by Afilliated HR & Payroll | Dec 28, 2022 | Performance Management
Implementing the practice of conducting one-on-one meetings with your employees is an excellent way to begin establishing rapport, ultimately making your employees feel appreciated and improving their productivity levels overall. While most managers are aware of the benefits of one-on-ones, not every employer understands how to improve one-on-one meetings in an effective manner.
In a survey by the collaborative app company known as Hypercontext, approximately “72% of managers indicated that one-on-ones were the most, or one of the most important things they do to manage the performance of their teams” and “75% of managers felt that employees left their one-on-ones more motivated.” From the perspective of the employees, “58% of employees said they left one-on-ones more motivated than they were prior to the meetings.”
Even though managers and employees are typically on the same page regarding the positive effects of one-on-one meetings, the two parties do not always share identical opinions regarding the process of participating in a one-on-one meeting or how these meetings are executed.
According to Hypercontext once more, it appears that “managers as a whole were more bullish on the positive impact one-on-ones were having on their team” than the employees were. So although you as a manager might believe that a one-on-one meeting unfolded successfully, your employees might not, which is a discrepancy worth addressing.
Inefficient one-on-ones will yield negative results that can manifest in unfavorable behaviors at work, like an increased number of absences, low productivity levels, or higher turnover rates. In order to combat these unwanted consequences, consider the following tips, which can help you make your one-on-one meetings more ideal for both you and your employees.
Prepare for the meetings ahead of time
Per the Harvard Business Review, it has been said that “one-on-one meetings with direct reports often feel more hurried and disorganized than they need to be.” One major way to prevent the one-on-one meetings that you conduct from feeling rushed is by planning ahead in advance of the meeting.
Instead of winging it and going with the flow during the meeting, try to implement the following habits:
- Schedule the one-on-one meetings in advance using the organizational tool or app of your choice so you are aware of the upcoming need to plan and prepare for the meetings.
- Ensure that enough time has been allotted when scheduling the meetings. One suggestion in terms of creating the schedule for your one-on-one meetings is to set up a recurring 30-minute appointment that takes place at the same time every week. An alternative idea is to plan for a 60-minute bimonthly appointment, which would be held once every two weeks.
- Make notes regarding what you need to talk about with your employees so that you stay on topic and the conversation is productive. Encourage your employees to write down anything they would like to discuss as well, as this will help them feel empowered and involved in the one-on-one discussions.
- Inform your employees about any and all important details that relate to the upcoming one-on-one meetings. Give them an idea of what they can expect to talk about with you when the time comes to sit down for the meetings. As a courtesy, be sure to send your employees a reminder prior to the date of the meeting.
- Out of respect for your employees, never cancel any one-on-one meetings at the last minute.
- Arrive to the meeting on time so you don’t keep your employees waiting around or confused about where you are. If you are running behind schedule, update your employees and let them know.
Learn the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful one-on-one
When you understand how an inefficient meeting differs from an effective one-on-one, you can easily aim for the good and steer clear of the bad.
In the same Hypercontext survey quoted earlier, it was shown that managers and employees both consider the following signs good indicators of a successful one-on-one meeting:
- Two-way communication that allows both parties to actively listen and participate
- Achievement made by the end of the meeting, such as devising a resolution to an issue
- A conclusion that results in motivated and happy employees
- An understanding that the work environment encourages open and honest communication
- The creation of a plan of action that identifies a solution to the matters at hand
On the other hand, both managers and employees have mentioned that these are indicative of poor or dissatisfactory one-on-one meetings:
- Pessimistic, defensive, or confrontational attitudes
- No agenda or flow of conversation
- Communication issues, like a lack of dialogue or equal roles in the conversation
- No clear point to or intention behind the meeting
- Little to no meaningful outcome
- An ambiance of stress, frustration, or misunderstanding
- An imbalance in conversations, causing negativity or one-sidedness
One-on-one meetings are an unmatched opportunity for you and your employees to connect with one another on a professional yet in-depth level. Doing so will often boost the productivity levels and performance of your team as a whole, but especially individually.
However, in order for that to happen, both you and your employees will need to put forth effort and work as a team to maximize the benefits of your one-on-one meetings. At the end of a meeting, both you and your employees should leave the one-on-one feeling like your time was well spent and meaningful.
by Afilliated HR & Payroll | Nov 28, 2022 | Performance Management, Regulatory Compliance
I have an employee who hasn’t shown up to work the last few shifts and isn’t responding to messages. Can we make a policy that employees who quit without notice won’t get their final paycheck?
No, federal law requires you to pay employees for all hours they have worked. While you can and should have a policy defining job abandonment (e.g., if an employee no-shows and no-calls three days in a row, you’ll take that as a resignation), you are not allowed to deduct or withhold pay because an employee quits without notice.
Unless job abandonment happens regularly, it’s probably not something you need to worry about discouraging. That said, there are some practices that may help encourage employees to give notice:
- Allow employees who give appropriate notice to work through their notice period. Sometimes businesses want to terminate employment immediately when someone gives notice, but this only discourages employees from giving notice at all.
- Remind your staff that if they abandon their job, their coworkers bear a lot of the burden.
- Celebrate “good” departures. When employees resign with appropriate notice, publicly show your appreciation for the great work they did and support for the next step they’re taking in their career or lives.
You can learn more about job abandonment, including what to do (and not to do) when it occurs, on the platform.
Content courtesy of the HR Support Center – https://affiliatedpayroll.myhrsupportcenter.com
by Afilliated HR & Payroll | Oct 18, 2022 | Benefits & Compensation, Performance Management, Recruiting and Developing Talent
When employees have a good experience at your company, top talent stays around longer, and it’s easy to see why. If employees aren’t satisfied with their experience at work, they are likely to leave. A study shows that most HR leaders know the importance of delivering a great employee experience.
However, when it comes to actually implementing and maintaining a great employee experience, there’s serious work to be done. One study reveals that only 13% of employees are totally satisfied with their workplace experience.
Here are five significant aspects of the employee experience to focus on:
1. Hiring
The employee experience starts with recruitment and hiring.
Focus on attracting and hiring the right person for the job — someone with the appropriate hard and soft skills who fits into your culture. Employees are more likely to stick around if their values align with your company philosophy.
2. Onboarding and training
How you go about acclimating new hires to your company can make or break the employee experience.
Focus on developing onboarding processes that make it easy for new hires to access the information they need to become productive employees. It’s not enough to give them new-hire paperwork to complete and offer standard training. You should also frequently check in with them to understand their needs, provide feedback and encourage open dialogue.
3. Pay and benefits
At the end of the day, employees work to get paid so that they can meet their financial obligations. They also want benefits that can enhance their well-being.
Focus on providing competitive, equitable salaries and benefits, as this will make it difficult for competitors to entice your people away. When it comes to benefits, strike a balance between what your employees need and what you can afford.
4. Technology
The world has become digital, and so has the way employers are administering their business processes.
Focus on automating key aspects of the employee experience, including:
- Job application.
- Onboarding.
- Benefits enrollment.
- HR, payroll and benefits self-service.
- Engagement and collaboration.
Remember that as much as employees want digitization, they still value human connections. Therefore, it’s important to know which processes should be fully or partially automated and which ones should not be automated at all.
5. Flexible work arrangements
Flexible work arrangements used to be a luxury for many employees. Now, they’re becoming a must-have.
Focus on avenues that promote flexible work schedules. While some jobs cannot be done remotely, flexible work arrangements come in many forms, including:
- Fully remote.
- Hybrid (combination of remote and on-site work).
- Part-time work.
- Temporary work.
- Compressed workweeks.
- Alternative schedules (e.g., second or third shifts).
As stated in an article published by FlexJobs, “Employers that allow their staff the freedom to work a flexible schedule can also find themselves a greener, more profitable, and more desirable company that people want to work for.”
by Afilliated HR & Payroll | Sep 27, 2022 | Performance Management, Regulatory Compliance
What are the best practices for disciplining employees?
Discipline is an act on the part of the employer to address and correct inappropriate behavior or a policy violation by an employee. Discipline functions both as an incentive for employees to refrain from bad behavior in the first place and as a corrective if bad behavior occurs. Common forms of discipline include oral warnings, written warnings, and termination.
Here are a few of our recommended practices:
- Discipline should reflect the severity of the behavior. Egregious sexual harassment might merit immediate termination, while forgetting to clock in one time almost certainly wouldn’t.
- Discipline should be applied consistently. For instance, if you jump straight to a final warning when a certain employee is an hour late to work, but let another employee come in late regularly without so much as an oral warning, you’re setting yourself up for trouble. Consider how you addressed certain behaviors in the past and the precedent you want to set for the future.
- In situations where minor policy violations are an ongoing issue, a progressive approach is often best. For a first offense, you might start with an oral warning, but then move to a written warning, final warning, and finally termination if the issue persists.
- At each step, make your expectations clear, notify the employee of the consequences should they fail to improve (e.g., they’ll be one step closer to termination), and document what actions you took.
The warnings you give to the employee should stick to the facts, i.e., what infraction was observed, when it occurred, and what policy or policies were violated. Opinions about the infraction should be left out, as these are easily disputed. For example, “Yesterday, you arrived 20 minutes late in violation of our attendance policy” simply states the facts, whereas “You’re always tardy and can’t be trusted to arrive on time” is likely to get pushback.
Content courtesy of the HR Support Center – https://affiliatedpayroll.myhrsupportcenter.com
by Afilliated HR & Payroll | Sep 7, 2022 | Career Planning, Performance Management
Employers are granted certain degrees of leverage when setting standards for their workplaces, which employees will subsequently be required to adhere to and follow. However, employers of private-sector employees must take the National Labor Relations Act into consideration.
What Is the NLRA?
The NLRA is a federal law designed to grant employees “the right to form or join unions; engage in protected, concerted activities to address or improve working conditions; or refrain from engaging in these activities.” The quoted statement is an exact definition from the National Labor Relations Board, which is the federal agency in charge of enforcing the NLRA.
Ultimately, the NLRA is a piece of legislation that protects employees who participate in certain activities in the workplace. While the NLRA covers the majority of U.S. employees who are employed by private-sector employers, public-sector employees do not receive the same level of coverage under the NLRA.
Employees’ rights under the NLRA
The NLRA extends to all employees, including the unionized and the nonunionized.
From a union standpoint, employees are granted the right to:
- Create a union at their place of work.
- Participate in a union whether or not the union is recognized by their employer.
- Assist an existing union in the process of organizing fellow employees.
- Actively refuse to participate in any or all of the three aforementioned activities.
- Receive equitable treatment as a result of the union.
From the perspective of nonunion employees, individuals are granted the right to engage in what are known as “concerted activities.” The NLRB defines concerted activities as being instances “when two or more employees take action for their mutual aid or protection regarding terms and conditions of employment.”
Concerted activities that are protected under the NLRA include the following:
- Two or more employees seeking better pay from their employer.
- Two or more employees who talk, solely amongst themselves, about concerns outside the scope of work-related pay, such as safety issues in the workplace.
- One or more employees speaking with their employer on behalf of their co-workers and in an effort to improve the work conditions of everyone employed by said employer.
What employers cannot do under the NLRA
While the NLRA protects employees’ rights to engage in particular activities, the act also prohibits employers from taking action against any employees who exercise their rights under it. Here are some examples of the actions that the NLRA deems illegal in regard to employer-related behavior:
- Transferring, demoting or firing employees.
- Reducing the number of hours an employee works.
- Discouraging employees from enacting their NLRA rights.
- Making threats in the way of closing the workplace if a union is formed among employees.
- Coercing employees by raising their pay in exchange for the acceptance, or lack thereof, regarding union support.
- Forbidding employees who are not on the clock from soliciting for a union during unpaid hours at work, such as while on break or before and after work.
- Preventing employees from adorning themselves in union-related gear, such as a hat with the union’s logo or buttons advertising the union, with the exception of few-and-far-between limited cases.
Furthermore, the NLRA has even more specific and protective rules for unions that represent employees who are in the collective bargaining process with their current employers.
Penalties for violating the NLRA
If an employee believes their NLRA rights were violated, they are permitted to file a charge directly with the NLRB. However, the statute of limitations for such a claim is six months immediately after the incident took place. If an employee was ultimately fired, it is possible that the board will require the employer to overturn the firing and rehire the employee, as well as pay said employee the wages and benefits they lost as a result of being fired.
The NLRB will likely also issue a cease and desist order to any and all employers that make the decision to violate the NLRA and the company’s employees’ rights. While the NLRA currently does not have any civil money penalties in place, Congress may move to change that reality in the near future.
by Afilliated HR & Payroll | Jul 7, 2022 | Health & Safety, HR Administration, Performance Management, Recruiting and Developing Talent
In a survey by McKinsey & Company, 75 percent of employers acknowledged that there’s a stigma around mental health in the workplace. People in the workplace, leaders included, are afraid to speak up about their mental health needs or ask for help. As the McKinsey report notes, employers can’t solve every problem contributing to poor mental health, but there is work they can do to reduce the stigma around mental health and promote healthy behaviors. We recommend these five actions:
- When possible, give employees a little extra time to slow down and rest. Employees may need a moment to breathe or a day to regain their peace of mind, and they shouldn’t be afraid to ask for time to take care of themselves. The ability to occasionally function at a medium (or even slow) pace should be built into performance expectations so that employees can avoid burnout or breakdown.
- Offer paid time off (PTO), mental health benefits, and flexible schedules if appropriate. In some cases, employees may want to get the mental health care but can’t afford it. Losing pay from a missed work shift might be too great a hardship, and effective treatments might be financially out of reach. These financial hindrances can exacerbate conditions like anxiety and depression. In other cases, employees can afford the time off and the treatments, but they can’t make regular appointments work with their schedules. If you can offer PTO, health insurance benefits, or flexible schedules, these can help employees get the care they need.
- Offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). An EAP gives employees access to expert, confidential assistance for substance abuse issues, relationship troubles, financial problems, and mental health conditions. These services are offered through an outside provider that connects employees with the appropriate resources and professionals. These programs enable you to provide professional assistance to employees in a confidential manner.
- Make reasonable accommodations when possible. If an employee informs you that they have anxiety, depression, or another mental health condition that’s affecting their work, begin the interactive process to determine what reasonable accommodation(s) you can provide in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA applies when an employer has 15 or more employees, but many states have similar laws that require employers to make accommodations at an even lower employee count. You can learn more about the ADA on the HR Support Center.
- Promote good mental (and physical) health in the workplace. Healthy habits are important for everyone to practice. Consider setting time aside during the week or month for employees to participate in activities like yoga, meditation, and mindfulness that develop and strengthen these habits. If you aren’t familiar with these practices, solicit the help of your employees. One or more of them may know a lot about these activities and be able to assist you in setting up a workplace program or modifying a program for employees currently working from home.
