Troublemakers in the Office
Trouble!!! Trouble!!! Trouble!!! Without wood, a fire goes out; without gossip, quarreling stops. Charcoal keeps the embers glowing, wood keeps the fire burning, and troublemakers keep arguments alive. Proverbs 26: 20-21. Gossip, quarreling, arguments and troublemakers seem to go together, and left alone may destroy a successful business. Here are some thoughts on this matter. It appears fuel of some kind is the source troublemakers use to cause problems. It’s important for business owners to limit or even eliminate fuel sources in their...
read moreDealing with Employees without “Blowing Up”
A gentle answer quiets anger, but a harsh one stirs it up. Proverbs 15:1 GNT Loosing one’s temper is never a good management behavior. Even when the issue is some form of misconduct, getting angry and tearing into the employee is not wise. In our experience there are three basic situations in which a manager may need to take some form of corrective action. The employee is unskilled in his/her job responsibilities. There is a systemic breakdown in the organization. There is misconduct. In each case the manager must act like an adult...
read moreYour E-Z Employee Guide…
Handling employee problems can be simplified many times over by following the follow “easy” 1-2-3 steps… 1) Recruit well. The #1 fix to employee problems is appropriate (and successful!) recruitment. The adage “you reap what you sow” comes into play well. Often the real issue stems from culture, core values, or drive. 2) Set clear performance expectations. The #2 issue lying below the surface of employee problems is lack of clear performance expectations. Job descriptions are often inadequate or...
read moreWorkplace Harassment
“Wisconsin Franchise Owner Pays $1 Million in Harassment Lawsuit” … Could this be you? We found this headline my September 2012 HR Magazine and thought now would be a good time to remind our clients and friends of the basics with regards to Workplace Harassment. What happened? The owner of a McDonald’s permitted male employees to create a hostile work environment towards female employees, some of whom were teenagers. In addition there was retaliation when the female employees brought this matter to the owner’s...
read morePerformance Appraisal Guidelines
Performance appraisals are often one of the deciding factors used to make most human resources decisions, such as pay, promotions, transfers, training opportunities, layoffs, demotions, suspensions, and terminations. Therefore, you and your organization might find yourselves with a legal challenge to your performance appraisal system if any of the above become a matter of contention. Following are guidelines an organization might wish to follow in its performance appraisal system. 1. Employees must receive a written copy of the...
read moreManager Troubles?
An older edition of HR Magazine estimates that 80% of the turnover in organizations is caused by poor management. The Gallup folks insist (based on two 2006 polls) that “at least 75% of the reasons for voluntary turnover can be influenced by managers”.[1] This is a staggering figure when you stand back and contemplate it. It’s also an expensive matter, if you believe the DOL’s estimate that the cost of turnover is 1.5 times the annual salary of the person leaving the organization. Using those estimates, replacing a $30,000 employee...
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