![]() Author: Bill Vogel, PHR Date: 8/26/2018 VirtualHRPros.com What does it mean to trust someone? Trust is connected to something of mutual value between two or more people. Trust allows us to depend on someone else to deliver on an important promise or expectation. When someone we trust fails to keep their end of an agreement when it is owed, trust is violated and difficult to earn or reacquire. Of course we can’t guarantee every promise because of unforeseen circumstances, but trust can still prevail by applying four trust related qualities. As a manager, you have to trust that your direct reports will perform their duties as agreed and expected. Conversely, employees accept the duties and expectations of their job trusting that managers will deliver on compensation and other promises. However, employment relationships go far beyond these basic trust foundations. Most of us continually judge whether a person can be trusted, especially in new situations such as team projects and providing support. To pass the judgement test, practice these four qualities of trust:
Honesty – Be consistent with what you say to each person overtime on any particular topic. For example, you might openly support working from home believing it improves productivity, but you later discover contradictory research that changes your prospective. Therefore, make sure you communicate ideological changes and back up it with supported reasoning. Competency– Don’t try to wing-it, even if winging-it has been successful for you in the past. People will see right through this tactic, especially when it fails. If you’re given a project or need to implement a new way of doing something, be honest about your skills and ask for time to get up to speed. Dependability– Under promise and over deliver sounds easy, but is it really? Too often we impulsively make promises without thinking. This is because we want to please and impress someone, especially when it involves a valued interest or outcome that ends with high recognition. Make sure you first understand a commitment and the necessary time and resources needed to be successful. Consideration – When communicating as a leader, or member of a project team, be considerate of others. Failing to provide full attention, interrupting others, being judgmental, and overly critical or ignore what interests and ideas your employees contribute are trust killers. Without trust, communication and productivity suffers. For example, we might be hesitant to answer the phone when caller-ID reveals a person with a history of trust issues; we might let the call go to voicemail so we can be prepared before having a conversation with this person. However, the caller knows you received a call from them without leaving a message. People with trust concerns might be last in line to get responses to emails, text messages or voicemails. This is not out of spite, but rather fear of having another difficult encounter with someone you do not trust. Whatever the reason, having the difficult conversation not only rebuilds trust but helps you improves you as a leader. Using the four qualities of trust you will be first in line when called upon for support and you will reduce unintended or perceived trust issues. The four qualities of trust will ultimately lead to improved relationships and increased productivity. As always, get help from a qualified HR Professional if you think your business is at risk, or needs help developing policies, procedures, and training courses that help with workplace compliance requirements.
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![]() Article By: Bill Vogel, PHR VirtualHRPros.com During my 20 years as a human resources professional I received hundreds of complaints from employees claiming they had been harassed by a coworker or manager. In most cases the complaints came from poor performing employees recently placed on a performance improvement plan or had received one or more written warnings. Poor performing employees with skeptical harassment claims may use this strategy to delay a pending termination or planning a retaliation lawsuit. Nonetheless, all reports of sexual harassment, and any other types of harassing behaviors such as bullying, requires thorough investigation. I recall a particular occurrence involving a female employee who reported that her manager sexually harassed her several times over a recent two week period. The employee submitted her complaints both verbally and in emails. She said the incidents took place after hours while in her manager’s office where he attempted to hug and kiss her. There were never any witnesses and the manager denied each claim submitted by this employee. Prior to the complaints the manager issued a written warning to the employee for poor performance. As a temporary solution, the employee was assigned to a different manager. The accused manager had been employed at the company for many years, was a trusted leader, married, and never had any similar complaints against him in the past. However, the complaints kept coming week after week, which now included added allegations of shoulder massages, elevator eyes, sexual epithets, and multiple dating requests. Each claim was investigated with the same results, which were emphatic denials by the manager of any misconduct, and the lack of witnesses or corroborating information. So, what can HR do when a poor performing employee submits multiple, but unsubstantiated claims of harassment, against a manager? The painstaking steps taken were as follows:
I encountered the manager a few months after his termination at an unemployment appeals hearing where he again denied the sexual harassment behaviors. However, the appeals board ruled against the manager stating in part that the employer (Human Resources) took appropriate steps in response to claims of misconduct. The accused manager did not take any further legal action after this hearing. I will never know the actual truth of what happened, but I do know that by taking the steps listed above, HR professionals can significantly mitigate liability against the companies they represent. I was fortunate to work for executives that supported these steps and provided Human Resources the freedom to investigate and take immediate and appropriate action. The female accuser was eventually terminated for her continued poor performance; she did not file a retaliation lawsuit following her separation from employment. The EEOC provides employers with a useful tool for implementing a harassment reporting system and investigations. As always, get help from a qualified HR Professional if you think the business is at risk, or needs help developing policies, procedures, and training courses for help with workplace compliance requirements. By: Bill Vogel, PHR
Date: September 15, 2018 www.VirtualHRPros.com Businesses in the US with 50 or more workers must provide employees with a leave of absence for medically related reasons under the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). FMLA also gives employees job protection for other reasons such as time off to care for a sick family member and during military deployment of a spouse, son, daughter or parent. In addition, businesses with 15 or more workers must consider providing employees with a medical leave of absences under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). FMLA and ADA are federal regulations and both have very different and extensive requirement with severe consequences if not properly administered. Also keep in mind that many states have similar leave laws in addition to FMLA and ADA. Supervisors and managers need to know what to say, what not to say, and what actions to take when an employee communicates a circumstance, such as personal health or family medical concerns that will require time off from work. After an employee requests or informs a manager of impending absences due to circumstances such personal or family related medical issues:
Get help from an HR Professional or attorney specializing in ADA and FMLA to determine if an employee’s need for a medical leave of absence is not protected. Managers may also need help dealing with employees during an employee’s leave of absences and reducing leave abuse. Questions a manager might have about an employee’s leave of absence that require HR’s help are:
Navigating all the federal and state employee leave laws can be a huge undertaking. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) releases information on hundreds of successful disability discrimination lawsuits filed against businesses for failing to administer protected leave. Managers are on the front-line of protecting businesses against these costly and embarrassing lawsuits. This blog only introduces managers to the complicated world of dealing with employee leave compliance. As always, get help from a qualified HR professional or attorney if you think your business is at risk, or help is needed developing policies, procedures, and training courses to assist with workplace compliance requirements. Notable Links for Quick Reference: Family Medical Leave Act Americans with Disabilities Act Equal Employment Opportunity Commission By: Bill Vogel, PHR
Date: 8/20/2018 VirtualHRPros.com If you have an employee handbook or considering a handbook for your employees, now is the time to audit and update workplace policies. Many state, federal, and municipal laws go into effect the beginning and middle of each year. There are many supported reasons for having an employee handbook, but most importantly a handbook informs and instructs employees on their expected behavior and responsibilities at work. Equally important, an employee handbook is a tool used by managers and supervisors to hold employees accountable. In this article, I will provide the primary steps and considerations for developing an employee handbook. This is no small task and in-depth knowledge of the company's rules and practices is needed to ensure that your employee handbook fits the culture and mission. For example, off-the-shelf or online cookie-cutter versions of employee handbooks from reputable sources may provide guidance, but review them carefully and ask yourself, “Does this make sense for our company?” In addition, all leaders from each department should participate in the review and development of the employee handbook. To begin the process of creating an employee handbook, use these section headers to create an outline:
Policy Inventory – The policy inventory step is a survey conducted with everyone in a leadership position to discover any rogue policies written and enforced, but not included in the existing employee handbook. Rogue policies should be considered as part of the new employee handbook or discarded if they contradict new requirements or employment related laws. Disclaimer – The disclaimer includes important messages such as an at-will employment confirmation, elimination of any policies or handbooks written prior to the new handbook, and the company has the right to change or eliminate policies at any time. This section should also contain the company’s Equal Employment Opportunity statement, a statement example is found on the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s website. History & Mission - Include a brief history of the company such as how and when the company got started and who are the founders. In addition, add the mission statement with a short welcome message from the president or owner with his or her signature. Conditions of employment– This is the fundamental part of the employee handbook and contains a long list of sub paragraphs containing policies and instructions such as: policies against harassment and discrimination and how to report such incidents, open door policy, fraternization, employment status, conflict of interest, confidentiality, promotions and job openings, attendance, types of legally protected leave of absences and how to apply for a leave, time off to vote, performance evaluation or biannual appraisals, dress code, asset protection rules, arbitration, and personnel file retention. Compensation & Benefits – This section of the handbook gives a summary of benefits such a medical, dental, vision, employee assistance programs, retirement plans, life insurance, short and long-term disability insurance, paid time off, paid sick time accrual. This section also informs employees on requirements for pay such as wages, tips, overtime approval, breaks and meal periods, definition of a pay week and the pay day, payroll deductions, garnishments, direct deposit, safe harbor policy for exempt employees, paid holidays, serving on a jury, and reporting pay errors. Health & Safety – The importance of health and safety cannot be overstated, but a few important topics for this section are: reporting an injury or accident, injury illness and prevention program, safety violation consequences, and the company’s commitment to safety. Standards of Conduct – This policy is the heart of any employee handbook and the first section managers and supervisors refer to when dealing with employee misconduct. Standards of conduct include a long list of do’s and don'ts such as theft, sleeping or loitering, gossiping, bullying, substance abuse, social media, use of the company’s internet and email, weapons, suitable seating, customer service, discipline, gambling, gifts, insubordination, clocking in and out and prohibiting off the clock work, visitors, pets, falsifying information or lack of integrity, and profane or abusive language. General Policies – These policies are specific to company practices and might include topics such as expense reimbursement, use of company vehicles, working from home, donning and doffing, petty cash, company credit card (P-Card), and speaking to news media representatives. After completing the outline, create a draft of the employee handbook and distribute it to leadership for their final review and agreement. Lastly, have an employment law attorney review the handbook to ensure that the content is lawful or add policies needed to help managers and employees comply with state, federal, and municipal employment statutes. An employee handbook provides little protection for the company unless it is widely distributed and acknowledged. Managers must ensure that all existing and newly hired employees receive and sign for their copy of the employee handbook. The signed acknowledgement is then placed in the employee's personnel file. As always, get help from a qualified HR Professional if you think your business is at risk, or needs help developing policies, procedures, and training courses for help with workplace improvement and compliance requirements. ![]() By: Bill Vogel, PHR Date: 8/13/2018 VirtualHRPros.com In a recent post I provided an outline that helps managers and supervisors draft write-ups when the need for disciplinary action is necessary. As a recap, the outline for these five paragraphs are: 1) Brief description of what happened. 2) Explanation provided by the employee and manager’s rebuttal. 3) Impact of the violation on the business. 4) The policy, procedure or rule violated. 5) Consequences for future violations (e.g. future disciplinary warnings up to and including termination from employment). Let’s review the two most challenging paragraphs needed for an effective defensible written warning:
Paragraph-2 (Explanation provided by the employee and manager’s rebuttal) ensures that the manager got the employee’s side of the story. This helps defend against claims of unfair treatment and employees escalating a complaint armed with information not uncovered by the manager. This step is sometimes referred to as due-process. The pitfall here is that this step also opens employees to counter complaints because employees may take the opportunity to submit claims such harassment. In this case, the write-up is not placed in the personnel file until the employee’s claim is investigated, but the employee is still asked to sign the write-up, or a witness signature is obtained, to verify that that the disciplinary meeting took place. Another challenging requirement is paragraph-4 (The policy, procedure or rule violated), which is necessary because this helps support the manager’s decision to disciple an employee. Managers usually have all the details of why they want to discipline or terminate an employee, but they must also ask themselves which policy the employee violated. On occasion, a written policy, procedure or rule may not exist for a certain workplace practice, this may mean an audit of the employee handbook is needed. However, a rule can be anything outside of the employee handbook that may have been overlooked but should be included in the write-up. For example, instructions written on a piece of machinery that the employee failed to follow is essentially a workplace rule. As always, get help from a qualified HR Professional if you think your business is at risk, or needs help developing policies, procedures, and training courses such as issuing coaching and corrective action, to assist with workplace compliance requirements. ![]() Article By: Bill Vogel, PHR Date: August 2, 2018 Virtual HR Pros There are few job duties more discouraging to managers and supervisors than preparing write-ups for underperforming or misconduct. Most common warnings are for poor attendance, failure to follow instructions, and performing below expectations. No matter how discouraging this may be, drafting and issuing write-ups is a necessary skill for anyone in a leadership position. Most importantly documenting an employee’s problematic behavior and poor performance helps provide a layer of protection if the employee refuses to make the necessary improvements and is ultimately terminated. Using this simple five paragraph outline, managers and supervisors can develop complete write-ups that help gather facts, organize details, and create a disciplinary document that is concise but detailed:
Although five paragraphs may seem like a lot, each paragraph should not be more than three sentences long. In addition, carefully crafted write-ups can help support the manager’s decision if a fired employee challenges a termination. This is the first step, the next step is delivering the write-up to the employee, which requires needed preparation. Preparation such as what to do if the employee refuses to sign, having a witness present, and protecting against an employee’s claim of retaliation or harassment. We will discuss this preparation in a later post. As always, get help from a qualified HR Professional if you think your business is at risk, or needs help developing policies, procedures, and training courses to assist with workplace compliance requirements. ![]() By: Bill Vogel, PHR Date: 7/30/2018 VirturalHRPros.com Leaders that understand and manage their emotions have a higher degree of success than relying only on experience. Science journalist, Daniel Goleman author of the book, Emotional Intelligence, explains that a high Emotional Quotient (EQ) is a better indicator of success than having a high IQ. Emotional intelligence has several learned components, but the most important piece for leaders is learning to control emotions. It happens to the best and most proficient managers in the working world, something triggers a regrettable outburst that could have been prevented. Here a few EQ self-perceptions steps that can help avert these awkward situations:
Solicit Feedback – Soliciting feedback from direct reports can be difficult, but friends and collogues can also offer valuable information about emotions not easily self-recognized. Ask questions such as: What can I do better as a leader? What do you think triggers an emotional response from me? What is the one thing I could easily change to be more approachable? The responses may or may not surprise you, but this exercise will provide better insight on how your responses effect other people, and what you can do to improve. Identify Triggers – Physical responses to difficult situations such as stress may increase your heart rate, cause you to perspire, or produce warmth over your face. Be aware of these physical warnings because they signal an emotional trigger and a precursor to what will likely be an unfortunate response. If you are not consciously aware of what others do or say that push your buttons, know when to pause and think about what you want to say before you say it out loud. As the saying goes, the spoken word can never be taken back. Practice Reflection – At the end of each day try to reflect on all the events that took place while at work and ask yourself: What could I have done better? No doubt one or two events will stand out from the rest, these are the moments to write about in a journal. Overtime, you will have produced a roadmap for understanding and managing your emotions, which eventually become a habit that leads to your overall success no matter the goal. For some people thinking rationally comes naturally, but everyone has a limit that can be pushed to its breaking point. Leaders cannot afford an impolite or unprofessional response brought about by an emotionally charged situation. Managers and supervisors need to practice communication that produces unifying and productive relationships with even the most emotionally charged employees. In their book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, Travis Bradbury and Jean Graves provide explanations and guidance on how to prevent emotional high jacking. Bradbury and Graves prove that people with high EQ tend to be more successful, make more money, and have longer job tenure. As always, get help from a qualified HR Professional if you think your business is at risk, or needs help developing policies, procedures, and training courses for help with workplace improvement and compliance requirements. ![]() Bill Vogel, PHR Post Date: 7/21/2018 VirtualHRPros.com Calculating overtime for hourly (nonexempt) paid employees seems straight forward. If an hourly employee works more than 40-hours in a workweek, employers must pay the employee at a rate that is time and one half their regular rate of pay. Unless you’re a California employer, where employers must pay overtime for all time worked over 8-hours in a day. The federal Wage and Hour Division provides guidance to employers for calculating overtime on their website. Whichever state you are in, calculating overtime can get complicated. Here are some steps you can take towards decoding and then properly calculating overtime pay:
First, every minute worked should be counted when calculating wages earned by an employee. Employers and employee should avoid rounding as this can create some legal struggles. Rounding can become a concern when employees are completing a time card by hand or entering start and stop times electronically. The best method for accurately capturing time worked is by having employees punch a clock. Today’s technology provides inexpensive and accurate methods for clocking in and out for both onsite and field employee. Second, overtime is calculated using actual time worked. A common mistake is adding paid vacation or paid sick time to the overtime calculation. Employees may also attempt to argue that overtime was missing from their paycheck after a workweek that included a paid holiday. Vacation, sick time, and holiday pay is not time the employee worked, but a benefit which is not used to calculate overtime. Third, a seventh consecutive day worked will require all hours paid at time and one half for the first 8-hours worked and double time for all hours worked after 8-hours. California employers need to keep in mind that recent court cases ruled that employees are guaranteed a day of rest each work week. This means employees must agree, and not be made to forgo, a seventh day of rest within the employer’s defined workweek. Therefore, if an employee refuses to work a seventh day in a work week, they are no exempt from disciplinary action. Finally, here’s a short example; Bill is employed in the state of Nevada. Bill worked Monday through Wednesday for eight hours each day. Bill did not work on Thursday, which is a paid holiday provided as a benefit by the employer’s compensation policy. On Friday, Bill works ten hours, but does not work on Saturday and Sunday. Bill’s rate of pay is twenty dollars per hour and his employer defines the work week as Monday through Sunday. How much did Bill earn before deductions (gross pay)? The answer is $840 (42 hours x $20) for the week. If Bill worked in California, his gross pay is $880 for the week (42 hours x 20 + $10 x 2 hours of overtime). As always, get help from a qualified HR Professional if you think your business is at risk, or needs help developing policies, procedures, and training courses for help with workplace improvement and compliance requirements. By: Bill Vogel, PHR
Date: July 16, 2018 VirtualHRPros.com Imagine you are having the best day at work in a very long time, but as the day comes to an end one of your employees complains about another employee touching her. The employee says that whenever she walks by a coworker, he intentionally brushes up against her. She also says that the employee constantly asks her to go out with him on a date. The employee tells you not to do anything because she can handle it, but thought you should know. You’re in the clear right? Wrong, very wrong. This employee may have genuine intentions wanting to handle the situation herself, or she may be planning a very long and difficult harassment complaint with serious complications, if the matter is not investigated immediately. A thorough investigation of all complaints protects the company and the manager by limiting liability, but most of all it’s the right thing to do. This is true for any employee complaint, whether it’s harassment or a something seemingly insignificant such as employee personality conflicts in the workplace. Here are some simple steps a manager or supervisor can take after receiving a complaint:
Actively Listen - Take time to meet and interview any employee that has a complaint, no matter the significance of the issue. I have found that the best way to exhibit active listening is to hear the whole complaint without interruption or judgment. When the employee has finished, summarize the complaint with the employee while taking notes only during the summary. This is also when you ask for the names of any witnesses. Document Don’t Record – Start the interview with this simple question, “What happened?” I found that clear and legible handwritten notes that include dates, times, and names is the best way to document employee complaints. I used to take notes and then retype them to ensure correct grammar and spelling, but mostly because my handwriting was horrible. My life got a little easier after I stopped retyping my notes and improving my handwriting skills. If electronic documents are needed, I simply scan my notes and save them to my computer. Some states require two party consent before recording a conversation, which means the employee must give permission to be recorded. Recording an employee leads to lability complications and can erode trust between the manager and employee. Recorded interviews are not a good idea. At the end of the meeting give the employee a pencil and paper and request a written statement so that their reported concern is factually received. If the employee declines, simply say that your notes will include that a written statement was refused and give them another opportunity, but don’t force the issue. Witnesses First Accused Last – Avoid talking to an employee that is the subject of the complaint (the accused) before speaking to witnesses. This will help to maintain the manager’s credibility and eliminate possible accusations of collusion between the manager and the accused. When interviewing witnesses and the accused use the same Active Listening instructions above. Employees submitting a complaint may want to be anonymous to witnesses. If this is the case, you can ask witnesses broader question such as, “Have you ever witnessed Bob violate the company’s harassment policy.” Also get a written statement from witnesses. Policy Review – After interviewing the employee, witnesses, and the accused review all the information and compare it to your policies and procedures. If you have uncovered a policy or procedure violation, consider taking disciplinary action up to and including termination. If you did not find a violation, or the matter is a he-said-she-said situation, inform the employee that you did not confirm any violations and provide a response and resolution to close the investigation. Response and Resolution – First, consider the possible outcomes, for example: 1) a confirmed or admitted policy or procedure violation, 2) a he-said-she-said incident with no witness corroboration, or 3) a no policy or procedure violation was found. The outcome determines the response and resolution you will provide to the employees. For example, for outcome number one, provide the following simple statement to the complainant, “I have completed my investigation and determined that the employee’s conduct was outside of policy (or procedure) guidelines. As a result we have taken appropriate steps in response to the incident you reported. The investigation is now closed” The response is similar for outcome number two with some applicable revisions. For example, the response is as follows: “I have completed my investigation and could not confirm that the employee behaved in a way that violated policy (or procedure) guidelines. As a result we have reminded the employee of our policies (or procedures) and that continued complaints could result in disciplinary action up to and including termination (unless the employee was fired). The investigation is now closed” The response for outcome number three is also similar, but with appropriate changes. For example, “I have completed my investigation and determined that the employee’s conduct was not outside of policy (or procedure) guidelines. Having conducted this investigation, we have taken appropriate steps in response to the incident you reported and the investigation is closed.” Lastly, along with delivering a Response and Resolution, also provide each employee, including witnesses, policies against retaliation for submitting a complaint or participating in an investigation. As always, get help from a qualified HR Professional if you think your business is at risk, or needs help developing policies, procedures, and training courses for help with workplace investigation. ![]() By: Bill Vogel, PHR Date: June 9, 2018 VirtualHRPros.com Under most circumstances, a shoot-from-the-hip or knee-jerk firing is not the best method when terminating a problem employee that has tested your last nerve. These are commonly referred to as involuntary terminations when it was the employer's decision to separate the employee from the company, as opposed to a resignation or even a mutual separation. Hopefully you have gathered the necessary paper trail, such as writes-ups and documented warnings that a problem employee earned over a period of time. If you have, congratulate yourself, take a deep breath and confidently get ready for the next step in this unfortunate, but sometimes necessary process of firing employees. Proper planning prevents problems. Like any good plan, having a checklist is a good start towards proper planning. A termination checklist, before meeting with an exiting employee, helps prepare you for this unnerving task and reduces future problems after the employee leaves the building. A termination checklist includes the following four major areas:
The validity of the termination starts with your internal policies: 1) did the employee violate a policy procedure or rule? 2) Are there documented repeated violations? 3) Is this a serious violation such as a purposely disregarded safety policy that rises to the level of a first-time offense termination? Yes, to any of these questions could imply that the termination is valid. however, a valid termination also limits the possibility for discrimination or retaliation claims. For example, 1) Has the employee just returned from a leave of absence? 2) Has the employee recently submitted a Worker’s Compensation claim? 3) Has the employee complained about any mistreatment by the supervisor or manager that has not been resolved? Yes, to any of these checklist question may require another step, such as a last chance agreement. Documenting the termination is straightforward. At this point you have all the previous write-ups or evidence that supports a serious policy violation or a first-time offense termination. You also interviewed the employee prior to your termination decision to get the employee’s side of the story; getting fired should not be a surprise. Other documents include the final check. A few states require that you have the exiting employee’s check in hand, but barring any statutory reasons, a termination is much more final with the last check. lastly, have a termination notice ready for the employee to sign, this removes any questions about when and why the termination meeting to place. Conduct the termination in a private meeting room and have another manager present as a witness. Limit any small talk, but be clear and courteous, even if the employee is being difficult. Know what you are going to say when the meeting starts, for example, “As described in this termination notice, I am informing you that your employment with the company has been terminated as of today.” Answer commonly asked questions such as; Is my vacation time in my final pay? When will I receive COBRA? How will the company respond to preemployment reference inquiries? End the meeting on a graceful note by thanking the employee for any contributions while employed and wish him or her the best of luck in future endeavors. This last part might sound silly, but even the most difficult employees contributed in some way and ending on a positive note helps reduce future problems. Finally, the termination follow-up includes cleaning up a few loose ends. For example, collect all files such as the personal file and payroll file for storage over the next three or seven years. Verify that the COBRA notification has been sent to the employee if medical benefits were provided, along with any state required notices such as filing for unemployment. Indicate the employee's rehire eligibility in the paper or electronic personnel file. Make certain that the former employee's supervisor or manager does not respond to any job reference requests that include may have any actual or perceived defamatory information, but it's best to have all such inquiries go the HR. Companies may have an obligation to reveal certain information, such as unlawful behavior, to a former employee's potential employer. Not all termination meetings are as smooth as what is described above, but having a checklist slows things down a bit and helps mangers prepare and get through difficulties by sticking to a script. In my many years in Human Resources, nothing has prepared me for everything. Other considerations for termination may include an employee’s tendency for violence, emotionally distraught employees, and verbally abuse employees. For these types of employees have an alternate plan and checklist in place to ensure safety and always avoid responding to abusive employees in the same manner. As always, get help from a qualified HR Professional if you think your business is at risk, or help is needed developing policies, procedures, and training courses to assist with workplace compliance requirements. |