Employee Relations Articles

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By Tom Perkins @ Saturday, 4th March 2006 @ 5:52 AM

After more than 13 years since passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), employers are still asking questions about workers' rights under FMLA and how to effectively implement the law. We have provided a concise overview to the current law and what employers effected by the law should know. What is the Family Medical Leave Act? The Family and Medical Leave Act is a federal law which provides certain employees with up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave a yea... more...

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By Tom Perkins @ Wednesday, 22nd February 2006 @ 10:45 PM

Employment discrimination laws seek to prevent discrimination based on race, sex, religion, national origin, physical disability, and age by employers. Discriminatory practices include exhibiting a bias in hiring, promotion, job assignment, termination, compensation, and various forms of harassment. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported 72,302 individual discrimination charge filings in 1992. By 2004, the number had grown to 79,432. As a Human Resource Manager or ... more...

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By Martin Haworth @ Thursday, 16th February 2006 @ 7:25 PM

Every day, everyone can make the world a better place. It's simple; it's quick and it is free. All it requires is a recipe containing you (yes, that's YOU!), awareness and a natural disposition to be brave enough, to change the day of everyone you come into contact with in a positive way. Appreciating what people do for you, whenever you come into contact with them is the first step. It may not sound much, but saying a sincere 'Thank You' means much ... more...

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By Dave Cohen @ Wednesday, 15th February 2006 @ 2:35 AM

What does it take to truly motivate an employee? What breaks an employee's resistance to showing up on time and lets them work with joy? What makes employees brag about the company that pays them? How do successful corporations succeed in keeping loyal employees? Not by fear or intimidation. Once pressure is applied 'to perform or produce,' either more or better, the average employee becomes less effective. Many employees are completely self-motivated and never need ... more...

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By Hans Hasselfors @ Saturday, 11th February 2006 @ 3:58 PM

Would you like to find out what those-in-the-know have to say about employee motivation? The information in the article below comes straight from well-informed experts with special knowledge about employee motivation. The success of an organization does not solely depend on management but on the work of its employees as well. An employee that enjoys his or her position and feels rewarded by their efforts will ultimately be the most successful in their careers and the most beneficial to t... more...

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By Martin Haworth @ Thursday, 9th February 2006 @ 4:07 PM

Ever been frustrated by someone who made a decision that seemed to be the wrong decision? Of course you have - we all have. Have you ever made a decision that was deemed to be the 'wrong' decision? You got it - we've all done this. Did you make that wrong decision intentionally; wilfully; on purpose? Of course not. In fact, if you're anything like me, maybe you wrangled over which way to go. Exactly which was the best decision.... more...

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By Martin Haworth @ Friday, 3rd February 2006 @ 8:38 PM

There are a whole load of resources you can find on 'motivation'. Books, tapes, internet etc. Yet it need not be so complicated... Recently, I had the opportunity to show appreciation to someone. I was really surprised to hear back from her the following, "Are you being sarcastic?" It turned out that she had never been appreciated. No one had ever said a simple "Thank you" to her. That's it this week, notice good work and say thank you. When?more...

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By Martin Haworth @ Saturday, 28th January 2006 @ 6:33 PM

Whatever else you are doing - STOP! - whenever you engage with someone in conversation. Ignore pagers. Put off interruptions. At the very least make sure that you 'honour' the space that you have when you are in any sort of one-to-one with someone else. If you have ever been in conversation with someone who was being continually interrupted, how did you feel? I guess you felt pretty devalued by their lack of focus on you, what you were saying and the issues you were discussing. ... more...

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By Tom Perkins @ Thursday, 26th January 2006 @ 2:56 AM

Paperwork. Nobody likes it, but everyone has to do it. Documentation on a new hire can be the most cumbersome, but is an absolute must. Detailed paperwork not only allows the new employee to collect a paycheck and be eligible for fringe benefits, it protects you, the employer. Take for example the required I-9 form. Failure by the employer to properly document all new employees and their legal ability to work can result in major fines and penalties. The Law The law governing... more...

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By James Hunt @ Tuesday, 24th January 2006 @ 8:11 PM

If you are trying to fill positions within your company with the highest quality personnel that are the best match for your team and company there are some recruiting methods that will yield more positive matches and more successful recruiting endeavors. Recruiting methods vary from field to field and business to business. Some companies have strict rules when it comes to recruiting new employees for their business. Other companies are more free form when it comes to internal policies... more...

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By James Hunt @ Tuesday, 24th January 2006 @ 10:29 AM

Safety training is something that is required in every workplace. Health and safety regulations require that employers provide training for their employees in the safe methods of using equipment and they are also required to hold safety drills on a regular basis. This is necessary in buildings to ensure that all employees can get out safely. Providing safety training is beneficial for employers in a case where an employee gets hurt on the job and the employer is sued for criminal negligen... more...

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By Martin Haworth @

People management skills are vital for managers - it may sound simple, yet some managers find it so challenging. But there are just a few simple ideas that you can start to incorporate. To get the best results you have to be very good at people management...and it's not as hard as you might think. Here are the secrets of the very best managers:- The best at people management... 1) Manage! They focus on getting their people to deliver the key activit... more...

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By Mike Moore @

1. Humor reduces stress levels and stress is the number one problem confronting employees today. 2. Laughter boosts morale while stress erodes staff morale. It is in the best interest of any business to invest in the happiness of its employees. Laughter is an effective barometer of just how happy your people are. 3. Keeping things in perspective tends to boost morale and humor helps us keep things in perspective. 4. Humor helps facilitate change. Change is inevitable and peo... more...

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By James Hunt @

To understand employee motivation, we first need to know exactly what it means. The most common definition of motivation states that motivation is the psychological process that gives behavior purpose and direction. It has also been defined as the inner force that drives us to do something. If a person is to a job and do it good, they need some sort of employee motivation or motivation factor behind it. In most cases it is the responsibility of the boss or supervisor to motivate his or he... more...

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By Martin Haworth @

We all like to be acknowledged, but for thousands, even millions of employees, such recognision never happens. From one day to the next, there are no positive messages for their contribution - yet as their boss, you can do this - and it will pay untold benefit for your business, organisation and, of course, you and your people. Encouraged by the recognition, Sarah Lewsiton went home from work that day, full of self-belief and wonder that she had made the leap at last. In h... more...

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By Mike Moore @

I was giving a presentation on “ the Value of Recognition” to the office workers of a large Canadian City. The City Commissioner ended his welcome to those present with these words, “ I have an open door policy so I want to encourage you to come and talk to me when you have a concern.” When he left I heard a couple of people in the front row say with a hint of sarcasm, “ Yeah sure. He has an open door policy as long as what you have to say is flattering and doesn’t rock the boat.” W... more...

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By Sean Martin @

Just recently in the news there was a story about an Internet company called Image Net who conducted job interviews on Mt. Fuji in Japan. Image Net sells mostly women’s clothing on the Internet and I think it’s safe to say Image Net thinks “outside the box.” Lets examine why and see if this “outside the box thinking” is conducive to hiring new job applicants. When they put out their ad for the job there were 50 applicants. 21 were invited to climb Mt. Fuji to be interviewed. ... more...

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By James Hunt @

Most companies rely on their management and corporate teams to set goals, accomplish tasks, and find direction for the company. Without a strong and well trained management team a company doesn’t stand a chance in any competitive market. But how does a manager become experienced enough to know what techniques to implement to successfully lead a team? This is where management training and corporate training come in. More and more managers are increasing their value to a company by taking some... more...

Business » Human Resources » Employee Relations | By Dick Grote @

Managers talk with the people on their teams every day. Whatever the topic, most of these conversations happen with no stress, little anxiety, and minimal tension. But when the conversation is about an employee’s performance, anxieties often abound. Here are four ways to reduce the tension and defensiveness that too often surround performance evaluations. 1. Don’t wait for the meeting to deliver the performance appraisal form. I worked for large corporations for fifteen years befo... more...