EffortlessHR Blog » Employee Policies

Back To School – Already?!

Lola Kakes — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 21:20:51 +0000

When you think of the phrase, “back to school” it can bring up several images – it could bring up memories of when you were a youngster, enjoying the summer and all of a sudden faced with the reality that school would be starting up again very shortly.

It could also bring up the parent’s checklist of making sure all the required shots and immunizations are in place, enrollment forms completed, paper and pencils purchased, new shoes bought, etc.

As a business owner it could mean one of two things and that is what I am going to go over. What are those two things?

Back to school could mean looking at your current programs to see if you have policies in place for your employees regarding day care, dependent medical coverage, time off requirements, and communication between employees and their supervisor.
The second issue of back to school could be looking at your current tuition policy and how supporting your current employees in furthering their education by going back to school can enhance your business and help retain some key people.

So, let’s look at these two issues.

The first one is probably the issue most employers need to concentrate on to start. The work/life balance is very important to the family worker who needs and wants the job, but also wants to make sure their children are in school. If you can make sure you have good clearly stated policies and programs, your employee will be more relaxed and productive at work. If they feel they have to hide what they are doing from you, they will not be as productive and your business may suffer.

This might be a good time to do an audit of your “back to school” policies and programs. Do you know what types of programs your employees need? Have you talked to your insurance broker to find out what types of insurance in available for a family and how to keep the cost down? Do your policies reflect what you what them to regarding flex time or school visitation? Some states have specific regulations that allow parents time off to attend school functions. Does your state have such a rule? Do you communicate openly with your employees to let them know you care and are flexible enough to work with them on this issue?

The second part of the issue is providing your own “back to school” for your employees. It could be as simple as adding some specific training that managers might have asked for but you haven’t implemented. Many employees want to increase their effectiveness on the job by taking classes. Maybe you can talk to your local community college and see if you can develop a program that will offer your employees the education they are looking for at a reasonable price. It may or may not be feasible but you won’t know until you ask.

Putting together a reimbursement policy will help define what you will offer and what the employee must do to participate. You might start with required training classes or supervision classes and see what the response might be. There are some great on-line courses and training programs. The bottom line is, if your employees know you care enough to help them go back to school, they will probably stay with you for a long, long time.

Therefore, brush off the heat of the summer and get ready for the new school year. The economy has been down, businesses have been slow, but you can turn up the pace by getting a jump start on going back to school.

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Understanding Employee Turnover

Lola Kakes — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:59:40 +0000

Many employers are facing turnover issues that they may not have had to deal with in the past. Some of the turnover is downsizing due to a tough economy. That type of turnover is not the common turnover that employers deal with consistently. It is usually a one time issue and hopefully will go away as the economy turns around.

The turnover I’m talking about is the “revolving door” of employees being hired, staying for a little while, and then leaving. This type of turnover can be symptomatic of a deeper, organizational problem. Some employers say, “So what. Turnover is inevitable and if the employee doesn’t want to stay, they should leave.” These employers don’t seem to understand how costly turnover is or care about the reasons for the turnover – which can also be costly.

Turnover affects your bottom line, whether you see it or not. Turnover is a silent but effective profit killer.

There are two areas of costs associated with turnover – Hard Costs and Soft Costs. Some of the hard costs that you can fairly easily identify are:

Wages of employee that is leaving
Cost of advertising
Cost of benefits of departing employee

But there are also other hard costs associated with the departing employee:

Employee’s supervisor/manager pay rate (they will most likely be covering for the departing employee)
Administrative staff pay (they are spending time filling out paperwork, answering questions, completing the termination process)
Coworker’s pay rate (they may be called on to work overtime to cover the departing employee or temporary workers may be contracted to cover the work)
Interviewing (takes a lot of time to conduct a series of interviews and you need to pay the interviewer – no matter what staff member(s) are conducting the interview)
Reference checking (either you do your own reference checking and pay your staff a wage or outsource and pay the outsourced company – there are fees involved)
Drug testing (if applicable there are fees for drug testing)
Orientation and on the job training (someone conducts the orientation, prints manuals and forms, answers questions, trains the new employee)

These are examples of hard costs associated with turnover. There are also soft costs, which may be more difficult to quantify but need to be addressed, including:

Loss productivity of employee (usually the exiting employee performs at 50-75% of norm)
Loss productivity of coworkers (time spent gossiping or taking on additional work load which may upset them)
Loss productivity of supervisor/manager (having to spend time dealing with employees and answering questions)
Productivity lost if position remains vacant (may increase overtime, temporary services, time spent filling in, supervisor/manager time spent on scheduling issues)
Lost productivity during training (new employee requires support and direction, existing employees may be distracted, supervisor/manager spends time with new employee)

If you look at the true cost of turnover, you may be surprised at just how costly it is to your bottom line. If you haven’t hired smart and there is not a good match between the company and the employee, you will eventually be a statistic – a company with high turnover. The old adage really is true – employees don’t leave companies, they leave managers. Look at why the turnover is happening and hopefully you will be able to put a stop to the Hard and Soft costs of turnover.

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Understanding Employee Turnover

Moonlighting

Cathy Baniewicz — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:21:25 +0000

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 7 million – 5.3% of the labor force held more than one job. People work at multiple jobs for a variety of reasons. In today’s economy, people are often compelled to work two jobs just to make ends meet. Others may “moonlight” to gain skills in another profession.

What guidelines can employers set regarding employees working at other jobs?

Employment lawyers and consultants disagree on whether a specific policy addressing moonlighting is needed. Those not advocating a policy believe that job performance and conflict of interest policies cover the bases. Others say that a distinct moonlighting policy clarifies what the employer expects in this regard.

If you choose not to have a separate moonlighting policy, be certain that you address other employment in your conflict of interest, confidentiality or non-compete policies.

If the employee who is moonlighting is frequently absent, late for work, or generally doing sub-standard work, address this as a performance problem.

Banning outside employment totally could cause morale problems. It could also limit your talen pool when you are recruiting.

Important Note! The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) says nothing about what employees may or may not do while on FMLA Leave. if you don’t want employees moonlighting while on FMLA, be sure to include this in your leave policy.

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Moonlighting

Employee Handbooks – Yes or No

Aaron Queen — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:08:39 +0000

Over the years, as I consulted with small businesses, I was often asked if an employee handbook was necessary. The questions usually amounted to:

- the cost of having an employee handbook written,

- the number of employees (I only have one employee),

- the idea that having written policies would cause more problems than not having written policies, and

- I tell the employee everything they need to know and if they have a question they can come and ask me.

Handbooks are not required as a regulation or law. However, some laws and regulations require posting in the place of business – for example Minimum Wage. The way handbooks are written could be a deterrent, i.e. if it is too legal no one will read it or care to read it and it then is a waste of time. If it is too simple, it gives the impression of “fluff” and is not taken seriously and is then a waste of time.

I tell clients that Handbooks are a guide for both the company and the employees. It helps define the way the organization does business and how they treat one another. It gives the employee a sense of fairness and consistency because it says that everyone is treated the same way. It tells the court (if there is litigation) that policies are in place and they are followed.

Does it matter how big or how small the company is? If you only have one employee, you probably don’t need a full blown handbook. That being said, however, as you start growing your business and you hire your first employee, you start to develop policies – sometimes without even realizing it. So, having a simple handbook from the very beginning helps keep you focused and consistent.

For example, you have one employee and that employee seems to always have a question. “What are our holidays?” “When do I get paid?” “Do I get vacation or sick time?” “Do I have to wear a uniform or can I wear jeans?” “Mr. Smith made a pass at me, what should I do?”

These questions may not come all at the same time but over a period of time. Your answer becomes the policy of the company and as you add more employees, you need to give them the same information you gave your first employee. Sometimes it is hard for me to remember what I did last week, much less having to remember what I told an employee three months ago. That is why a handbook is helpful.

Another reason is that employees are going to learn what is accepted and what is not within the company whether you have a handbook or not. You have to determine how you want them to learn about the company. Do they learn from a disgruntled employee, an irate customer, an easy going supervisor, or do they learn from the written policy that you have put in place?

Remember, however, if you have a policy you must follow it. Do not put policies in your handbook that you cannot or will not follow. You should review your handbook on a regular basis and you have the right and obligation to up-date the handbook to comply with state and federal laws and to address issues as they arise.

Finally, the cost is minimal compared to what a lawsuit might be. Handbooks help minimize the liability associated with having employees as it indicates consistent management styles, fairness to all employees, and compliance with the laws.

If you have a handbook, good for you! If you don’t, you might want to look at putting a simple handbook together.

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Employee Handbooks – Yes or No

EffortlessHR Introduces Online Employee Handbook Builder

Aaron Queen — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:29:51 +0000

EffortlessHR announces new software which allows a company to stay green by creating and storing HR policy manuals online. Many businesses are too small to have a human resource professional on staff to handle the important task of developing an employee handbook. Now they have access to an affordable online solution that allows them to develop a handbook quickly and efficiently by answering a few simple questions. Written by top human resource professionals and designed to protect against liability and lawsuits, EffortlessHR’s online software explains company policies and guidelines in understandable language. The manual incorporates state-specific laws and regulations which may be applicable to a company’s organizational size and needs.

Lola Kakes, CEO of EffortlessHR, says, “Employee handbooks help managers guide employee expectations, while assuring employees that the company will treat them fairly and objectively. Our employee handbook builder is a quick, simple solution for small businesses needing to develop and communicate policies.”

EffortlessHR.com provides small business employers affordable online access to professional HR tools. For more information about their Effortless Employee Handbook Software, go to http://www.effortlessemployeehandbook.com/ or call 520.546.3947

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What is the “State” of your Employee Handbook?

Cathy Baniewicz — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:58:49 +0000

With the New Year approaching and upcoming changes to laws regarding the Family Medical Leave Act, Military Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it’s timely to review your handbook to make certain that it is current.

Why an employee handbook?

Handbooks can be valuable communication and employee relations tools.
They help maintain consistency among supervisors to avoid misunderstandings about workplace policies.
Handbooks help orient new employees and let them know what is expected of them.
Written statements of policies can help reduce the need for employees to seek out union representation in the workplace.
Clear work rules help support your disciplinary procedures and avoid discrimination charges.

DO’s

Handbooks should be written in a clear, organized and non-technical style to avoid excessive questions and errors in interpretation.
Every employee should receive a copy of the company’s handbook.
When introducing a new handbook or major revisions, the company should have a representative go over the material personally with every employee.
Have the employee sign an acknowledgement of receipt of the handbook which includes the statements that the handbook does not constitute a contract of employment; is not all inclusive and is only a set of guidelines; and that changes can be made to the handbook and policies at any time.
Keep your handbook up to date and notify employees in writing of any changes in policies and procedures.

DONT’S

Use terminology that could imply that the handbook is an employment contract, such as “permanent” empoyees — use the term “regular”.
Make statements such as “You will have a job as long as you perform your duties”. This implies a long-term or indefinite commitment.
Use “cause” of “Just cause” as it relates to termination. You may have to prove that termination is not overly severe and the violation merits termination.
Use excessive “legalese” which may upset or confuse employees. The handbook should be written in a positive manner.

The above recommendations are not all-inclusive of what needs to be considered in preparing your employee handbook. Some employers have lost discrimination cases because of poorly written handbooks. On the other hand, if you have been trying to avoid having a written handbook and are relying on unwritten policies, you might have a problem proving what your policies are in the case of a discrimination case.

We at EffortlessHR believe that an effective employee handbook is a foundation upon which you can build your organization. To assist you in this effort, check out our new venture, Effortless Employee Handbook Builder

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Employee Handbook Essentials

Lola Kakes — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:31:40 +0000

As a Human Resource consultant, I have been asked, “How important is it to have an employee handbook/manual” And the add-on question is, “What goes into an employee handbook”

The first question can be pluses and minuses to a business owner – employment lawyers, consultants, and managers of organizations all disagree on the value of employee manuals. This disagreement comes from whether or not a manual is considered by the courts to be a contract for employment. Also, if not written correctly, the manual may inadvertently guarantee job security.

However, on the plus side, a handbook or manual can help increase morale. This is because when your employment practices are in writing, your employees feel they are being handled consistently and fairly. A well-written manual can save time because the employee know they can get the information they need about benefits, policy, procedures, etc. without interrupting their manager. In addition, handbooks and manuals provide the company with documentation that they are in compliance with important laws and regulations, that if not actively placed in the manual might be ignored (due to not knowing about it) or might prove to be unenforceable as you had not informed your employees about it.

So, the essentials of what goes in your manual would be:

Compliance with all the applicable laws and regulations – both federal and state and in some instances local.
Although it may be helpful to review other handbooks for ideas and layout, you need to customize the manual to your company and include the policies that are part of your organization. Someone Else’s handbook may not be appropriate to your organization.
Only include policies in your handbook that you can support and follow. It will do you more harm if you put a policy in place and don’t follow it.
It is okay to have disclaimers. Content for disclaims vary due to state regulations, so check those state requirements before adding a disclaimer.
Make sure the disclaimer you use is clear and placed to be noticed.
Where appropriate, leave room for your managers and supervisors to handle violations of policies. Be able to allow them flexibility based on their judgment and experience.
Always require a signed acknowledgement that the employee has reviewed and received the manual. This signed document should be placed in their personnel file with a copy to the employee for their records.
Date any revisions and have the employee place them in their manual with a new acknowledgement signed and filed.

Remember, an out of date handbook is not only useless but may also create a risk to your company. Stay current on laws and regulations and keep your manual up to date.

An example of a not-so-great but funny employee handbook can be found over at the Punk Rock HR Blog

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EffortlessHR Blog » Employee Policies

Back To School – Already?!

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Understanding Employee Turnover

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Moonlighting

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Employee Handbooks – Yes or No

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