By Mike O’Brien bio SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND TRANSGENDER STATUS NOW ARE PROTECTED CLASSES NATIONALLY: Federal civil rights law protects gay, lesbian, and transgender employees, the United States Supreme Court announced June 15 in a landmark ruling. The historic decision will extend workplace anti-discrimination and anti-harassment protections to about 8 million LGBTQ workers … [Read more...] about Supreme Court ruling extends workplace protections to LGBTQ workers
Termination
Job searching during a pandemic
By Lynne Curry bio The career worst has happened. You lost your job during a pandemic. You suffer through the “sorry to tell you” call from your supervisor. When he says “take care of yourself,” you respond, “You take care too.” Then you sit frozen. When every employer is furloughing or laying or workers, how the heck are you supposed to get a new job? You spend the hours it … [Read more...] about Job searching during a pandemic
Hiring and firing risk factor: careless words
Innocent remarks spawn claims Today's administrators need to be aware of the casual – albeit well meant – words that are bringing on claims of discrimination. Legal risks of both hiring and firing include careless words, says employment law attorney Donald W. Benson, a partner with Hall Booth Smith in Atlanta. The friendly hiring remark The dangers start with the … [Read more...] about Hiring and firing risk factor: careless words
5 steps to building a law office staff that cares
What's the climate like in your organization? Is it productive? Is it inclusive or exclusive? Do your employees enjoy coming to work? Do you? If yours is a high-performing office, buzzing with productive employees who enjoy coming to work, well done! If it isn't, then it's time you did something about it—because, as the manager, the organizational climate is your … [Read more...] about 5 steps to building a law office staff that cares
How to deliver bad news to 3 kinds of underperforming employees
The talk of management isn't easy. Here are three especially difficult conversations to be prepared for: the "poor performance" discussion, the "no-raise-for-you" discussion, and the "we're-having-layoffs" discussion. Business consultant, corporate trainer, and psychotherapist Linnda Durre, Phd, of Winter Park, FL, outlines what to say, and what not to say, to get the message … [Read more...] about How to deliver bad news to 3 kinds of underperforming employees
Can your employee handbook help you safely terminate an employee?
If you ever need to terminate an employee, one of the best tools you can have is an employee handbook that sets out clear policies and is kept up-to-date with changes in employment laws, says Chris Lessard, a California attorney who specializes in HR issues. Lessard, who is J.D. Solution Center Advisor to CEDR HR Solutions, says employee handbooks can protect legal practice … [Read more...] about Can your employee handbook help you safely terminate an employee?
Employment Law Update for HR Managers
By Mike O’Brien bio This is my periodic update prepared for interested HR professionals trying to deal with the complex American employment laws. Federal Appeals Court says sexual orientation bias is illegal: A federal appeals court (covering Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana) has ruled, for the first time, that existing law prohibiting discrimination based on sex … [Read more...] about Employment Law Update for HR Managers
Protecting your employees from workplace violence
By Lynne Curry bio On June 5, 2017, John Neumann Jr. brought a semiautomatic pistol and a hunting knife into his former workplace. He killed five people before turning his gun against himself. It's become chillingly commonplace for us to learn that a terminated employee has stormed into his former workplace and killed those he holds accountable. Each time, the rest … [Read more...] about Protecting your employees from workplace violence
Want to retain your top employees? Look to your exit interviews
According to the Employee Retention Report published by Work Institute, a leader in workforce intelligence, research and consulting, over 75% of the reasons employees leave their jobs could have been prevented by their employer. The recently released report reveals the truth about the employee marketplace, separates fact from fiction when it comes to why employees leave their … [Read more...] about Want to retain your top employees? Look to your exit interviews
Reward good employees by removing bad ones
By Steve M. Cohen bio I'm sure you've seen advice regarding employee bonuses and incentive systems, including some that are quite complex. The idea is that to achieve a high-performance workplace, you need to motivate employees and achieve maximum efficiency. None of this is wrong, but I often suggest another strategy that surprises a lot of people: get rid of the … [Read more...] about Reward good employees by removing bad ones