make this an even better place to work?”

The important thing is to make employee engagement an ongoing project, set goals and clear objectives, make it fun and engaging, and monitor your progress regularly to see what’s working.

 

Would you like to find out how engaged your employees are? Strategic HR can help. We will create a custom survey to mirror your work environment and goals for the business, administer the survey as a neutral third party, and summarize the findings with recommendations for improvement. To learn more about our employee surveys, contact us now.

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Mandatory Retirement: Is It Legal?

Image of an older employee stressed over the mandatory retirement policy

HR Question:

Our company has mandatory retirement requiring our employees to retire at age 67. We don’t discriminate…everyone is required to retire. I had someone “push back” when I started discussing their retirement saying I was being discriminatory. I told them everyone is asked to leave at age 67. Is that a problem?

HR Answer:

Well…it has the potential to be a problem. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) typically prohibits what they call “involuntary retirement” or in this case “mandatory retirement.” Requiring retirement is viewed as an involuntary termination and can lead to charges of age discrimination. As with most areas of human resources, there are exceptions. We will highlight a few exceptions below and share some points to consider moving forward.

Is Age a Bona Fide Occupational Qualification?

There are general exceptions if you can prove age is a Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ) necessary to perform the duties of the position. To do this, employers are required to first show that the duties are necessary for the job. Secondarily, employers must show that the individual’s age prohibits them from performing the qualifications safely and/or efficiently. Typically, the issue of safety is paramount in this decision-making.

Typically, BFOQ is hard to prove. The majority of roles that have been able to meet this qualification and require mandatory retirement include roles in public safety or public transportation. For example, the Federal Aviation Administration currently mandates that airline pilots in multi-crew operations must retire at age 65 although there is current consideration for increasing this age to 67.

Is the employee a “Bona Fide Executive” or “High Policy Maker”?

The ADEA specifically defines an allowance for mandatory retirement for those deemed a “Bona Fide Executive” or “High Policy Maker.” These two defensible reasons are a little easier to prove and are clearly defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

A “Bona Fide Executive” as defined by the EEOC is someone who:

  • Manages the company or organization or a subdivision of the company or organization;
  • Directs the work of at least two other employees;
  • Has the authority to hire or terminate other employees or has significant influence in such decisions;
  • Has and uses discretionary authorities; and
  • Spends no more than 20 percent of his or her work time on activities unrelated to the activities required herein (40 percent for retail or service companies).

The EEOC defines a “High Policymaker” as someone who is a top-level employee (and not a Bona Fide Executive) who plays a significant role in developing and implementing corporate policy.

If you can show that the individual fits one of those categories, you could consider mandatory retirement for the individual. We also recommend that you consult your legal counsel in your decision-making process.

Consider the Benefits of a Multigenerational Workforce

Overall, it is important to analyze and challenge the idea of mandatory retirement for employees, even if the reasons you are considering it are defensible. Age is simply that – an age. Today, we have five generations in the workforce working side by side. Each generation brings a unique perspective and value to the work. Consider what this multigenerational approach can bring to your workplace.

From a litigation risk perspective, it is also important to note that there continues to be an increase in age-related discrimination claims. In a recent Kiplinger article, it is reported that 78% of older workers reported seeing or experiencing age discrimination on the job. For additional guidance on protecting your organization against age discrimination charges, see this article from the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM).

Employers need to value the work of all employees, and age should not be a defining factor in most instances of retention. Be sure you are doing the right thing, for the right reasons, when considering any policy that is based on age.

Thank you to Patti Dunham, MBA, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP for updating this HR Question of the Week.

Strategic HR knows that keeping abreast of HR Compliance issues can be daunting, especially when the laws keep changing. We can help you stay compliant by fielding your questions and offering resources to help you identify and mitigate compliance issues. Visit our HR Compliance Services to learn about our auditing services which can help you identify trouble spots in your HR function.

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Are Holiday Gifts, Prizes or Parties Taxable Wages?

Question:

Are holiday gifts, prizes or parties taxable wages?

Answer:

With the holiday season approaching, organizations may find that individuals or groups who benefit from the organization’s services, desire to make year-end gifts to the organization’s employees for their loyal service.

Employee gifts in the form of cash or gift certificates/coupons, regardless of the amount, are always treated by the Internal Revenue Service as W-2 “wages” subject to withholding taxes. In the case of a gift certificate or coupon, the tax applies to the face value of the certificate/coupon.

An exception to this rule, known as de minimis fringe benefits that an employer gives to its employees, are not subject to income or payroll taxes. A de minimis fringe benefit is any property or service the value of which (after taking into account the frequency with which similar fringes are provided by the employer to its employees) is so small (typically under $50.00) as to make accounting for it unreasonable or administratively impracticable.

Disclaimer: The information in this Q&A is for general information purposes only. Tax issues are complicated and every situation is different, so you should consult your tax advisor or finance department before you do anything that could be a tax liability for employees or which might affect the deductibility of an employee gift.

Having good employee relations is key to effectively managing (and retaining) your workforce. Employees want to feel valued and may not perform up to standards, or stick around very long, if they don’t feel they are needed. Strategic HR understands the value of your workforce and having good Employee Relations. We’ve helped companies create reward and recognition programs and have coached managers on providing support and mentoring to their employees. Learn how we can help you with your Employee Relations needs by visiting our Employee Relations page.

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Holiday Swap

Question:

A few employees have approached me and asked if they could “swap” holidays.  They don’t observe Christmas and would prefer to work on that day and take another day off.  Do other employers do this?  What should I think about if I allow it?

Answer:

According to a recent article by SHRM,  only 18% of employers allow for such a holiday swap.  In the survey, the majority of employers report paying premiums for employees working on the scheduled holiday rather than allowing to holiday swap. The biggest problem with such a swap is for employers who are fully closed on the holiday.  It is next to impossible to swap the day if the entire plant is closed on Christmas and the employee wants to work.  If the plant is open, it is advised to allow for the flexibility, if you can provide it.

Be sure to document the swap and be clear on the reason.  Is it a religious accommodation?  If you allow it, be sure you are ready to open the door to other people AND to other holidays.  You may be surprised at what holidays you are asked to swap in the future.

Having policies and procedures that are easy to read and understand can help alleviate a lot of problems in the workplace. Not only do they set the stage for what is deemed inappropriate, they can also provide guidelines for what is considered acceptable, and even expected, behavior. Strategic HR receives numerous requests to review and rewrite employee handbooks on a regular basis, especially with the number of recent federal guideline changes. If you haven’t updated your handbook in the last few years, now may be a good time. For more information on how we can help you with Employee Relations and employee handbooks, please visit our Employee Relations page.

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Being Charged for Constructive Discharge

Question: 

I just received a claim from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission indicating a charge for constructive discharge.  What does this mean?  The employee resigned, I’m not sure what I’m being charged with.

Answer:

According to the EEOC, Constructive Discharge is when an employee feels forced to resign because the employer (or those in the workplace) have made the work environment so intolerable that a reasonable person would not be able to stay working.  Constructive discharge alone is not grounds for a lawsuit alone, but it does open the door for a claim of discrimination and a resulting charge.

Some examples of constructive discharge are very obvious and employers should quickly be able to identify illegal activities making employees uncomfortable (verbal or physical threats for example).  Other constructive discharge claims show less obvious conduct such as:

  • Consistently assigning undesirable shifts or job duties,
  • Treating the employee poorly in general, or
  • Making a job difficult by withholding necessary information to do their job.

These three less obvious examples unfortunately happen all too often and we don’t realize it. It is important for HR, owners, and managers to be aware and of how actions could be perceived.

Do difficult situations with employees keep you awake at night? Strategic HR understands how conflicts with employees can make or break your day (or a good night’s sleep). Call us when you encounter a difficult situation – we can help coach your managers, suggest solutions or advise you on a specific problem. Learn more about our Employee Relations services by visiting our Employee Relations page.

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Where Do They Fit In? Why Don’t My Employees Understand?

By Cathleen Snyder, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

We’ve been noticing this question coming up more and more, and many employers are asking us what to do about it:

My employees don’t see how the way they act is a reflection of our company.” 

“They don’t get it, that when they call off everyone on the team is impacted.” 

“I shouldn’t have to have this conversation.  They should just know!”

Guess what?  The fact that you are having these issues means you do have to have this conversation.

Often, these issues are blamed on the millennial generation.  The fact is, each of us has differing life experiences, based upon our family, where we were raised and any number of circumstances that impact who we are today.  Along the way someone may or may not have discussed what is perceived as areas of basic courtesy and appropriate behavior.  Perception of what that means can also differ.

More and more employers are finding themselves having to deal with disciplinary issues that arise from gaps in behavioral expectations, not to mention the frustrations to management and colleagues.

It’s time for employers and HR to be proactive in setting expectations for appropriate workplace behavior.  This may include everything from timeliness, appropriate email etiquette, basic manners (yes, belching), and any other issues that you have experienced.  I’m a firm believer that to rely on the premise of, “They should just know!” only leads to more frustrations all the way around.  If no one has ever communicated expectations, how can employees be expected to know them and held accountable?

The key is to communicate what is expected in a way that is diplomatic, yet clear.  For example, informing employees that the conference room walls can be thin.  A belching contest while there is a conference call taking place next door, may be problematic.  Or, that it’s inappropriate to text during a client meeting, or any meeting for that matter.  Helping an employee to see that frequent call offs delays the project, and the increased cost involved as a result.  We can’t assume that what we feel is obvious is to others.

Many of these expectations can be addressed in the employee handbook, but should also be reinforced throughout the employees’ lifespan.  Don’t forget when presenting the information, to help connect the dots of why a particular behavior is so important.  You’ve hired the best and brightest for your team.  Once you’ve set these expectations and help them understand the reasoning, you can move on to focusing on what your business does best.

Cathleen Snyder, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is a Senior Human Resources Management Consultant and Director of Client Relations at Strategic HR (www.strategicHRinc.com). If you have any questions or would like to share your comments with Cathleen, contact her at Cathleen@strategicHRinc.com.

 

 

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Making the Change Towards Corporate Social Responsibility in Your Organization

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a broad term for self-regulating oneself in terms of ethical responsibility and compliance.  The term can refer to both internal and external activities that an organization can take part in to improve itself as well as the communities and environments in which it lives and works.  Strategic human resources leaders should take an active role in Corporate Social Responsibility by linking the identified corporate initiatives with bonus programs, development plans, retention, not to mention recruiting.  These identified initiatives can become measurable results for the entire organization.

Many organizations have taken the lead in these activities but some are slow to come to the table.  Human Resources can take an active role, even in organizations that aren’t willing to step up and fully commit to the initiative.  This can be done by either “selling the concept” to leaders or even simply implementing programs and activities that the HR department does have control over that support the Corporate Social Responsibility initiative.

The “sell” of these programs shouldn’t be a hard one but some organizations are still not interested in becoming committed to causes that they feel may not impact their bottom line.  What these leaders do not see is that becoming socially aware and responsible helps the company’s bottom line.  The impact on the organization’s public image and becoming an “employer of choice” because of these initiatives is immeasurable.  Employees involved in companies that support CSR initiatives are more highly engaged and in many instances are retained longer.  Even more evident are examples of the impact of “failed” Corporate Social Responsibilities.  Think BP Oil and even more recent, Volkswagen.  The price of these perceived “fails” in Corporate Social Responsibility can be very costly.

Even if you can’t make the “sell” and your company is not ready for a formal roll out of such a program, Human Resources can begin the steps in implementing policy and practices that support Corporate Social Responsibility.  Things that could be done include:

  • Creating a company culture that focuses on CSR. From job advertisements, to interviews, to time off practices, to reward programs…HR can drive a culture that focuses on social and environmental behaviors and rewards employees for those behaviors.
  • Revising your organization’s code of conduct to include statements about commitment to socially responsible behaviors and environmental care and focus.
  • Taking swift and appropriate action regarding employee behaviors that are not supportive of the CSR commitment. This can include discipline and even termination in extreme situations where there are clearly identified behaviors are not in support of ethically and socially responsible behaviors.
  • Assuring your organization is adhering to environmental regulations and standards including safety and health initiatives. Be ahead of the curve with programs that are coming that encourage socially responsible and environmentally friendly activities.
  • Creating time off and volunteer programs that support the idea of CSR. Provide employees with the flexibility to support local causes and support the initiatives, even of their own choice, that benefit the community or cause of their interest.
  • Motivating, rewarding, and incenting employees for CSR behaviors that are demonstrated inside and outside of the organization.
  • Working with other departments to assure Corporate Social Responsibility. This could include, for example, working with purchasing to assure vendors and suppliers are socially responsible, paying a living wage, treating workers and the environment appropriately, etc.

Regardless of Human Resources’ role in your organization, if you take the commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility seriously, you can make a difference that will begin to resonate with your entire organization.  Small changes can lead to an organization that hopefully will take Corporate Social Responsibility seriously creating real and meaningful change in the organization, your community, and in the environment.

Thank you to Patti Dunham, MA, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP for writing this article. Patti, our Director of HR Solutions, brings more than 20 years of experience providing HR expertise – learn more about Patti.  If you have any questions or would like to share your comments or success stories, you can contact her at Patti@strategicHRinc.com.

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Minimizing Conflict Across Generations

By Linda Gravett, PhD, SPHR, CEQC

This is a true scenario that happened recently in an organization in the U.S.:

Susan, a 35-year-old Vice President, stormed into the Human
Resource Director’s office after a difficult meeting with an older
direct report. Susan has been in her executive position for just
six months and she has virtually no problems providing – and
receiving – feedback from direct reports her own age. There’s one
person, though – William – who is unsalvageable and should be
fired, she believes. William, a 58-year-old Sales Director appears to
Susan to be extremely needy. He wants a weekly update meeting with
her. She doesn’t have time. He doesn’t want to try new approaches
to his tried and true sales model, nor does he accept any offers to join
him in sales calls to try out a different routine. When Susan offers what she
views as straightforward, constructive criticism, William sulks for days.
She doesn’t have time to coddle him, so she’s going to tell the HR
Director that he must go, and the sooner the better.

Depending on which side of the fence you’re on in your own organization in terms of age and position, you’re probably siding with one person or the other in this scenario. Conflict around work ethic and work methods are abundant in today’s workplace, from small nonprofits to Fortune 500 corporations. We don’t, however, have to accept this as the norm.

Robin Throckmorton and I uncovered different responses to conflict across the generations in our research for Bridging the Generation Gap. We discovered that Radio Babies (born between 1930 – 1945) often avoid confronting their supervisors or those they perceive to be “in authority.” Even though they may strongly disagree with their supervisor’s approach towards the work, they aren’t as likely as members of other generations to speak out about their concerns. They simmer and seethe instead and may consciously or unconsciously sabotage projects as a way of “getting even”.

We found Baby Boomers (born between 1946 – 1964) to be very concerned with resolving conflict through consensus building. Rather than directly tackle issues individually, often the Boomers we interviewed expressed a desire to work through misunderstandings and disagreements in a team setting and move towards the good of the team. Unfortunately, this approach sometimes diffuses individual accountability.

The Gen Xers (born between 1965 – 1976) we interviewed tended to be very straightforward in expressing their point of view and had very little difficulty in telling the truth as they see it when providing feedback of any type. Many of the Xers in our research indicated a distaste for “whitewashing” an issue and prefer to “hit someone between the eyes” with a problem or concern. This does not always result in a productive, tension-free workplace.

We also talked with Gen Yers (born between 1977 – 1991), who often confessed to an inability to cope with conflict in any form and said that they want coaching on dealing with coworkers and customers who express dissatisfaction with them or their work. We found many in this generation to be highly sensitive to any type of criticism and perplexed when faced with open disagreement. The generation following Yers, the Millennials (born after 1991), will soon be coming into the workplace. They are often completely stymied when faced with potential face to face conflict and will have text “discussions” instead of dealing face to face with disagreements.

Given this information as a foundation, I’d like to introduce the FUSION model to handle conflict across generations.

This model represents five steps to ensure you can provide constructive, effective feedback that will maximize productivity and minimize conflict, regardless of the age of the person for whom you’re providing the feedback. This approach is called the FUSION Model:

  • Focus on the issue at hand and key points related to that issue.
  • Understand the other’s perspective and point of view.
  • Be specific about what you think or want.
  • Use I language and own your concerns or complaints.
  • Ask open-ended questions that invite conversation.
  • No “hot button” language such as “you kids always do this”.

Radio Babies are more willing to confront issues directly if the expectation for candor is established at the very beginning of a supervisor – direct report relationship. When a person moves into a leadership role, I recommend that he or she conducts an open meeting with direct reports to establish expectations for getting the work accomplished; communicating questions and concerns; measuring success; and providing constructive feedback. Guide the discussion so that it includes an opportunity for direct reports to bring up barriers to meeting expectations and resources they will require to ensure success. If this is done in an open forum, all direct reports hear the same story at the same time, reducing the potential for misinterpretation. During open forums, remember to:

  • Focus on a few key points and priorities.
  • Make an effort to understand their perspectives, issues, and expectations.
  • Be specific and concrete about what you want.
  • Be intentional about the questions you ask to ensure there’s a quality dialogue.
  • Show that you’re open to change and options about accomplishing the work.
  • Don’t let “hot button” language like “you always” and “you never” creep into the dialogue.

If you have Baby Boomers on your staff, you may need to make an extra effort to encourage problem solving and handling conflict independently when it’s appropriate. Boomers grew up in a time when they were one of many….at home, at church, at school or military service, and in the workplace. They became accustomed to dealing with problems as a group so often need extra encouragement to handle issues independently.

I suggest that you provide Boomers with an opportunity to be reflective through self-evaluation, both during the annual review process and as an ongoing process. I like self-evaluation questions such as:

  • Why is our organization a better place for your having worked here?
  • What do you need from your supervisor to help you contribute more to the organization?
  • What skills, knowledge, and abilities do you need to develop to keep you challenged and motivated in your work?

I certainly don’t promote discouraging Boomers from including team members in their decisions and assignments; however, I do believe an occasional laser-like focus on them as individuals and their concerns and issues will be necessary to ensure understanding and minimize miscommunication.

If you’re in a disagreement with a Gen Xer, you’re more likely to find it necessary to park your ego at the door and be willing to receive direct and sometimes brutal honesty. (The bright side of that is you’ll be expected to give as good as you get.) Gen Xers in particular will expect their supervisor or coworkers not to “beat around the bush” but rather to focus in on the issue or problem at hand, sooner than later. They will be more than happy to express their point of view and expect that, regardless of your position, experience, or credentials you will be willing to listen. Gen Xers told us in the interviews we conducted that they appreciate hearing concrete and clear expectations and then be provided with the opportunity to develop optional approaches to get the work accomplished. Saying something like “we’ve always done it this way” is guaranteed to deepen an argument; it won’t help you make your point.

The complaint I hear from Gen Yers more than any other is this: older people always want to yell at us. I’ve probed to find out if “yelling” means actually raising one’s voice. It does not. It means forcefully disagreeing with them. This behavior confuses and perplexes many Gen Yers, and they often ask for coaching around receiving criticism. I often coach Gen Yers to:

  • Focus on the issue rather than take the criticism as a personal affront.
  • Understand that older people are sharing their perspective based on years of experience and expertise. They’re not disagreeing just to be mean.
  • Be specific about your confusion or need for clarification; it’s OK to speak up.
  • Intentionally promote a discussion; don’t shut down just because the boss doesn’t “adore” you and your work.
  • Be open to tried and true methods combined with your creative ideas.
  • No name calling or assessing blame on others; take accountability for your own feelings and actions.

The bottom line to this discussion is that there is no “magic bullet” when it comes to dealing with conflict in the workplace. Responses to conflict will vary based on numerous factors, including one’s age, and careful thought should go into handling each situation on an individual basis. The basic FUSION framework may not change; however, sensitivity to the other person’s generation and influences on their thinking is critical.

This article is taken from content in Bridging the Generation Gap and presentations by Robin Throckmorton, MA, SPHR (Robin@StrategicHRinc.com / http://www.StrategicHRinc.com) and Linda Gravett, PhD, SPHR (Linda@Gravett.com / http://www.Gravett.com). If you have questions, feel free to visit their websites or contact either of them directly.