Formally evaluate employee performance and development

January 18, 2012 Leave a Comment

Some employers simply do not believe in conducting performance reviews.  It's understandable.  Oftentimes the process is not only grueling, it is a waste of time for both the employee and the manager.  When it comes time to defend employment decisions or discrimination complaints however, these employers often regret their failure to formally document performance (both good and bad) on at least an annual basis.  That's only part of the reason for doing them.  Employee reviews can and should … Read More...

Are you avoiding or inconsistently dealing with any employee performance, behavior and conduct issues?

January 16, 2012 Leave a Comment

This entry is part 8 of 9 in the series 10.5 COMMON EMPLOYMENT-RELATED MISTAKES - And how to avoid them

It is fairly common for supervisors to avoid discussions and not documenting unacceptable employee behavior and performance.  These same employees may also have very positive performance reviews in their files. Three of the most important words in employment law are “document, document, and document.”  If you ever doubt this, talk to someone who has been [...]

Educate your employees on sexual and other forms of workplace harassment and discrimination

January 14, 2012 Leave a Comment

This entry is part 7 of 9 in the series 10.5 COMMON EMPLOYMENT-RELATED MISTAKES - And how to avoid them

Make “zero-tolerance for harassment and discrimination” a business priority. Your written policy should be clear, fair, enforced, and distributed to all employees.  Train your employees how to follow it and report incidents, and your supervisors on how to respond to reported incidents and enforce it. Having sound policies and procedures in place for employees to [...]

Are you consistently documenting work practices?

January 13, 2012 Leave a Comment

This entry is part 6 of 9 in the series 10.5 COMMON EMPLOYMENT-RELATED MISTAKES - And how to avoid them

Federal and State laws are very specific about certain documentation and recordkeeping requirements and the length of time you need to maintain certain records. Beyond the mandated requirements, a good rule of thumb is:  if an act or activity impacts the employment relationship (which includes any changes in wages, hours, the job – including performance [...]