Are Layoffs on Your Mind? Here is Some Friendly Advice

At a time when jobless rates are soaring and layoffs are on everyone’s mind there is a right way and a wrong way to do the ugly deed. Today’s business owner may be facing a situation where expenses are growing quicker than their profitability and revenue is declining. This volatile situation forces many to at least consider layoffs.

If you have not decided who is going to get fired then consider the following: What departments require cuts? Who can you live without? Who is vital to the organization? Also, look at the possibility of combining functions and roles. Here is a suggestion, do not combine reception with HR! Many companies may look at the fairness method of making cuts (i.e. seniority) This is wrong! Using the fair and balanced method will strangle the future of your company. Carefully evaluate those ewho have great relationships with your customers or who are strong producers in the respective departments, not just sales.

Okay, you have decided now how do you go and break the bad news? First and foremost, do it in person! There are many examples of companies using e-mail and other tech tools to do this and the results have been poor. It is a sensitive time and you need to show people respect. Give people to leave with dignity. I believe the way a company fires their staff shows how they really feel about their people.

Give a severance package. No, this is not the law, but isn’t it the right thing to do? It is acceptable to ask got a release to be signed when severance is offered, but at least offer. Again, do it in person and make the notification date the last day worked. The fact is allowing someone to work a few weeks after notification is counter productive and may increase tension and bitterness amongst your existing team.

Eliminate the perp walk!We all know what that is. When an employee leaves and the manager or security stands over their desk waiting on them to clean it out and then the fired team member is escorted out of the building, stop doing it now. Show your existing staff and the terminated person you still have trust and integrity. You trusted them while they worked there, trust them while they gather their belongings. Obviously, if there is a safety concern, then other steps may need to be taken to ensure the safety of everyone.

Lastly, be open and honest about what happens next. Communicate about benefits, COBRA and final pay. If a release is offered with severance explain to them the pros and cons of signing and what happens if they do not sign. Encourage them to speak to their attorney regarding a release.

Allowing people to leave with dignity and respect protects the team members who are left behind and prepares your company for the future when you may be hiring those same people back, or interacting with them as your next customer.

If you or someone you know may have questions regarding reducing your workforce, please drop us an e-mail at:

firstplacerightchoice@1stplacemployer.com

and a trusted advisor will answer your inquiry within 24 hours.

Employers continue to feel the squeeze from swollen health care costs. Are HSAs the new treatment?

The continuing rise in the costs for employer based health insurance is bringing new attention to Health Savings Accounts or HSAs


HSAs are increasingly in popularity due to a feature, in which dollars are allocated to employees, who can roll the accounts over every year and take them with them when they leave. I have a host of clients that uses HRAs, and a host of clients that uses HSAs,” Bradley said. “Some companies prefer HRAs because they are not as cumbersome to set up, and they retain the funds, rather than returning them to employees.” But others favor the HSA for the effect it has on employees. “It encourages them to become better consumers of health care, since they’re spending their own money,” Bradley said. For instance, “if the money is coming out of their own pocket, consumers might ask doctors if they really need all three tests, or if they really need 100 pills instead of 50,” said Lou Basso, president of The Alcott Group, a Farmingdale-based professional employer organization and provider of human resources services.

For more on this topic, click the link below

http://libn.com/blog/2008/11/21/employers-hurt-by-swollen-health-care-costs/


E-mail your questions concerning your personal health care crunch to a trusted advisor and we will respond within 24 hours firstplacerightchoice@1stplacemployer.com
Please visit us on the web @ http://www.1stplacEmployer.com

Striking a Balance with Employee Monitoring

Employee monitoring is controversial, but experts say litigation trumps privacy.

HOW MUCH SHOULD EMPLOYERS MONITOR THEIR EMPLOYEES' COMPUTER USE AND E-ACTIVITY?

Employee monitoring is a workplace hot potato, steeped in controversy, no matter the industry. In most places of business, it's pretty well known that the employee will have Internet access. The larger isssue is that because of new tools, there is a blurring of work and home time, and the lines between the activities blend.

Excessive monitoring or rigid rules can drive away productive employees, especially those generation X and Y, who expect some freedom in structuring their workdays. Although most employers have come to terms with this new reality, the issue is still confusing on both sides.

From the employer's perspectivefear of litigation trumps privacy, says Nancy Flynn, executive director of the ePolicy Institute (www.epolicyinstitute.com) and author of The epolicy Handbook.

In December 2006, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were amended, allowing electronically stored information to be subject to discovery in federal courts.

If your company becomes embroiled in a lawsuit, you can take it to the bank that all of your company's e-mail can be subpoenaed,

says Flynn.

E-mail creates the equivalent of DNA evidence sitting on their computer system.

U.S. employers have the right to monitor employees' computer activity under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which has been interpreted to purport that employees should not expect any privacy on employer-owned computers.

The courts have been consistent in siding with employers

says Flynn.

Assume Big Brother is reading over your shoulder. If the company provides a cell phone, there is a good chance your texting is being monitored, too.

According to a 2007 survey conducted by the American Management Association and the ePolicy Institute, 66 percent of employers monitor Internet connections and 65 percent use monitoring software to block inappropriate software, up 27 percent since 2001. Forty-three percent of companies monitor e-mail, and 45 percent track content and keystrokes.

Likewise, more and more companies are monitoring blogs, just like this one.They are worried about,

breaching company confidentiality rules, giving away trade secrets or secret recipes, uploading videos that would embarrass the company,

says Flynn.

We've seen thousands who have been fired for blogging on their personal time, for content on their personal and social networking sites and YouTube videos.

How do you strike a balance in your monitoring policy? Flynn recommends businesses apply the three E's of risk management:

• Establish a written policygoverning usage, contect and retention of business records. Spell out when employees can communicate with family, domestic helpers, physicians and schools, and what constitutes a reasonable amount of time for personal communication. Expect the policy to evolve with the workplace.
  
• Educate your workforce on e-mail and Internet risks, policies and procedures. The 2007 Electronic Monitoring and Surveillance Survey found that 58 percent of employers fired employees last year for inappropriate e-mail or Internet use, some of which were an intentional violation of policy, and some not.

  You can't expect your employees to cooperate unless they know about it,

  Flynn says.
  
• Enforce the policy with disciplinary action and technology tools, and detail the consequences. While zero tolerance may engender resentment among employees, warnings and escalating consequences will protect the firm and its employees.

If you or a member of your team has a question regarding employee monitoring, please e-mail us at firstplacerightchoice@1stplacemployer.com and a trusted advisor will respond withing 24 hours.

Six Tips for Developing Your Employees

I am not sure how many of you are like me, when I read an article stating, "According to a recent poll"..I wander off into LaLa land. The tips below might seem basic and well...simple. How many of us on a daily basis forget to apply the simple solutions to both our lives and our business.

The trusted, professional advisors at First Place Employer Services see business owners struggle on a daily basis to attract and retain quality employees. When we read tip number one we were in no way shocked. How about you?

According to a recent poll of HR professionals, only ten percent of managers are fully prepared for the next level. Given this information, is it really a surprise that approximately fifty percent of promotions fail (source: Corporate Leadership Council) when the selection decision is based on current performance level?

One of the most important qualities of a good leader is the ability and desire to develop their employees. Taking an active role in the development of your team demonstrates confidence and concern for the future of the organization. Although talent development should be part of a company-wide initiative, most of the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the supervisors. Unfortunately, development coaching doesn’t come naturally to many leaders. By following these tips, you can prepare your employees for success at the next level.

1. Encourage professional development. High-potential employees are not satisfied with the status quo. You WANT these employees your team. They are typically ambitious, high performing, and dynamic. They will be the future leaders of your organization if they are given proper guidance in their development. If not, be prepared to lose them to the competition.

2. Create a plan. Planning is crucial to advancing your career. Help your employees establish goals that are aligned with their strengths, interest and experience and then create a plan to get there. A development plan serves as the roadmap that will take you to your goal. It can be simple or complex but it must include action steps, resources, and deadlines. Not sure where to focus your attention? Try the step-by-step promotion planning eClass. You will focus only on building necessary skills and overcoming obstacles to get you to your targeted position.

3. Pair your employee’s with a mentor. Once their goals have been established, find someone who is in a similar role to the target position to serve as a mentor. Mentoring enables an organization to use it’s existing talent to impart their knowledge and expertise to one another. Everyone – the organization, the mentor, and the mentee – benefits from the mentoring process.

4. Identify opportunities to expand their professional network. Having a solid network is imperative to the success of future leaders. A network is a great source of information, advice, support and inspiration. Recommend opportunities within the organization, as well as, networking or professional groups that will help them build strong connections.

5. Challenge your employees to move out of their comfort zone. You can’t move forward if you don’t grow and you can’t grow if you never leave your comfort zone. When possible, give your employees challenging assignments. Help them prepare by providing them a safe environment to learn from the mistakes that they are bound to make.

6. Hire a coach. For high-potential employees and employees who need to be redirected to another career path, it can be best to bring in an outside coach. An external coach provides a confidential environment where employees are free to discuss the challenges and opportunities they face in their careers through the use of assessments, powerful questions, and individual development plans.

To learn more about this author, visit Jill Frank and her website
@ (http://www.leverageyourtalent.com/)

If you or someone you know may have questions regarding employee performance, please drop us an e-mail at:

firstplacerightchoice@1stplacemployer.com

and a trusted advisor will answer your inquiry within 24 hours.

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