HR Forum: employee communication

Showing posts with label employee communication. Show all posts

Operation "Email cleanup" - Purging the profanity before you hit 'Send'

Got a potty mouth? If you work for Goldman Sachs Group Inc., you’ll need to clean it up and edit out the expletives in your email exchanges.

After an embarrassing slip of the tongue received national attention in recent Congressional hearings, Goldman Sachs is now prohibiting employees from swearing in emails.

For the New York company, this means 34,000 traders, investment bankers and other employees must now avoid a vast vocabulary of dirty words often uttered on Wall Street. Goldman Sachs’ disinfected communications policy will be carried out by screening software, which detects and flags common swear words and acronyms.

Goldman Sachs’ no-swearing policy extends to instant messages and texts from company-issued cellphones and emails. Inappropriate emails could make their way to the compliance department, while others might be blocked completely, depending on the severity of the language.

A Goldman spokeswoman said: "Of course we have policies about the use of appropriate language and we are always looking for ways to ensure that they are enforced." WSJ.com

Goldman Sachs is not the only employer taking a stand against off-color communications. This past June, Citigroup told employees in a memo that "recent headlines involving inappropriate emails are an important reminder to 'think before writing, read before sending'. Citigroup doesn’t enforce any formal discipline, but chronic swearers may be approached by their managers and asked to clean up their language.

Another company concerned about profanity-peppered communications is New York-based media company Bloomberg LP. It claims to have monitored emails for more than 10 years with an application that scans messages for 70 profane words and phrase - in English and several other languages.

What about your company? Do you have a formal policy prohibiting swearing in email communications? Do you worry about looking less professional if employees send emails that contain profanity?

So what grates on your last nerve at work?

It’s been one of those mornings. You overslept, raced through your routine, tore a contact lens, spilled orange juice down the front of your shirt and hit every red light on your commute. When you finally DO get to work, you’re no more than 10 minutes in the door when Doom and Gloom Gary corners you and starts unloading about Project XYZ. It’s at that moment, before you’ve even had your first cup of coffee that you hear those words – the words that could possibly push you right over the edge: “Let’s touch base.”

Turns out, it’s office jargon like this (along with a handful of other irritations) that annoys workers the most, according to a survey of more than 1,800 people by London-based Opinium Research.

Not surprisingly, nearly two-thirds of the workers polled said these
day-to-day annoyances are enough to send their stress levels soaring – and one in 10 left a job because of them.

The survey uncovered these top 10, ‘nails-on-a-chalkboard’ irritants:

1. Grumpy or moody colleagues (37%)
2. Slow computers (36%)
3. Small talk/gossip in the office (19%)
4. The use of office jargon or management-speak (18%)
5. People speaking loudly on the phone (18%)
6. Too much health and safety in the work place (16%)
7. Poor toilet etiquette (16%)
8. People not turning up for meetings on time or at all (16%)
9. People not tidying up after themselves in the kitchen (15%)
10. Air conditioning too cold (15%)

And like a scene from “Office Space,” there’s the office jargon that creeps its way into the conversation of grown, otherwise rational adults. The top offenders:

Thinking outside the box (21%)
Let's touch base (20%)
Blue sky thinking (19%)
Blamestorming (16%)
Drill down to a more granular level (15%)
Let's not throw pies in the dark (15%) ** Now there’s one I’ve never heard before!**
I've got that on my radar (13%)
Push the envelope (12%)
Bring your A-game (11%)
Get all your ducks in a row (11%)

What about you? What gets your scruff up at work? What are your pet peeves? How would you complete the statement, “I’d love my job if it weren’t for …”?

As for my answer, I’ll have to get all my ducks in a row and get back with you.

Can you hear me? Can you hear me now?

My mother used to tell me, “You have two ears, but only one mouth. It’s more important to listen than it is to talk.”

But with all the chatter out there, it seems that most of us are enamored by the sound of our own voices – and are more comfortable running our mouths than opening our ears.

That can be a real problem – not only in our personal relationships, but in the workplace, too. Listening – really listening – takes considerable effort. Most people engaged in a conversation are more interested in what they will say next than what the other person is sharing.

But as Michael Nichols, author of The Lost Art of Listening: How Learning to Listen Can Improve Relationships, explains, the essence of listening, "…can be achieved only by suspending our preoccupation with ourselves and entering into the experience of the other person."

So how do we dial down the self-absorbed chatter and listen more intently to the other person in the conversation? In her article, Hear This: Unleash the Power of Listening and Improve Business Relationships, Priscilla Kohl suggests the following tactics:

1) Give your undivided attention to the speaker. If you’re speaking face-to-face, maintain good eye contact. Even if you’re talking on the phone, stop everything that you are doing. Many of us have multi-tasking tendencies. However, our focus should be on the person talking, thus reassuring them that they have our full attention.

2) Be sensitive of the speaker. If they appear nervous, ignore the body language and instead pick up on the message and the words being expressed. Also, by helping speakers relax, you will find them growing more at ease with you. Normally, relaxed speakers convey more authentic or candid thoughts and views.

3) Avoid interrupting, giving advice or steering the conversation away from the point(s) being made by the speaker. A listener can make comments or express body language without interrupting the speaker. For instance, a good listener can be responsive by sharing an appropriate smile or a word or two that do not interrupt the flow. Simple body language techniques such as shaking one’s head or raising an eyebrow will connect the listener with a speaker. Simple words like "yes" and "go on" let the speaker know you are engaged.

4) Listen very closely to points that you may disagree with. A poor listener often has their mind made up and shows it. Instead, be open and take a naïve approach to what the speaker is saying. Acknowledge what they are trying to get across. It doesn’t mean that you have to agree with or condone what is being said; it just means that you’re not constantly thinking about your next rebuttal.

5) Mentally collect and organize the speaker’s main points. Try not to think about something else while another person is talking. Also by mentally processing what the speaker is saying, a good listener avoids the trap of immediately reacting before it’s their turn to speak.

When weak management pushes top performers out the door

Steady Eddy. He’s reliable, hard-working and never complains. He’s also very predictable. What you see is what you get – and not a bit more. Then there’s Soaring Sally. She’s a real go-getter – sharp, ambitious, highly motivated. But she’s also impatient and restless, especially when she disagrees with her manager or the company’s decisions.

Chances are, you have a combination of these employees in your company: the “pluggers” and the “top performers.” In his blog, I Quit-Now What?, Steven DeMaio makes an interesting point about the latter:

“… top performers spend most of their time living with the day-to-day decisions
of their direct managers. What distinguishes a top performer is that she often
has the talent to do her manager's job and a keen ability to assess her
manager's choices. That makes her more likely than other employees to seek a
change in her work situation if she perceives those small matters as hindrances
to her performance, even if the big factors pass muster.”

He goes on to list the things top performers deem job drawbacks with management (and that may ultimately lead to their departure), including:

• Managers who “drop the ball” regarding various workplace priorities and expect their employees to pick up the slack and keep these balls in play
• Managers who ignore the tough questions, which can come across as a sign of weakness or poor reasoning regarding the bigger issues
• Managers who rely more on data (“number crunchers”) than a fair assessment of all the factors at hand
• Managers who are uneasy with their employees’ leadership potential, or worse yet, unwilling to groom them to advance

So no surprises here. While a “one-size-fits-all” management approach may keep your pluggers cranking along, it can also squelch the efforts and attitudes of your strong performers. To keep the bar high with your superstars, the bar needs to be that much higher with the managers who are guiding and, hopefully, inspiring them each day.

Chatty employees more productive than quiet coworkers

Though email and other communication technologies have made office communication more convenient, they may be doing little to improve workers’ productivity. A new study suggests that giving employees more time to chat around the water cooler could actually help them get more done back at their desks.

People who interact with each other in person are more productive than people who rely on electronic forms of communication, according to a recent report by researchers at MIT and New York University.

By outfitting workers in a Rhode Island call center with wearable sensor packs, or “sociometers,” researchers recorded details of individuals’ social interactions throughout the day. What they found was that employees who had more in-person conversations with coworkers tended to be more productive than those who did not.

The same team of researchers conducted a similar study last December that backs these recent findings. The December study examined a tight-knit team at an IT company, finding that face-to-face communication improved worker productivity by about 30 percent.

"The big idea is that what you do on your coffee break and over lunch really matters for productivity," says Sandy Pentland, a professor at MIT's Media Lab, who led the study. "Face-to-face networks matter, and the implications are huge."

Researchers cite two main reasons for the connection between in-person communication and productivity:

Face-to-face conversations help employees maintain strong relationships with coworkers, those relationships help workers solve complex problems and complete calls more efficiently.
Support networks among coworkers increases overall morale and job satisfaction - two major factors of productivity.

Researchers suggest that giving employees time to interact with each other will “likely bolster information transfer across individuals and departments,” a vital ingredient in organizational success.

"The underlying theme here is that humans are social beings," says Pentland. "Technology pushes us toward the abstract, and away from richer face-to-face communication."

The moral of the story: Encourage employees to interact and work with each other in-person. Improved face-to-face communication could be the key to your business’ success.

Top employee retention tips and advice

With the economy the way it is right now, many businesses are worried about losing top talent only to be short staffed when the market turns around. Today it’s all about employee retention strategies that will keep employees happy and motivated in their current positions.

You could be like Google and use a mathematical formula to calculate when a staff member is most likely to leave the company, but most would probably reach for a more conventional method. Luckily, there’s a world of valuable resources out there to help you discover the best option for your team.

Here are some of the top blog posts and articles on employee retention from across the Web:

Along with being “desperately” short staffed in skilled jobs, many leaders are also facing an increase in the number of toxic employees and their impact on the organization. Read how leading with gratitude can make your workplace better from Globoforce.

Though budget cuts and layoffs may be a necessary evil during a recession, organizations can boost morale by giving employees challenging assignments that promote growth. Read more on how to incorporate “stretch goals” in this recent BusinessWeek article.

Times are tough everywhere, but it’s still no excuse for bad management behavior. Read what Jessica Lee from Fistful of Talent would tell a badly behaving manager who’s worried about employees leaving.

The revolutionaries at Renegade HR take a slightly different approach and suggest that you shouldn’t focus on employee retention at all. Instead, “recruit great people and inspire them to do amazing things.”

And for a little laugh, check out the top three retention strategies that didn’t quite make the cut from Upstart HR. One tip: Don’t use a hitman.

Domino’s employees fired, charged after “gross” video goes viral

On Monday, two Domino's Pizza employees posted videos on the Internet that resulted in their current unemployment, and also managed to create a disastrous PR storm for their former employer.

The two Domino's Pizza employees posted videos on the Internet showing themselves violating various health-code standards while preparing food for delivery. Since their video became a hit on YouTube, the employees have been charged with felonies for delivering prohibited foods.

A statement on the company’s corporate website apologizes for the unacceptable actions of their former employees and asks that customers continue their support, despite this embarrassment.

“The opportunities and freedom of the Internet is wonderful,” the statement reads. “But it also comes with the risk of anyone with a camera and an Internet link to cause a lot of damage, as in this case, where a couple of individuals suddenly overshadow the hard work performed by the 125,000 men and women working for Domino’s across the nation and in 60 countries around the world.” (Workforce Management)

Company President Patrick Doyle has also posted a video of his own in response to the “gross” video created by his former employees. Domino’s spokesman Tim McIntyre said the company is looking into what can be done to prevent anything like this from happening in the future, but says there’s only so much the Domino’s can do.

"You can be the safest driver, you know," McIntyre said. "But there's going to be that Friday night someone's drunk and comes from out of nowhere. You can do the best you can, but there's going to be the equivalent of that drunk driver that hits the innocent victim." (Advertising Age)

The food safety issues involved in this case can be kept under control with a combination of training, policy enforcement and complying with regular food safety inspections. But how can a company control what employees are saying about them online?

It’s impossible for a company to fully control what an employee is going to say or do on the Internet in regards to their employer. What companies can do is set standards and clear policies outlining responsible online behavior within the office and when an employee discusses the company on their own time.

Major companies including the BBC, Sun Microsystems and IBM have written social media guidelines for employees to help manage the risk that accompanies these online conversations. Each of these companies has a set of guidelines clearly posted on its website and serve as great examples when developing your own social media policies.

Policies will differ from company to company, but it’s important to have a clear set of standards that everyone in the organization can follow. Remember to run your social media policy through the legal department before distributing anything to employees. Finish the process with employee training that explains the company’s policy and how to act responsibly when talking about their employer online.

Like Domino’s spokesman said, “the opportunities and freedom of the Internet is wonderful,” but some employees may need help understanding the responsibility that comes along with talking about their employer online.

Do you think having a social media policy could have helped Domino's in the company's current situation? Does your organization train employees on responsible Internet use? Leave a comment and let us know.

Achieve more with small goals?

The recession has been creating adverse effects across the business world, from a severe drop in sales to stressed-out employees. Right now, everyone seems to be feeling the pain.

Research shows that financial stress has a direct impact on employee performance and morale, landing many businesses in a state of immobility. Whether it’s from shock or stress, it’s difficult to get moving.

Companies across the country are searching for a stimulus that will cure the paralysis that has been plaguing employees and motivate them to move forward. Instead of overwhelming yourself and looking at it as one giant task, some experts suggest that baby steps are the best way to go.

Setting smaller goals is the secret to improving employee performance during tough times, as Dan Heath and Chip Heath explain in their Fast Company article, Set Smaller Goals: Get Bigger Results.

Dan and Chip believe that during times when we feel empowered, stretch goals are a great way to spark motivation. However, when we're feeling overwhelmed, stretch goals can cause immobility.

They recommend setting "whisker" goals, with targets that fall just slightly lower than average.

From the Fast Company article:

We need these more modest steps because they help us get past the "startup costs" -- the apprehension and fear -- that deter us from doing the tasks we hate.

Adversity calls for change, and change doesn't arrive via a miracle: It arrives via a kick start.

For most organizations, now is not the time to make major changes. Many are focused on working through the adversity in order to land safely on the other side.

Whisker goals could be the solution to kick starting any team that is stuck in a rut. It takes small steps to get the ball rolling.

Start a movement in your organization with small goals and keep that movement going with small recognition. By focusing on the small stuff, you may find that the big problems just don't seem so big anymore.

Do you think it’s possible to achieve more at work with small goals? How does your organization work to get employees motivated during difficult times?

For more information on goal setting and employee recognition, take a look at a few of these posts and HR Library articles:

Test employee engagement with a new sensitivity survey

Employee engagement is a main factor in determining the long-term success of a business. Studies show that engaged employees perform as much as 20 to 28 percentage points higher than disengaged employees, making them one of your business’ best assets during tough times.

"When employees witness corporate downsizing and start to fear for their own jobs they often lose their motivation, which in turn affects their job performance, thereby causing them to become less productive and less of an asset to the company," said Greg Harris, president of Quantum Workplace, a market research company that surveys employee engagement, loyalty and retention.

So, what's the easiest way to find out if employees in your organization are engaged in their work? Ask them.

Start a conversation with employees to find out how they are handling the recession and how it may be affecting their work. To get a better sense of how engaged employees are across the entire company, you can take it one step further and ask them to complete a survey.

We recently came across a great format to follow when testing employee engagement levels in the 10-question Economic Sensitivity Survey developed by Quantum Workplace, a market research company that surveys employee engagement, loyalty and retention.

The survey measures employee engagement by an employee's "ability and willingness of individuals to exert effort for the benefit of the company, their tendency to speak highly of the organization and their intent to stay."

Quantum suggests you can determine how engaged your employees are by asking them to rate these 10 statements:

Management is providing good leadership and guidance during difficult economic conditions.
My job is mentally stimulating.
I understand how my work contributes to the company's performance.
There are future opportunities for growth at my company.
My company affords me the opportunity to develop my skills.
I receive recognition and reward for my contributions.
There is open and honest communication between employees and managers.
I see professional growth and career development opportunities for myself in this organization.
I know how I fit into the organization's future plans.
Considering the value I bring to the organization, I feel I am paid fairly.

Employee engagement should be at the top of your list of key business objectives, especially if your organization has experienced layoffs since the economic downturn began. An engaged workforce is a productive workforce, something every business needs during tough times.

"Now, more than ever, employers should be helping employees know how they're part of the future of the company. You need to quell any negative or fatalistic attitudes that might be present and educate the staff that this isn't something that's going to last forever, and that we need to be prepared for better times once the economy turns around," emphasizes Harris.

If you're looking for ways to let your staff know you appreciate their hard work, you can find a variety of new employee recognition ideas from G.Neil. Even playful gifts like a silly-looking stress ball can show an employee that you notice and are grateful for the extra effort they've been putting in recently.

Employee Free Choice Act, employers (union and non-union) must be prepared

The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), also known as the “Card Check bill” has been the top priority of unions throughout this election year. If passed, the EFCA will amend the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) by removing previous barriers to union organizing.

President elect Barack Obama was a co-sponsor of the bill while a senator and has said that he will sign it into law if the legislation comes across his desk.

If Obama signs the EFCA, it would result in the most “sweeping” changes to the NLRA in the past 40 years. Union and non-union employers must be prepared for this law, which will make it easier for workplaces to unionize and will likely lead to a spike in union organizing activity, according to Mark Mathiason of the Gray Plant Mooty law firm.

In a recent Human Resources Executive Online article, Garry Mathiason, partner and vice chair of Littler Mendelson in San Francisco, advised:

The 2009 agenda for HR professionals must assume EFCA in some form will become law. In anticipation, employers should consider auditing conditions to determine whether they would support an organizing drive; monitoring union-organizing activities within the industry or geographical location; training management about rules associated with union organizing, potentially providing employees with information and arguments about union representation when organizing activity is anticipated and -- in some highly targeted industries -- even before receiving evidence of organizing activity; and, most of all, reviewing overall employment conditions to ensure they are competitive and the needs of employees are being addressed.

The EFCA would amend the NLRA in three major areas:

The EFCA would require the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to recognize a labor union through authorization cards signed by a majority of employees, without the benefit of a government-supervised, secret-ballot election.
It would also require arbitration if an employer and a newly certified union are unable to reach an agreement on an initial contract in a timely fashion.
The new law would create significant penalties for remedying employer unfair labor practices. Such penalties would apply during any period when unions are organizing and during negotiations of a first contract.

The G.Neil labor law team will continue to watch the EFCA as President elect Obama prepares to take office in January. Check back regularly for the most up-to-date information to help your business take action and stay in compliance.

Benefits of hiring older workers

Whether it's from devastated 401(k) accounts, the rising cost of living or uncertainty about the future, more older workers are delaying retirement and some are even leaving retirement for a spot back in the workforce.

More than one-quarter (27 percent) of workers 45 and older were postponing retirement and two-thirds reported having more difficulty paying for essentials such as food, gas and medicine, according to a recent AARP survey.

Additionally, the number of older workers on full-time schedules nearly doubled from 1995 to 2007 and those working part-time increased 19 percent.

Human resources faces unique challenges as more older workers reenter the workplace -- communication across generations, teamwork between coworkers with different work styles, training managers how to work with employees who are much older or younger than they may be.

Still yet, the benefits of hiring older workers greatly outweigh the challenges. Older workers posses the workplace skills businesses need to succeed in today's economy, including:

Experience. This group of workers understands how business works and what needs to be done in order to succeed, because they've lived it. Depending on the nature of the job, companies will save time and money on less training.
Work ethic. Older workers in the workplace are more dependable and stay more task-focused than their younger counterparts. They are less distracted by cell phones, mp3 players and social networks, and concerned more with completing the task at hand. Older employees have also proven to be the most self-motivated in the workplace.
Loyalty. These days, a young worker may have gone through three jobs by the time they turn 25, but that's not the case with senior employees. Older workers grew up during a time where people worked for only one or two companies during their lifetime, building a strong sense of loyalty.
Pride. Senior employees take personal pride in a job well done. While younger workers may be more concerned with making it out of the office in time to meet friends, older workers are more likely to stick around past closing time to make sure the job is finished and the final product reflects quality work.
Confidence. With all of their experience and training, older workers have a sense of confidence that younger workers still have yet to develop. Their confidence allows them to make decisions and share ideas that can help companies find ways to save money and run more efficiently.

Hiring older workers, with their unique skills and work styles, has the potential to improve productivity and save companies money during a time when it is needed the most. Tapping into the benefits of a mature workforce can help many businesses through these tough times and into a brighter future.

Workplace health: November is Flu Awareness Month

Influenza (commonly known as the flu) is a contagious respiratory illness that can cause mild to severe symptoms, and at times can lead to death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Tens of thousands of Americans die every year from flu complications.

The best way to prevent the flu is by receiving a flu vaccination each fall. The Center has designated November as Flu Awareness Month to encourage all Americans to get the flu shot.

Every year in the United States, on average 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu; more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and; about 36,000 people die from flu. Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.

Ways to keep your workplace safe and employees healthy during flu season:

Host a flu clinic. Provide flu shots on company grounds as part of your employee wellness program. For information about hosting a flu clinic visit the American Lung Association’s Online Flu Clinic Locator.

Educate employees on the benefits of the flu shot. Distribute information that encourages employees to get the flu vaccination and debunk myths that you can get the flu from a flu shot (the vaccine does not contain live viruses). Hang posters around the office on the importance of prevention and the dangers of the flu.

Review sick leave/absence policies. Ensure your policy does not punish employees for being sick, because employees who feel they will be disciplined will be more inclined to come to work no matter how ill they may be.

Encourage employees to take preventative measures. Inform employees on the most effective ways they can work to stay healthy in the office. The most important prevention activity - washing hands with soap and water often. Make sure bathrooms are stocked with soap and paper towels and go one step further by providing hand sanitizers and tissues in common rooms.

If the flu makes its way into the office, proceed with caution. Minimize employees’ exposure to the flu by limiting face-to-face meetings, consider telecommuting and hold off on typical business greetings like handshakes for a period of time.

For more information on the 2008-2009 flu season visit the CDC website.

Tracking attendance: Top reasons employees call in sick

An estimated 33% of employees have played hooky from the office at least once this year by calling in sick when they were well, according to CareerBuilder.com’s annual survey on absenteeism.

The majority of employers surveyed said they generally don’t question the reason for an employee’s absence. However, 31% have checked up on an employee who called in sick and 18% have gone as far as firing an employee for missing work without a legitimate excuse.

From the survey of more than 6.800 workers and 3,300 employers, CareerBuilder.com found the most common reasons for calling in sick, including:

9% wanted to miss a meeting, buy some time to work on an overdue project or avoid the wrath of a boss or coworker
30% needed to relax and recharge
27% went to a doctor’s appointment
22% needed to catch up on sleep
14% wanted to run personal errands
34% simply didn’t feel like going to work that day

Of the 31% of employers who checked up on an employee who called in sick:

71% required the employee to show a doctor’s note
56% called the employee at home
18% had another worker call the employee
17% drove by the employee’s home

"It’s in your best interest to be up-front with your employer and chances are you’ll get the time you need," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com. "More companies today are moving toward a Paid Time Off system, giving employees more flexibility in how they categorize time away from the office. Employers are also expanding the definition of the sick day with 65 percent stating that they allow their team members to use sick days for mental health days."

Whether you require employees to have a legitimate excuse or not, tracking employee attendance can be one of the most burdensome and paperwork-filled tasks managers must deal with.

If you’re looking for a way to eliminate attendance paperwork and move to an electronic attendance tracking platform, we have a free webinar coming up that could offer a solution.

In our free, 30-minute “lunch and learn” presentation you’ll learn how unscheduled absenteeism affects your bottom line, the benefits of electronic recordkeeping and how software can help you get rid of employe attendance paperwork forever.

Software Basics: Track Attendance Electronically Like a Pro is sponsored by Gradience and created specifically for workplace software beginners interested in reducing unwanted paperwork and moving to a “greener” electronic solution.

Sign up today for Software Basics: Track Attendance Electronically Like a Pro on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 1 p.m., ET.

View upcoming webinars at G.Neil.com.

Employee voting rights: Time to review your policies

Now is the time for employers to review and update policies and procedures for giving employees time off to cast their ballots on November 4.

While there are no federal laws mandating businesses to give employees time off from work to vote, many states require it. By fully understanding the employee voting rights in your state, you will know the best way to handle the barrage of questions and requests coming your way in the next two weeks.

Most state voting laws require businesses to adhere to the following rules:

If voting polls are open for two or more hours before or after employees’ normal working hours, the employer is not required to give paid time off.
Employers have the right to ask for written request from employees for time off to vote.
Employers may designate a certain time when employees are permitted to take time off to vote.
Lunch periods may not be included as part of the time off designated for voting.
Employees may not be disciplined or retaliated against for taking time off to vote.

There is no rule prohibiting businesses from giving employees more flexibility or privileges that what the law mandates.

Since most state laws only refer to voting on Election Day, you may run into some confusion when employees ask for time off to vote early. The best practice would be to allow an employee to vote early in the same way you would allow them time off to vote on Election Day, according to John Phillips at The Word on Employment Law blog.

He gives two reasons for this best practice:

“Every state’s public policy is to encourage voting in elections. If you deny an employee’s request to take time off to vote (even if there’s a technical basis for doing this given the specific language in your state statute), you could violate your state’s public policy. And even if you don’t, you probably don’t want to become, particularly this year, the poster child for employers who make it difficult for their employees to vote. Voting is a hot button issue, and the media would likely give a lot of publicity to this kind of situation.”

Another good practice to consider following is to send a notice explaining your company’s voting day policy to employees through e-mail and post it for those employees without e-mail access at least a week before Election Day.

Be knowledgeable of the time off for voting laws in your state and make sure your organization’s policy matches up. Ensure all managers are following the policy consistently - if you’re flexible for one employee, extend the same flexibility to every employee.

Phillips has compiled a list of voting time off laws by state at The Word on Employment Law blog. For more information on the voting rules in your state, contact your state labor department.

When domestic violence enters the workplace

From faltering stocks on Wall Street to dwindling housing markets, the economy has been the latest major distraction for American workers. More serious than just lost productivity, a rise in domestic violence has been one of the most unsettling effects of a bad economy on the workplace.

“A correlation between the economy and domestic violence makes complete sense to most counselors and professionals who work with troubled people: when they economy falters, domestic violence rises. Money is one of the most disputed family issues in the best of times, but when pressures mount - job loss, home foreclosures, increased costs of living - frayed tempers often give way to violence,” according to Julie Ferguson at HR Web Cafe.

Domestic abuse is to blame for close to 8 million lost workdays, an amount equal to 32,000 full-time jobs, according to CDC studies.

Employers should be especially concerned with the rise in domestic violence. Beyond the effect it may have on worker productivity, employers may be held liable for dismissing the signs of domestic violence in the workplace.

In 1994 the case of La Rose vs. State Mutual Life Assurance Co., Francesia La Rose’s family members filed a wrongful-death suit against her employer after she was murdered by a former boyfriend at work. The family claimed her employer failed to protect La Rose after knowing about the threat. State Mutual Life Insurance settled for $350,000.

Laws regarding employers’ responsibilities in cases of domestic abuse differ from state to state, so seek the advice of legal professionals in your area for laws specific to your state.

Employers should be trained to be aware of the warning signs in potential domestic abuse victims and have a policy that allows abused employees to take paid time off, according to Denise Curran, a psychotherapist at ComPsych on Human Resource Executive Online.

As part of the company policy, Curran also recommends that abuse victims be connected with an employee assistance program that provides counseling and victim resources.

“For many victims, however, admitting their abuse to co-workers or managers may not feel natural. Curran says companies can gain the trust needed to achieve such a confession by running a training program on the topic and showing that anyone who steps forward will be treated with support, not scrutiny. Oftentimes, once employees take part in the training program, they may go to their EAP counselor on their own to admit they are being abused, [Curran] says.”

Online tool helps employers reintegrate veterans

The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced the launch of a new online resource to help employers accommodate veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the workplace.
 
The new America’s Heroes at Work website provides employers with information about TBI and PTSD, along with tools and advice on how to reintegrate afflicted veterans, particularly service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

“This America's Heroes at Work initiative focuses on the employment challenges of returning service members who are living with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder,” said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.

“One of the best ways we can help these courageous men and women and honor their sacrifice is to help them return to full, productive lives through work. Employment can also play a role in their recovery.”

Though their injuries may not be visible, veterans with TBI or PTSD face challenging obstacles when returning to the workplace. Through America’s Heroes at Work, employers can find resources including job coaching and mentoring programs to create a positive, successful work environment for employees who have experienced traumatic events.

"Employment plays absolutely a major role in the rehabilitation of our servicemembers, regardless of the kind of injuries that they may have," said Charles S. Ciccolella, the Labor Department's assistant secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training Service.

Visit America’s Heroes at Work.

Remodeling morale at Home Depot

In the midst of a struggling economy, home improvement giant Home Depot is remodeling from the inside out, with employee morale and sense of ownership at the top of their “fix-it” list. HR chief Tim Crow has his hands full renovating training programs, expanding cash bonuses and increasing employee/customer face time.

In a recent Q & A with Workforce Management, Crow talked about the difficulties Home Depot has had to face while the country suffers through the “weakest housing market in more than 25 years.” This year company profits fell over 60%, forcing the company to halt expansion plans and close stores, impacting the lives of 1,300 employees.

While the company and country struggle financially, Crow has kept his focus on creating a sense of ownership among employees, improving employee product knowledge and strategically using rewards and recognition programs to revitalize morale.

Home Depot’s morale building strategies include:

Success Sharing. If stores make their sales goals, everyone gets a cash bonus. In 2007, Success Sharing bonuses totaled $63 million.

Homer Badges. Badges, named after the company mascot, to recognize store associates for living the company’s values. If employees earn three badges, they get a cash bonus.

Aprons on the Floor. An company-wide initiative encouraging employees to find new ways to cut costs so Home Depot can spend more on staffing. The company cut its HR staff by more than half, with four HR managers overseeing 6 to 10 stores each.

Read the complete Workforce article on how Home Depot is keeping training and employee morale high priorities during tough economic times.

Build employee loyalty with open communication

Employee loyalty is built with open communication, not with monetary rewards like raises, according to the latest Management Action Programs Inc. (MAP) Quarterly CEO Survey.

Open communication, employee recognition and involving personnel in decision making are the top three qualities people value most in a company, according to the MAP survey.

“Clearly, a work environment where employees are recognized as part of the team is more valuable than simply receiving a paycheck,” said to Lee Froschheiser, president and CEO of MAP, in a press release.

The survey revealed “open communication between management and employees” is the number one factor contributing to employee loyalty. Open communication was mentioned almost twice as frequently as “receiving raises.”

The most perceptive business leaders realize the enormous value of motivating employees in non-monetary ways, according to Froschheiser.

“Most of all, clearly communicating the company's vision and mission, as well as making employees feel they're playing an important role in the business' overall success are among these CEO's top employee-retention strategies,” Froshchheiser said.

Effective communication can contribute to a company’s profitability according to the recently released Communication ROI Study by Watson Wyatt.

Companies with the most effective communication programs had a 47% higher total return to shareholders from 2002 to 2006, compared to companies that communicate least effectively.

Those companies with effective communication are four times as likely to report high levels of employee engagement as compared to those with less effective communication.

The Watson Wyatt study identified that the highest-performing companies:

Focused managers and employees on customer needs.
Engaged employees in running the business.
Helped managers communicate more effectively.
Utilized the communication talents of internal communicators to manage change effectively.
Measured the impact of employee communication.
Branded the employee experience.

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