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Cupid’s Arrow May Find You At Work

Monday, February 14th, 2011

Long hours at work  and increased socialization as a workplace expectation may have lead to an increase in romance in the workplace reports several recent studies. The flip side is that while employee may be finding love at work they are also concerned about the impact to their careers.

Vault.com reports that 59 percent of 2,083 respondents to recent survey had dated a colleague. Slightly more than one-fourth dated a subordinate, and 18 percent dated their supervisor. A  Career Builder survey reports that more than one-third of 3,910 full-time U.S. employees have made a love connection in the workplace and nearly two-thirds are not keeping secret a once-taboo type of relationship.

The Vault.com survey also found that thirty-eight percent thought a co-worker gained a professional advantage because of a romantic relationship with a supervisor or co-worker, and 31 percent were uncomfortable with a co-worker’s office romance.   The Vault.com respondents  indicated the following behaviors as not acceptable for workplace relationships:

•Dating someone in the same department (29 percent).
•Dating someone who is working on a project with you (29 percent).
•Dating someone you work with who is from a different company (22 percent).
Eleven percent thought a workplace romance is never acceptable.

So can Cupid’s arrow kill your career and is it worth it? It depends on which survey you read. Sixty-five percent of workers in the Vault.com survey said the economy was not a factor in pursuing a workplace liaison. However, 70 percent of 423 registered Monster users think that dating a co-worker openly could jeopardize job security or advancement, according to a survey in the U.S. for Spherion Staffing Services, a division of SFN Group Inc. Only one-third of those surveyed in 2008 were hesitant to start an office romance.

John Heins, senior vice president and chief HR officer at SFN Group acknowledged that many companies do not have clear policies or workers are not aware of them.  36 percent of the respondents to the Monster survey work at companies without such a policy; 43 percent don’t know if their company has a policy. “If office policies aren’t clearly communicated or don’t exist at all, people can’t measure the potential consequences of how an office romance will be perceived or handled by the company,” Heins said.

Employers should have a clearly stated and non discriminatory policy for office relationship.  The policy should eliminate any cause for possible harassment or discrimination lawsuits (employees and mangers cannot date if there is a reporting relationship for example).   Have an attorney review the policy and have all employees read and acknowledge it.

Employees should endeavor to keep all workplace interactions (even with your sweetie) at the highest level of professionalism.  Your goal is that know that no one knows that you are even dating by your behavior.  However in today’s world you should also limit office gossip by informing co-workers and manager prior to status updates on social media sites.

Join the conversation: What do you think about romance in the workplace?

References:

SHRM Online Newsletter,  2/11/2010,   Every Day is Valentine’s Day for Some Workers,

www.Vault .com 2/10/2011 http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/vcm/detail/Career-Advice/Office-Romance/2011-Office-Romance-Survey-Results?id=53933&filter_type=0&filter_id=0

www. Career Builder. com,2/10/2011 http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?id=pr619&sd=2/10/2011&ed=12/31/2011&siteid=cbpr&sc_cmp1=cb_pr619_

www. shperion.com, 2/11/2011 http://spherion.mediaroom.com/pressroom/index.php?s=43&item=1034

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HR, Heart or Head?

Friday, February 11th, 2011

Is HR a job of the heart or of the mind?    It’s an interesting conundrum that many of us in HR got into it because we wanted to create dynamic and diverse workplaces filled with engaged employees and ended up being the “enforcer” or the ”paper pusher”.  It is  possible to do both- ensure compliance with the rules and regulations and create a place the employees want to work and those objectives are actually complimentary.  HR can make a difference in both the bottom line (no lawsuits and engaged employees improves profits) and in the lives of the employees  by creating and fostering a fair, diverse and motivational workplace.

Need a refresher or some new ideas about how to use both your head and your heart?   Interested in how HR can be the “moral compass” of the company?  Take a look at  Leading With Your Heart. The Society for Human Resources (SHRM) notes “HR professionals will find Leading With Your Heart instrumental in bridging the gap between the idealized expectations of the C-suite and the pressing realities of needing to get the job done at the line manager and local levels”.

Be the first person share your thought on is HR a job for heart or heads or both and I’ll send you a free copy of “Leading With Your Heart”.

About the Authors of Leading With Your Heart

Cari M. Dominguez is the owner of Dominguez & Associates, a management consulting firm that provides selective services in the areas of workforce assessments and diversity evaluations. Dominguez serves on several for profit and nonprofit boards and has numerous professional affiliations. Her public service includes being the former Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), and Department of Labor’s Assistant Secretary for the Employment Standards Administration. In the private sector she was a partner and director at two international executive search firms and held a number of senior human resources positions with Bank of America, where she had responsibility for EEO, succession planning, executive compensation, and talent development.

Judith (Jude) Sotherlund, president of Sotherlund Consulting, is a corporate consultant and published author. Her public service includes serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment Standards and as a Staff Assistant in the Office of Communications at The White House. Private-sector experience includes Vice President of Employment Advisory Services Inc., a senior consultant to the Equal Employment Advisory Council (EEAC), and Director of Communications for the National Committee for Quality Health Care.

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Successful Dealer Discusses “Hiring Right”

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

Hiring the right employee is critical to your businesses success.   Unfortunately many companies treat recruiting and hiring as a necessary evil,  not a key business function,  and do not invest the time and effort to hire right.  Successful Dealer just published a great article by Denise  Rodini- “Hiring Right”- that provides an overview of best practices with practical tips and tools on how to hire the right way from John Boggs, a leading labor and employment attorney and KPA partner.   John is counsel to CNCDA (California New Car Dealer Association), was an original developer of the HotlinkHR program, and has over 26 years experience working with dealerships.  He knows of what he speaks!

The “Hiring Right” article is based on the KPA  webinar “Bullet Proof Your Employment Practices” which can be downloaded for free at http://www.kpaonline.com/authorizedFiles/bullet/bullet.html

Join the conversation: How important is a consistent process that includes background checking and assessment testing to hire right?

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To Pay or Not To Pay for Snow Days

Monday, February 7th, 2011

Punxsutawney Phil,  the famous groundhog weather forecaster has predicted that winter will be short and pleasant and springtime is only six weeks away. Hard to believe when much of the nation is blanketed with snow, freezing rain and bitter cold. Whether or not Phil is right and winter is on the way out it might be a good time to review and update your inclement weather pay policy before the next round of bad weather.

Wage Payment Requirements
For non-exempt employees, compliance under federal law is straightforward. Non-exempt employees must only be paid for time actually worked. The FLSA (Fair Labor Standard Act) does not require non-exempt employees to be paid when they do not come to work due to inclement weather. However, some states have “reporting time pay” laws that require non-exempt employees be paid whenever the employee reports to work as required or requested by the employer, even if no work is available. States with “reporting time laws” are California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon (minors only), and Rhode Island. Employers in these states should consult with their legal counsel to understand the implications of the state laws for their pay policies.

Compliance with the FLSA for exempt employees is more complex. Exempt employees must be paid their full salary for any week in which they perform any work, unless a deduction is specifically permitted under 29 C.F.R. § 541 (b). Section 541.602(b) (1) allows deductions for full-day absences taken for “personal reasons.” So is a snow day a “personal reason” for taking a day off?  DOL Opinion Letter FLSA2005-46 confirms that deductions of full day increments may be made from an exempt employee’s salary if the employer is open for business and the employee chooses not to report to work. However no deductions from salary can be made if the employer closes operations. DOL Opinion Letter FLSA2005-41 states that since employers are not required under the FLSA to provide any paid leave to employees, “there is no prohibition on an employer giving vacation time and later requiring that such vacation time be taken on a specific day(s).” Employers who provide paid leave may require employees to take that leave for full or a partial day absence when the offices are closed for inclement weather or “other disasters”.
To sum up the requirements for wage payment and HR best practices due to inclement weather or other disasters:
1. Non-exempt employees do not have be paid when they do not work due to inclement weather or a disaster under the FLSA. Payment may be required by state law and employers in these states should consult with legal counsel to fully understand the implications “reporting time pay” law for their pay policies.
2. If the company is open for business, an employer may make deductions, in full-day increments only, from the salary of exempt employees who do not come to work due to inclement weather or a disaster.
3. If the company closes operations, the employer cannot make deductions from salary, but can require the employee to use accrued paid leave, either in partial-day or full-day increments.
4. Beyond the legal requirements for wage payment employers should consider if providing for some form of compensation during severe weather or other disasters is a key benefit that could assist in attracting and retaining employees.
5. Have a written policy for wage payments that has been reviewed by qualified legal counsel. Provide a copy to each employee and have them acknowledge the policy in writing or by electronic signature.
For more information on compliance with the FSLA and wage payments download KPA’s free webinar “The Essentials of Wage and Hour Law for Dealerships” and “Advanced Wage and How Law for Dealerships” at http://www.kpaonline.com/news-and-events/webinars/recorded-webinars.html

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Always Confirm Employment Eligibility With E-Verify

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)  is cracking down on employers who hire illegal aliens   Make sure that you complete an I-9 form within three days of hire and take the extra step of confirming eligibility to work in the United States but using E- Verify. Not all employers are required to use E-Verify but every employer should..   E-Verify is fast, free and easy to use – and it’s the best way employers can ensure a legal workforce.

Click here to learn more or to sign up for E-Verify.  http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm

KPA offers a free webinar on What Employers Must know about Immigration Control and Enforcement. Check it out at

http://www.kpaonline.com/news-and-events/webinars/recorded-webinars.html

Is this tip helpful for your business?  Please share your thoughts and experiences about using E-Verify with the KPA blog community.

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Do Well By Doing Good- Employee Volunteer Programs Give Back Big Dividends

Thursday, December 23rd, 2010

Volunteering as a group is a great team building activity or even a holiday party replacement.  Recently the marketing department at KPA sponsored a fund raiser (“Holiday Soup Kitchen”) at the headquarter office for the Food Bank of Larimer County and the Community Food Share of Boulder County. Beyond raising over $400, which was matched by the company, the fundraiser gave the marketing team to work together on a project of their choosing;  highlighted latent talents (we have some good cooks at KPA); provided a fun opportunity for all of the headquarters staff to get together during the holiday in a casual atmosphere while helping other less fortunate in the community.   Developing or expanding your organization’s volunteer program is a sure fire way to increase employee’s morale, reinforce corporate values,  show corporate responsibility and make your company more appealing to possible new hires.   64% of all executives say employee volunteer programs contribution to the company bottom line. Among executives at large companies, 84% see direct bottom-line benefits according to the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College and Business Civic Leadership Center.

Ready to start doing well by doing good?  Check out these resources:

http://www.pointsoflight.org/ideas-and-insights/2010-employee-volunteer-program-reporting-standards-summary

http://www.volunteermatch.org/corporations/resources/businesscase.jsp

http://www.volunteermatch.org/corporations/resources/businesscase.jsp

If you are curious about the KPA Holiday Soup Kitchen- it is a very simple fundraiser to put on.  A department or group of employees the executive staff for example) volunteers to bring in various homemade soups, breads and desserts.  Soups are great for office parties because they can be kept warm in a crock pot and you don’t need access to a full kitchen. Publish the event so that everyone plans to “eat in” on that day.  Employees donate what they chose to- no pressure- while enjoying the company of others.   Simple, fun and effective!

Join the conversation: Does your company have an employee volunteer program, and if so what are some ideas for volunteering?

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5 New Year’s Resolutions for Improving Employee Morale

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

Here are 5 resolutions for 2011 that are guaranteed to improve employee morale and motivation.  If improving morale and motivation isn’t part of your professional resolutions for 2011 you might consider that the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that U.S. companies lose $3 billion a year to the effects of negative attitudes and behaviors at work.  Creating a positive and productive workplace is incumbent on everyone, employees and management alike, but should be a special focus for HR managers.

1) Ensure that management develops and shares goals with the employees.
 The goals should be (SMART) specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.   Make sure that each employee understands what their contribution is to the goals.  Create short term (next 90 days), mid range (this year) and long term (where will the company be in three years).

2) Clarify roles and job descriptions.
 Make sure that each employee has an accurate job description, understands their role in the company and how they contribute to the overall success of the organization.

3) Develop or expand an employee volunteer program.
Gather a group of employees and think of ways your company can “give back to the community.” Consider offering paid time off to volunteer- even a half day sends a message that the business cares about the community.   Volunteering together is a great team building event.

4) Update the compensation strategy.
Conduct a review of all compensation plans (since many pay raises happen in the first month of the year this is a great time to resolve any inequity discovered in the review). Map the plans against prevailing wages in the industry and in the community. Consider paying above market in total compensation but maybe with a lower base wages and increased performance incentives. Your goal is to use compensation to encourage the performance and behaviors that will achieve the organization’s goals.

5 Establish individual training programs for each employee. Make sure that each employee has the opportunity to take at least one class, webinar, seminar or other training activity that relates to their individual professional development outside of skills training or mandated compliance training.  When funds are tight I’ve had success with creating “book clubs” where a department or group of employees read a book on a business topic that is of mutual interest and discuss over the course of several weeks.  The key is personal interaction with the manager or subject matter expert leading the discussion.  Here are some books to consider: Drive by Daniel Pink,    Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh, and  The Time Paradox: The New Psychology of Time by Philip Zimbardo and John Boyd

Join the conversation: What are your professional New Year’s resolutions?

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How Much is Employee “Slacking” Costing Your Company?

Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

The December issue of HR Magazine published by the Society for Human Resource Management is full of information about employee slackers, can they be saved and how much “slacking” costs your company.    Several things really stood out as I read through the various articles:
1) Employee time waste is apparently a given- one survey by Salary.com estimates that the typical worker wastes about 2 hours a day- and the cost is a staggering $759 billion a year nationwide!    Those two hours a day of wasted time sound about right to me-  after years of  creating project plans I estimate that an employee has about 32 productive hours in any given week.

2) While there are employees who are just plain lazy the majority of employees are slacking off because they don’t feel engaged, they don’t think what they do matters, the rewards offered doesn’t match their “intrinsic” motivations or they have become demoralized because “co-workers slack off without consequences”.   These are all areas that good HR practices can address and improve on.

3)  High productivity is not about having people work long hours or rewarding employees for having enough natural talent to do enough to look good when they know they could do better.  A highly productive worker is a person working at their peak performance, feeling like a contributor and being rewarded for behaviors that convey “passion and dedication rather than simply natural talent”.  (Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck  (Balantine Books, 2007) Dr. Dweck, a professor at  Stanford University and expert on motivation,  believes that because the tendency is to reward natural talent rather than hard work in this country we have trained an entire generation to give up when the going gets tough.  Her research also shows that companies that reward smarts and natural talent more than commitment create a culture of “slackerism”.  As employers we want to hire smart people but we also want those smart people to work hard.

So wondering how much employee slacking is costing your company? Take the total number of employees in your company x 2 hours x average hourly rate= a rough estimate of cost of employee slacking off.    Is that number enough of a motivation to make  2011  the year you get going on those HR programs and best practice and start reducing this huge waste of your most important asset- your employees?

To learn more about improving motivation – both yours and your employees go to http://mindsetonline.com/index.html.  I highly recommend Dr. Dweck’s book.

To learn more about hiring and retaining the best employees download the free KPA webinar “How to Hire the Right Employees” at http://www.kpaonline.com/news-and-events/webinars/recorded-webinars.html

References: HR Magazine, December 2010, “Taking Up The Slack” by Adrienne Fox and “Slacker Management” by Ben Leichtling

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Prevent Employee Fraud With Pro-active Approach

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

What you don’t know about employee fraud is hurting your business.  Consider the Honda dealership in Ohio that lost between $500,000 and $1 million over the course of four years due to theft by a long term employee or the two dealerships in Lousiana that both hired the same controller- she stole over $100,00 from each of them.   While trust is a crucial element in the employment relationship it would be wise to put in place other measures to ensure that employees are not defrauding the company.  The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) reports in the 2010 Global Fraud Study that the median loss caused by occupational fraud was $160,000, with nearly one-quarter of the frauds involving losses of at least $1 million.  The criminal activities lasted an average of 18 months before even being detected.  The study also found that businesses with fewer than 100 employees suffered the greatest percentage of employee theft of all the companies studied.  Smaller employers are excellent targets for employee fraud because they tend to place a greater value on “personal relationships” and have less anti-theft controls in places.

Employees commit fraud because they can, because they can justify the fraud or theft and when they have the means to commit the fraud.  Strong internal controls and good accounting practices along with a positive workplace culture will go a long way to reducing fraud.

Simple steps that HR can implement to reduce or eliminate employee fraud include:

  • Establish and enforce policies on employee ethics, fraud prevention (internal controls) and compliance with state and federal laws regarding Red Flags, Customer Information Security and 8300 Cash Handling
  • Perform background checks including reference checks and county criminal history checks before you hire and again when you offer a promotion or change of duties
  • Provide training on fraud prevention to all managers and employees
  • Establish a “hotline” or other method for employees to report fraud
  • Create a positive workplace culture-treat employees fairly in regards to promotion and discipline
  • Prosecute when you discover employee fraud – don’t just terminate the employee and allow the problem to continue at the next employer

Consider hiring a forensic accounting firm and have them perform the following activities at least on an annual basis:

  • Preparing bank account reconciliation on a surprise basis
  • Reviewing cancelled checks
  • Performing physical inventories
  • Analyzing parts inventory activity

Additional information and excellent resources on workplace fraud prevention can be found at www.acfe.com.

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Listening to Employee Pays Big Dividends- $6,224 per suggestion!

Monday, November 8th, 2010

Are you failing to leverage the knowledge of your employees to improve and grow your business? In a study by management researchers Kathleen Ryan and Daniel Oestreich, 70%  of people said they hesitated to speak up about problems at work or suggest possible improvements to their firms because they feared repercussions.  The average implemented employee suggestions saves a company $6,224 in operational expenses according to the Employee Involvement Association. So if  you don’t have 100% participation for employees offering suggestions you are missing out on a very real opportunity to improve your bottom line.

Step back and take a look at how employee suggestions are received at your company- is management feedback positive or negative? Do you encourage new ideas and reward innovation?  Are all decisions made at an executive or manager level or do you actively solicit employees impute into process design, work place policies and reward systems?

Having a suggestion box or providing the ability to use the company intranet to log a suggestion is only the first step.  The companies that are taking full advantage of the power of employee suggestions also:

1) Provide timely responses. A committee reviews suggestions within a week of receipt and provides immediate feedback.  Nothing stifles employee suggestions better than having them go into the “black hole” of committee never to see the light of day again.

2) Have executive support for the program with a member from the highest level of management sitting on the committee to review suggestions.

3) Require employees to complete a simple form that outlines the reason for the suggestion, what is the desired outcome, any cost savings or operational improvements and how success will be measure.

4) Provide encouraging feedback in private and in-person for suggestions not implemented.  The employee took a risk in putting the suggestion out there so they deserve 10 minutes of personal attention.

5) Appropriate rewards for implemented suggestions.  Public recognition is always nice but a bonus tied to a percentage of the cost savings or another form of compensation tends to increase employees willingness to offer suggestions.

6) Track and report on how effective employee suggestions are to the business.

Employee engagement is critical to the success of your business- and effective suggestion programs are a good first step in improving employee engagements.

To leverage the full power of your employees and create a climate of trust in your workplace read Driving Fear Out of the Workplace, winner of numerous awards including SHRM Book of the Year or check out “Improving Employee Engagement Will Improve Your Bottom Line” in KPA’s November Newsletter.

Getting Started Resources:

Free software at  http://ideascale.com/employee-suggestion-box.html

The traditional black box at http://www.staples.com/Safco-Steel-Suggestion-Box-Black/product_648146

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