There are many situations in which an employer would like an employee to be relieved of their duties but the situations do not necessarily present a well-documented, policy-violated, fireable offense. These situations, if acted upon incorrectly, could make the organization vulnerable to a lawsuit. This is probably a situation that many HR professionals would like to avoid at any and all costs.
The idea of a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) can be a daunting one for both the employee being put on the plan as well as for the individual (in the majority of cases, the immediate supervisor) being asked to design and implement the plan. Often used as the last step in a progressive disciplinary process, for the employee, a PIP can feel like it’s just a long winded way to get rid of them.
Dress code policies are an age-old topic within the business world. Should you continue to require your employees to wear suits or buy into the casual jeans-and-t-shirt look all the Millennials are craving? This really all depends on who you are as an organization and what your culture is. For some organizations, it seems as if you have to choose between buttoned-up or laid-back but those aren’t the only options.
According to the 2017-2018 ERC Policies and Benefits Survey Report, about 65% of employers are providing organization sponsored activities, the most common of which are holiday parties and annual picnics.
In 2017, employment and labor decisions have been aplenty. Here are three recent decisions that could have an effect on how you do business.
Two-thirds of organizations participating in this year’s ERC/NOCHE Intern & Recent Graduate Pay Rates & Practices Survey have a structured/formal internship program in place. Internships can come in all shapes and sizes depending on the specific industry, the needs of the employer, and the skill set of the students applying for the program.
According Adecco’s State of the Economy and Employment research, the skills gap is a very real thing. Of the senior executives surveyed, 92% feel that there is a skills gap in the U.S. workforce. The study also reports that “senior executives believe the skills gap has less to do with complacency on the part of American workers and more to do with the U.S. education system and costs associated with in-house training programs.
The 2016 ERC Performance Management Survey reported that 79% of the organizations surveyed use job knowledge/job specific competencies as key performance criteria when assessing performance. If that many organizations evaluate performance based on competencies, what are you doing to ensure that the training you provide to your employees is strengthening those skills?
American essayist, Hamilton Mabie once said “don’t be afraid of opposition. Remember, a kite rises against, not with, the wind.” Think of this quote as a way of setting the tone when dealing with conflict.
There are plenty of articles out there with advice and tips for college kids looking to get internships and how to add value to the organizations they are interning for, including some of our own. This is not another one of those articles. In addition, there are plenty of articles out there that point out the organizational benefits to hiring an intern or having an internship program at your organization. This is also not one of those of articles.
Absence management comes in many different shapes and sizes. Oftentimes issues arise in the workplace regarding absence management or FMLA and the intricate compliance laws and requirements may make handling the issue more complicated than expected. ERC’s Help Desk compiled a list of frequently asked questions we receive from our local members and with the help of CareWorks, here’s the answers to those questions:
In a clear sign of the times, ERC’s research has seen “workplace safety” rise to the surface as an area of concern and action for many employers. Setting aside the high profile news stories about workplace violence over the past several years, even here in Northeast Ohio employers have experienced comparatively more incidences of violence in their workplaces firsthand in recent years.
