08/30/2010
U.S. employers will hand out pay raises averaging 2.5% across all employee categories in 2010, according to the annual WorldatWork 2010-2011 Salary Budget Survey. But in most cases, the size of the raise will depend on how well employees have performed. Employers "are no longer averse to withholding merit increases for poor performers so they can afford to grant meaningful increases to better performers,” says Anne C. Ruddy, president of WorldatWork.
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08/30/2010
If you manage a team that’s stuck in a rut or not working up to its full potential, it may have nothing to do with the drive and talent of the participants. They all may want to succeed and be giving 100% effort, but the results can still disappoint. The problem could be conflict—not too much, but too little.
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08/26/2010
When the Chicago offices of marketing agency Upshot burned down in 1997, some of the employees spent a year working out of a local bar. Safely ensconced in new digs, the staff still likes to drink together—so they tap a keg in the office at 5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month. It's part of the perks conceived by a group of employees who call themselves “Pulse,” which recommends ways the company can liven things up.
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08/25/2010
Should you establish a zero-tolerance ban on swearing in the workplace? It’s probably not realistic and you may set yourself up for discrimination claims if you clamp down on one employee’s slip-up but not another’s. Instead, establish more general rules that say offensive language and other disrespectful conduct are not permitted, and violators will be subjected to the discipline policy.
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08/24/2010
Most organizations believe they do pay for performance. They don’t. Here's how to get real about a compensation system that truly pays employees according to what they contribute to organizational success.
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08/20/2010
Managers and HR pros can’t empower employees, but they can create an environment that motivates them to want to act in an empowered way. Here is a 10-step model for encouraging and motivating employees. It will help them build the confidence they need to empower themselves to make decisions and take risks:
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08/16/2010
An OfficeTeam survey of 500 HR professionals asked how often their organizations conduct formal performance appraisals of employees. The responses: once a year, 60%; twice a year, 12%; as necessary, 18%; quarterly, 6%; never, 5%.
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08/13/2010
Employers can escape liability for employees’ racist actions if they can show they acted quickly to stop any potentially race-based harassment such as graffiti or offensive symbols.
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08/13/2010
While employers have an obligation to offer reasonable accommodations to help employees who are disabled, it doesn’t follow that disabled employees can keep their jobs if they simply can’t get work done. But termination often causes a disability discrimination lawsuit. Be prepared to show exactly how poor the employee’s performance really was.
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08/13/2010
Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz ...
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08/11/2010
In a Robert Half International survey, employees rated “working for a stable company” and “having a strong sense of job security” as the two most important factors about their work situation. Robert Half District President Brett Good suggests that organizations should leverage that new desire for stability during the hiring process. Here are six ideas from the survey that might work for you:
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08/06/2010
The ADA requires employers to provide a reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with a disability, unless doing so would cause an undue hardship. A recent 7th Circuit case sheds light on the extent of an employer’s obligation to accommodate an employee’s accommodation request.
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08/06/2010
Do you think some employees may be taking advantage of your paid leave plan? If so, it’s OK to set up a surveillance program to catch the worst offenders. Just make sure you document why a particular employee’s behavior is suspicious. Good reasons to check up include “coincidental” timing like absences clustered around weekends or holidays.
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08/06/2010
In these difficult economic times, if you have to conduct a reduction in force, think carefully about how you select those who will be terminated, especially if you anticipate bringing some workers back when the financial picture improves. For example, don’t tell employees they were picked for layoffs because their work was substandard. Use a gentler approach.
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08/06/2010
Q. We recently sent an employee home for not following his supervisor’s instructions. Do we have an obligation to pay him for the full day regardless? How should we handle this situation in the future? Is this considered administrative leave?
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